This Is The Time- Chapter 13
Title: This Is The Time-Chapter 13
User: bluangleyes75
Pairing: Rob and Kristen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kristen needs a nursery and Rob gives her anything she desires…
Disclaimer: I don’t own then, I don’t even know them, but a girl can dream. All mistakes are mine.
Previous Chapters:
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
Sitting in the overstuffed glider rocker in the baby’s room, she rocked gently and tapped her pointer finger against the top of her belly. Staring blankly at the white wall in front of her, she tipped her head to the left, then to the right. Scowling, she wiggled and brought her free hand to her mouth, seeking her cuticle to chew on. Giving up on the wall, she scanned the furniture haphazardly placed throughout the room. When the crib, dressers and changing table had been delivered she’d just had them put them in the empty room, figuring that she’d get around to arranging and decorating in time. Now seemed to be the time, but she was still unsure of what to do since they weren’t privy to the sex of their child.
All the times she’d thought of how she wanted to decorate the room, she could only picture gender specific themes. She wanted Pepto-Bismol pink with bows and lace if she had a daughter, which shocked even her, but also made her heart flutter. If she had a son, she wanted a traditional blue room with definite boy themes. Feeling her frustrations grow, she heaved her swollen feet onto the ottoman in front of her and ceased rocking.
The quiet of the house was broken when she heard Rob run up the stairs calling her name. Bernie and Bear burst into the room and bounded to her side, panting and slobbering as they vied for her attention.
“Hey, Babies,” she baby-talked and reached to pet their heads, not having the energy to get to their level and properly rub them down.
“Kris?” Rob called out again just before he noticed her and stepped into the frame of the open door, “Whatcha doin’, Love?”
“Trying to figure out what to do in here. It’s driving me mad!” She glanced around the room yet again.
“I told you, we don’t have to do anything until later. We have the bassinet in our room that she’ll sleep in when she first comes home,” he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her gaze around the nursery.
“I know and I was okay with that, but Babe…” She paused and waited for him to look at her before continuing, “I NEED to do this. I NEED to have a room for the baby.”
This is the baby’s room.” He shrugged. “If you want, I’ll come home and paint the second you deliver,” he offered.
“Please, Babe! Can we just do the room? I NEED this,” she begged, dragging and dropping her feet to the floor.
“Are you nesting?” He raised his eyebrows and pulled his hands from his pockets as he crossed the room to drop down onto the ottoman in front of her.
“Maybe,” she sniffled and looked at him with watery eyes. “I just feel like it’s my job to give the baby whatever he needs and I don’t even have a room ready. What kind of mother am I?” She threw her head against the back of the chair and huffed her hair out of her face.
“One that doesn’t know the sex of the baby and wants a gender specific nursery.” He leaned forward and grasped the arms of the chair, lowering his face to her stomach and planting a kiss where her belly button was visibly poking out against the cotton of her shirt.
“Exactly…a mother who wants. I don’t need a pink or blue nursery, but my baby needs a room. Their own little space in the world,” she explained quietly as she ran her fingers around her belly.
“Ok,” he choked, suddenly feeling emotional about Kristen’s desire to provide for their child.
“Ok?” She snapped her face up to meet his eyes and blinded him with an ear to ear grin.
“Yeah, okay.” He nodded and laughed. “Whatever my baby momma wants, she gets.” He winked. “Want to start on the internet? With a specific color? A theme?” He asked.
“Ugh, I don’t…” she stammered and suddenly looked panicked at his suggestions. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, well, let’s go eat lunch and we’ll figure it out.” He offered her his hand as he stood in front of her.
“No yellow,” she grumbled as she clambered around in attempt to stand. “And no mint green!”
“That’s a start,” he laughed. Pulling her to her feet, he threw an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the door of the nursery.
“We have so much to do, Rob.” She tipped her head to rest on his bicep and snaked an arm around his waist. “We need to do the room, wash all of the baby’s things, put the stroller together, pack for the hospital,” she listed aloud and took a breath so she could continue, but was silenced as his laughter rang out in the stairwell.
“Yep, you’re definitely nesting,” he informed her as they stepped off the last stair into the kitchen.
“Will you make me a salad while I look on the internet?” She dropped his hand and wandered towards the living room where her laptop sat on the table.
“Sure,” he called out behind her and started to pull out the makings for a chef salad.
When he had their lunch prepared, he carried their bowls into the living room and set them on the table. Kristen sat on the floor with her legs stretched out under the coffee table and her back against the couch. He climbed onto the cushion behind her, settled his legs on either side of her and rested his chin on top of her head. As she scrolled through pictures of baby bedding and nurseries, he waited patiently for her to find a good stopping place. She swapped the computer for her salad, bringing the bowl to rest on her stomach. He followed suit and leaned away from her so he could eat as well. Both of them sat quietly, zoning out on the television while they ate.
When she was finished, she pushed the bowl onto the table, dropped her head onto the couch cushion between his legs and stared up at him. Noticing that her dish wasn’t empty, he started to speak, but she brought her hand up and rested her finger against his lips.
“I don’t have any room! I’m full! Don’t even think about it,” she warned him.
He could only nod as he set his own bowl on the couch beside him. Giving him a smile to show her appreciation for not scolding her, she removed her finger and retrieved the computer. Sitting forward, he gathered her hair in his hands and draped it over her shoulder so he could massage her neck. Moaning, she dropped her chin to her chest and rolled her body into his touch.
“You’re not gonna find anything if you’re not looking,” he poked fun at her.
“I can’t concentrate when you’re touching me,” she snickered.
“Want me to stop?” He chuckled and reduced his firm kneading to light petting.
“Fuck NO,” she asserted and pushed into him more. Laughing, he resumed his deep massage. Feeling her melt beneath his fingers, he continued until her body swayed and her breathing was deep. Bending forward he placed a kiss atop her head and draped his arms over her shoulders.
“Kristen…Baby room,” he reminded her with a whisper to her ear.
Bringing her chin from her chest, she extended her neck all the way back so she could look at him again. Puckering her lips, she stretched so he could meet her for a quick kiss before she returned her attention to the computer screen. Scrolling aimlessly, she barely paused on any of the pictures that danced on the screen. She would hum or groan, but he could tell that nothing was jumping out at her by the lack of her reactions.
Extricating himself from around her body, he gathered their dishes and headed for the kitchen. Turning to glance at her before he exited the room, he noticed she’d brought a finger to her mouth to chew on and her knee bounced under the table. Shaking his head, he took their plates into the kitchen and started to clean up their lunch mess.
Just as he was closing the door to the dishwasher, Kristen called out to him. Pushing the button to start it, he went to the fridge to get her a bottle of water and headed back to the living room.
“ROB!” She yelled again.
“Kris, I’m right here,” he stated as he entered the room.
Her head snapped to the left and when she saw him her face lit up. “What about music notes?” She inquired, her outstretched legs bouncing furiously in front of her.
“What about them?” He countered as he placed her water on the table and lowered himself to the floor next to her.
“Look,” she turned the laptop so he could see what she found.
His eyes roamed over the picture on the screen, but all he saw was simple, clean-lined, black and white bedding.
