*Bianca*
It started small. The twitch of a nose as a scent invaded my dreams, foods popping up like magic. My mouth watered as bacon danced around my head like sugar plums on Christmas day. Fluffy pancakes served as my bed, sinking into its warm coziness. Even the sticky sweet syrup that fell like rain over didn’t feel out of place.
Until my eyes fluttered open and cotton sheets ca into vision instead of breakfast confections.
I hated to admit how disappointed I was to not be lying on a bed of pancakes or surrounded by bacon, especially as my stomach let out the loudest growl I’d ever heard in my life.
“Oof, I hear you, baby,” I said sleepily, rubbing a hand over my belly as I felt him kicking my bladder. “I’m hungry too.”
“Then I’m glad I made plenty,” A warm voice called from the doorway. I jerked, flailing around as I tried to sit up in a hurry but my big belly wouldn’t let . I flopped around, struggling for a bit to see the face I knew matched that voice but it was useless.
I could only roll around on the bed like a beached whale before giving up with a huff.
“Help !” I whined childishly, reaching out my arms to him and I heard his chuckle as he moved into my view.
Leo was carrying a tray filled with delicious-looking food and he paused to place it on the bedside table before grabbing my hands and gently helping to roll and sit up in bed. I was out of breath by the ti I managed to get my back against the headboard.
“He’s going to be a big boy,” Leo laughed, leaning over to rub my belly gently. Our baby responded with a kick and Leo’s eyes lit up with warmth.
“He’s going to be a soccer player, I swear,” I grumbled then eyed the tray of food Leo had brought in. My mouth watered and I wiped away a bit of drool at the edge of my mouth. My appetite had increased so much in the last few months of my pregnancy that I swear I felt like I was eating enough to fuel an entire football team.
“Here,” Leo laughed, eyes shining brightly as he placed the tray in front of , a whole platter complete with a sunflower in a white vase in front of . Leo pressed a kiss to the side of my temple but slipped the fork out of my hand before I could dig in. I pouted up at him.
“Figures you’d be more excited for the food than for your charming future husband,” Leo remarked enviously. He crawled into bed beside and then carefully pulled onto his lap.
“Leo, I’m heavy,” I complained, embarrassed as he wrapped his arms around , burying his face onto my shoulder. In the sa move, he scooped up a pile of food, offering it straight to my lips. I blushed, completely embarrassed but I knew this was his way of pampering .
I had to admit, it was nice to feel him surrounding like this, spending ti with in the morning like this. So I let him feed , no matter how much it made feel like the child I was carrying.
“Ugh, I’m stuffed,” I leaned back into Leo’s embrace once I had my fill, seconds having been half devoured as well.
“Oh, really, I was thinking you could go for another two plates,” Leo teased by poking on my cheek.
“Don’t even,” I rolled my eyes as I brushed his hand away then laid a hand over my belly as I glared at him fiercely. “This is your fault, you know. You and your stupid lon-headed seed.”
“lon-head?” Leo laughed, holding tightly, “I have a perfectly normal-sized head, thank you very much.”
“Not according to your massive spawn,” I groaned as I felt my baby lash out with a kick to the bladder. “I got to pee again.”
Leo cackled at my news and he picked up, carrying to the bathroom before letting down gently. Once I was done emptying our baby’s punching bag, I noticed Leo was already getting dressed for work.
A hint of sadness hit as I crawled back into bed. Leo must’ve noticed as he gave a sad smile, stopping over to lay a kiss on my forehead.
“I’m sorry, you know I wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t important. I hate leaving you here,” There was a bit of resentnt in his voice as he admitted it and I knew more than anyone just how much he didn’t want to leave. He’d probably be the first to keep in bed all day and night if he could but that’s not how life works.
I put on a small smile, grabbed his hand, and placed it on my cheek. He felt cool compared to my heated skin, a much-needed relief considering it was LA we lived in.
“I won’t be alone,” I reminded him with a smile. “Rember? Amara’s coming over for the day to keep company. She’ll be here in less than an hour so if anything happens, she can call you.”
