— in an instant —
May 10th, 1940
EVERY WORRIED, PANICKED thought that was in Giselle's brain died when she turned around and laid eyes on Will, like the image of him being so close to her had cast a blanket over the fire in her mind.
"Will," Giselle breathed out, looking him over.
He was wearing a dusky blue Royal Air Force uniform, something that she would've found attractive if the sight hadn't scared her so much. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair seemed to be shorter on the sides than normal, but his intense, forest green eyes still pulled her in like they had all those years ago when they were younger.
Will was quick to get rid of any distance between them, striding towards her. He knelt on the ground before her, putting his arms around her and bringing her to him.
But then he stopped, staring down at the offending object that prevented them from being flush against each other.
She watched as he calculated the large bump beneath her breasts, an odd mixture of awe, shock, and fear tugging at his sharp features, contorting them into a look that confused Giselle.
He pulled away suddenly, standing up. "Oh no," he breathed out. "This can't be." He looked horrified, which made Giselle's heart sink.
She threw her hands over her face, trying to keep herself from crying. She was sick of crying.
Will gently grasped her hands, pulling them away as he knelt down in front of her again. "Don't cry, love," he said softly to her, freeing her hands to wrap his arms around her. "Please don't cry."
"You're not happy," Giselle cried. "You're not happy that I'm pregnant!"
"Darling, stop. Stop crying, please," he pleaded, cupping her cheeks. "I am happy, but I am also quite terrified—and shocked. Very, very shocked."
Giselle pulled back. "Me too," she told him. "I'm really scared, Will."
Will nodded, closing his eyes and taking a breath. When he opened them, he was staring down at the baby bump, his eyes widening when he saw movement there.
"It's a boy," Giselle told him, reaching for his hand. He let her take it, and she pressed his palm to her stomach. "I'm due May twenty-forth."
Will's eyes met hers. "'Twenty-forth?'" he echoed. "My God, that's so soon." He looked back down to the bump, rubbing his thumb back and forth over it. "A boy." A small smile pulled the corner of his lips upward, some of his fear fading away. "We're going to have a baby boy."
Giselle felt herself smile as well, and leaned into the warm emotion blossoming in her chest.
"Yes, we are," Giselle agreed.
"Have you selected a name?"
"I, well, I do have a name, but we can change it if you don't like it," Giselle said sheepishly.
"Tell me, darling. I'm sure I'll love it," Will encouraged, smiling up at her.
"I wanted to name him after you," Giselle informed. "So his first name would be William, but I would like to call him Liam." She didn't say anything more, not wanting to go to the dark place in her mind that had suggested the name, the place that told her . . . Will might not live to see his son, maybe I should name our son after him, so that he has something of his father's.
She could tell that Will had an inkling about why she had chosen the name, as she could see the wary look in his eye, but he didn't expound upon the subject, instead, he said, "I like that. It fits with my father as well, since his second name was William."
Giselle smiled falsely. "Good, I'm glad you like it." She looked down at his hand over her belly, covering it with her own. "How are you here? Selene told me that you were gone."
Will sighed, flipping his palm up to interlock his fingers with hers. "We had to come back for supplies, but I must return tomorrow morning."
"Oh," Giselle said sadly, hating how suddenly time seemed to speed up then, like they only had a few more seconds to be together.
"But let's not think about that," Will told her. "Let's just think about you and me," he glanced down towards her stomach, "and Liam." He laughed under his breath. "This almost doesn't feel real."
He moved to sit next to her on the couch, slinging his arm over her shoulders to tuck her closer to his side.
"I feel the same way," Giselle agreed. "I've been pregnant for months, and sometimes I still get surprised when I look down and see a baby bump." She turned her head towards Will. "How do you feel?"
"Happy, I think. And very scared," he admitted. "This is possibly the worst time for this to happen, but, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine." He looked to her, his gaze intense. "Everything will be just fine."
Giselle nodded. "Yes, everything will be fine." It was obvious to her that they were only trying to convince themselves that everything would be fine, but she tried not to ruminate on it.
"Do you regret it?" she asked suddenly.
Will shook his head almost immediately. "Never. I don't regret anything with you, love."
"Really?"
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Yes, darling, really."
Dorothy and Selene found them then, Selene taking the spot next to Giselle as Dorothy crawled into her older brother's lap.
Marguerite joined next, sitting at the hearth before them.
The family talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company, Giselle letting out a hearty laugh when Dorothy started spouting out made-up baby names she thought would be perfect for her little nephew. As Giselle recovered from the laugh, she realized that she was truly happy for the first time in what felt like forever, and that everything felt like it actually would be "fine."
Her happiness further grew when the rest of the children came home.
"Ellie! Will!" Frank was the first to exclaim, rushing into the living room to hug the couple.
Barbara and Albert were right on his heels, following suit.
They all paused when they rounded the couch and noticed Giselle's baby bump.
"Bloody hell," Frank spat, his eyes as wide as saucers. "You're pregnant."
"Oh, I hope it's a girl!" Barbara shouted, running up to rub the bump.
"No way, it's gonna be a boy!" Albert commented. "I want a nephew."
"Well I want a niece," Barbara told her brother.
"It's actually a boy," Will said, grinning at his siblings.
Albert broke into a similar grin before sticking his tongue out at his sister, stopping only when Selene pinned him with an authoritative glare.
