Lovers

Your Childhood Room

Good news- I survived the school board meeting. And I even got to write tonight because it was shorter than I had expected. So, here's this chapter as a result. I quite like this one, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm going to start taking name predictions on this baby- only 8 more chapters until she's born! Comment name predictions! Love you all xx
-ab

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February 6, 2028

Harper

"Are you excited, Harper?" Taylor asks me, bursting with joy as she holds Audrie in her hip and stands in my living room.

"I suppose," I laugh, trying my hardest to muster up a smile. I'm uncomfortable and don't feel very well, but I've had these plans with Taylor for a long time now, and I can't be in the house while Patrick and Joe are painting the nursery.

"Today is going to be so much fun, I promise."

"I guess," I laugh. "But, would you help me with these shoes?"

Taylor lets out a snort of laughter, then sets Audrie down on the ground and comes over to me. She places the trainers on my feet and ties up the laces.

"You all good, Mama?" Taylor teases me.

"I don't think so," I reply with a smile. I'm trying my hardest to have a good attitude about this, but I didn't realize how many things I would have a hard time doing once I got into this third trimester of pregnancy. And to think, I still have two months of this.

"Well, we should probably be on our way, anyway," Tay tells me. She picks Audrie up and we walk out to her car. After strapping the little girl into her car seat, Taylor gets in the driver's seat, and I sit in the passenger seat.

"Audrie, do you want to go for a car ride?" Taylor asks her daughter.

Audrie, of course, doesn't respond with much, only a sweet little "Mama," followed by incoherent babbling.

"She loves car rides," Taylor informs me.

"I like them too," I nod. "I just don't like the idea of driving in London."

Taylor nods. "It's a bit scary, but you'll get used to it. Seriously, your life will be a thousand times easier if you have a car when she gets here."

I sigh in defeat. "I know. I'm just not ready to deal with car salesmen and negotiating prices and all of the terrible things that come with buying a car."

"It's not fun. That's why you guilt Patrick into doing it," Taylor winks, then turning on the car and pulling out of the driveway.

When the two of us arrive at the baby store, Audrie starts to fuss.

"Oh, honey, you need a diaper change now?" Taylor groans. "Harper, I've gotta deal with this."

"Hey, no judgement. When you've gotta go, you've gotta go."

We both laugh. Taylor quickly performs a diaper change in the backseat of her car, and then we head into the store.

"So, we're looking for a crib today?" Taylor confirms, to which I nod. That's the main goal of today's expedition, but I also tell Taylor that if we see anything cute that can be used to decorate the nursery, Patrick wants us to get it.

Inside of the store, Taylor leads me straight to the section with cribs. "We got Audrie's here, and it's been great, hasn't it girly?" she says to her daughter, who is in the child's seat of the shopping trolley. "You love your naps."

"I hope this little girl is the same way," I say, placing my hands on my stomach. "Hear that, little one?"

Taylor rubs my back. "She'll at least sleep a lot for the first few months. That might help you to adjust to parenthood."

Taylor and I spend the next few minutes walking through the aisles of cribs. I don't really see why it is necessary to have so many, when they all serve one purpose, really. In the end, we pick out a simple, white crib.

After that, Taylor looks at me with a sparkle in her eye. "Can we look around some more? I love looking through all of this cute stuff."

"Of course," I reply.

Half an hour later, we have picked out a few cute decorations for the room. "I have a customized canvas that I've ordered coming in soon, too," I say. "The pink, grey, and white will make for a really cute colour scheme for the room."

"I can't wait to see the finished product," Taylor tells me. We head up to the check out counter, and Taylor pulls Audrie out of the trolley, holding her up against her chest. "You've been so good today, baby girl," she whispers to her daughter. "I think that we should have a treat back at home."

The little girl claps her hands together. I can tell that she's starting to understand a lot of what Taylor says to her, even though she doesn't quite respond verbally, yet.

After loading everything into the boot of Taylor's car, I send Patrick a quick text to see how painting is going. He says that Taylor and I should stay out another hour or so, just to give the paint a bit of time to dry, and for the fumes to diffuse.

"I could really go for some pizza right now," I remark.

"Let's go and get a pizza, then," Taylor tells me. "I'll treat."

I accept her offer and thank her, then we drive to a pizza place back in Hampstead, which is a favourite of mine.

We order a cheese pizza, and Taylor even lets Audrie try a few bites after cutting them up really small. The little girl seems to love it.

"We are trying to get her to eat more 'real' foods," Taylor tells me. "She's getting big enough for them, for sure."

After an hour, Taylor suggests that we head back home. "I'm sure the boys will be excited to see what we have bought."

I laugh. "Patrick loves putting furniture together," I say with sarcasm wreaking through my voice. "He won't even set foot in IKEA half of the time, for fear that I'll buy something that he will have to assemble."

"Well, you're not allowed to lift heavy things, so he's going to have to be a big boy and put this crib together."

"He will," I assure Taylor. "He just won't have fun with it. I'll have fun watching him do it, though, don't worry."

"You're terrible, Harper Alwyn."

"Hey, I've got to find pleasure from somewhere, and at this point in this pregnancy, that's not easy."

"It'll be over before you know it," Taylor promises me with a sympathetic smile. "She's just so excited to meet you, just like you are to meet her."

"I hope that we don't let her down."

"You would never be able to do that. You and Patrick were made to be parents. She's going to be beautiful and perfect, and you're going to be the best mommy ever."

I smile at my sister-in-law. "Thanks."

"Audrie adores you, you know?"

"Really?"

"For sure. From the day she was born, she was willing to let you hold her, and barely anybody else besides Joe and I. That fact alone shows me that you have the natural gift, and you're going to be amazing with this baby."

"Thanks, Tay," I reply. I sure hope that she's right.