common sense • rini/jolivia one shots

labor of love

Nini rubbed her swollen belly as she waddled uncomfortably to the kitchen to get a glass of water. at 39 weeks and 12 days pregnant, she was over it. she had loved being pregnant, every moment was so special but now, she just felt like a beached whale.

she chugged the water before she refilled her glass. she had been so thirsty her entire pregnancy, one of those weird pregnancy things her doctor told her it was. Ricky came around the corner into the kitchen, his phone in his hand.

"okay so i just double checked with the hospital and they're all set for us to come in tomorrow morning."

Nini sighed, "thank god, i can't handle another day being this pregnant."

tomorrow Nini was getting induced. since it was her first pregnancy and she is so small in stature, her doctor suggested that induction might be the safest way to go, that way they could monitor her the entire way through her labor from the second it started.

Ricky placed his hands over her belly, rubbing gently, "in 24 hours we'll be parents."

Nini snorted, "yeah, to a little boy. he's gonna be all you Ricky, i can feel it. we're gonna have our hands full."

Ricky chuckled and helped guide her to the couch in the family room, sitting her down gently as he propped her feet up in his lap. he rubbed her swollen ankles as she sighed contently.

"everything is ready right? you packed the diaper bag and installed the car seat?" Nini asked nervously.

"Neens, honey, everything is going to be okay. just relax and think about what it'll be like once he's finally here." Ricky calmed his wife.

that night, Nini couldn't sleep. whether it was her back pain or her anxiety causing the lack of sleep, she couldn't tell you. she shifted around, switching sides when a hands reached out for her.

"stop moving and go to sleep." her husband mumbled.

Nini whined, "i can't sleep, i'm scared."

Ricky sat up in bed a little, "scared about what?"

Nini frowned, "being a mom."

"Nini, i'm terrified about being a dad, but i just keep thinking about how much better our lives are going to be once he's here."

Nini held back her tears, "but what if we screw up?"

"i'm not saying that we won't screw him up but, we're gonna do our best. that's all we can do. he's going to be an amazing human because we're going to raise him to be one. that's all that matters."

Nini, contented with her husbands answer, curls into his chest and forces herself to fall asleep, with the promise that tomorrow will bring her greatest gift into the world.

their alarm sprung them awake at 5:30 in the morning. they had to be at the hospital at 6:15 so they had just enough time to get ready and go. Ricky helped Nini get out of bed and changed from her pjs into a tee shirt dress, slipping on a pair of vans. Ricky just grabbed a pair of joggers and his maroon tee shirt, pulling them on quickly with his converse. Nini grabbed her purse and the diaper bag, Ricky grabbing Nini's hospital bag with all her belongings and his backpack that had a change of clothes and some other items in it. he loaded up the car as Nini stepped out onto the front porch, the spring air hitting her face, the morning dew fresh from the rain the night before.

Ricky stepped up onto the porch, his hand reaching out for his wife as she pulled the front door shut behind her, Ricky checking to make sure it was locked before he took her hand and guided her to the car. he helped her get buckled and moved to sit in the drivers seat. he tapped nervously on the steering wheel as he drove, Nini's hands rubbing her belly as she looked out the window at the rising sun. Ricky stole a glance at her and grasped her thigh with his right hand, his thumb rubbing her skin gently.