"We're going to be aunts and uncles," Frank marveled to his siblings, "how strange is that?" He looked toward Will. "And you're home! How long will you be staying?"
Everyone's head swiveled towards the man, Giselle noticing the tightening of his jaw that he tried to cover with a smile.
"Never mind that," Will said, obviously not wanting to kill any good moods. "How about we do something fun, yeah?"
"Oh, can we dance?" Barbara suggested. "And listen to the funny music on Ellie's radio?"
Will looked to his wife. "Will you be able to dance?"
Giselle smiled, glancing down at her bump. "Not well, but I'm sure you'll make up for my lack of coordination."
"Of course," Will said haughtily. "Alright, Barb, go get the radio set up," he said to his sister.
She immediately shot towards the closet it was kept in, Albert following and Dorothy toddling behind. Will stood up and offered Giselle a hand, easing her into a stand.
And that was when Giselle felt a strange pressure build up in her belly before it suddenly disappeared, followed by something wet seeping into her clothes below her belly. It was a feeling she had never felt before, something she had read in the birthing books Hester had bought for her.
Her grip on Will's hand tightened as she slowly began to realize what was happening.
"What is it?" Will asked. "What's wrong?"
"Are you alright?" Marguerite asked next. "You look frightened!"
"Are you going to be sick?" Frank questioned.
Giselle was still in shock, too many emotions battling for dominance in her mind for her to make any sense of them.
"Oh my goodness," Selene said, her eyes spotting the wet spot on Giselle's dress. "Did you water just break?"
Will's head whipped towards Selene. "What does that mean? That doesn't sound good." His eyes shot back to Giselle. "Darling, talk to me, do you feel well?"
"I think he's about to come," Giselle whispered, fear and panic taking over as she covered her belly with her hand. She caught Selene's eyes. "What do I do? I can't do this! It's too soon! I'm not ready!"
"Woah," Selene said, "you need to calm down first. Control your breathing and try not to panic. Are you feeling any contractions?"
Giselle took note of any twinge of pain she felt, locating a subtle tightening at her back and stomach.
"I-I don't know," Giselle told her. "Maybe? My back and stomach kind of feel weird."
"Alright, let's sit you down, alright?" Selene suggested. "Will, help her to sit."
Will didn't move at first, seemingly petrified by the news. After a few moments, he snapped into action and gently helped Giselle to sit.
"Oh gosh," Giselle breathed out, feeling a dull ache suddenly spread across her stomach. "Yeah, I'm definitely having a contraction."
"It's okay, just try to take deep, calming breaths," Selene told her.
"Should I ring Lawrence?" Marguerite asked. "He'll know what to do."
"No," Giselle rasped suddenly, grabbing at the fabric at her chest as she felt the tree's call. "Not now!"
"You're being called back?" Will asked, the blood draining from his face.
Giselle nodded her head solemnly, her teeth beginning to chatter from her jitters. "I-I want to stay here," she said, looking at Selene. "Do you think I can—"
"No," Selene said immediately. "You need to go, Giselle. Right now. You have a better chance of surviving in our time that you do here, anyways." She caught Will's eyes. "Will, help her up."
"No!" Giselle shouted. "I can't—I can't do this!" She was hysterical now, so desperate to be with Will that she couldn't think clearly. "I can't do this without you," she told him. "Please, I need—"
"Darling," Will cut her off. "You should go," he said solemnly. "It's not safe for you to ignore the tree's call. You need to go. Please."
"But I can't leave you!" Giselle yelled. "And I can't do this without you! I just can't!"
"And I'm not going to lose you!" Will yelled back. "If your chances are better in your own time, then you need to go! I need you to go!"
"Will—"
"Please, Giselle, please," Will pleaded.
"No, I want to be with you! Please!"
"Giselle, think of the baby," Marguerite interjected. "What is best for the baby?"
The words nearly knocked the breath from Giselle, as she knew what would be best for her child. Without hesitation, she relented, nodding her head and letting Will and Selene guide her to the back door. When they got to the tree, she felt like her heart was splitting down the middle.
"I don't want to do this," she said to Will, clinging to his arm. "I want you with me. I've barely got to see you! I want more time!"
Will sighed and pulled her to him, giving her a hug the best he could without pressing against her belly. "It'll be okay, love," he told her. "Everything will be fine with or without me, and we'll get more time together in the future. I just know we will."
"I love you."
"I love you more. Now, go."
• — • — •
Their son was born ten hours later via cesarean section, and the hours leading up to his birth Giselle was sure would forever be the most traumatic hours she would ever live.
She had cried throughout the entire thing, so distraught and emotional and in pain that she didn't know what was going on around her, right until a voice in her room called out that the fetus was in distress and that they would need to do an emergency c-section.
Her whole world seemed to turn on its head as she was wheeled into the operating room. Dread filled every inch of her when they started the procedure, Selene holding her hand and whispering prayers under her breath as Giselle chanted over and over in her head, please let my baby be okay.
And then.
She heard crying.
Every cell in her body went on high alert when she heard her child cry. Her thoughts calmed. Her tense muscles loosened. And her heart swelled.
And when some nameless, faceless person in scrubs laid her child on her chest, she felt an entire new chamber of her heart open and fill with warmth.
"Hi sweet boy. It's Mama, and I love you more than you will ever know."
• • • • • • • • • • •
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