Whoa Baby
Chapter 37- When You Least Expect It
"He who has no stress is dead." - Mrs. L [health class teacher]
"Paisley you need to pick a name already!" JC shouts as we're both seated on the couch. Outside the snow is falling a bit harder than it was earlier, and if I were JC I would have left already to avoid being snowed in, but it didn't even fathom him at the slightest.
"It's not like he's going to be nameless! I've got to put something on his birth certificate." I mutter, shaking my head as I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. "I should really pack a baby bag, huh?" I say mostly to myself.
"What do you mean?" He asks nervously.
"A bag for me to bring to the hospital. The one that will carry my clothes and some for the baby." I explain, scrolling down on the article I was reading on Mommy's To Be. He runs his hands down his face after messing up his hair. Rubbing is rough, dry hands down his slight prickled cheeks from not shaving. "Why do you look so stressed out?" I ask, shaking my head as I observed his tired looking face.
"I haven't been sleeping. If you must know." He sighs, resting his head back on the couch and closing his eyes.
"How come?" I question, curious to find out why.
"I don't know about you, but I'm stressed out because I'm eighteen and having a baby. If that doesn't freak or stress you out than I don't know what does." He responds a bit bitterly.
"Correction, I'm having a baby." Like literally a baby is coming out of me not him.
"You know what I mean." He mumbles mid yawn.
"I have one last appointment tomorrow." I mention, looking back down at my article, "So I probably won't be around if you come to swing by."
"You don't want me to go?" He asks, raising his eye brow with his eyes still closed.
"You don't have to. It's just a quick check up." I tell him, shrugging my shoulders, "I think my mom said she'll bring me. She might want to ask the doctor's a few questions." Of course Emma, Alice, and Miles wanted to come, but being away in college prevented that. I told them it wasn't a big deal anyways.
"Alrighty then." He yawns again. I wonder why he isn't getting any sleep.
Chewing on my bottom lip I watch him contently, seeing his chest falling and rising in a steady rhythm. "I know you're tired, but can I ask you something?" I whisper, leaning my head back on the couch and looking at him.
"I'm just resting my eyes. Shoot." He said in a normal and awake voice.
"Why do you want to name the baby Patrick so badly?" I ask, speaking above a whisper.
"Because I like the name Patrick." He responded so simply.
"So it has nothing to do with your grandfather?" I wonder, thinking that could be it. I didn't know one hundred percent if his grandfather was named Patrick, but it seemed likely that it could be. JC did say his grandfather was a big influence to him, it made sense if he wanted to name his son after him.
He opened his eyes slowly, turning his head to the side and looking at me, "I just like the name Patrick." He states more firmly.
"Is it because of your grandfather?" I press.
"What difference does it make?" He chuckles dryly, shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his eyes.
"Because it would make sense why you would want to name him after your grandfather. You loved him a lot, be believed in you, and you looked up to him." I reason, nodding my head.
"Look I don't want you to like the name Patrick just because I tell you a sob story and you feel bad so you give into it. Just like when I told you to just please not name him James. I would like that you also like the name Patrick just because you do, not because you feel bad and want to do a nice gesture." He said, truly stating how he felt.
"Well you know I don't like the name Patrick." I remind him. I still don't like it, but he's right. I think I would have gave into it more if he told me the truth.
"But if I told you I wanted to name him Patrick for after my grandfather would you have thought otherwise? The truth." He says firmly, leaning off the couch and sitting up right.
I pursed my lips and thought about it more, ugh, the truth. Shouldn't he just like how thoughtful I was being at least? "I would have given it a second thought, yes-"
"See!-"
"But I still don't like the name Patrick!" I whine, rubbing my hand over my stomach where he last kicked.
He shook his head, rubbing his eyes one last time before leaning his head back again on the couch, "Just name him whatever you want, I don't care. He's your baby."
"Well you should care! He's your baby too!" I gawk, curling my fingers in annoyance.
"Oh so now he's my baby too." He scoffs, shaking his head, "Doesn't feel like it sometimes."
"You are so cranky today." I growl, turning my attention back to my laptop. When I tap my thumb anxiously on my stomach the baby kicks back as if telling me to stop annoying him.
"Sorry it must be those pregnant hormones you're rubbing off on me." He retorts, snickering humorously to himself.