“Look, Babe,” she sounded excited. “It doesn’t get any more neutral that that.” Her finger reached to touch the screen and trace the bedding in the picture. “It reminds me of sheet music.”
“I guess.” He tipped his head to try and see what she was seeing. The crib in the picture was dark wood, almost black, and the bedding was simple with a black dust ruffle, white sheet, and bumper pads and a comforter with varying widths of black, white, and grey stripes adorned with a few small silver grey bows.
“What if we did a grey-silver accent wall, left the other walls white, did the trim in black, and had my mom come in and do a border. She can paint a staff all around the room with clefs and notes.” The excitement in her voice increased as she explained her vision. “The baby will only be able to see black and white clearly anyway and when we know if it’s a boy or a girl we can add either pink or blue accents.”
Finally understanding what she was thinking and picturing it in his own mind, he smiled and leaned to rest his head on her shoulder. “Sounds good, Love,” he agreed and reached to rest his hand on her thigh. “I actually think it would be perfect.”
“Me too! Get my shoes!” She started to writhe around in an attempt to stand.
“Now?” He sounded shocked. “Can’t we wait until tomorrow? Order the bedding online?”
“Yeah, we could, but I want to do it now,” she whined and huffed and puffed as she tried to maneuver herself from between the coffee table and the couch.
Reaching out, he pushed the coffee table forward and stood. Bending, he slid his arms around her and plucked her from the floor.
“Love, we don’t even know who has the bedding,” he tried to rein her in.
“Yes I do,” she said. “I printed out the store information and the directions. Go get them and we need to pick out paint and I need to call my mom…” she prattled away as she waddled from the room, massaging her hips as she went.
Standing dumbfounded, he ran his hands through his hair and tried to figure out what’d just transpired as well as what he’d actually gotten himself into by agreeing to it. Dropping his hands limply to his sides he called out loudly through the house, “Kristen? Today? Really?”
“Yes,” she hollered back, he voice coming from somewhere on the second floor of the house.
Starting for the stairs to go find her, he laughed and called back, “Did you smoke crack for breakfast?”
“No, Baby! Ugh…I’m nesting! Hurry up, I want to leave,” she answered as he took the stairs two at a time.
****
Sitting in the rocker that Rob had pulled into the hallway, she swatted at the paper mask attached to her face that he’d insisted she wear to keep the paint fumes from assaulting her senses. Plucking tiny socks and outfits from a laundry basket at her feet, she smoothed them against her belly before folding them and depositing them into another basket on her right-hand side. She’d folded so many baby items that she was paying more attention to her husband’s shirtless back that showcased his rippling muscles as he pushed and pulled the paint roller along the wall inside the nursery. He was on the second coat of the accent wall and her heart fluttered at the sight of him doing manual labor, as well as from the excitement of seeing her vision of the nursery come to life.
Pausing to run the roller through the tray of paint, he felt her eyes on him and glanced over his shoulder to look at her. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her mouth and nose covered by the mask, her wild hair framing her face, only leaving her eyes and chin visible, and a very tiny sleeper smoothed across her enormous belly.
“What?” She questioned.
“Why don’t you go to the bedroom where you’ll be more comfortable, Love,” he offered.
“Because I want to see the room come together.” She shrugged and peeled the sleeper from her body, folding it quickly and depositing it into the basket.
“This is what it’s gonna look like,” he stretched his arms out. “I have to finish this last coat of paint and do one more coat on the trim, but it will look just like this.”
“But, I want to be close to you,” she plucked a tiny cotton hat from the unfolded pile of clothes and ran it between her fingers to straighten it before she looked up at him again.
“I’m right here, Kris,” he assured her. “You should go elevate your feet. They’re really swollen. I have to get this done. Your mom’s coming tomorrow to do the staff and the notes.”
“Bring me the ottoman,” she tried to get him to meet her half way.
“Take your ass to the bedroom,” he stood firm and offered her a sly smile.
“As soon as you finish,” she sang back and smiled under the mask, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle.
“Then at least get up and move around a little. You can’t be comfortable,” he begged as he turned to retrieve the roller so he could continue painting.
“Fine,” she agreed, “as soon as I finish folding this basket.” She bent forward to grab the next item and stilled as a cramp rolled her across her belly, taking her breath away. Wrapping her arms around her middle she snuck a peek at Rob, but he was busy painting and unaware of her discomfort. Rubbing her hand against her rock-hard stomach, she panted through the pain and straightened only after it subsided. Pulling the mask from her face, she drooped against the back of the chair, closed her eyes, and took long deep breaths.
“Kristen,” he admonished when he turned back to the paint tray and saw her devoid of her mask.
“It’s okay, Babe,” she mumbled, “I’m gonna go lie down. My feet are hurting.”
“Okay?” He questioned, his voiced filled with disbelief as he watched her amble to her feet and step around the laundry baskets.
“Love you,” she barely whispered as she supported her lower back with one hand, rubbed her belly with the other and wandered down the hall toward their room.
Stone still, he stood in the nursery and watched her disappear, sensing that something was off, but not sure what it was.
“You okay, Kris?” He bellowed.
“Yep,” she said, just barely loud enough for him to hear, before he heard their door click shut.
Shaking his head, he turned back to the wall, determined to hurry and finish painting while she rested.
****
Another pain starting low in her pelvis and moving up and around her middle, followed by her belly tightening, woke Kristen from her restless sleep. Folding into herself, she tried not to hold her breath as she gripped her stomach with her fingertips, waiting for the hardness across her belly to soften and the pain to subside. Just as she was able to draw in a calming breath, the bathroom door opened and Rob stepped into their room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Shaking his head to free his hair of excess water, he looked at the bed and saw her peeking over her shoulder at him. Smiling at him slightly, she inhaled deeply, taking in the masculine scent of his soap that wafted across the room.
“Hey, Love,” he whispered.
“Hey, Baby,” she rasped back and slowly blinked her sleepy eyes. “You finished painting.”
“Yup,” he answered as he padded to the closet and stepped in. “It should be all ready for your mom tomorrow.”
“Mmm, hmm,” she hummed and turned her head back into her pillow.
Emerging from the closet, he stalled when he saw she’d laid back down and closed her eyes again. Crossing the room, he went to her side of the bed and reached out to feel her forehead. Cracking her eyes open she offered him a weak smile.
“Kristen, are you feeling okay?” He asked quietly, worried that she had refused for days to sit still, but suddenly preferred being in bed.
“Yeah, I think I just overdid it. Can we just hang out in bed and relax tonight?” She mumbled.
“We can do that,” he assured her, trailing his finger down her temple so he could stroke her cheek. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Ugh, nothing sounds good, Baby. Whatever you want is fine,” she sounded complacent and uninterested.
“Okay, I’m gonna take the dogs out and I’ll grab something on my way back. If anything suddenly sounds good, just call me.” He leaned and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Kay, will you throw the unfolded baby clothes back in the dryer and turn it on before you go, then bring them up when you get back? I want to get them folded,” she mumbled into her pillow.
Laughing at her brainstorming about how to get things done as she lay in bed exhausted, made him feel slightly less worried than he had previously. “Sure, Love. I’ll be back soon,” he promised.
