I paced around the ground floor waiting for Eleanor to get home. I needed to talk to her, her phone was off because she was on set and she had to turn her phone off. I had to call her assistant and ask her to tell Nell to come straight home she was due to finish at like 8 tonight it was currently 3, I called her assistant 20 minutes ago. Nell was meant to go out with a few of her friends from work for dinner but I needed her home. I needed her home right away.
The door burst open and my concerned wife called for me. I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her she picked me up and I sobbed into her shoulder. "Princess?" She held me tighter. "What's happened? Are you okay?" "The baby." I managed out. Crying again, I couldn't get my words out to tell her what has happened. "It's okay, it's going to be okay, we can try again." "No, no." I pulled away. "I'm pregnant." Her eyes widened as they filled with tears and she spun me around, it was a few days early to be testing but I couldn't wait any longer. The doctors said it would take 2 weeks to have a positive test and any test that came back negative before that, that we shouldn't worry but it came back positive 7 tests came back positive. "Are you joking?" She asked me getting emotional, I cupped her face. "No, I did 7 tests all positive," I tell her having calmed down. She took a deep breath gathering herself. "Really?" "Yes baby, yes." "Oh my gosh." She whispered to herself, I smiled at her reaction. "We still have to check again." She nodded. "How did you get home so fast? You're not finished for another 5 hours." "My assistant told me you called and asked for me to go home after work. I assumed something was wrong and came back here." I was now noticing her full face of make-up and hair styled in a different way to normal with heaps of hair gel and spray holding it in place.
"You came straight here?" I asked in disbelief. "Well, when your wife calls, yes, you tend to go straight to her." She carried me to our kitchen and sat me on the counter my arms still around my neck as she stood between my legs. I wiped her tears away that were ruining her make-up. "I didn't mean for you to leave work," I felt guilty. "I'll always come to you when you call." I smiled at her. "Always." She pecked my lips.
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Every Morning for the rest of the month I took a test to ease my mind that I was still pregnant. We were currently at Jr's place for Christmas. Nell was obsessed with Tony's son literally haven't put him down since we arrived. "Eleanor, share the baby with your brother please." Her mum told her when Tony complained about not being able to hold his own son. "But he likes me better." "Eleanor." Her mum said again, she looked down at the baby boy in her arms. "Let's ask Hunter who he wants to be fed by." "He's a few weeks old he doesn't know who he wants to be held by," Tony complained. "Just let her keep him, she's quiet," Jr told him dismissing his brother. "Yeah, listen to your big brother." She teased sticking her tongue out at him like the child she is.
She was loving the baby cuddles, I admired her as she spoke quietly to the baby in her arms, she was in her own world ignoring the adult conversation and focusing 100% on the precious new life in her arms. I was used to it because this is what she was like with Rose. Nothing else matters to her but the baby. We hadn't told anyone we're expecting we wanted to be sure, we had a scan in NYC in the new year and we wanted to keep it to ourselves until we knew for sure everything was okay, the only people that knew were her dad's parents because we told them at the wedding and whenever her grandma has a lucid moment she calls to talk to us about it. It is clear Nell is her favourite grandchild and Nell knows it too.
Watching her with her nephew only made me more excited for our baby to come into the world and witness her being a mum. She'd be the best it came so natural to her and she has grown so much as a person from when I first met her to now. She wouldn't let anyone hug her for longer than 3 seconds unless it was Cassie and now she's used to it she even initiates it which her family are still getting used to. I see the surprised faces when she hugs one of them or leans into their side whilst we're watching television together. They always welcome it of course. I knew she'd love this baby so much, the way she loves me unconditionally, being attentive to my needs, pushing me to grow, supporting me she'd do all that for our child and I couldn't wait to witness it. To see her holding our baby in her arms as she sings softly or has nonsense conversations with them, mirroring their facial expressions as she did with Rose and does with Hunter.
