So This Is Life

Chapter 16

I deserve none of you. I'm so sorry chapters are so slow. I have plans, really, I do, but my procrastination has reached incredible levels. But now I'm here and I know what needs to happen. Enjoy!!!!

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1 week later, Jefferson's p.o.v

Being 22 weeks pregnant with a bum leg sucks, just in case anyone was wondering. 

Do you know what some of the symptoms of being 22 weeks pregnant are? I do.  

#1: Trouble sleeping 

It was 3.a.m. 

Most people say nothing good happens at 3.a.m. I beg to differ. I'd been awake at 3.a.m every morning for the past four or five mornings, and nothing drastically awful had happened yet. Baby girl hadn't noticeably moved yet, but I asked Franklin on our Sunday meeting, and he had said not to worry. 

"It's your first pregnancy, it's not usual to have a slow mover," he said. I then got offended that he called my girl slow, yelled at him for it then cried because he looked upset. Yeah, hormones are really weird. Anyway, sleep seemed to elude me until about 4.a.m or so, when I dropped off into a sleep of the dead and didn't wake up until at least midday, usually later.

Alas, it was still 3.a.m. My book, Rivers of London (A/N: great book btw, check it out if you get a chance) was finished, and I didn't know what else to do. I was on my side, because I read somewhere that sleeping on your back could harm your baby. James was fast asleep, one hand thrown protectively over me and my bump. My own hand rested slightly above his, and that's when I felt the kick. 

It was a weird feeling at first. Kinda like someone poking your insides. I felt the little foot against my hand and I simply couldn't contain my squeal of excitement. 

James jolted awake with a start.

"Whu-what-where's the problem?" he stuttered stupidly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and looking fearfully at me.

"There's no problem," I laughed softly, unable to stop smiling. "The baby just kicked."

His eyes filled with tears and he stared at me in shock.

"Oh my God..." he whispered, his hands flying to my stomach. I giggled, nodding happily.

"I know, I know."

A million thoughts were flying through my mind. That was my girl, my baby girl! She was there, inside of me! She could kick, and she could move, and she could even hear what was going on in the outside world! Emotions, ten thousand at once, just seemed to all overtake me at once and I, completely out of the blue, burst into tears. Not sad tears, though. Sort of a mixture of fear, excitement, joy and nervousness. James wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his shoulder, stroking my hair whilst whispering comforting words in my ear.

I noticed that his hand never left my bump.

#2: Feeling Dizzy/Light-headed 

"James! Do we have any ice cream?" 

My question was met with silence. 

Sighing heavily, I shifted in my lounging position on the couch. Baby girl gave an angry kick in retaliation. 

"I know, baby, I'm getting your daddy," I murmured, glancing down at my bump before screeching, "JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMES!?!?!?" 

Nothing. 

That was it. I'd waited long enough. Slowly, with much grunting and clutching at pillows, I sat up, and had to stay there for a moment. When the preliminary tests seemed to go okay, I steeled myself and stood up. 

At first, all seemed well, and I started to hype myself up about the ice cream. I'm sure I could remember us having picked some up the other night. Anyway, I took two steps forward and that's when it all went wrong. 

A wave of dizziness toppled over me and sent me staggering backwards. Letting out a yelp, I called out for James in a frantic voice, my arms flailing, trying to find anything, anything, that could've steadied me. Luckily, James heard me that time and came rushing in. He saw me standing unsteadily and hooked my arm over his shoulders, helping me to the kitchen and depositing me on one of the chairs. 

"Tom, what the hell were you thinking!?" he demanded, hands on hips. I know he was trying to sound stern, but he's so small that it was just adorable, and I snorted with laughter, looking down like a toddler. "Thomas! This is serious!" 

"I called you!" I shot back. "Twice! You never responded!" 

"I had my headphones on!" he said, his eyes blazing. "I was on a conference call with someone in some foreign government. I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention!" 

He was sniffing like crazy, and I realised that I was going to have to do something before he started crying, because if he started crying I'd start crying and both of us crying has never ended well. Pulling myself up, I waddled over to him and pulled him into a hug. He buried his face in my chest. 

"I'm sorry, Tom," he murmured. His deep voice rumbled through my entire body. 

"It's okay." 

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And that's just a couple. The worst one was, undoubtedly, leg cramps. They were just... phew. Luckily, I'm on some pretty good pain meds, and I can feel them coming on, so it was just a case of Deep Heat patches and rest. 

I don't think I've ever been so bored in my life. Amongst not being allowed to work, my leg preventing me from walking distances any longer than the trip from the couch to the fridge and our internet unexpectedly going down halfway through the week, I appeared to have lost interest in... well, everything. 

"James, I don't think I've ever been so bored!" I complained, poking my husband in the side. 

"Watch Netflix," he murmured. He was absorbed in something on his laptop. 

"Internet's down." 

"Watch it on your phone."

"Screen's too small." 

"Then read something." 

"Don't want to." 

He finally looked up, exasperated. 

"Tom, we grew up in a time without the internet," he said, giving me his don't make me explain this to you like you're two look. "I'm sure you can manage." 

"Yeah, but I was a kid then," I replied. "I hadn't experienced everything." 

James chuckled and ruffled my hair. 

"Sometimes I wonder why I love you so much." 

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Oh God, I really hope you guys like this. Don't worry, might pick up a bit after this cos it gets a bit more exciting. Stay tuned!