****
Entering their room with her basket full of warm baby clothes and a bag of In-N-Out, he was surprised to see her out of bed. The smell of bubble bath infiltrated the room, so he set everything down and made his way to the bathroom. Cracking the door, he peeked in and saw her lounging in their large bathtub with a rag over her eyes and her hands resting on her belly. Before he could announce himself to her, he saw her small hands grip her stomach and heard her draw in a sharp breath, followed by a slight whimper. Rolling slightly to her side in the tub, he got a clear glimpse of her face, her features contorted in pain.
“Kristen,” he said softly and took two steps towards her before she reached to remove the washcloth from her eyes and look at him.
“Hi, Baby,” she tried to sound normal, but he could hear the tremble in her voice.
“You okay?” He asked and dropped to his knees on the bathmat, reaching to place his hand on her stomach.
“Yeah,” she answered flatly, trying to grab his fingers and lock them in her own. Flattening his palm against her, he felt her belly before she had a chance to distract him. Her skin felt stretched tight and where it was normally soft, except for where baby parts where pressing against it, it was now firm and hard. Looking up at him, she offered a weak smile before she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed freely through the pain, running her hands around the bottom of stomach and gripping tightly. Studying her face, he left his hand where it was until he felt the hardness melt away, heard her breathing return to normal, and saw her open her eyes.
“Contractions?” He whispered, looking at her for answers.
“I don’t think so,” she shrugged and wiggled to sit up in the tub, trying to avoid eye contact with him.
“Then what was that?” He withdrew his hand from her belly and sat back on his knees, trying to figure out why she would be denying what he knew was happening.
“Rob, don’t freak out. It’s not like they’re consistent. I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks now. These are just a little more intense. I’ll be fine. If it gets worse I’ll let you know.” She told him. “Will you help me out, please?” She asked and held out her arm for him to grab.
“Yeah. Let’s get you back to bed. I got you a burger and brought the baby’s laundry up for you.” He told her as he hoisted her up and reached for the bath sheet she had hanging on the towel rack next to the tub. Draping it around her, he took a step back and waited for her to adjust the towel before he offered her his hand to hold so she wouldn’t slip when she stepped out of the tub.
“Thanks, Baby,” she said, turning to let the water out, but he held onto her arm and stepped around her to do it himself.
“Go to the bed, I’ll get you something to wear. Want to pick out a movie to watch?” He asked, guiding her to the door.
“Yeah, but let me pee first,” she laughed and rolled away from him so she could remain in the bathroom.
“Okay,” he laughed at how overprotective he felt and decided it was safe to let her use the restroom while he got her something to wear. Grabbing her belly oil from the counter on his way out the door, he ducked into their room and went to the closet to get her one of baby-doll nightgowns in a tank top style and a pair of what she described as her ‘granny panties’, knowing they were more comfortable for her than his more favorite lingerie.
Just as she was exiting the restroom, he was laying her clothes out for her. Snapping his head up, he watched her intently, looking for any sign of discomfort from her as she waddled to the bed. Other than her tired eyes and swollen features, she looked okay. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to give birth on the floor in the next five minutes, he moved a few steps out of the way, but waited for her to meet him on her side of the bed.
Grabbing her panties, he bent down and held them open for her to step into so she wouldn’t have to bend over. Pulling them over her hips and adjusting them across her wide belly, he winked as he reached for her nightie. Gathering the cotton material in his hands, he gently settled it over her head and waited for her to drop the towel so she could stretch her arms through the arm holes. Pulling it over her body, he adjusted it so that it wasn’t gathered or bunched up. Waving his hand towards the bed, he signaled for her to sit down and grabbed the oil. As she struggled to perch herself on the edge of the bed, he opened the bottle and waited for her to find a comfortable position. Stretching her arms out behind her for support, she waited for him to lift her nightie and secure it between her bump and her breasts. He applied the vitamin E oil liberally across her tight skin, massaging it in as much as possible so she wouldn’t feel greasy. Plucking the gathered material from where it was stuck to her body, he covered her, set the oil on the nightstand and helped her to get in bed. Wrapping her maternity pillow around her so she was propped against the headboard with her hips and lower back supported, he drew the covers across her outstretched legs and waited to see if she was okay.
“Thanks, Babe,” she offered as he picked up her discarded towel and oil to bring them to the bathroom and deposit them in the proper places. Undoing his pants, he stepped out of them and tossed them on the chair next to the bed before pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it in the same place. He straightened the covers on his side of the bed and bent to bring the laundry basket and burgers onto the mattress in front of him. Handing her the bag, he dumped the basket and started folding clothes as she unwrapped her burger.
“I can do that. Just leave it until we eat,” she told him just before she took a huge bite.
“They’re warm and will only wrinkle if we wait. Just eat, Love. I’ve got this,” he winked as he paired a tiny pair of socks and folded them into one another.
“You ate your burger on the way home didn’t you?” She laughed, knowing that he probably couldn’t wait to devour his favorite food.
Smiling sheepishly, he ducked his head and shrugged, letting her know that he was indeed guilty of wolfing down his food without her. Nearly choking, she fought to hold onto her burger with one hand so she could cover her mouth with the other, her laughter making it hard for her to keep her food securely in her mouth.
“What?” He laughed, “All that painting made hungry!”
Holding up a finger, she swallowed hard and shook her head. Her shoulders quaking, she looked up to him and rolled her eyes dramatically, “Likely story, Rob!” She winked and took another bite as he folded another onsie, his body still vibrating with amusement.
“What movie do you want to watch?” He asked.
“I don’t care, whatever sounds good. I just want to cuddle with you,” she admitted and reached for her glass of ice water on the nightstand, bringing the straw to her lips and widening her eyes.
“Be careful, you know my taste in movies,” he winked and started to place the folded piles of clothes laid out across the bed back into the basket.
“Meh,” she shrugged as she crumpled what was left of her burger in the wrapper and shoved it back in the bag.
“You get enough?” He asked, grabbing the bag from her hand and moving the laundry basket to the floor, out of their way.
“Yeah, hurry and go get a movie,” she ordered as she wiggled into her cocoon, getting comfortable for the long haul.
“Any preferences? Comedy? Drama? Speak now or forever hold your peace,” he teased her as he walked around the bed to grab her glass so he could refill it while he was downstairs.
“Whatever,” she mumbled.
Stopping at the door, he turned and saw her face draw into a grimace and her hands flutter to her stomach as she hunched over slightly.
“Another one?” He froze, a worried look crossing his face as he glanced to note the time.
Not having enough breath to deal with the pain and answer him, she nodded and whimpered as she sucked in her cheeks and bit down.
“That’s it, we’re going in. It is too early to let you go into full-blown labor. I’m calling the doctor. Don’t move, I’ll be right back,” he commanded as he turned and hurried down the hall.
