Double update! Woohoo!
I stared at the costume in Ross' hand, ignoring the giant smile he had plastered on. There was no way in hell I was going to wear that. Out of all the costumes in the store, why did he even bother picking that one? Did he momentarily lose his mind?
"I am not wearing a playboy bunny costume!" I hissed, snatching the costume and placing it back on the hanger. "One, do you honestly think that I would be able to fit into it with this?" I gestured to my gigantic stomach. "And two, there is barely any material on that skimpy costume that it may as well be non-existent."
He pouted childishly. "But it's so sexy. You have to wear it, Sky!"
I rolled my eyes and waved my hand at the people who were glancing in our direction. "I don't even want to wear a costume, Ross. I don't want to go to this party. I just want to stay home and relax." I winced as my back started to cramp, and I reached behind to rub the aching spot. "The only reason I'm going is because it's Rydel's party."
"If you don't want to go, then don't." He shrugged. "I think she'll be okay with you missing her party since your due date is a few days away." He took over rubbing my back, much to my relief. My arm was cramping up. "All you should be doing is resting up."
"Do you think she'll be mad if I don't go?" I asked. Even if I went, I would be leaving early.
Ross shook his head and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the store. "She'll understand that you just want to relax. Trust me, Sky, she'll be fine with it." We approached that car and I quickly hopped in the passenger seat, relief flooding through me as I finally got off my feet. Ross made his way to the drivers side and buckled in, starting up the car and pulling out of the parking lot.
"But just because I'm not going doesn't mean you can't go." I told him, my fingers dancing across my stomach.
He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together, placing our joined hands on his thigh. "I'm not going without you, Sky. And I would be too worried about you going into labor if I left you home alone. There's always a chance Olivia could be born before her due date."
"I know." I murmured, my eyes focusing on my stomach. The fact that Olivia could be born any day now was absolutely terrifying. I never thought my pregnancy would fly by in a blink of an eye, and yet I could go into labor at any moment.
"Are you scared?" I blurted out, unable to stop myself.
"Absolutely." He admitted after a few seconds of silence. "I love babies, but I've never had to raise one. I'm scared that I'm going to screw up and be the worst father ever." I stayed silent as he confessed all that he was feeling. "I don't regret choosing to help raise Olivia, but I don't want to make a choice that will end up ruining her life. That's what I'm most scared about. That I'll screw up and ruin her life, forcing her to hate and despise me." He pulled into the parking lot of our apartment and shut off the engine.
I unbuckled myself and shifted so I was facing him. I grabbed both his hands and placed them in my lap. I was shocked to see tears in his eyes when he looked at me. "You will not ruin her life, Ross. Will you make mistakes? Yes, but so will I. It's only natural to make mistakes with raising a baby. Everyone makes mistakes, Ross. If you ask your parents, I guarantee that they will tell you the same thing." I couldn't believe he was afraid of ruining our daughter's life. I never knew he felt that way, and I wondered how long he kept those feelings bottled up.
He placed both his hands on my stomach and leaned forward, gently kissing it. "I just want to be a great father. Just the thought of screwing up makes me want to pull my hair out."
"You will not screw up." I firmly grasped onto his shoulders, shaking him gently. "Olivia hasn't even been born yet and you're already a great father. I mean, do you really think that Ben would a better father?" I didn't bother letting him answer, I already knew what his response would be. "The second he threw me to the curb I knew he would have been the worst person to father Olivia. He only cares about getting laid and being a douche. You care about Olivia and I, and that's what really matters."
He let out a breath I'm sure he didn't know he was holding. When it looked like he calmed down a bit, I leaned forward and pecked his lips softly. "Let's head inside, okay? We can watch a movie and just relax."
He nodded and kissed my forehead. "Thanks for the pep talk." He gave me a weak smile, but I could still see some fear and nervousness in his eyes.
Ross held onto my hand tightly as we entered the apartment, and I let out a squeal when my eyes caught sight of the person standing by our couch. Without hesitation, I ran towards my brother and hugged him as tight as I could without crushing my stomach. He laughed and stumbled back a bit, but hugged me back once he regained his composure.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, smiling like an idiot. Matthew and I had gotten close over the months, and now it was as if he were a part of my life from the beginning.