When Hunter went down for his morning nap I opened my arms wanting her attention she crawled the length of the room to my spot on the floor and settled between my legs her back against my front my arms draped around her to hold her close to me. I plant soft kisses on her cheek as everyone gets ready for our present swap. Nell and I may have gone a little overboard on Hunter's gifts it being his first Christmas after all we couldn't not. We got each other a little something but nothing too big as we always did, we preferred to go do things together so Nell booked us into this cooking class at a top restaurant in Manhattan when we get back home, it would be a one on one with the chef and I couldn't wait. I booked us a spa weekend after Nell's Chanel event knowing she'd need to relax after being put on show for the company. She was looking forward to it. Quality time was more important to us than fancy gifts.
We watched everyone open their gifts we got scolded for going over bored with Hunter's gifts as we assumed we would. "But how cute is the rocking horse!" Nell defended, we got him a wooden rocking horse for his nursery, it was beautiful and it matched the colours of his nursery. "It's really pretty." Her mum also defended us. "Plus he's our nephew why can't we spoil him." I defended. "You might have well brought him a zoo." "Oh I tried, Lizzie wouldn't go for it." She says clearly lying to him but she said it so casually it made me chuckle. "Gosh you're children will be spoilt big time when you have them." I got a little flutter in my tummy at the mention of our kids. "As they deserve," Nell says before sipping on her coffee. "You spent far too much time with your father," Her mother highlighted "Children deserve to be looked after in such a way, they didn't ask to be here we make them. It's, therefore, our duty to ensure they have everything their perfect, pure hearts desire." She was clearly mocking her father's words and smirking as she did. "No our children won't be spoilt just well looked after." She corrects." "You spoil Rose." "As her aunts, that's our job. It is her mother's job to keep her grounded." I highlight and everyone laughs.
We continue to sit around enjoying family time, Katie stands up and freezes. "I think my waters just broke." My eyes go to the floor where there was a puddle. "Okay, so Nephew two is coming sooner than planned. That's fine." Nell says casually standing up from my embrace to help her sister in law whilst the rest of the room freaks out. Even her mum. I love how relaxed Nell is about these big deal things. It brings me comfort knowing she'd be like this with me, calming me down when I undoubtedly freak out. She walked over to Katie and took her hands, Katie gripped them and Nell tried not to show the pain as she lead her to sit back down.
"Jr quit freaking out for a hot minute, brother." She says, clicking her fingers in his face. "Go call an ambulance." She tells him. "It's going to be fine," She tells Katie with a sweet smile. "Where's your hospital bag? Is it packed?" Katie nodded breathing through the contractions. "It's in the nursery." "Liz, baby. Can you go grab it?" "It's the black bag by the." She waved off in too much pain to talk. I nodded and went upstairs to find the nursery and the bag. I had never been here before. I find the room and the bag and check it had the right stuff in it before bringing it downstairs.
Jr was passed out on the floor with Tony fanning him. A big strong man like him passed out on the floor whilst his wife was in labour. 15 minutes later the chaos had calmed down and Katie and Jr were on their way to the hospital to bring home their baby boy. Anna went with them to assist and support leaving us four standing looking at each other.
"I'm not cleaning that," Tony says breaking the silence as he points to the puddle. "It's nasty." "Grow up," Nell says with narrowed eyes as she leaves to get cleaning products. She cleans the floor up without complaining and I hold the trash bag open for the soaked cloths she was using. Once it was all clean we sat back down. "So tag team dinner?" Tony asked looking at me. "How could you possibly be thinking about food right now?" His girlfriend scolded. He chuckled. "I was just asking." "I'm happy to help," I say. "I'm going to call her parents and make sure they know what's going on." I nodded and Nell left the room.
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Most of the day and evening we spent waiting around. We ended up driving to Anna's house to wait there after dinner. We haven't heard anything since this morning. Nell was busy working in the office and I was walking around the house trying to find something to do to fill my time. I had a call with my sisters earlier. "Do you really have to work right now?" I asked entering the office. "I do, yes." "But why? Your nephew is being brought into the world as we speak." "He is," She says agreeing with my statement. "Then why are you working, it's 11 o'clock on Christmas." "Practically finished with now." "What are you working on?" I pulled her seat out and sit down on her lap not waiting to be invited by her. "Our wedding photos." "You know the photographer was meant to do that. We would have had them finished a lot sooner if you just let them do it." "We would have but they wouldn't be done the way you like." "Not true." I object and then she pulled up a photo. "Gross." My skin was so shiny and pale. "Exactly. So will you stop complaining?" I sit there and watch her edit them so they were ready to be compiled into a wedding book. She already made our scrapbook from the film cameras we had laid out, it sat proudly on our shelf in New York with all our other scrapbooks. We had one for every birthday, Christmas/thanksgiving, trip, work project, and random moments in our life. I sat and thought about them and how quickly they'll grow when we have children. Nell's hand rested on my tummy under my top her thumb stroking the skin as she focused on the screen in front of her. It's like she can read my mind whenever I think about the baby which is always her hand just finds its way there. Almost reassuring me I wasn't deluding myself and that there really was a growing baby inside of me.
