Accidents Happen

17. The hotel

Neither of us had brought clothes with us. It was supposed to have been a flying visit and not an overnight stay. I'd just sleep in my clothes and probably buy some new ones tomorrow. At least the hotel provided mini shampoos, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

The room was nice. It served it's purpose of having somewhere to lay my head for a night. And that's just what I did. I called dibs on the side of the double bed closest to the window overlooking a very pretty lit up Manchester just visible thorough the rain. There was a moment where Dan looked between me and bed.

'What? It's not like I can get pregnant.' I joked. His face broke into a grin.

I lay down on top of the covers with my hand on my stomach. A habit I'd picked up subconsciously, because it was only when Dan pointed it out I realised I'd been doing it.

'What does it feel like?' Dan asked, sitting beside me. It took me a moment to figure out what he meant.

'I dunno, weird I guess. Just feel bloated a lot.'

'Is it kicking and moving?'

'I can't feel anything. I don't really know when all that happens.'

'Im gonna buy a book.'

'Yeah, that's a good idea.' I laughed. 'You know when you saw it at the...the clinic, how big was it? Did it look like a baby?' I'd been wondering. Dan had seen it, but I hadn't. Which was odd, as I was the one carrying it. It was hard to know what was going on inside me without seeing it.

'It looked a bit like an alien...or like a coffee bean with legs and arms I guess.' He laughed. But I was taken aback.

'It had legs and arms?'

'Yeah. It was laying down, moving around.'

'Wow.' I'd just assumed it was still at the cells stage. I literally had no idea when it came to these things. At school during sex education, I'd sort of just switched off. It hadn't applied to me.

'It was pretty cool. You'll be having another scan on Friday at the midwife, right?'

'Yeah I guess so.' I yawned. He knew more about all of this than I did. Maybe he wasn't the one who needed a book. 'Sorry you didn't get to go out drinking with the boys.'

'Thats fine. I get to hang out with you.'

'I'm not all that fun, trust me.' I assured him. He shrugged and lay back on the pillows so we were side by side. He turned on the television and lowered the volume and began playing with his phone. The rain outside got heavier, but it sounded amazing against the windows. It served as a lullaby for me, sending me to sleep.

Sometime during the night Dan must've got the cover from under me and draped it over me instead. When I woke up we were facing each other. He was still asleep. I was amazed at how peaceful he looked. He wasn't all squished up and drooling with his mouth wide open like I was sure I had been. It just looked like he had his eyes lightly closed. It had been the longest I'd looked at him for. And I always knew he was a good looking guy, he had that sharp jawline framed by slight stubble, that infamous haircut, those piercing blue eyes. But while he was sleeping he looked like an angel.

'Thats kinda creepy.' He spoke suddenly. I slammed my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. 'I can feeling you watching me.' He laughed tiredly. I was mortified. How had he known I was watching him?

'I...I'm sorry...I...' I mumbled.

'Its fine.' He sat up and I hid myself under the covers. He nudged my shoulder. 'Its fine.' He repeated. 'At least this morning you didn't do a runner.' He said, referencing my early morning ditch the night after we'd slept together.

'Oh god, go away.' I huffed. I knew he was only kidding and it actually eased my mind and dissolved the potentially cringe-worthy situation.

'Come on, let's go get breakfast and find the rest of them.' He laughed. I peered out from the duvet and Dan was grinning at me. I grabbed the nearest item, the pillow behind my head, and tossed it at him. He dodged it and made a faux shocked face. 'I can't believe you would treat the father of your child like this.'

'The father of my child better go get me a cup of tea before throw something heavier.' I told him and he scampered out of the room. I could hear him laughing all the way to the lift.

I felt so much better that morning. I'd slept so well and I was sure I didn't feel nearly half as sick as normal. I showered while Dan was out, throwing back on yesterday's clothes and roughly toweling my hair dry before scraping it back into a ponytail.

When I exited the bathroom, Dan had set up a breakfast buffet on the bed. Fruit, yoghurt, cereal, toast and croissants, the latter ruining the previous idea of morning sickness subsiding. I dived back into the bathroom and dry heaved in the toilet.

'Are you ok?' Dan asked from the doorway. I held up a thumb in the air. 'Can I do anything? Do you want some water?'

Truth was he couldn't help me. But he sat in the floor beside me and rubbed my back and that was enough.