Seasons (Ari AU)

Chapter 36

  Holland POV

  I was too exhausted on Wednesday when Joy told me she'd changed the schedule for Saturday and I was going to have the day off, to even argue with her. I gave her a thumbs up and slinked my way out to the car, falling into bed still in my scrubs, skipping dinner and slept until nearly five in the morning when my sweet girl was bouncing all around my bladder.

  I didn't question it until Shauna was ringing my doorbell Saturday afternoon. Strolling right past me with both a shopping bag and a garment bag. "Can I help you?" I ask to her back, watching her scroll past the living room, down the hall to  my bedroom that may or may not be in utter disarray.

  "No, but I can help you," she calls out in a sing song tone, tossing the bag onto the middle of the bed amidst the mess of clothes. "What were you doing in here?"

  "Trying to find things that fit." I'd been rather lucky through my pregnancy, my stomach not really popping out too much until the last couple of weeks. 

  "Any luck?"

  "No, which is why I'm creating a bag to take up to that consignment store on the corner of Claxton and Merrill." Shauna doesn't seem to understand what I'm saying. "So I can get money to buy scrubs that fit. I don't care if I'm hanging out everywhere here at home, but I don't need to be scaring patients will stretch marks."

  "Have you forgotten our patients have those same marks?" she reminds me, her brow arching all the way up to her hair. "Anyways, you can't get rid of stuff you're going fit into again. That doesn't make sense."

  "Well it didn't make sense that my husband forged my signature on a loan either, but here we are," I tell her, tossing my hands high in the air. "Now, what are you doing here?"

  She points over to the shopping bag, "New scrubs for you. And," she draws the word out while unzipping the garment bag, "a dress for the ball tonight."

  With both hands on my hips I roll my eyes. "Ari?" I ask, knowing it's exactly something he'd have done since he's the one I told I couldn't afford to go.  Shauna gives a sheepish grin and a shoulder shrug before clapping her hands together. "No matter now, it's done. Just accept it and let's get you pretty."

  "You don't honestly think I want to be in the same room as Lissy showing off that rock, do you? Seeing the two of them dance and be all kissy with one another?"  

It would honestly be nothing but torture, and I get enough of that when I dream at night. Damn pregnancy dreams are a little too real feeling, most leaving me to wake up gasping for air with a racing heart. But waking up from the ones in which I'm utterly beside myself in happiness, Ari laying behind me while rubbing my swollen stomach, tears are pricking my eyes when I realize that's not my life, reminding me that my dreams are better than my reality at the moment. 

 "Are you coming?" I ask, tentatively taking the hanger from her hand and giving the gown a once over. It's an incredible dress, pale blue with tulle and small flowers around the bust that's accentuated by a deep plunge.

  "No," she sighs. "I'm on babysitting duty."

  I smile to myself because Mason really is a sweet kid. He's lucky to have a father like Ari whose not a lying jackass. "Maybe you'll get to see that dimple I mentioned." My hand grazes across my belly, my sweet girl's elbow running along with my hand. "You know dimples are primarily passed down from the father. I hope this sweet girl will at least have that from her dad. Not sure I want him looking much more like him if I can help it."

  "Guess you better hope your family's genes are stronger than Jerm-bags."

  I cock my head at the nickname but with one uplifted shoulder Shauna's just muttering out, "it's true."

  "I wish I could disagree with you."

  "Now," she starts, her fingers picking up the hair that rests on my  shoulder, your hair looks clean, have you showered today?" 

  I squint my eyes, giving her a 'seriously' look but then can't actually remember if I had showered and find myself sniffing my arm pits. "Maybe not," I admit. "But when did I agree to this? I genuinely don't think that I did."

  Shauna rests her hands over my shoulders, eyes leveling with my own. There's a genuineness to be found behind the matching blues she shares with her older brother. "I know you don't want to go. I know you probably want to separate yourself from that aspect of your life all together." I nod emphatically. "But," she warns, "I also know that there are a lot of those men who are in your corner and want nothing but the best for you and little Miss No Name Gable." My head drops, chin nearly landing on my chest as I sigh. "Let them shower you in love, Holland. Not all of them are bastards like your husband."

  With a lick of my lips and another sigh I pick my head up, giving a quiet resigned "Okay" before she's twisting my body and pushing me towards the bathroom. 

  "Don't come out until you smell like roses!" she calls out to me, making me stop my action of closing the door. 

  "Got rid of the rose smelly stuff. Miss No Name didn't like it."

  Shauna purses her lips. "What else ya got?"

  "She's in a pineapple and coconut mood." 

  "Pina colada in October, huh? Could work I suppose. Fine, don't come out until you smell like a tropical island!"

  "It's not gonna fit."

  I stare at the beautiful material while Shauna uses her finger to instruct me to spin around. My breasts feel like they're close to popping out and the dress isn't even zipped. Here's to hoping the zipper is magical and some how manages to keep them in place. IF it fits.

  "Perfect," Shauna announces, the zipper gliding right up and into place with an ease I was not expecting. She carefully lifts my curls, adjusting them so that some are resting over my right shoulder. 

  "Do I look like a cow? I look like a cow, right?"  I haven't even taken a step towards a mirror.

  "No." I glare back at her, knowing she's lying. "One, cows are not light blue. Two, your belly only just showing a few weeks ago. And three, you don't have any  utters."

  My index fingers from both hands point at my chest. "What are these?"

  Shauna smirks like a sly fox. "Perky boobs. Enjoy them while you can, my friend. Now, let's get you loaded up because," she glances at her watch, "I'm about to be five minutes late."

*An angst free chapter. Who knew... 😏