"Are you finished?" I asked when she clicks off the screen. She yawned and nodded. "I have a headache." "Because you left your glasses in NYC." I highlight it to her. If I don't check her bags before we leave she always forgets something. She forgot her passport once. We had to go all the way back home and since then I keep it with me in my bag. "I know." I massaged her head to relieve the tension and she relaxed. "Let's go join your brother in the lounge." She nodded and waited for me to get up. We went to the lounge and settled on the sofa watching a Christmas film.
Her mum came in but everyone but me was asleep. "Hi," I whispered. "Hi." She smiled. "Is he here?" I asked she nodded a smile spreading on her lips. "Looks just like his dad." She says proudly. "Princess," Nell mumbled against my neck. "Your mummy's home," I said nudging her awake. "Is he okay?" "He is, 7lbs 8oz born 2 hours ago." Nell looked at her watch. "Damn he missed Christmas." She pouted. "What did they name him? Justin Robert Hastings but they're going with J R are his name." I smiled. "Cute." "Very... You two go to bed." "There's dinner in the kitchen," Nell says standing up slowly, when she was on her feet she stretched her arm out to me and I took it and we went to the top floor and both collapsed on the bed ready to have some quality sleep.
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My bump is starting to show, not too big where I can't hide it with clothes, I'm just glad we're still in New York and not in LA in tiny bikinis. We avoided the 'why aren't you drinking it's your birthday' comments by going back to England. We went for our late honeymoon in January and fell in love and so we went back for my birthday to the same little village we stayed in. I joked about buying a place out there and Nell didn't seem overly horrified by the idea. At this point, we have 3 homes we own, one in LA a house in NYC and our first apartment that we still sneak off to some weekends to hide from everyone.
Currently, we were laid in bed Nell was getting ready to go out with Scarlett and Rose on an Adventure day which is essentially running around the city and doing what Rose wanted to do. Colin was meant to accompany Scarlett but he had to go to LA for some work thing so Nell was going to help. Rose is getting crazier by the second she has this big personality and she is so sassy it's hilarious but she's still in her running stage and it takes two sets of eyes and arms to keep up with her so Nell was going. She was dressed and ready to go but I made her lay back down with me. She didn't complain she laid down her hand rubbing my growing bump, I was only in a sports bra and shorts so it was on full display.
Having this secret with her has been so special, sharing knowing looks and glances at each other whenever someone brings up the possibility of us having a baby. We keep saying we've discussed it but have not made any plans yet. Even in interviews, I've had them bringing it up. Since the wedding was announced it's all everyone was asking about. It was hard but it was worth it. And watching Nell's reaction to finding out the gender was so special she was already emotional when we went in as the week before we had a little scare about the baby's heartbeat. It was weaker than they had hoped at this stage and it sent us both into a frenzy, I was awful to live with the whole week I was just exploding at her and it was wrong of me but she kept it all inside and when we got to the scan the following Monday she clutched my hand so tight and the sound of the little heartbeat so strong and loud echoing around the room made her let out a breath. She was terrified too and then they told us what we were having and she just burst into tears, she cried silently as we both watched the screen of our little bug. I squeezed her hand tightly. The relief of knowing they were okay was so freeing.
"I need to get up, Princess." She says pecking my head but making no moves to get out of the bed. "Five more minutes," I mumbled feeling myself falling back to sleep. Sleeping was easier when she was near me. And I was really tired Nell went to a fashion show last night with my sisters and I stayed up. I was going to go but I didn't feel up for it so we just said I was sick. Nell wanted to stay home but we made a commitment as a couple, therefore, one of us had to show up and I was the pregnant one so she had to go. But my point is I stayed up and waited for her to come home so I didn't get much sleep.