Breathing away the pain, she cringed at the thought of going to the hospital, but knew that she couldn’t deny that it was too early and the pains, although not consistent, were different than what she’d experienced over the past couple of weeks. Flinging the covers off her body, she slipped from the bed and went to the closet to get dressed. Not caring about her appearance, she pulled on a pair of sweats, tugging them to the middle of her calves. Struggling into a sport bra, she huffed and puffed until it was adjusted, then donned a tank top that stretched over her belly tightly followed by a larger maternity tank top that flowed freely over the bump. Sliding her feet into a pair of keds, she turned in the mirror to catch a glimpse of herself before grabbing a duffel bag from the floor and stuffing it with a few necessities, just in case. Exiting the closet she went to the basket of baby clothes and picked up the first outfit she touched, and then dug around for socks, a cap, a couple blankets, and baby mitts.
She could hear Rob’s voice downstairs as he spoke on the phone. Descending the stairs, she tottered to the kitchen table and hoisted the bag onto it. Bending her back, she massaged her tight aching muscles as she waited for him to wrap up his phone call. Watching him pace around the living room and drive his hands through his hair repeatedly brought forth a laugh that she couldn’t control. Hearing her giggle, he stopped his frantic movements and turned to see her.
“What are you doing?” He asked, shocked that she was standing in front of him dressed and waiting to go.
“Waiting for you. You gonna take me to the hospital in your underwear or are you gonna get dressed?” She snickered. “I don’t really care either way, but if the paps catch you like that, we don’t have a prayer’s chance in hell of them leaving us alone, EVER!”
“Har, har, Smart Ass,” he poked back at her and held up a finger, telling her to wait while he finished.
Grabbing her phone from where she’d set it on the table, she dialed her mom to let her know that they were going in. After calming her mom’s nerves, assuring her there was no need to panic, and telling her that she would call her later with an update; she hit the end button and turned back to the living room to get a status on Rob. Realizing that he was no longer there, she jumped when she felt his arm snake around her middle and pull her against his body.
“Jesus,” she breathed, her heart thundering in her chest. “If I wasn’t in labor before, I might be now!” She scolded as she melted against his body.
“Sorry, you ready to go?” He inquired, rubbing his hand over her stomach.
“No, I’m not ready to have the baby yet,” she confessed.
“That’s why we’re going. We’ll just have them check you out to be sure everything is okay. We’ll probably be home in a couple of hours, don’t freak out,” he tried to calm her.
“Yeah?” She sought more reassurance, afraid that they were underestimating the situation.
“Yes, Love. Let’s go, so we can get back here and watch our movie,” he encouraged as he released her in favor of holding her hand in one of his and grabbing her bag from the table with the other.
“Wait!” She cried out and stood firmly in place. “What if this is it? What if our lives are about to change forever? What if we’re leaving right now and it’s the last time we leave the house as just the two of us? Do we need the car seat?” She started to panic and reached to grab the back of a kitchen chair, as if holding onto something might ground her.
Feeling her hand tremble in his, he set the bag back on the table and turned to cup her face in his free hand, coaxing her to look at him. “If this is really it, then we will finally get to meet or son or daughter. Everything is going to be okay either way. If we need something that we don’t have, I’ll either come back home to get it or someone can bring it to us. You need to stay calm and remember to breathe. Standing here worrying about what’s happening isn’t going to give you any answers,” he spoke calmly and locked his eyes with hers, trying to convey his sentiments. “Let’s go find out for sure what’s happening before you have a full-blown panic attack. I love you and I will be right beside you, I swear.”
“Oh…okay,” she whispered, gripping his hand tighter. Blowing away the breath she’d been holding, she gave a firm nod, the gesture indicating that she was ready, but inside her chest her heart fluttered and a family of butterflies took flight in her stomach as she started towards the door to the garage.
****
Twenty-four hours after leaving the house for the hospital, Kristen trudged back through the door, exhausted and cranky. Rob followed behind her, hitting the button to close the door as he moved into the house and dropped her duffel bag on the floor. Kicking off her shoes, she toddled to the bottom of the stairs and paused only briefly to ask him to bring her a glass of water and a cup of ice to chew on when he came to bed. Nodding, he called out for the dogs as she heaved herself up the stairs, wanting nothing more than to lie down in her own bed and get some rest.
Knowing that she wasn’t dilated at all and that the pains she was feeling weren’t doing anything to change her cervix made her feel slightly better. Although, the fact that her blood pressure was slightly elevated to the point where her doctor wanted her to rest more drove her crazy with worry. Hauling herself up the last step, she rested for a minute and tried to catch her breath before continuing down the hall. Stalling at the door of the baby’s room, she fought back the urge to cry when she thought about how her mom was supposed to come over and paint the border for her, but couldn’t make it because they’d been stuck at the hospital.
Pushing the door open with her finger, she flipped on the light to see how much more work needed to be done and gasped when she looked around. A music staff ran across all four walls with clefs and notes painted onto the lines. Each wall held its own piece of music and on the wall that the crib was pushed against there were two words painted in elegant cursive that brought her tears on full force. Reading “Your Song” sprawled above the bed her baby would sleep in, brought back a flood of memories and visions of their future all at once. Intense emotions washed through her and made her feel unsteady on her feet. Backing up, she reached behind her and felt for the rocking chair she desperately needed to sit in. When her legs hit the chair, she sat and wiped at her eyes as she took in every detail of her completed nursery. The bedding that adorned the crib looked just like the picture she’d seen on the internet, only slightly better. The black and white mobile of music notes attached to it crib made her theme come together even more than she’d expected. Black frames with pictures of one of her ultrasounds and candid black and white photographs of her and Rob sat perched on the high dresser, with a simple lamp covered by a white shade that someone had obviously painted black music notes on, to match the room. Taking in every small detail, she was lost in thought when Rob stepped into the room holding her water in one hand and a glass of ice in his other.
“Kris?” He whispered, drawing her out of her daydreams.
Turning to meet his gaze, she brought her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes once more and offered him a smile. “You told me she wasn’t coming over since we were stuck at the hospital,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, she was actually here last night,” he told her. “She wanted you to come home and rest, not have to worry about anything.” He shrugged.
“Last night?” She raised her eyebrows in shock.
“She came over as soon as they had you admitted. That’s why she didn’t come to the hospital to see you,” he explained. “Do you like it?” He asked, peering around the room to see what his mother-in-law had accomplished.
“Um, yeah, I fucking love it,” she giggled, wriggling to free herself from the rocker, stand, and rise up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the jaw. “Do you?”
Smiling he nodded, “Turned out pretty good Mrs. Pattinson. If the acting gig falls through, you could design nurseries for the stars,” he teased.
“Whatever,” she laughed and rubbed her hand across her belly in large circles.
“Here, hold these,” he held her glasses of water and ice out to her. Taking them, she cocked an eyebrow, wondering what he needed his hands free for. Padding across the black and grey area rug, he reached for the closet doors and slid them open. Reaching in, he rooted around for a minute before emerging with her pink and blue chenille bears he’d given to her when he was away. Shoving them under his arm, he closed the closet and walked to the crib where he placed them side by side against the back rail, perfectly centered under the words ‘Your Song’.
Seeing the color of the bears pop in the monochromatic room brought a huge smile to her face.
“There, now it’s perfect,” he turned towards her and plucked the glasses from her hands, bowing to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Now, get your ass in bed.”
