BREAKING | rafe cameron

TWENTY SEVEN

It's thanksgiving, and Rafe and I were spending it by ourselves. Well, we spent the day before with our friends, a Friendsgiving if you will. But today was actually thanksgiving and I'm glad we were staying home because I'm just absolutely exhausted, Josie has been giving me a run for my money. I'm 33 weeks pregnant, I know, crazy. We're pretty much done preparing for her arrival, we wanted it done early. It's been a little over two months since Rafe got into that car accident, he's fully recovered now, and back to work, but it is the slow season for him, which has been making him nervous, but he just got an amazing job. The country club recently had to fire their landscaping crew, my boss, Mary, had over heard me talking about Rafe's business and pitched it to the higher ups. They gave Rafe an offer he couldn't refuse, claiming that if anyone should know what the grounds should look like it would be him. Which is true, he grew up there. The money is so good that he's been trying to convince me to take more time off for the baby, since I'm already having a hard time working. I'm open to the idea, but scared. Oh and he also hired a bunch more help now that they have this giant, year round client, he's kept John B and JJ on, they're basically managers in the grand spectrum, they helped Rafe build this so of course he's going to keep bringing them up as the company grows. He's really becoming quite successful in his work, Ward has reached out a few times, we've become civil with him, but we still don't have them over, or go over there. It just doesn't feel right. We talk on the phone sometimes, Rafe has sent a few ultrasound pictures to them.

Grant is in jail, I gave a written testimony as well as a couple of other girls, he's serving ten years on the mainland, finally, apparently they got him for a couple of other things too. But back to my main point, taking time off of work, basically if I do that now, I'm not guaranteed a job when I come back. Which is absolutely terrifying.

"Good morning." I whispered as Rafe stirred from beside me, I've been sitting up against the headboard in bed for at least an hour, apparently Josie doesn't want me to sleep. "Why are you up so early?" He mumbled into the pillow, a yawn forcing its way out afterwards. "I couldn't sleep." I sighed, scrolling through my phone, "so you realize Josie could be here in as little as four weeks?" I laughed as his eyes snapped open at my words. My doctor said Josie is measuring ahead, she doesn't think I'll go past 37-38 weeks, she's talking about moving my due date up too. "That is the most exciting, yet terrifying thing you've ever said to me." He rested a hand on my stomach, smiling as he felt Josie kicking around in there. "You're supposed to let mommy sleep." He mumbled to my stomach, pressing a kiss to the bare skin. I rested my hand on the back of his head as he laid with his face right next to my belly, as much as I'm ready to have her here, I'm going to miss these moments, when Rafe was just so content talking to my belly as if it would answer him. "Happy Thanksgiving." He added looking up at me, "happy thanksgiving." I smiled.

On the thought of Josie, I began making a mental list of what I needed to pack, it's pretty cold out now, and by the time she comes it will only be colder, lots of layers for her, that's for sure. "Baby, stop thinking, just relax." Rafe pushed himself up to be sitting with me, "what should we do on this fine day?" He joked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I melted into his touch, feeling at peace finally. "I don't care." I muttered under my breath, my eyes closing as I leaned against his chest. I've been able to fall asleep in the weirdest positions lately. "Sleep tight." I heard faintly as I drifted off.

***

"Alright, let's see here." The doctor was messing around with the ultrasound machine, "she's looking like she's right around five pounds four ounces." My jaw dropped, "already?" The doctor laughed and nodded, "I'm officially moving your due date up to December twenty ninth. You better get that hospital bag ready." That was so soon, I looked over at Rafe who was looking at me, totally confused, not even knowing they could really change the due date. "She's big for thirty three weeks, I'd say she's actually thirty five." The doctor explained to him, he just nodded silently. "I want to see you back in two weeks, of course if anything changes you can come in sooner."

"We have to pack the hospital bags, today, please." I told Rafe as we walked back into the house, I felt rushed now, it's even sooner until she's here. "Whatever you say, mama." He joked, the closer we get to Josie being here the more her refers to me as that. I can't complain. It's nice. "Can you grab those for me?" I asked pointing to the bags I had in the top of the closet, Rafe pulled them down, they already had somethings in there, but I decided to finish filling them now. "We really need all this, for one little baby?" He questioned, watching as I put item after item in the bag. "Well we'll probably be there for a day or two, so she needs swaddles, and an outfit to come home in, but I don't know what will fit so I have to bring a few things. Not to mention pacifiers and other little things that we'd rather have than not have." He looked at me, totally in awe that I just knew all of this stuff right off the top of my head. "You need to put some stuff in our bag for yourself, fresh clothes, toiletries and stuff." I instructed, snapping him out of his daze. "Okay." He laughed at my pointed look, I'm definitely in the nesting stage. I've cleaned the house about three times this week. It's not fun, but I feel this compulsive need to do it.