"I wanted to visit my sister and see how she was doing." He said. He looked at Ross and they both shared a bro hug. "How are you guys doing? Isn't this little one due soon?" He pointed to my stomach, a smile on his face.
"Pretty much any day now." Ross answered, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "Quick question. How did you get in here?"
"Oh, Rydel let me in." Matt answered. "She used her key."
I shared a confused look with Ross. "She doesn't have a key."
Ross sighed and shook his head. "She probably stole our key and made a copy without either of us knowing. I love her, but that's a bit creepy."
"Okay, moving on." I clapped my hands together, focusing my attention on Matt. "How long are you here for? And where's Kelly and Cooper?" Ross helped me sit down on the couch before taking the seat next to me. Matt claimed the spot on love seat.
"I'm only here for a week," Matt answered. "And Kelly and Cooper are at home. Kelly wanted to come, but she's busy with work." He shrugged as if it were no big deal, but I could tell that he already missed his wife and son. It was amazing how well I knew Matt since we only met around six months ago.
"Are yous staying in a hotel?" I asked. "Because you could stay here if you want. I mean, we you can sleep on the couch or I can have Rydel bring over her air mattress. Whichever you want." I didn't want my brother sleeping in a hotel when he could be staying with us. I wanted to see him as much as possible before he had to go back home.
Matt smiled. "The couch is fine, Sky. But are you sure? You guys are probably busy with Olivia coming soon."
"It's fine, Matt." Ross told him. "Besides, you might actually be here when Olivia comes, so you can help take care of her when we want sleep." He grinned jokingly, but I swore that there was a bit of seriousness in his voice.
Matt threw his head back, a loud laugh escaping his throat. "Whatever, man. If that means I get to spend time with my niece, then so be it."
I grinned and leaned my head on Ross' shoulder. Having Matthew surprise us with a visit was the best thing that could have happened right now. There would be nothing better if he was still here when Olivia was born. I would love to see him hold his niece for the first time.
~*~
I groaned as I stepped out of the shower, already missing the relief the hot water gave my aching back. I wrapped a towel around my body and hair and stepped out of the bathroom, walking into our bedroom and plopping down on the bed. Ross was in the middle of napping, so I didn't care that I was only in a towel. With much reluctance, I stood up and walked over to the closet, changing as quickly as possible into some sweats.
Walking into the kitchen, I made myself a quick snack and sat down on one of the stools. I could hear the laughter of children from outside the door, and I had a moment of guilt that we put up a sign saying that no one was home. I didn't like lying, but I didn't want to be getting up every minute to answer the door and give kids some candy.
Just as I went to put my dirty dish in the sink, Ross walked out of our bedroom rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Have a good nap?" I asked, chuckling at his bed hair.
He nodded and strolled over, wrapping his arms around me. "Did Matt leave already?"
"Yeah, while you were sleeping." I replied, heading over to the couch to sit down. Since Ross and I weren't going to Rydel's party, we convinced Matt to go. He knew all of Ross' siblings and Ellington, so it wasn't like he was going to a party full of strangers. Besides, this party would help him get to know them better. I wanted my best friends to be close to my brother.
"How're you feeling?" Ross asked, massaging my lower back.
I bit my lip, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. Throughout the day, I had been having bad cramps that would come and go. I wasn't sure if they were contractions because they were tolerable. I wasn't in excruciating pain, only mild.
"I've been having cramps all day." I admitted, pulling away so I could Ross' reactions.
His eyes immediately widened and he jumped up. "What? And you're only telling me now? Sky, you could be in labor!"
I stood up and grabbed his arms, hoping that he would stop freaking out and calm down. But just as I opened my mouth, I felt a pop, followed by a warm fluid trickling down my leg. I stared at the floor where a small pool of water was forming.
I gulped and looked at Ross, my voice wavering as I spoke. "My water just broke."
I really want to get to the next chapter because we get to finally meet Olivia! So I decided to write a sequel, but I need names! Any ideas! Vote and comment!