Baby on Board

21

Martha's eyes lit up and she nodded in reply. Before I had the chance to say more, Martha was pushing me towards the bedroom, insisting that I get ready quickly while she cleared the mess from breakfast. Laughing at her enthusiasm, I headed towards my closet and picked out a summery maternity dress in a coral colour. While my baby bump was still small- a side effect of the baby's heart condition- Nugget was still growing which meant that I was also growing and my regular clothes hadn't fitted in a fair few weeks. 

Pulling on a pair of comfy Superga plimsoles, I detangled my hair and threw it up into a messy ponytail, hardly caring enough to make sure that it was anywhere near tidy. The only people that were going to see me were Martha and my family, none of whom I cared if they saw me without a scrap of make up on my face. If Isaac were here, that would be slightly different because I always made sure that I wore some tinted moisturiser and mascara if ever I was around him. 

When I was finally ready, spritzing on some perfume, I walked back towards the kitchen, pausing briefly when I heard Martha speaking to someone. For a moment, I thought she was on the phone but when a second voice spoke, I frowned and edged closer to the kitchen, peering in to see Martha smiling up towards her father. When she saw me enter, Martha's smile shifted towards me.

"Good, you're ready," she said, clapping her hands once. When she noticed me watching Isaac like a deer caught in the headlights, Martha's smile turned into a smirk. "Oh, yeah, about that... look who is here!"

When both Isaac and I stared at her, Martha mumbled something to herself and turned to grab Isaac's car keys from his hands. "You're not driving," Isaac tells her. They enter into some sort of stare-off that I don't understand but that doesn't stop them from continuing until Martha sighs and gives into her father. She stomps from the flat, pulling the door behind her with a loud bang. Isaac's jaw ticks but he says nothing about his daughter's actions. Instead, he closes his eyes, calms down and then closes the gap between us, enveloping me into a hug. "I missed you, Lottie. Sorry if I've been a really crap boyfriend these past two days. I just needed some time because I didn't want you to see me like I was."

"I appreciate that," I tell him, returning the hug before pulling away. He smiles at me but it vanishes when he sees the frown on my face. "But that wasn't your call to make. What if I wanted to see you like that, huh? Don't assume you know what's best for me, Isaac, because you don't. Now, Martha and I are off to see my family. Are you coming?"

"Yes," he nods. Thankfully, he doesn't comment on the telling off I'd just given him. Instead, he heads towards the door and pulls it open for me. I grab my handbag before we leave, making sure that I had everything I'd need, not missing how Isaac's eyes followed me as I went about turning the home security alarm on. When I pass him in the doorway, I see him smirk. "That dress is new, isn't it? I like it. It shows off your legs. We both know how much I love your legs."

I didn't entertain Isaac with an answer. He'd love it if I did, which is why I bit down on my lip and avoided talking about anything to do with my legs. Instead, we rode down to the underground carpark in silence and sexual tension. If this was a chick flick, I'd hit the emergency button, jump on Isaac and have my wicked way with him. But this is not a chick flick. This is reality. And in reality, Isaac will just have to wait until later before I jump on him and have my wicked way with him. 

The way Isaac smirked in my direction for the duration of the drive out to Surrey was irksome. He knew I couldn't resist that full-lipped pout of his or the way that his blue eyes would turn wanting when he looked at me. The only way I was able to keep myself in check was by making conversation with Martha during the drive. 

"Martha, what about the name Éloane?" I floated. Isaac scoffed at my suggestion but his opinion didn't matter. I would only have to remind him of the deal we had and he'd shut up and turn to grumble about something else. "Or Estée?"