"You don't get that excuse, so..." I stick my tongue at him childishly, rolling my eyes mentally to myself at how ridiculous that just was. Really Paisley? Mature, so mature.
"You are just something else today." He laughs, "You really just stick your tongue at me? What are you SJ?" He scoffs, looking at me bewildered.
"Shut up." I mumble, growling to myself when the warning message for my low battery popped up. There was a moment of long silence when I actually thought JC could have fallen asleep on me since his quiet, soft breaths sounded like a sleeping person.
The baby kept kicking, even when I was still and not touching him or poking back. It turned my mood from annoyed to blissful. So much so that I grabbed JC's hand and chuckled placing it on the same spot where the baby kept kicking at every few seconds. During that small moment, that smile on JC face told me everything. It's all he needed too, to be a little more pleased, and that maybe putting up with me now will have its perks eventually.
===
"Well Paisley everything seems to look fine today!" Dr. Messer smiles, nodding her head to me as she looks away from the monitor.
"He doesn't look a little big to you?" I questioned, raising my eyes brow as I looked back at the monitor.
"Oh no! He looks to be on the healthy side. You have nothing to work about, and with the way he's positioned it looks like it'll be an essay delivery. Hopefully he stays this way." She chuckles, moving the camera piece over my stomach.
"You think he'll be here on time?" I ask her nervously, wanting so badly to reach over and wipe the gel off my stomach.
"Babies are rarely ever on time. So expect him to be either a couple of days early or a couple of days late." She assures me, writing something down on her clip board.
"So no surprises then doctor? He's all healthy and normal?" My mom asks, always concerned.
"Definitely Mrs. Devoncourt. I see all ten fingers and toes, healthy organs, and a smile. Paisley said he's been kicking a lot so it sounds like his reflexes are good." The doctor confirms. She wipes off and sanitizes the camera, turning off the monitor and handing me a cloth to wipe my stomach. It was kind of sad that this would be my last ultrasound. No more cold gel or camera pieces on my tummy. No more black and white pictures. The next time I'd hear his heart beat or see his face would be when he's in my arms.
"You don't think she'll need to have a C-section, right?" My mom asks.
"It all depends on what the baby wants." The doctor says with a shrug, "I don't see a problem that Paisley wouldn't be able to go naturally. I think she'll be able to do it, but it all depends on how the baby is positioned that day."
"Sounds fair." I mutter, tossing the cloth to the side. With departing words we left the doctor's office, bundling up and putting on every layer to protect us from the cold. Though snow looks pretty the cold is not. The cold is mean, and chilly, and no-just no. I'm not a darn penguin, I don't like the cold. I like the cold only for blankets and hot coco and pretty pictures, but that's it.
"Well that was an easy appointment." My mother says when we get into the car. It takes a while for the heat to kick in so I stay motionless and hunched together in the passenger seat.
"Sure was." I agree.
"You scared?" Mom asks when we pull up to a red light after getting out of the parking lot. "You've got about a month left."
"I'm up to the point where I just want him out. Nine months is way too long." I chuckle, turning the heat all the way up. I just couldn't wait to go home and snuggle in my blankets and maybe even indulge in a warm beverage or maybe even soup! Mm, soup would be tasty right now.
"Then after you'll wish you were back to the simpler days when he was in your stomach." Mom laughs, driving carefully. "JC didn't want to come today?" She asks.
"I told him you were coming." I shrug, looking out the window as we passed by a hill with kids sledding down.
"You should let him know how things went." She said, nodding down to my phone, indicating that I should text him or something.
"I will later. He's probably busy or something." I'm pretty sure he mentioned he had to work today. Or I'm completely mistaken or going crazy because when we pulled into the driveway, JC's car was parked right there, but he wasn't in it. "That's odd." I mumble under my breath as my mom parks in the garage. "Do you think you can make soup tonight for dinner?" I ask when we get out of the car.
"Mm, soup sounds like good idea." She agrees, helping me walk in slowly in the house. My dad didn't do such a great job shoveling the driveway. When we walked through the front door, JC met us on the steps. Sitting on the middle of the staircase, looking at his phone. When we closed the door he looked up, a grin on the corner of his lips as we greeted him. "Always nice to see you JC." Mom says, hanging up her coat.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" I ask, hanging up my coat as well. I had to sit at the bottom of the stair case to pull off my boots, but I got them off eventually with my mom's help; I was kind of helpless and ashamed.
