Emmy stepped out of the door currently being held by her partner and was met with the chilly January breeze. She held onto the inside of the door, waiting until she could acclimate and level her feet. The wind brought movement to her wool cardigan and she wrapped it around the tank top encasing her slowly growing 5 and a half month old belly.
Daveed took notice of her lean on the door and held out his hand. She had become balanced but she took the hand anyway and moved to open the back door of their car. Inside was their freshly awakened 2 year old, coming off a goldfish induced nap.
"Hi sweet girl," Emmy smiled at her daughter whose arms were reaching up towards her.
Emmy unbuckled all the protective belts around her and pulled her out of the seat. She laid her on her chest, to which she took the opportunity to lay her head on Emmy's shoulder and close her eyes once more.
"Someone's in a food coma," Emmy giggled softly.
Daveed closed the door behind Emmy and Monroe and placed his hand on Emmy's back followed by a quick rub. "While she's asleep, I can hold her so she doesn't hurt your back," he offered.
"It's ok right now, but can you grab a blanket so I can wrap her up? And her jacket, just in case it's colder when we leave," Emmy replied.
"Of course," Daveed said grabbing the items, placing the blanket over his daughter, and picking up the pink backpack holding everything else they may need. He put the backpack on his own back and with that, the four of them walked into Mellow Mushroom.
Since before Emmy had been pregnant and cooking had become tough, they loved to come here on cold days to curl up in a booth and enjoy some warm pizza.
Once they were inside, the hostess greeted them and led them to a booth towards the back. She brought a high chair for Monroe who was still half asleep but managed to be put in the chair with only a little protest. Daveed and Emmy took their seats on the opposite ends of the table.
"Do you want to share one or do personals?" Emmy asked, "I probably won't finish a whole one by myself."
"We can share, I also want to get some buffalo chicken dip," said Daveed.
Shortly after, their server arrived and they ordered the dip along with a medium half pepperoni and sausage- half dairy-free veggie pizza.
Monroe was now wide awake, wide eyed at the change in location from where she had initially fell asleep. She was trying to grab at the silverware on the table, but everytime she reached for it, Daveed playfully moved it farther and farther away.
Monroe erupted in giggles at the game they were now playing and her laugh spread to Emmy causing her own laughing fit. Daveed and Monroe kept it up, Daveed moving the forks and knives closer to her and then pulling them away before they could be in her grasp. Emmy's laughs, however, started to die out as she felt a sharp pain coursing in between her ribs and feeding into the side of her back.
She groaned in pain as she desperately tried to rub away some of the pressure. She used her hand to rub her rib area through the cardigan, not wanting to be too obvious, but not wanting the fiery pain to persist.
"Em, you ok?" Daveed asked as he watched her ministrations.
"His foots stuck in my ribs," she sighed, still rubbing with no relief.
"Come here, let me help" Daveed said, patting next to him on the seat.
Emmy stood up holding onto her stomach and moved around the table to scoot next to her husband. She leaned all her weight onto him and curled into his side. Daveed wrapped his arm around her and began rubbing the side that was causing her so much pain.
"Helping at all?" he asked.
"Just barely," Emmy answered, taking his hand and moving it to adjust his position just a little bit.
Daveed continued to rub circles into her side as the waiter arrived with their food. She could feel the pain lessening, it wasn't nearly as intense, but the discomfort remained.
"I think it's out now, or he's getting ready to move it," Emmy said, "Thank you baby," she turned her head up to place a kiss on his cheek.
Emmy looked over at her daughter who was now mindlessly playing with her hands. She took two pieces of the vegetable half of the pie, one for herself and one for Monroe.
"Do you want some pizza, babygirl?" Emmy cooed at the little one.
Monroe nodded her head and clapped her hands as a wide smile spread across her face. Emmy began to cut the slice into bite size pieces and one by one she brought them up to her daughters mouth.
As she was feeding her another piece, an "Owww," sounded from within her.
Daveed peeked over from his mouthful of pizza, "Again?"
"No, not that, but a really hard kick," Emmy spoke, as she used one hand to cradle her bump and the other to place the piece of pizza into her daughters mouth.
"You know, if he does it again, you might be able to feel it this time," Emmy said.
Daveed reached his hand out and Emmy guided it to the location of the last hit. Just as she was adjusting it another foot striked the interior of her stomach.
Daveed's eyes widened with excitement at the sudden movement under his palm. This was the first time he had been able to feel his son moving around in his wife's stomach. Before, the baby had been too small, his little kicks not nearly being strong enough to feel from outside, but now, here he was, much bigger and packing a punch under both the hands that rested atop.
"Whoa," Daveed spoke with amazement, "That's our little man."
"That's him," Emmy agreed and looked down at her stomach, "Hey baby boy, you just beating me up today," she said with a laugh.
"He's getting big," Daveed said before he too turned his attention to her stomach, "Hey little guy, running out of room in there already? We love feeling you kick but you think you could stay out of Mommy's bones?"
"It's ok, I know you just want to get comfortable, but it's just a tad painful," Emmy continued talking to her belly.
"Me and your Mommy love you, keep getting bigger in there," Daveed said, finishing off their little chat.
Daveed kept one hand on Emmy's belly but used the other to continue eating his pizza. "I cant believe how fast this is going, he's so big already," Emmy spoke.
"Me neither, he's huge," Daveed mumbled around the slice he had just stuffed in his mouth.
Emmy burst out laughing as he attempted to talk with such a full mouth and playfully hit his shoulder. She then turned her attention to her daughter who was growing more and more restless in the high chair.
"Do you want out?" Emmy asked her in a baby voice.
Monroe nodded and began trying to push her own self out of the chair. Emmy stepped in and grabbed her herself before she had a chance to topple the whole chair over. She placed her daughter on the seat in between her and Daveed.
"What up money?" Daveed laughed at the moniker he had affectionately nicknamed her.
Monroe laughed and said, "Pizza, Daddy" as she motioned to the pizza that still had multiple slices left.
"Do you want some more?" he asked.
"Mhm," she nodded, "What that?" she said pointing to the pepperonis and sausages adorning Daveed's half of the pizza.
"It's pepperoni and sausage. You can try a little bit I don't think you'll like it," Daveed replied.
Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she tried to reach for a vegetable slice. Emmy helped her the other half of the way and guided a piece to her plate. She cut up the piece and helped her pick it up and eat it.
Daveed wrapped his arm around both of his girls and kept it there as they finished up the pizza. Once they were done, Emmy got up first and grabbed the pink backpack. This time, Daveed grabbed Monroe and sat her someone only he would think to carry her out of the restaurant: the top of his shoulders.
Emmy couldn't stop laughing as she followed behind them and watched as they laughed and played with each other. Nights like this with her family were so special to her and she couldn't wait for the constantly moving baby inside her to join them.
- last three chapters are kid/ baby fics whoops