Great Expectations [ A Niall Horan OU ]

five

Warning: This story contains content that revolves around pregnancy issues. Please read with caution!

16 weeks

4 months of being pregnant comes with saying goodbye to certain symptoms and hello to other ones for Gia.

Luckily for her, the nausea is long gone, but now she has the occasional bout of heartburn. Niall and his mum swear it's a tell all sign that the baby is going to have lots of hair. Gia's really starting to look pregnant, the swell of her tummy taut against her work clothes. Niall's shirts still flow effortlessly on her body, but he's always sneaking a hand under the fabric, itching to feel his baby.

4 months also marks the arrival of Gia's next ultrasound, one where the gender of the baby will be revealed. Both Gia and Niall had agreed that they wanted to find out the gender early on, but now that the day has finally arrived, Gia is nervous.

She'd never asked Niall his preference, if he wanted a boy or a girl. Gia didn't have a preference herself — she is more than set on loving the child for who they are and who they want to be — no matter what.

That was one thing she promised herself the moment she found out she was pregnant. Things would be different in her home. She wouldn't make her child feel insufficient, like they weren't enough. Their accomplishments and failures — along with everything in between — would be celebrated and treated equally. They'd never question if she regretted having them, if she loved them.

A gentle, thick voice breaks her from her thoughts, bringing her back to the appointment room.

"Hey," Niall murmurs, brushing her hair back from her forehead. He's sitting on a stool next to the bed she's lying on, dressed in a brown button down and a pair of dark jeans. He gives her a smile, "Where'd you go, darlin?"

Gia returns his smile, his eyes darting over her face. He cups her cheek and she raises her hand to lay over his, reveling in the warmth of his touch. She'd once read that guitarists have calloused fingertips, hard and rough. Niall has calluses, but they're not rough. They don't take away from his gentle touch. "I'm right here," she responds. "I'm just nervous."

Niall shakes his head at her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He keeps his lips there. "Don't be. I've got ya," he promises. His eyes meet hers, sincere and calm. He's so steady, so strong, always there for her to lean on. She's more than inclined to believe his words. He hasn't let her down yet.

The door opens then, but they don't break apart. He waits until he sees the apprehension in Gia's eyes fade away before turning to greet her doctor.

Dr. Patel shakes Niall's hand and then turns towards Gia, "How are we doing, mom?"

"Good," Gia admits. "I stopped throwing up, so things should get better from here. Right?"

Dr. Patel chuckles as she brings the ultrasound machine to life, "For the most part. The second trimester has its own set of symptoms. Your body goes through a lot of changes."