"I'm on break, I thought I'd stop by and see how your appointment went." JC says, looking down at me.
"Everything's fine. Healthy baby, no complications, and everything is well." I inform him, going through my jacket pockets as I look for the pictures, "Promise to keep this one this time?" I ask before handing it to him.
"I'll take it home with me and show it to my mom." He grins, taking it out of my grasp. "So he's good?"
"He's good." I grin, rubbing my hands over my stomach as I sit on the steps with him.
"What about you, are you good?" He asks, patting my knee when he looks up from the picture.
"I'm doing fine." I grin, "How about you? Get any sleep last night?" I ask, leaning up against the railing.
He scoffs, shaking his head as he runs his fingers through his hair, "Knowing you had an appointment today had me tossing and turning all night." He admits meekly.
"Why's that?" I ask, pushing my eye brows together.
"I was worried." He shrugged, "I have emotions you know."
"Really? I would have never thought." I joke, snickering with him. "There was nothing to worry about. I told you it was a quick check up."
"Yeah, you never know though." He mumbles.
"Is there something else that's keeping you up at night?" I ask. I'm not stupid, having an appointment today isn't the reason why he's been getting not sleep, and if having a baby is his reason then it shouldn't be a reason months later.
"Why do you ask that?" He says, lifting his head up to look at me.
"Because if you've been worried about the baby then you should have been having a hard time sleeping for months." I figure, pressing my lips together in pain as the baby kicks me in the bladder, or how it felt that is.
"What? What's wrong?" He asks, probably seeing the painful expression on my face.
"Nothing, just in a little bit of pain, nothing to worry about. Don't get nervous." I assure him hastily, taking deep breaths. "And don't yell at me." I say when he opens his mouth.
With a scoff he rolls his eyes, "You make me sound so heartless."
I would have replied with a snappy comeback but I let it be. "When do you have to go back to work?" I ask, hoisting myself up from the stairs, feeling as though my butt were numb.
"I should head back now." He admits, following my movements.
"Be careful driving in the snow." I tell him, standing at the door, waiting as he put his shoes and jacket back on.
"I will mom." He chuckles.
"Please not yet." I chuckle, holding my hand out to him. I'm still mommy-to-be, but I wouldn't be called mom for another year!
"Yeah, I feel the same way." He faintly chuckles, resting his hand on the door knob, "Guess I'll see you later."
"Alright. Got your picture? Because I'm not going over and bringing it to you this time." I tell him, a light smirk on my lips as I face him.
"Got it in my pocket." He promises, "Bye Mrs. Devoncourt!" He shouts, looking over his shoulder to see if she was still around.
"Bye JC, drive safely! Tell your mother I said hello." She shouts from the kitchen.
"I will!" He yells back, grinning down at me, "Bye."
"Bye, have fun at work." I tell him, which earns me a sarcastic laugh.
===
*Christmas Week*
Sunday
My grandmother couldn't even pay me to wear a dress in this weather. Seriously, I don't understand how people do it, they're crazy! Being rather chilly out and the grounds being icy I found myself layering up once again. Today was also no ordinary Sunday. Not because Emma and Alice were back from college for the holiday, but because it was Christmas week and Christmas time meant the Ace's would be in church together. Not that it was a big deal anymore since JC came every so often, but it was out of the ordinary to have Carrie around.
The two times of the year that the church is usually packed is on Christmas and Easter, and today happened to be that Sunday. What continued to be different is when JC and Carrie sat in the pew behind us, rather than the pew in the back right corner of the sanctuary.
"Nice to see you Carrie. You look lovely." I smile as I turn around in the pew to her.
"Thank you Paisley, you look beautiful as always." She compliments, patting my back. "And thank you for the picture, it went right up on my fridge." She smiles.
"Glad to hear." I whisper as my mom began greeting everyone through the microphone.
It was after worship and the sermon, the same sermon my mother gives every Christmas week, she locked eyes with the Ace's and made her way down from the alter and straight to their pew like she had always done. Even with the situation going on, seeing and conversing more than before, mom still did the same things she would have.
