Missing Year

3d Sonogram

Emma was seven months pregnant with her daughter and in her third trimester. It was Henry's first day of school, she took pictures of her son for his first day."Are you excited for 7th grade?"
"Not really?" He hugs his Mom. "I want to be here with you and Hope."
"After school today, your Dad and I will pick you up and we are going to see your sister in a special sonogram today. We are going to see Hope in a 3D sonogram."
Henry smiles. "Awesome! I cannot wait to see Hope's picture."
"I have a feeling we will see who she looks like."
"Love, I have a feeling Hope will look like her Mommy." He wrapped his arms around his love and kisses her on the cheek, which made her smile. "I just hope that Hope has your eyes."
Killian smiles. "I do have my dashing good looks."
"Yes, one of the reasons I fell in love with you." They kiss.
"Mom, we can only see who Hope's features when she is born."
"You are right, kid." Hope kicks, Emma placed Henry's hand on her baby bump.
"Hope, we just want to know if you look like Mommy or Daddy." He kisses his Mom's baby bump. "Mom, Hope is getting bigger."
"Yes, I know. She is getting heavy to carry but she is healthy."
"Love, I will walk Henry to school."
"Can you buy me mayonnaise on the way home?"
"Of course, love. Anything else?"
"Chocolate ice cream."
"I will drop by the grocery store on the way home."
"Thank you." They kiss. Killian walked with Henry, while Emma went back to her room and looked through the clothes and cute floral swaddlers that she ordered for Hope and cannot wait to see her daughter wearing them. "Hope, Mommy has so many cute clothes for you to wear. I know we are going to snuggle all the time." Hope moves which made Emma smile. "We are going to have a lot of Mommy and Hope time."
Killian walked Henry to school, "Dad?"
"Yes, son?"
"It just...Hope on the way...our life is going to change.
"Yes, lad. We are going to have a baby in our house in a few short months. I know Hope is going to love you, your Mom and I. Our family is expanding lad that change is good."
"It is a better chance than leaving Maine and our family..."
"Do you miss Maine?"
"I miss my other Mom and my grandparents...my grandparents will miss Hope being born...like they miss everything in my Mom's life..."
Killian hugged his son. "Your Mom is not alone, son. She has me on her side, and she has you, Henry. She loves raising you, lad. I am not like everyone in her life that left her, I am not going anywhere. I am not going to lose my family."
Henry hugs his Dad. "Hope is lucky to have you as her Dad."
"I am your Dad too, Henry. You are my son. Before your sister is born, I am going to adopt you."
"You are my Dad already...I am just worried about the changes..."
"I know lad, changes are scary but having your sister is a good change."
"I am looking forward to being her big brother."
"I know you are going to be a great big brother to Hope, son." They reached the school, Jasper was waiting for Henry. "Dad, Jasper is here."
"Aye, I see." He waves at Jasper and he waves back at Killian. "Henry, your Mom and I will pick you up at your dismissal."
"We are going to Mom's appointment?"
"We are going to see your sister in 3d sonogram."
"Awesome!" The school bell rings. "I will see you later, Dad." Henry heads into the middle school with Jasper. Killian took the train to downtown and went to the courthouse to get documents for him and Emma to fill out to adopt Henry as his son. He went to the grocery store on the way home, when he entered the apartment and see his wife having a contraction gripping the couch. He drops the groceries," Emma!" He rushes to his wife's side, "I am right here, love."
"Whoa..." She rubs her baby bump.
"Love, let's get you to the car."
"Killian...it was just Braxton hicks contractions...they are fake contractions. They help my body to prepare for real labor."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, honey. I am not in labor yet. Hope needs more time to grow inside of me."
He helps his wife sit down on the couch and leans to his wife's baby bump. "Hope, Daddy thought you were coming, little love." He kisses Hope inside of his wife's belly bump.
He sits next to his wife and they cuddle. "I am in my third trimester, which is a good sign. I am going to have more these fake contractions as my due date gets closer." She hugs her husband.
"Aye, I will help you with your fake and real contractions."
Emma smiles and kisses him on the cheek. "How was your walk with Henry?"
"Henry told me that he is nervous about change but I told him our little love changes our family is a good change...he misses Regina." Emma got sad. "He is happy living here, love. I also went to Court street."
"You have?"
"Yes, I got the adoption forms for Henry." He hands her the papers.
"For his father...I cannot say he is in another realm. I can say that he abandoned us which he did...he does not need consent...it also says Henry will have a new birth certificate."