Chuckling, she waddled to their room in search of her own bed and her maternity pillow.
User: bluangleyes75
Pairing: Rob and Kristen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kristen needs a nursery and Rob gives her anything she desires…
Disclaimer: I don’t own then, I don’t even know them, but a girl can dream. All mistakes are mine.
Previous Chapters:
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
Sitting in the overstuffed glider rocker in the baby’s room, she rocked gently and tapped her pointer finger against the top of her belly. Staring blankly at the white wall in front of her, she tipped her head to the left, then to the right. Scowling, she wiggled and brought her free hand to her mouth, seeking her cuticle to chew on. Giving up on the wall, she scanned the furniture haphazardly placed throughout the room. When the crib, dressers and changing table had been delivered she’d just had them put them in the empty room, figuring that she’d get around to arranging and decorating in time. Now seemed to be the time, but she was still unsure of what to do since they weren’t privy to the sex of their child.
All the times she’d thought of how she wanted to decorate the room, she could only picture gender specific themes. She wanted Pepto-Bismol pink with bows and lace if she had a daughter, which shocked even her, but also made her heart flutter. If she had a son, she wanted a traditional blue room with definite boy themes. Feeling her frustrations grow, she heaved her swollen feet onto the ottoman in front of her and ceased rocking.
The quiet of the house was broken when she heard Rob run up the stairs calling her name. Bernie and Bear burst into the room and bounded to her side, panting and slobbering as they vied for her attention.
“Hey, Babies,” she baby-talked and reached to pet their heads, not having the energy to get to their level and properly rub them down.
“Kris?” Rob called out again just before he noticed her and stepped into the frame of the open door, “Whatcha doin’, Love?”
“Trying to figure out what to do in here. It’s driving me mad!” She glanced around the room yet again.
“I told you, we don’t have to do anything until later. We have the bassinet in our room that she’ll sleep in when she first comes home,” he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her gaze around the nursery.
“I know and I was okay with that, but Babe…” She paused and waited for him to look at her before continuing, “I NEED to do this. I NEED to have a room for the baby.”
This is the baby’s room.” He shrugged. “If you want, I’ll come home and paint the second you deliver,” he offered.
“Please, Babe! Can we just do the room? I NEED this,” she begged, dragging and dropping her feet to the floor.
“Are you nesting?” He raised his eyebrows and pulled his hands from his pockets as he crossed the room to drop down onto the ottoman in front of her.
“Maybe,” she sniffled and looked at him with watery eyes. “I just feel like it’s my job to give the baby whatever he needs and I don’t even have a room ready. What kind of mother am I?” She threw her head against the back of the chair and huffed her hair out of her face.
“One that doesn’t know the sex of the baby and wants a gender specific nursery.” He leaned forward and grasped the arms of the chair, lowering his face to her stomach and planting a kiss where her belly button was visibly poking out against the cotton of her shirt.
“Exactly…a mother who wants. I don’t need a pink or blue nursery, but my baby needs a room. Their own little space in the world,” she explained quietly as she ran her fingers around her belly.
“Ok,” he choked, suddenly feeling emotional about Kristen’s desire to provide for their child.
“Ok?” She snapped her face up to meet his eyes and blinded him with an ear to ear grin.
“Yeah, okay.” He nodded and laughed. “Whatever my baby momma wants, she gets.” He winked. “Want to start on the internet? With a specific color? A theme?” He asked.
“Ugh, I don’t…” she stammered and suddenly looked panicked at his suggestions. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, well, let’s go eat lunch and we’ll figure it out.” He offered her his hand as he stood in front of her.
“No yellow,” she grumbled as she clambered around in attempt to stand. “And no mint green!”
“That’s a start,” he laughed. Pulling her to her feet, he threw an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards the door of the nursery.
“We have so much to do, Rob.” She tipped her head to rest on his bicep and snaked an arm around his waist. “We need to do the room, wash all of the baby’s things, put the stroller together, pack for the hospital,” she listed aloud and took a breath so she could continue, but was silenced as his laughter rang out in the stairwell.
“Yep, you’re definitely nesting,” he informed her as they stepped off the last stair into the kitchen.
“Will you make me a salad while I look on the internet?” She dropped his hand and wandered towards the living room where her laptop sat on the table.
“Sure,” he called out behind her and started to pull out the makings for a chef salad.
When he had their lunch prepared, he carried their bowls into the living room and set them on the table. Kristen sat on the floor with her legs stretched out under the coffee table and her back against the couch. He climbed onto the cushion behind her, settled his legs on either side of her and rested his chin on top of her head. As she scrolled through pictures of baby bedding and nurseries, he waited patiently for her to find a good stopping place. She swapped the computer for her salad, bringing the bowl to rest on her stomach. He followed suit and leaned away from her so he could eat as well. Both of them sat quietly, zoning out on the television while they ate.
When she was finished, she pushed the bowl onto the table, dropped her head onto the couch cushion between his legs and stared up at him. Noticing that her dish wasn’t empty, he started to speak, but she brought her hand up and rested her finger against his lips.
“I don’t have any room! I’m full! Don’t even think about it,” she warned him.
He could only nod as he set his own bowl on the couch beside him. Giving him a smile to show her appreciation for not scolding her, she removed her finger and retrieved the computer. Sitting forward, he gathered her hair in his hands and draped it over her shoulder so he could massage her neck. Moaning, she dropped her chin to her chest and rolled her body into his touch.
“You’re not gonna find anything if you’re not looking,” he poked fun at her.
“I can’t concentrate when you’re touching me,” she snickered.
“Want me to stop?” He chuckled and reduced his firm kneading to light petting.
“Fuck NO,” she asserted and pushed into him more. Laughing, he resumed his deep massage. Feeling her melt beneath his fingers, he continued until her body swayed and her breathing was deep. Bending forward he placed a kiss atop her head and draped his arms over her shoulders.
“Kristen…Baby room,” he reminded her with a whisper to her ear.
Bringing her chin from her chest, she extended her neck all the way back so she could look at him again. Puckering her lips, she stretched so he could meet her for a quick kiss before she returned her attention to the computer screen. Scrolling aimlessly, she barely paused on any of the pictures that danced on the screen. She would hum or groan, but he could tell that nothing was jumping out at her by the lack of her reactions.
Extricating himself from around her body, he gathered their dishes and headed for the kitchen. Turning to glance at her before he exited the room, he noticed she’d brought a finger to her mouth to chew on and her knee bounced under the table. Shaking his head, he took their plates into the kitchen and started to clean up their lunch mess.
Just as he was closing the door to the dishwasher, Kristen called out to him. Pushing the button to start it, he went to the fridge to get her a bottle of water and headed back to the living room.
“ROB!” She yelled again.
“Kris, I’m right here,” he stated as he entered the room.
Her head snapped to the left and when she saw him her face lit up. “What about music notes?” She inquired, her outstretched legs bouncing furiously in front of her.
“What about them?” He countered as he placed her water on the table and lowered himself to the floor next to her.
“Look,” she turned the laptop so he could see what she found.
His eyes roamed over the picture on the screen, but all he saw was simple, clean-lined, black and white bedding.