"Nice to see you as always, Carrie." My mother greets, giving Carrie a quick and tight embrace.
"Like wise." Carrie agrees, nodding her head. "So I heard the doctor's visit went well." She brings up, "Great to hear. I can't wait for the big day."
"Oh we're all waiting patiently and eagerly." Mom chuckles, folding her hands in front of her and looking over to me, "Well I should make my rounds and say hello to everyone. Happy Holiday's Carrie. JC. You two know you're more than welcomed over at our place this week. The more the merrier, and not one should have to spend the holidays alone."
"I'll keep that in mind." Carrie grins, nodding her head, "You coming with me?" She asks, looking at JC as she buttons her coat.
He hesitates, looking over to me, "Need me for anything or want me to stick around?" He asks.
"I'm all set. You can go home if you want. Thank you though." I smile, patting his arm tenderly. "Happy Holidays to the both of you." I say before they leave.
===
*After the Holidays*
Wednesday
Sitting on the cushioned bench in the laundry room I folded the last sweater of mine, bringing my face to the warm fabric. I love the feeling of clothes when they come right out of the dryer. I lift the basket, which wasn't too heavy, I wasn't supposed to be carrying heavy things anyways. I slowly made my way up the stairs, trying to be quiet since SJ was asleep. Making my way to my room I settled the laundry basket on the bed, walking from my closet and back to put my clothes away where they belonged.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the baby kicked me again, right in the gut or so it felt like. A few more days Paisley, just a few more days. I kept telling myself. I left the empty basket near my door to remind myself to bring it back down when I went back down stairs.
I looked around my room, seeing the disaster that I called my room. Things scattered everywhere for no apparent reason, I don't know how it got this messy. I sighed, looking oddly at the sweater draped over my rocking chair. Another thing JC left behind. I look for my phone, scrolling through my contacts, and tapping on JC's name. Resting the phone between my ear and my shoulder I listed to the ring tone, waiting for JC to pick up.
Huh, maybe I should have looked at the time fi-
"Hello?"
"Hey... Hey it's me." I breathe out, rubbing my stomach.
"You ok?" He asks with much concern in his voice.
"Yeah I'm fine. Anyways, the reason why I called was to tell you that you forgot your sweater. I just saw that you left it on the rocking chair." I tell him, folding it and leaving it on top of the dresser.
"Oh, thanks for telling me." He says with a loud yawn. "Paisley, it's like ten o'clock at night how you are not asleep?"
"I don't know, I'm not tired." I mumble, groaning lightly to myself, "Something just doesn't feel right."
"It's probably another contraction, stop working yourself up." He warns, yawning again.
"Yeah, but this one hurts even more. Ugh, maybe I just have to pee." I say, walking over to the bathroom quietly.
"Yeah, you go do that. I'm going to sleep." He tells me.
"Why are you so tired?" I ask, sitting on the toilet.
"I haven't gotten a proper night's sleep since... Ugh, I don't even know. The last time you called me saying I left my flannel there." He remembers after a moment of thinking.
"That's weird. Well, I'll hang up the phone so you can get some sleep. Good-" I bit my lower lip, groaning, "Good night." I said after taking a deep breath.
Then, it fucking happened. I was peeing my pants and I didn't even know it. "Paisley, just breath you're going to be alright, it's just a contraction." JC sighed tiredly.
"Oh I don't think this is just a contraction." I say worriedly, staring down at the trickling water spots behind me.
"Yes it is Paisley, stop over-"
"Tell me I'm overreacting, go ahead; tell me while I'm staring at water on the floor and the puddle underneath me." I say locking around shockingly. Oh my God, oh my God!
"My water broke!"
====================================================
AND SCENE! :}
The cliff hanger of the century! Anybody expect it this chapter? Did we make it too obvious?!
THE BABY IS COMING THE BABY IS COMING EVERYONE! Sorry if it seemed rushed! This chapter isn't really edited because we're trying to get it up for you eager people! :P
NO GOALS! BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND YOU JUST DESERVE IT! SO LOOK OUT FOR THE SNEAK PEEK ON SUNDAY!
Chapter picture: thank you to @thisrreeaaddeerr for the cute banner! Xoxo
Chapter song: Earned It by The Weekend
Comment. Vote. Fan. Follow on Twitter.- Kylie & Kelsey