"Aye, how many will he have now?"
"Three, Regina has one...I have one...now we have one for him..." Killian filled out forms for Henry. "You really are going to adopt our son?'
"Aye, he is my son even if he is not biologically mine." He hugs his wife. "Our little lass is ours though." He felt Hope kicked. "Hope, yes, Daddy is your Daddy. Your Daddy is also Henry's Daddy because I never leave him as his real Daddy did. I am his real Daddy who is there for him. I will always be there for you and your big brother." He kisses Emma's baby bump. The laundry machine went off. "Love, you did laundry?"
"Yes, I cleaned Hope clothes. So they will nice and clean when she arrives." Killian unloaded the dry laundry and took the clothes back into their room, and placed it in Hope's drawer. He expanded their room, crib, changing room, and the rocking chair will be in the living room. He returns into the room and cleans the food on the floor, "Love, I have your mayonnaise and ice cream."
"Yes!" He helped his wife up from the couch, she makes a sandwich, bread, mayonnaise, and peanut butter. She ate her sandwich.
"Swan? Mayonnaise and peanut butter?"
"It is not my idea. Our daughter wants mayonnaise and peanut butter. Right Hope? Is it yummy?" She rubs her baby bump. "She likes it but it takes weird for me." Killian leans to his wife's baby bump, "Is the sandwich your Mommy is feeding you yummy?" He kisses his wife's baby bump. "Daddy got your sandwich for you and Mommy to eat to feed you. Enjoy it, Hope." Emma smiles love seeing her husband talking to her baby bump to their daughter.
"Can we lie down together?"
"Sure, love." They walk to their room and lied down together, Emma lying on her husband with his legs wide so she can lie on him and cuddled. He let his wife lie on top of him, he did not mind her baby bump on him because it was their baby. He can tell that his wife has something on her mind. "Emma, what is on your mind love?"
"I am just thinking...being a Mom to Hope..." She placed a hand on her baby bump. "I love her so much already, I never took care of a baby before or hold one...I mean I do not have my fake memories that Regina gave us...I have mother instincts when Henry found me to protect him but he was ten...Hope is going to be small and count on you and me for everything...I just want to be a good Mommy to her..."
"Once you hold her in your arms, you are going to know what to do, your mother instincts for our daughter will come right to you, I just have this feeling love. I am going to be right there with you when our Hope decides to come and help you with our little love."
"I just do not want to make mistakes."
"We are going to make mistakes love, we are going to be parents to a newborn together. We are going to learn from our mistakes and learn from them together." They both placed their hands on Emma's baby bump. "She is going to love you, Emma, as soon as she is born and held by you."
"I am not going to let her go..."
"You will be her Mommy her whole life." He kisses her on the cheek. She felt better knowing she is not alone and it is okay to make mistakes but they love their daughter and be her parents together. Emma fell asleep wrapped around her husband. "You are not alone, love. You have me on your side. We are going to raise Hope together." He let his wife sleep.
In the afternoon, Emma took her time getting ready for her sonogram appointment, she cannot wait to see her little girl on the screen. She wore a pink maternity dress. "I look like a balloon." Killian enters their room. "Are you almost ready?"
"I hate my outfit...I look like a balloon."
Killian sits next to his wife. "You are not a balloon, love. You are my beautiful wife, who is the most beautiful lass in all the realms."
"You are just saying that because you are my husband."
"Yes, I am your husband and you are my wife. Henry and I love you very much. Hope knows that you love her because you care for her safety, health and taking care of her when she is growing inside of your belly."
"My back hurts, I hate waddling, hate feeling huge and my bladder...no control..."
"I know you feel awful but in the end when Hope comes she will be here and will not want to be anywhere but with you, her Mommy. She knows that you are the best Mommy ever and a fighter which she will take from you." Emma smiles.
"You always know how to make me feel better." They kiss. Killian drove his wife in the yellow bug to Henry's school, they see Henry right away and he joined them in the car. "Hi, Henry. How was your first day?"
"It was alright. How are you, Mom?"
"I am doing alright, your Dad thought I went into labor this morning."
"Mom, you..."
"Henry, I was having Braxton hicks contractions. They are fake contractions that help my body prepare for labor. I know the real contractions, from you, kid."
They arrive at the doctor's office. Henry helped his Mom in as Killian finds parking. "Love, I will meet you both inside." They kiss. Henry helped his Mom inside. Killian found his family in the waiting room, Henry was working on his homework, as Emma cuddles with her husband. "Are you okay, love?"