“But...” Leo trailed off, his reluctance clear to see as he moved closer and not further to the doorway.
“Go to work, Leo,” I insisted, letting go of his hand as I nudged him away, no matter how much I wanted to whine and beg him to stay with . I knew how important his work was. “I’ll be okay, I swear.”
“I know,” Leo sighed, leaning over the bed to press our foreheads together. “But that doesn’t an I want to go.”
I didn’t want him to go either. But I knew saying those words would only be holding him back. So I smiled, pretending I was fine as I watched him gather his courage, kiss , and then leave, giving one last glance like he hoped I would call him back so he had an excuse to stay.
It isn’t until I hear the sound of the front door and the rumble of his car down the driveway that the loneliness hits.
“It’s just you and , kid,” I said softly to the baby, “What do we do now?”
It took a while to figure it out, to gather up the energy that’d slowly been sapped away by my pregnancy. But it was still going to be worth it in the end. In just a few short weeks, I’d get to et our baby.
“Oof,” I said as my belly jolted from slowly getting down the staircase. My feet finally planted on the ground, I didn’t feel as nauseous as before but I still felt winded. I glared down at my belly. “You better have your daddy’s good looks. And not his waterlon head. I am so not pushing a waterlon out of my hoo-ha.”
I grumbled to myself a bit more as I entered the kitchen. I knew Leo had hired more help so I wouldn’t have to do as much but it was inconvenient at least to to have to wait for others. I’d rather do things myself, even if I was carrying a nine-pound baby in my belly.
Plus, the exercise would help get the weight off quickly once I gave birth, or at least that is what I’d been told.
I washed up the dishes Leo used for breakfast, cleaned off the counters and table, and then started on the chores in the living room. A few things were still too difficult due to my belly but I managed to do almost everything.
But I should’ve known to be more careful. As I headed toward the kitchen, a stabbing pain shot up my body as my toe slipped into the crack of one of the floorboards. I gasped in pain, losing my balance all at once.
Terror shot through as I saw the wall and the floor rushing towards and the only thing I could think of was to wrap my hand around my belly, to protect my baby. Luckily, though, my other hand reached out and I grabbed onto the wall right before I could fall.
The pain was excruciating for just a small little stubbing of my toe but my heart thudded in my chest thinking of what could’ve happened if I hadn’t caught myself in ti. Regret tasted bitter on my tongue as I swept a hand over my belly.
The fierce pounding in my head, of my heart, all of it felt like too much as the adrenaline still coursed through my veins. I took a few steps, trying to walk off the pain in my toe but as soon as I stepped further, a sharp pain ran up from the middle of my belly.
I opened my mouth in a soundless gasp, unable to say a word as the breath was stolen straight from my lungs. Tears filled my eyes, blurring the vision around as I struggled to stay upright. It hurt so goddamn much, enough that I couldn’t even think anything anymore.
Like lightning crackling down my spine, burning everything in its path, I clutched onto the wall in pain as I slowly slid down at the round of throbbing pain from my belly and lower. My legs were trembling, unable to hold and I crashed down onto my knees with a loud thud.
It hurt, but not nearly a fraction of what was coming from my belly.
Panic hit as I thought one horrendous thought.
Was I going into labor?
It can’t be. I was still weeks away, almost a whole month.
“Help,” A strangled cry ca from my throat but I felt like I couldn’t move as all my senses crashed down around . “Help!”
“Bianca!” It was Amara’s voice but I couldn’t see her through my blurred vision, tears streaming down my face. I was monts from passing out, from my brain just shutting itself down from how painful this was. Hands wrapped around my cheeks, pulling my eyes to et Amara’s.
“Answer , Bianca. Are you okay? What’s going on? Is it the baby?”
As I blinked, I could see how pale her face was and Amara rushed to grab her phone, imdiately calling 911. I barely heard her though as I struggled to stay upright and not collapse totally on her.
The pain was fading, coming in small waves as my whole body clenched down.
All I could do was try to hold on as I whispered the na of the one person I wished was holding now.
“Leo.”
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