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"Holy Shit." I jumped slightly at the voice not expecting to hear anyone but my wife, then my eyes opened wide as I scrambled for the blanket to cover my body. "Scarlett, hi." "I did call but you guys didn't answer and Rose needed to pee." She says as she put Rose on the floor ushering her into our bathroom. Nell was still fast asleep her hand on my bump. "Um," I say trying to find some words. "Are you?" "Nell, Scarlett's here." I nudged her not answering Scarlett's question. "Huh?" "Angel." She slowly sat up. "Are you having a baby? Am I going to be an aunty?" She asked Nell who was still blinking sleep from her eyes. "Where's my niece?" She questioned. "Peeing!" Rose called. "Okay, Princess. When you've finished, wash your hands and we can leave."
"You're both ignoring my question." "Scarlett shut the fuck up for two hot seconds I just opened my eyes." I laughed at Nell's bluntness. "But." She pointed at me. Nell got out of bed and put her trainers on and looked around the room for her keys phone and purse. "Yes," I say. Nell looked at me. "But you need to just not bring it up until we're ready to tell people. "How far along are you? Are you going to have a baby soon? Were your pregnant at your wedding? Oh my gosh, you were!" "No." "No?" "No." I shrugged leaving her confused. "Can you go make sure your daughter washes her hands?" Nell says pointing to the bathroom when we heard the flush.
"I thought we weren't telling people." She was annoyed. "It's Scarlett and we couldn't really deny it." "We don't know if." "The other week was a blip, okay, the doctor said that-" "I'm ready Aunty Nell." "Come on then bug." She scooped Rose up and held her out to me so I could kiss her. "Bye, bye aunty Lizzie." "Bye, bye nugget, I'll see you at dinner." Nell carried her out.
Scar stood there. "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault, we had a little scare a few weeks ago and it's put us on edge so we were just waiting a little longer." "Is everything okay now?" "Yeah, yeah they're okay." "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? Don't tell me but do you know?" "We do." "Are you happy?" She smiled wide. "So happy, so excited." "Congratulations Lizzie." "Thank you." "I'll try and get her out of her mood before returning her to you this afternoon." I chuckled. "Good luck with that, the only way to fix it is with cuddles and kisses." "Ahh, I have a secret weapon... I have a toddler." She wriggled her eyes. "Momma come on!" Rose demanded. "I'm talking!" Scarlett said back. "Love you see you at dinner." She left.
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"I'm sorry." "It's not your fault Lizzie. I'm just anxious about it." "Telling people isn't going to stop that from happening... If it was going to happen." "It's not." She said firmly packing her bag for a work trip. "It's only Scar." "I know." "And she won't bring it up again." "I know." "Stop being moody with me." "I'm not." She says innocently. "You are." She looked at me and cheesed widely causing me to laugh. "See." "Dork." She shrugged. "How many days are you away?" "two." She pouted. "But please call me if anything happens okay." "The baby will be just fine." "I mean with you if you have an attack or just need to talk." She came over to me. "I will. But I've been fine." "I know but if anything changes." "I'll call." She pecked my lips cupping my jaw slightly.
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We sat in my mum's lounge both sides of our family there we were having a family weekend, Nell's family flew in and we were going to announce the pregnancy. I was now 4 months along and the doctors say everything is okay and I was struggling to hide the bump now. "Oh, have you seen this?" Nell asked the room. "What?" "This video." Everyone gathered around her phone and she pressed play, it was the video of our latest scan the sound of the heartbeat playing through the speakers. "What is it?" MK asked frowning. I smiled trying to not burst out with the news. "It's a pregnancy scan," Katie said. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" Ashley shouted jumping up and down on the spot and the pieces fell together for everyone else too. My mum pulled me in a hug. "Who?" MK said. "You really think it's her after yesterday's shoot?" Ashley asked pointing at Nell. Nell had the bikini shoot for The Row. "It could be... Far along." "4 Months yesterday," I say. "You?" I nodded and took my hoodie off to show off the perfect bump. Anna had Nell wrapped in a tight hug their cheeks squished against each other.
