The Best Years

6

Calum was just finishing up his breakfast made up of an omelet and fruit when Holland wandered into the kitchen. Her skin had an unusual peakiness that caused his eyes to draw together in concern.

"You feeling okay?"

"Just feeling a bit—" she stopped speaking, her chin jutting forward as she gagged, her hand rising to cover her mouth before she turned and raced towards the hall bathroom. Calum was only a few steps behind her and he knelt to the floor next to her, holding her hair back and looking away so he himself wouldn't become sick.

After a few moments she flushed the toilet and sat back. Her breathing shallow and beads of sweat pooled on her forehead. Calum stood and opened the cabinet below the sink grabbing out a washcloth and running it under cool water. He returned to his kneeling position and dabbed it across her face as she offered a small smile of gratitude.

"You feel okay now?"

"Yeah, the smell just made me nauseous."

"The smell? Of what?"

"Must've been your eggs."

"Fuck, I'm sorry, Holls. No eggs for a while then." He said simply.

"Eat what you want, Cal. A bit of morning sickness is to be expected. Sierra told me awhile back that there's some medicine you can take that's supposed to help. I'll have to ask her what it was called again."

"Do that. I hate seeing you sick."

"Sure, it's that and not the fact that vomit makes you queasy."

His cheeks blushed as she called him out, the corners of his mouth turning upwards into a small smile.

"Okay smart ass, up you go." He said, offering his hands to her and pulling her into a standing position. She swayed on her feet for a moment but regained her balance and stepped towards the sink, washing her mouth out before beginning to move, he followed closely behind her once more, just in case, until they'd once again reached the kitchen.

She took a seat on a bar stool at their kitchen island, her chin resting on the palm of her hand as Calum quickly discarded the remnants of his omelet and turned on their kitchen fan, spraying air freshener to try to help eliminate the offending odor.

"Okay so eggs are gonna be a no, what do you want to try and eat?" He asked her. She stared back at him incredulous and his gaze softened. "You gotta eat, Holls. It's not just you relying on you anymore."

She looked away, obviously contemplating his words silently before she finally gave a small nod. "Maybe just some oatmeal."

•

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Calum said rushing in to the management office he'd been told to meet the boys at. "Holland's morning sickness hit full force today."

"Morning sickness?" Michael asked, sitting up straighter on the couch he and Luke were laid across.

"Fuck. You guys didn't know about that." Calum said more to himself than the other boys, two of whom were looking at him in various states of excited shock.

"Holland's pregnant?" Luke asked.

Cal nodded as he dragged his hands down over his face.

"Why don't you seem surprised?" Michael asked, his question directed at Ashton.

"I already knew." The man, who'd recently re-dyed his hair black shrugged.

"How come he knew before us?" Luke asked loudly, obviously affronted.