The Dream Team

13: baby tatum

Jiles' POV

"Man, pregnant Kyle is working my last nerve," Isaac complained as we got onto the bus in Milwaukee.

I looked at him crazy and started laughing. "Nigga, she's only a month in,"

"That don't mean shit. She's already actin different," the two of them were one funny couple. Being around them lately was so amusing. All Kyle did was cuss that nigga out. It wasn't like that before but something switched, maybe it really was the pregnancy.

"How's Rae doing though?" he asked and I grinned thinking of my big baby back home. Her stomach was so big now. She had two months left and we were both ready to have our baby girl in our arms.

"She's doing good. It's getting harder for her to sleep cuz she's always uncomfortable and the baby moves hella at night," I laughed thinking of the times I'd wake up in the middle of the night and look over to see her up as our little girl bounced around. The movement was so big I could see it now. Her little kicks were adorable. To me at least, I'm sure Raegan was getting tired of it.

"Yeah, last time I seen her it was like she blew up over night," Isaac pointed out. It was very true, her belly wasn't that big until a few weeks ago. It was like one morning we woke up and it was just bigger. She's been a little self conscious here and there but I try to remind her everyday how beautiful she is. It's like she looked even better carrying my child, I didn't think it was even possible for her to look any better.

"Pretty much. I can't wait. Two more months and she'll be here," I beamed.

"Y'all thought of any names yet?" he asked and I thought of the million and one conversations we'd had about a name. We could never agree on anything.

"Nah, not yet. I don't like none of the names she pick and she don't like the names I pick so we'll see," I shrugged. She'd get a name eventually, just not right now. We'd stuck to just calling her baby.

The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was short. We quickly unloaded our things and found our rooms. I wanted Rae to come to this game with me but she hadn't been feeling the greatest lately. I finally got her to stop working at the hospital. I'd support her 100% if she wanted to go back once the baby was here but I didn't think it was good for her to be on her feet like that all day, especially as it got closer for the baby to come. We had practice later but for now I just wanted to call her.

"Hey baby and other baby," I smiled as the facetime connected.

She gave me a faint smile back. "Hi Poodah," I could tell something was off just by her reaction.

"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately worried.

"Calm down," she laughed. "I'm ok, just tired. I think I was having some Braxton Hicks earlier but it's died down now," she said and I looked confused.

"What the fuck is Braxton Hicks?" I asked, never hearing that phrase before.

"Contractions but like fake ones, kinda. Like not labor contractions," she explained.

"Are you supposed to be having them?" I asked. Labor or not it seemed early for her to be having any type of contractions.

"The advice nurse said it was normal. And my grandma said so, too," she replied. "She told me some old wives tales about how to get them to stop," she laughed.

"Grandmie be knowing though. Every time one of us is sick she always has some remedy that works," I laughed. Her grandma was like a doctor or some shit, I swear. She always knew some herb or some trick to help whatever was wrong.