“Look, Babe,” she sounded excited. “It doesn’t get any more neutral that that.” Her finger reached to touch the screen and trace the bedding in the picture. “It reminds me of sheet music.”
“I guess.” He tipped his head to try and see what she was seeing. The crib in the picture was dark wood, almost black, and the bedding was simple with a black dust ruffle, white sheet, and bumper pads and a comforter with varying widths of black, white, and grey stripes adorned with a few small silver grey bows.
“What if we did a grey-silver accent wall, left the other walls white, did the trim in black, and had my mom come in and do a border. She can paint a staff all around the room with clefs and notes.” The excitement in her voice increased as she explained her vision. “The baby will only be able to see black and white clearly anyway and when we know if it’s a boy or a girl we can add either pink or blue accents.”
Finally understanding what she was thinking and picturing it in his own mind, he smiled and leaned to rest his head on her shoulder. “Sounds good, Love,” he agreed and reached to rest his hand on her thigh. “I actually think it would be perfect.”
“Me too! Get my shoes!” She started to writhe around in an attempt to stand.
“Now?” He sounded shocked. “Can’t we wait until tomorrow? Order the bedding online?”
“Yeah, we could, but I want to do it now,” she whined and huffed and puffed as she tried to maneuver herself from between the coffee table and the couch.
Reaching out, he pushed the coffee table forward and stood. Bending, he slid his arms around her and plucked her from the floor.
“Love, we don’t even know who has the bedding,” he tried to rein her in.
“Yes I do,” she said. “I printed out the store information and the directions. Go get them and we need to pick out paint and I need to call my mom…” she prattled away as she waddled from the room, massaging her hips as she went.
Standing dumbfounded, he ran his hands through his hair and tried to figure out what’d just transpired as well as what he’d actually gotten himself into by agreeing to it. Dropping his hands limply to his sides he called out loudly through the house, “Kristen? Today? Really?”
“Yes,” she hollered back, he voice coming from somewhere on the second floor of the house.
Starting for the stairs to go find her, he laughed and called back, “Did you smoke crack for breakfast?”
“No, Baby! Ugh…I’m nesting! Hurry up, I want to leave,” she answered as he took the stairs two at a time.
****
Sitting in the rocker that Rob had pulled into the hallway, she swatted at the paper mask attached to her face that he’d insisted she wear to keep the paint fumes from assaulting her senses. Plucking tiny socks and outfits from a laundry basket at her feet, she smoothed them against her belly before folding them and depositing them into another basket on her right-hand side. She’d folded so many baby items that she was paying more attention to her husband’s shirtless back that showcased his rippling muscles as he pushed and pulled the paint roller along the wall inside the nursery. He was on the second coat of the accent wall and her heart fluttered at the sight of him doing manual labor, as well as from the excitement of seeing her vision of the nursery come to life.
Pausing to run the roller through the tray of paint, he felt her eyes on him and glanced over his shoulder to look at her. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her mouth and nose covered by the mask, her wild hair framing her face, only leaving her eyes and chin visible, and a very tiny sleeper smoothed across her enormous belly.
“What?” She questioned.
“Why don’t you go to the bedroom where you’ll be more comfortable, Love,” he offered.
“Because I want to see the room come together.” She shrugged and peeled the sleeper from her body, folding it quickly and depositing it into the basket.
“This is what it’s gonna look like,” he stretched his arms out. “I have to finish this last coat of paint and do one more coat on the trim, but it will look just like this.”
“But, I want to be close to you,” she plucked a tiny cotton hat from the unfolded pile of clothes and ran it between her fingers to straighten it before she looked up at him again.
“I’m right here, Kris,” he assured her. “You should go elevate your feet. They’re really swollen. I have to get this done. Your mom’s coming tomorrow to do the staff and the notes.”
“Bring me the ottoman,” she tried to get him to meet her half way.
“Take your ass to the bedroom,” he stood firm and offered her a sly smile.
“As soon as you finish,” she sang back and smiled under the mask, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle.
“Then at least get up and move around a little. You can’t be comfortable,” he begged as he turned to retrieve the roller so he could continue painting.
“Fine,” she agreed, “as soon as I finish folding this basket.” She bent forward to grab the next item and stilled as a cramp rolled her across her belly, taking her breath away. Wrapping her arms around her middle she snuck a peek at Rob, but he was busy painting and unaware of her discomfort. Rubbing her hand against her rock-hard stomach, she panted through the pain and straightened only after it subsided. Pulling the mask from her face, she drooped against the back of the chair, closed her eyes, and took long deep breaths.
“Kristen,” he admonished when he turned back to the paint tray and saw her devoid of her mask.
“It’s okay, Babe,” she mumbled, “I’m gonna go lie down. My feet are hurting.”
“Okay?” He questioned, his voiced filled with disbelief as he watched her amble to her feet and step around the laundry baskets.
“Love you,” she barely whispered as she supported her lower back with one hand, rubbed her belly with the other and wandered down the hall toward their room.
Stone still, he stood in the nursery and watched her disappear, sensing that something was off, but not sure what it was.
“You okay, Kris?” He bellowed.
“Yep,” she said, just barely loud enough for him to hear, before he heard their door click shut.
Shaking his head, he turned back to the wall, determined to hurry and finish painting while she rested.
****
Another pain starting low in her pelvis and moving up and around her middle, followed by her belly tightening, woke Kristen from her restless sleep. Folding into herself, she tried not to hold her breath as she gripped her stomach with her fingertips, waiting for the hardness across her belly to soften and the pain to subside. Just as she was able to draw in a calming breath, the bathroom door opened and Rob stepped into their room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Shaking his head to free his hair of excess water, he looked at the bed and saw her peeking over her shoulder at him. Smiling at him slightly, she inhaled deeply, taking in the masculine scent of his soap that wafted across the room.
“Hey, Love,” he whispered.
“Hey, Baby,” she rasped back and slowly blinked her sleepy eyes. “You finished painting.”
“Yup,” he answered as he padded to the closet and stepped in. “It should be all ready for your mom tomorrow.”
“Mmm, hmm,” she hummed and turned her head back into her pillow.
Emerging from the closet, he stalled when he saw she’d laid back down and closed her eyes again. Crossing the room, he went to her side of the bed and reached out to feel her forehead. Cracking her eyes open she offered him a weak smile.
“Kristen, are you feeling okay?” He asked quietly, worried that she had refused for days to sit still, but suddenly preferred being in bed.
“Yeah, I think I just overdid it. Can we just hang out in bed and relax tonight?” She mumbled.
“We can do that,” he assured her, trailing his finger down her temple so he could stroke her cheek. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Ugh, nothing sounds good, Baby. Whatever you want is fine,” she sounded complacent and uninterested.
“Okay, I’m gonna take the dogs out and I’ll grab something on my way back. If anything suddenly sounds good, just call me.” He leaned and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Kay, will you throw the unfolded baby clothes back in the dryer and turn it on before you go, then bring them up when you get back? I want to get them folded,” she mumbled into her pillow.
Laughing at her brainstorming about how to get things done as she lay in bed exhausted, made him feel slightly less worried than he had previously. “Sure, Love. I’ll be back soon,” he promised.