Emma smiles."Yes, I am just happy you are with me."
Killian smiles back at his wife."I am happy to be here with you and see our little lass on the sonogram." They kiss. "Emma Jones." Emma loved hearing her new last name. Killian helped his wife stand up, and walked with her. Henry followed them. Henry waited in the hall, while his Mom undressed, with Killian's help. He helped his wife sit on the exam table. "Thank you. I am getting heavy to lift myself up"
"You are welcome, love." She laid down on the table, Henry entered the room.
"Mom?"
"Henry, you are standing right next to me where you can see the screen to see Hope." He kisses his Mom on the head. Dr. Peirce came in. "Hi, Emma, Killian and Henry."
"Hi, Dr. Peirce."
"How is bed rest?"
"Killian won't let me lift a finger. They both help me all the time."
"That is good, Emma. You have your family to help. Do you have any questions for me?"
"Yes, when I give birth to my daughter. Can I do skin to skin with her?'
"Skin to skin is very important for the baby and the Mom, calm down both of you, it releases stress and hormones, helps with your milk supply, and breastfeed l her longer..."
"I am planning to breastfeed her...I got her a breast pump a wireless one..."
"That will come when you need to rest, Killian or Henry can bottle feed your baby with your milk." Dr.Pierce measures Emma's baby bump. "Your daughter is growing as she should be." She set up the sonogram machine. Dr. Pierce puts the gel onto Emma's bare baby bump. Killian held his wife's hand. Dr.Pierce puts the doppler to find Hope's heartbeat, which was strong. "Your baby's heartbeat is very strong Emma, which is a very good sign." Dr.Pierce did the 3D sonogram. "There is her arm, her hand, her feet. There is her face." Emma and Killian were both crying seeing their daughter on the screen and looks so real.
"Killian, Hope, she is cute."
"Aye, our little love looks like you, swan."
"Mom, there is Hope."
"Yes, kid. There is your baby sister. She looks like me."
"I had a feeling our little lass, will look like you."
"Hope, you look like Mommy baby girl."
"Hope, you look like a lot like our Mom, little sis." Hope smiled.
"Hope is smiling, Killian!"
"Aye, our little love knows that we are seeing her."
"I love her little smile already."
"Mom, Hope heard my voice."
"Yes, she is happy to hear her big brother." At the end of the sonogram, Dr. Pierce left to print out the photographs. "Hope, we saw you on the screen baby girl. You look a lot like me."
"Hope, you have your Mommy's chin and face, little love. We love you." He kisses his wife's baby bump.
"Hope, we are excited more to meet you, baby sis." He hugs his Mom's baby bump. Killian wrapped his arm around his wife.
"We all are looking forward to meeting you, baby girl." Dr. Peirce gave Emma her sonogram photos. Emma gets dressed again and cannot stop staring at her sonogram pictures, "Hope, I love you, baby girl." Killian helped his wife down the examination table. They went home after they got to take out Chinese food on the way home. Henry went to finish homework. Emma rested on their bed with her feet propped up. She framed her favorite photograph of Hope, her smiling. Killian put the rest of the sonogram photos on the refrigerator. He massaged his wife's feet and cuddle. "Today 3D sonogram photos making her more real even though I feel every punch and kick...she is really coming... I am going to be a Mom for the very beginning...it is really happening..." Emma began to cry. She hugs her husband.
"You are going to be a great Mommy from the very beginning, love. Hope loves you so much already, she smiled when we saw her today. She was happy that we all got to see her today." Henry entered the room. "Mom?"
"Kid, come join us."
Henry hugs his Mom. "Mom, are you okay?"
"Yes, I am. Just seeing your sister today is making it more real that I am going to be a Mom from the very beginning."
Henry leans on his Mom. "Mom, you are an amazing Mom to me. I know you will be an amazing Mom to Hope from the very beginning."
"Thanks, kid." They hug.
"You are my Mom. You are the best. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, Henry." She kisses him on the head and he fell fast asleep on his Mom. Killian let his wife rest on him. "We are going to be parents of two soon."
"Yes, we are love. We are team, Jones."
Emma smiles. "Team Jones." They kiss. Emma fell asleep on her husband, Henry on her side and Hope moving inside, feeling happy. Killian watched his family sleeping and enjoying his time with them and he cannot wait for Hope to arrive so she completes their family.