My sister's hands went straight to it and I swatted them away not liking it. I decided at that moment I only liked Nell doing it, it was comforting from her, but it was annoying from others. "So December?" Mum said working out the dates. I nodded. "But we've been preparing for this since the summer," I say sitting back down, making grabby hands at my wife, she came back over to me and pecked my lips. "It's Eleanor's egg but I wanted to carry them," I say making sure I don't slip up and say the gender. "Wasn't that harder?" "It was a little longer yeah but I um... My eggs aren't they... Um." Nell squeezed my hands. "We had some difficulties and this was the way that felt most right for us to move forward with it," Nell answered easily. I blinked feeling emotional thinking about it. I felt her nose brush against the side of my face. "You need a minute?" She whispered to me. I nodded and stood up. I assume Nell spoke to them when I felt to get some air returning to our family who was still smiling with Joy our siblings crowded around the phone looking at the scan pictures from every scan we've had we've had one every month and then when we had the fright with their heartbeat we had one every other week until now and they're going back to every month, we requested the frequent visits as it helped settle our anxiety surrounding it all especially after losing the baby already.
I slot back into Nell and listen in to the conversation that my mum and Nell's sisters-in-law's were having, they were giving her tips and advice and where to get the best things from. "THESE MATERNITY SHOTS ARE CUTE!" MK squeals. "Dial it down a little," Nell says reaching for her phone from my sister's claws. "Perks of having a photographer as your wife." I gloat.
"So do you know?" "Know what?" I asked tilting my head at Katie's question. "Boy or girl? Am I getting a niece or nephew?" "Grand-daughter or Grandson?" I felt the pressure. "Eleanor?" She was in a world of her own as she went to go pick up Hunter from his travel crib. "Boy or girl?" "I am a girl." She says confused at Jules Tony's girlfriend's question. "No the baby." "He is a boy." She says still confused referring to the baby in her arms. "Are you having a son or a daughter sweetheart?" Her mum clarified. "Oh." She chuckled to herself and went to get the gift still holding the baby. "Here you go." She placed the bag on the table and everyone took out their box. Our mums had a necklace with interlocking hearts, on the card the necklace was on it said new grandma and a little poem. Our siblings got personalised key chains officially making them aunts and uncles along with their partners and in the box under their personalised gifts was a cookie with white frosting on them.
"You're kidding this doesn't tell us shit." "Little ear's Mary-Kate." My mum scolded. "Sorry." She says sheepishly. Nell handed me Hunter whilst she went and got J.R as he was now awake and demanding attention. "Eat them." "Did you make them?" "I did. Lizzie helped." "Don't lie she didn't?" Ashley said teasing. "She got the icing ready and piped a few of them." "Mine I'm assuming," Mum said teasing me. The memory of us icing gingerbread came to mind on our first Christmas together and mine was awful.
"Just eat them," Nell says sitting back beside me, she had dyed the centre of the biscuit skillfully. It took many attempts to get them where they were showing no colour on the outside, we had cases of cookies at home that are failed attempts.
Everyone bit into them and I started to cry immediately when I saw the look on my mum's face. This was her first grandchild. My dad looked at me he had been sitting quietly on his best behaviour and had been since the wedding. I appreciated the effort he was making with me and Nell.
"Seriously?" She asked me and I nodded Katie took the baby from me so I could hug my mum, my sisters were crying all over again. Nell's brothers were looking at us in shock not processing the information. Nell didn't say much as she looked around at everyone she is the most laid back person in front of people but when she found out she was so emotional and I'm glad I was the one that got to see that vulnerable side to her.
Eventually, we all gathered ourselves and went out for dinner, I was not making any attempt in hiding the bump now our family know and I sent a little picture to the Marvel group chat so they know. When the paps swarmed Nell was being protective as always shielding me but they 100% got a shot of the bump and it'll be in all the outlets in a few hours but I didn't care anymore. I knew Nell would protect us, I know she'd love us and I knew everything would be okay.
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A/N I promise I'm not teasing you all I just don't know if to write them having a boy or a girl. :/