When We Were Young - George Daniel

CHAPTER FORTY (heatwave)

May, 2010

"Is the air on?" Collapsed lazily on the sofa, I was roasting.

"Yes love, it's been on for hours." Mum, frustrated with my moodiness but trying her best to not show it. Bless her.

The first heatwave in Manchester for years and I had to be two weeks away from giving birth.

"Oh my God! Why is it so fucking hot?" I groaned loudly, the television in the living room I'd been in front of for a few hours now playing a re run of Family Guy. It was a Tuesday and mum's day off. I had texted the entire group begging someone to come round and hang out with me because mum was getting on my nerves a little, but they all had work and Lauren and George were at uni. Yeah, George had started a few weeks ago.

He told me he'd come round afterwards though.

Matty turned 21 last month. We had all gone to dinner at this new Italian place in town. A table of about twenty of us and an embarrassed Matty at the top of the table who for once, was hating the attention being on him while we all sang happy birthday. He was throwing a massive house party for it once the baby was born because he had said he wanted me to be included in all the shenanigans that would occur. And since it was his fault I was like I was currently, I considered it the least he could do.

Oh, George and Jessie were over, again.

Apparently it was for real this time. When she found out that George wasn't the father of my baby she was thrilled but it was short lived when he proceeded to tell her that he was still going to be there when it was born. She couldn't understand why he would want to be there and after yelling at him for a while, she told him she never wanted to see him again. I was happy with the outcome honestly, I was sick of dealing with her.

"Honey, do you maybe want to head upstairs, have a cool shower so you don't feel so warm?" Mum stood in the arch way to our living room, cleaning her glasses and looking at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Ugh," I groaned. "I don't even want to move. Why does this baby have to be so damn huge!?" I sat up a bit, my hands on my belly. The baby had been as lively as ever today, dancing around my uterus like it was putting on a show. Maybe it knew it was nearly due for eviction, preparing itself for it's entrance into this big, wide world. Or maybe it was just fucking with me.

"I still can't believe it's going to be at least eight pounds," mum came over, grabbing my hands and pulling me off the sofa, giggles from both of us. "How is a Healy baby going to be so big? Matty and Tim are tiny!" We kept laughing as mum helped me towards and up the stairs.

"Well, must come from me then. Grandad's over six foot, isn't he?"

At my appointment last week Hilary had confirmed that the baby was going to be at least eight pounds. I wasn't surprised, I'd been carrying big the entire pregnancy. I asked if I could have the baby sooner since it was already pretty cooked but she said we'd wait until at least 39 weeks and if I hadn't gone into labor by then she would think about inducing me.

I was also convinced it was a boy. A baby of this size had to be male and I was pretty sure I saw a penis on the scan a few weeks ago.

"I think I'll just lay on my bed for a second then I'll have a cool shower!" I told mum as she helped me to my bed and I lay down with a sigh. 

"Okay sweetie. If you need anything just yell out."

***

I was texting back and forth with Gemma when I felt a dull pain in my lower abdomen. "What the fuck," I muttered to myself, feeling around my belly for any other pain.