****
Entering their room with her basket full of warm baby clothes and a bag of In-N-Out, he was surprised to see her out of bed. The smell of bubble bath infiltrated the room, so he set everything down and made his way to the bathroom. Cracking the door, he peeked in and saw her lounging in their large bathtub with a rag over her eyes and her hands resting on her belly. Before he could announce himself to her, he saw her small hands grip her stomach and heard her draw in a sharp breath, followed by a slight whimper. Rolling slightly to her side in the tub, he got a clear glimpse of her face, her features contorted in pain.
“Kristen,” he said softly and took two steps towards her before she reached to remove the washcloth from her eyes and look at him.
“Hi, Baby,” she tried to sound normal, but he could hear the tremble in her voice.
“You okay?” He asked and dropped to his knees on the bathmat, reaching to place his hand on her stomach.
“Yeah,” she answered flatly, trying to grab his fingers and lock them in her own. Flattening his palm against her, he felt her belly before she had a chance to distract him. Her skin felt stretched tight and where it was normally soft, except for where baby parts where pressing against it, it was now firm and hard. Looking up at him, she offered a weak smile before she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed freely through the pain, running her hands around the bottom of stomach and gripping tightly. Studying her face, he left his hand where it was until he felt the hardness melt away, heard her breathing return to normal, and saw her open her eyes.
“Contractions?” He whispered, looking at her for answers.
“I don’t think so,” she shrugged and wiggled to sit up in the tub, trying to avoid eye contact with him.
“Then what was that?” He withdrew his hand from her belly and sat back on his knees, trying to figure out why she would be denying what he knew was happening.
“Rob, don’t freak out. It’s not like they’re consistent. I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks now. These are just a little more intense. I’ll be fine. If it gets worse I’ll let you know.” She told him. “Will you help me out, please?” She asked and held out her arm for him to grab.
“Yeah. Let’s get you back to bed. I got you a burger and brought the baby’s laundry up for you.” He told her as he hoisted her up and reached for the bath sheet she had hanging on the towel rack next to the tub. Draping it around her, he took a step back and waited for her to adjust the towel before he offered her his hand to hold so she wouldn’t slip when she stepped out of the tub.
“Thanks, Baby,” she said, turning to let the water out, but he held onto her arm and stepped around her to do it himself.
“Go to the bed, I’ll get you something to wear. Want to pick out a movie to watch?” He asked, guiding her to the door.
“Yeah, but let me pee first,” she laughed and rolled away from him so she could remain in the bathroom.
“Okay,” he laughed at how overprotective he felt and decided it was safe to let her use the restroom while he got her something to wear. Grabbing her belly oil from the counter on his way out the door, he ducked into their room and went to the closet to get her one of baby-doll nightgowns in a tank top style and a pair of what she described as her ‘granny panties’, knowing they were more comfortable for her than his more favorite lingerie.
Just as she was exiting the restroom, he was laying her clothes out for her. Snapping his head up, he watched her intently, looking for any sign of discomfort from her as she waddled to the bed. Other than her tired eyes and swollen features, she looked okay. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to give birth on the floor in the next five minutes, he moved a few steps out of the way, but waited for her to meet him on her side of the bed.
Grabbing her panties, he bent down and held them open for her to step into so she wouldn’t have to bend over. Pulling them over her hips and adjusting them across her wide belly, he winked as he reached for her nightie. Gathering the cotton material in his hands, he gently settled it over her head and waited for her to drop the towel so she could stretch her arms through the arm holes. Pulling it over her body, he adjusted it so that it wasn’t gathered or bunched up. Waving his hand towards the bed, he signaled for her to sit down and grabbed the oil. As she struggled to perch herself on the edge of the bed, he opened the bottle and waited for her to find a comfortable position. Stretching her arms out behind her for support, she waited for him to lift her nightie and secure it between her bump and her breasts. He applied the vitamin E oil liberally across her tight skin, massaging it in as much as possible so she wouldn’t feel greasy. Plucking the gathered material from where it was stuck to her body, he covered her, set the oil on the nightstand and helped her to get in bed. Wrapping her maternity pillow around her so she was propped against the headboard with her hips and lower back supported, he drew the covers across her outstretched legs and waited to see if she was okay.
“Thanks, Babe,” she offered as he picked up her discarded towel and oil to bring them to the bathroom and deposit them in the proper places. Undoing his pants, he stepped out of them and tossed them on the chair next to the bed before pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it in the same place. He straightened the covers on his side of the bed and bent to bring the laundry basket and burgers onto the mattress in front of him. Handing her the bag, he dumped the basket and started folding clothes as she unwrapped her burger.
“I can do that. Just leave it until we eat,” she told him just before she took a huge bite.
“They’re warm and will only wrinkle if we wait. Just eat, Love. I’ve got this,” he winked as he paired a tiny pair of socks and folded them into one another.
“You ate your burger on the way home didn’t you?” She laughed, knowing that he probably couldn’t wait to devour his favorite food.
Smiling sheepishly, he ducked his head and shrugged, letting her know that he was indeed guilty of wolfing down his food without her. Nearly choking, she fought to hold onto her burger with one hand so she could cover her mouth with the other, her laughter making it hard for her to keep her food securely in her mouth.
“What?” He laughed, “All that painting made hungry!”
Holding up a finger, she swallowed hard and shook her head. Her shoulders quaking, she looked up to him and rolled her eyes dramatically, “Likely story, Rob!” She winked and took another bite as he folded another onsie, his body still vibrating with amusement.
“What movie do you want to watch?” He asked.
“I don’t care, whatever sounds good. I just want to cuddle with you,” she admitted and reached for her glass of ice water on the nightstand, bringing the straw to her lips and widening her eyes.
“Be careful, you know my taste in movies,” he winked and started to place the folded piles of clothes laid out across the bed back into the basket.
“Meh,” she shrugged as she crumpled what was left of her burger in the wrapper and shoved it back in the bag.
“You get enough?” He asked, grabbing the bag from her hand and moving the laundry basket to the floor, out of their way.
“Yeah, hurry and go get a movie,” she ordered as she wiggled into her cocoon, getting comfortable for the long haul.
“Any preferences? Comedy? Drama? Speak now or forever hold your peace,” he teased her as he walked around the bed to grab her glass so he could refill it while he was downstairs.
“Whatever,” she mumbled.
Stopping at the door, he turned and saw her face draw into a grimace and her hands flutter to her stomach as she hunched over slightly.
“Another one?” He froze, a worried look crossing his face as he glanced to note the time.
Not having enough breath to deal with the pain and answer him, she nodded and whimpered as she sucked in her cheeks and bit down.
“That’s it, we’re going in. It is too early to let you go into full-blown labor. I’m calling the doctor. Don’t move, I’ll be right back,” he commanded as he turned and hurried down the hall.
