I'm A Twenty-Two Year Old Widow And I'm All Alone...

It Could Be Any Day Now...

Chapter Thirteen... It Could Be Any Day Now...

I stumbled downstairs one morning, forgetting that Ryan and Anastasia had stayed the night before. They both sat in the kitchen, eating their breakfast. And they startled me.

"Jeez!" I shreiked when they both looked at me, smiling.

"Morning, Carrie," Ryan grinned. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not well," I groaned. "The baby kicked half the night, then when I did finally fall asleep I woke up again because I had to get up and pee!"

"Well, I suppose that's understandable," he smiled. "Isn't today your due date?"

"Oh, my God!" I gasped. "It is!"

"You seem to be caught a little off-guard," he pointed out.

"Well, it's just... this day has come up so fast! And I haven't shown any signs of going into labour, so I'm definitely heading for being overdue. I just wanna meet my little baby already!"

"Well, it's definitely not long now."

"Oh, I'm hoping he comes today..."

"He might," Ryan grinned. "You just never know."

"I'm not that lucky."

I walked over to the cupboards and pulled out all the ingredients to make chocolate pancakes. My latest major food cravings? Chocolate and pasta.

"Chocolate again?" Ryan chuckled.

"Shh!" I hissed playfully, unable to hold back my smile.

"So what to do today?" he asked.

"Daddy, I'm going to watch cartoons," Anastasia muttered, heading for the living room.

"Nate will be here in a few hours," I told her.

"Yay!" Anastasia squealed excitedly, running for the loungeroom.

"Oh, they're gonna be a couple when they're older, aren't they?" Ryan said wearily.

"Well, they'll be lifelong friends, if nothing else," I smiled. "I think it's cute. If only we could have male friends when we're older without people thinking we're sleeping together. Lucky they're only five and six!"

"Don't tell me that!" he laughed. "I'm gonna have to worry about her and boys in... oh, about six or seven years..."

"Oh, chin up," I grinned. "Ana's hopefully gonna have me around to tell her all about... that."

"The sex talk?" he frowned. "Oh, I remember my mom giving me it."

"My mom just said 'don't do it'," I recalled.

"Let me guess? You ignored her?"

"Well, no actually. I was afraid to do it! But Lucas was my first... and only..."

"I've only ever been with Ang. I know what that's like..."

I finished making my pancakes and started eating them. Ryan left to take a shower, and returned just as I finished. I started cleaning up the kitchen, but Ryan ordered me to sit down, and he'd finish. We argued about it for a few seconds, but I handed over the sponge I held in my hand and left to take a shower.

When I came back downstairs, the living room, kitchen and dining room were all spotless.

"You seriously didn't have to do all of this!" I said, surprised. "Thankyou."

"You're forty weeks' pregnant, Car," he smiled. "That baby's gonna come any day now, you know. And you need to rest. You won't get much sleep once the baby comes. Take it from someone who got up to tend to his daughter's needs up until she was almost four!"

"Four?" I frowned.

"Well, she was a day off of two when her mother died," he sighed. "I think my stress really affected her sleeping patterns. It certainly drilled mine!"

"I just want the baby to come out!" I groaned, slumping on the lounge. Anastasia glanced briefly at me before turning her attention back to the television.

The doorbell rang just after I'd sat down, and I moaned as I attempted to get back up. Ryan gently indicated for me to stay seated, and he went to answer the door. A few seconds later, Nathaniel came running into the living room.

"Nate!" Anastasia smiled, and the two kids took off upstairs to play in the spare room.

Chelsea entered the room, smiling.

"Car!' she grinned, taking a seat next to me. "Oh, honey! You look uncomfortable."

"I have been for a couple of weeks," I sighed. "I want him out!"

"He won't be far away now," she smiled.

"Thank God," I moaned, smiling at the thought.

"Eight days! Eight friggen days late! Why the hell won't this baby come out yet?!"

I was getting extremely frustrated, taking it out on my obstetrician. She was patient with pregnant women, luckily, but the woman looked a little stressed.

"I know you're uncomfortable, Carrie," she said wearily. "But it won't be long now. We've booked you in to be induced in four days, but the baby might come before then."

"I just don't think I'm that lucky..." I frowned.

"I've had women swear at me over that," she chuckled. "I was kind of expecting you to as well."

"Ah, I'm too mellow for going beyond a harmless rant," I smiled. "I just want my little baby to be here already..."

"Just be patient," she encouraged.

"I'm getting to be impatient now," I growled.

"Babies come when they're ready," she smiled. "It will definitely be in the next four days, even if we have to induce you."

"Thanks," I smiled.

Chelsea took me home, to where Ryan was with Nathaniel and Anastasia. I slumped into the living room, taking a seat on the lounge.

"What did the doctor say?" Ryan asked.

"That it could be another four days," I groaned. "That's because if he doesn't come by then, they're gonna induce me."

"Oh, well four days isn't too far away."

"Wrong thing to say to an overdue woman, Ry," Chelsea warned.

"So... bloody... uncomfortable..." I whined.

"I'll make you a hot bath, Car," Chelsea smiled, taking the kids upstairs and running me a bath. Ryan turned to face me.

"You need to relaz, Carrie," he said seriously. "You're stressing because the baby's not coming yet, and if you relax, it will probably help."

"I'd say I'm gonna kill Lucas for making me this uncomfortable, but since he's already dead, I'll say I'm gonna bring him back just so I can kill him," I joked weakly. "Oh, you have no idea how much I wish he was here..."

"He'd be watching over, waiting for the birth of his only child," Ryan smiled at me. "He'd be proud of you, Carrie. Very proud."

Tears welled in my eyes. Some days, I really noticed how much I missed him. Especially now that our baby was due. It made me sad that he wasn't here to enjoy this time with me.

But at the moment I was making new memories with Ryan. He was amazing, and I was growing to love him. That was something hard to feel... love...

"I have to go do something," I said quickly, standing up and heading upstairs. I grabbed a note pad and went into the bathroom, climbing in. I grabbed the note pad, and started writing a letter... Lucas had left me a letter when he died, and I could see myself staying with Ryan until the day I died. So I wrote him a letter that I hoped he wouldn't have to read for a very long time...

After I wrote the letter, I stashed it in the bathroom drawer and called Chelsea to help me out of the bathtub.

Just as I started getting dressed, I felt a horrible wet sensation that was almost like I'd peed myself...

Oh, it wasn't urine. My waters had broken.

The baby was finally on its way.