Breathing away the pain, she cringed at the thought of going to the hospital, but knew that she couldn’t deny that it was too early and the pains, although not consistent, were different than what she’d experienced over the past couple of weeks. Flinging the covers off her body, she slipped from the bed and went to the closet to get dressed. Not caring about her appearance, she pulled on a pair of sweats, tugging them to the middle of her calves. Struggling into a sport bra, she huffed and puffed until it was adjusted, then donned a tank top that stretched over her belly tightly followed by a larger maternity tank top that flowed freely over the bump. Sliding her feet into a pair of keds, she turned in the mirror to catch a glimpse of herself before grabbing a duffel bag from the floor and stuffing it with a few necessities, just in case. Exiting the closet she went to the basket of baby clothes and picked up the first outfit she touched, and then dug around for socks, a cap, a couple blankets, and baby mitts.
She could hear Rob’s voice downstairs as he spoke on the phone. Descending the stairs, she tottered to the kitchen table and hoisted the bag onto it. Bending her back, she massaged her tight aching muscles as she waited for him to wrap up his phone call. Watching him pace around the living room and drive his hands through his hair repeatedly brought forth a laugh that she couldn’t control. Hearing her giggle, he stopped his frantic movements and turned to see her.
“What are you doing?” He asked, shocked that she was standing in front of him dressed and waiting to go.
“Waiting for you. You gonna take me to the hospital in your underwear or are you gonna get dressed?” She snickered. “I don’t really care either way, but if the paps catch you like that, we don’t have a prayer’s chance in hell of them leaving us alone, EVER!”
“Har, har, Smart Ass,” he poked back at her and held up a finger, telling her to wait while he finished.
Grabbing her phone from where she’d set it on the table, she dialed her mom to let her know that they were going in. After calming her mom’s nerves, assuring her there was no need to panic, and telling her that she would call her later with an update; she hit the end button and turned back to the living room to get a status on Rob. Realizing that he was no longer there, she jumped when she felt his arm snake around her middle and pull her against his body.
“Jesus,” she breathed, her heart thundering in her chest. “If I wasn’t in labor before, I might be now!” She scolded as she melted against his body.
“Sorry, you ready to go?” He inquired, rubbing his hand over her stomach.
“No, I’m not ready to have the baby yet,” she confessed.
“That’s why we’re going. We’ll just have them check you out to be sure everything is okay. We’ll probably be home in a couple of hours, don’t freak out,” he tried to calm her.
“Yeah?” She sought more reassurance, afraid that they were underestimating the situation.
“Yes, Love. Let’s go, so we can get back here and watch our movie,” he encouraged as he released her in favor of holding her hand in one of his and grabbing her bag from the table with the other.
“Wait!” She cried out and stood firmly in place. “What if this is it? What if our lives are about to change forever? What if we’re leaving right now and it’s the last time we leave the house as just the two of us? Do we need the car seat?” She started to panic and reached to grab the back of a kitchen chair, as if holding onto something might ground her.
Feeling her hand tremble in his, he set the bag back on the table and turned to cup her face in his free hand, coaxing her to look at him. “If this is really it, then we will finally get to meet or son or daughter. Everything is going to be okay either way. If we need something that we don’t have, I’ll either come back home to get it or someone can bring it to us. You need to stay calm and remember to breathe. Standing here worrying about what’s happening isn’t going to give you any answers,” he spoke calmly and locked his eyes with hers, trying to convey his sentiments. “Let’s go find out for sure what’s happening before you have a full-blown panic attack. I love you and I will be right beside you, I swear.”
“Oh…okay,” she whispered, gripping his hand tighter. Blowing away the breath she’d been holding, she gave a firm nod, the gesture indicating that she was ready, but inside her chest her heart fluttered and a family of butterflies took flight in her stomach as she started towards the door to the garage.
****
Twenty-four hours after leaving the house for the hospital, Kristen trudged back through the door, exhausted and cranky. Rob followed behind her, hitting the button to close the door as he moved into the house and dropped her duffel bag on the floor. Kicking off her shoes, she toddled to the bottom of the stairs and paused only briefly to ask him to bring her a glass of water and a cup of ice to chew on when he came to bed. Nodding, he called out for the dogs as she heaved herself up the stairs, wanting nothing more than to lie down in her own bed and get some rest.
Knowing that she wasn’t dilated at all and that the pains she was feeling weren’t doing anything to change her cervix made her feel slightly better. Although, the fact that her blood pressure was slightly elevated to the point where her doctor wanted her to rest more drove her crazy with worry. Hauling herself up the last step, she rested for a minute and tried to catch her breath before continuing down the hall. Stalling at the door of the baby’s room, she fought back the urge to cry when she thought about how her mom was supposed to come over and paint the border for her, but couldn’t make it because they’d been stuck at the hospital.
Pushing the door open with her finger, she flipped on the light to see how much more work needed to be done and gasped when she looked around. A music staff ran across all four walls with clefs and notes painted onto the lines. Each wall held its own piece of music and on the wall that the crib was pushed against there were two words painted in elegant cursive that brought her tears on full force. Reading “Your Song” sprawled above the bed her baby would sleep in, brought back a flood of memories and visions of their future all at once. Intense emotions washed through her and made her feel unsteady on her feet. Backing up, she reached behind her and felt for the rocking chair she desperately needed to sit in. When her legs hit the chair, she sat and wiped at her eyes as she took in every detail of her completed nursery. The bedding that adorned the crib looked just like the picture she’d seen on the internet, only slightly better. The black and white mobile of music notes attached to it crib made her theme come together even more than she’d expected. Black frames with pictures of one of her ultrasounds and candid black and white photographs of her and Rob sat perched on the high dresser, with a simple lamp covered by a white shade that someone had obviously painted black music notes on, to match the room. Taking in every small detail, she was lost in thought when Rob stepped into the room holding her water in one hand and a glass of ice in his other.
“Kris?” He whispered, drawing her out of her daydreams.
Turning to meet his gaze, she brought her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes once more and offered him a smile. “You told me she wasn’t coming over since we were stuck at the hospital,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, she was actually here last night,” he told her. “She wanted you to come home and rest, not have to worry about anything.” He shrugged.
“Last night?” She raised her eyebrows in shock.
“She came over as soon as they had you admitted. That’s why she didn’t come to the hospital to see you,” he explained. “Do you like it?” He asked, peering around the room to see what his mother-in-law had accomplished.
“Um, yeah, I fucking love it,” she giggled, wriggling to free herself from the rocker, stand, and rise up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the jaw. “Do you?”
Smiling he nodded, “Turned out pretty good Mrs. Pattinson. If the acting gig falls through, you could design nurseries for the stars,” he teased.
“Whatever,” she laughed and rubbed her hand across her belly in large circles.
“Here, hold these,” he held her glasses of water and ice out to her. Taking them, she cocked an eyebrow, wondering what he needed his hands free for. Padding across the black and grey area rug, he reached for the closet doors and slid them open. Reaching in, he rooted around for a minute before emerging with her pink and blue chenille bears he’d given to her when he was away. Shoving them under his arm, he closed the closet and walked to the crib where he placed them side by side against the back rail, perfectly centered under the words ‘Your Song’.
Seeing the color of the bears pop in the monochromatic room brought a huge smile to her face.
“There, now it’s perfect,” he turned towards her and plucked the glasses from her hands, bowing to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Now, get your ass in bed.”
Chuckling, she waddled to their room in search of her own bed and her maternity pillow.