5 weeks later: Jessica is now 39 weeks pregnant, and is as miserable as can be.
For the last few weeks, Jessica has been 'surprisingly' jubilant, and not quite as irrational, nor vicious, as everyone expected her to be; which, Danny couldn't be more grateful for.
However.. Today?! Something in Jessica shifted, and she is no longer the happy - go - lucky, rational, sweet girl.
Danny's been walking on eggshells around her. Amusing Sarah in the process; exhausting Danny.
* April 19th: The day before Jessica's birthday, as well as the day before Easter. They are at Zoe's in Rochester. *
Everyone is either outside playing bean bags, or standing on the deck, drinking a beer, while enjoying the sunshine.
Jessica didn't want to be anywhere near Danny, so she decided on staying inside to watch the baseball game on tv.
Misha did buy a home in Minnesota, so Shura's spending the day with her father to celebrate Easter. She'll spend tomorrow with Jessica, where they'll attend church with the entire Lange family, and then they'll celebrate Easter Sunday at Dorothy and Albert's.
****
"Mom.. I'm gonna go check on Jessie. I'll be right back!" Danny tells his mother, as he quickly pecks her cheek, but she grabs ahold of his arm, to keep him from moving any further.
"Yes, mom?" Danny chuckles, with raised eyebrows, and his signature devilish grin.
"Oh, Danny.. * chuckles * You checked on Jessie not more than five minutes ago!"
"Heh. I know. It's been five minutes way too long!" Danny exclaims, as he tries to take off once more, but Zoe stops him.
"Honey, your dad was the same exact way with me while I was pregnant with your sister, and then with you. As sweet as the gesture may have been, and, although I was very grateful to your dad for wanting to take such great care of me each second of every single day.. However... At that point in time?!" Zoe chortles.
"I wanted nothing more than to have a moment to myself. Heh. What I really wanted to do, was to slap him upside the head for making me feel so fu€king uncomfortable!" Said Zoe, as Danny chuckles nervously, then darts his eyes on the deck.
"So, uh.. Um.. In other words, I should give Jessie some space." Spoke Danny in a low voice, as he chews on the inside of his lips.
"Yes! .. You'll be thanking me later, baby!" Zoe says, as she said that last part in a baby voice, as she cups Danny's face in her hands.
"Ma?!" Questioned Danny, as Zoe had taken off for the house. "Yes, sweetie?" Zoe turns to Danny.
"Can I come with you?" Danny pleads with puppy dog eyes; emitting a chuckle from Zoe.
"You can press your face against the glass of the patio door.. Though, that's as far as you can get!" Zoe said in a stern tone, as she points her finger to Danny.
Danny thinks about it for a second, then nods his head with a smile etched on his face. "Good enough! Thanks, mom!" Said Danny, as he lifts his mom in the air, then puts her down after a moment.
**
"Oh, hey, Zoe." Jessica says in a soft voice, as Zoe walks in from the patio.
"Why is Danny's face pressed against the patio door?" Questioned Jessica with a quizzical expression, as she glances at the patio door, to see Danny waving, and blowing kisses at her.
"Heh. Danny wanted to come in to check on you.. I told him that you wanted your space, so we compromised, if you will." Zoe chuckles, as Jessica smiles softly, then sighs exasperatedly, before she leans back against the couch, to rest her hands on top of her belly.
"Oh, honey.. You look plum pitiful." Zoe exclaims, as she sees the uncomfortable look etched on Jessica's face.
"Heh. As excited as I am to meet these two.. And, as blessed as I am to be pregnant.. * pauses dramatically * I've never felt worse in all my life!" Jessica whines, as she stares at her belly, then begins to cry.
"Please get out! So mommy can treat your damn daddy civilly again!" Jessica says, emitting a chuckle from Zoe.
"Heh. * sighs * .. Sweetheart.." Zoe rests her hand on Jessica's knee. "Have you tried to.. * clears throat * .. Induce labor?"
"Yes!" Jessica nearly shouts, and shrugs her shoulders in an exasperated way; as she feels bad for taking her frustrations out on Zoe.
"Oh, Zoe. I'm so sorry! I-I-I didn't mean to yell at you.. It's just.. * sighs deeply * I'm so uncomfortable! I wasn't half this uncomfortable when I was 9 months and two weeks pregnant with Shura!" Jessica sighs exasperatedly,
"There's nothing to apologize for, Jessica!" Zoe smiles softly, when she grabs Jessica's hand, and gently squeezes it.
"Look.. I can't begin to imagine how uncomfortable you must feel.. I mean.. When I was pregnant with Sam, then pregnant with Anjelica?! Yes, they were both big babies.. So, yes, I was uncomfortable.. But, my toughest pregnancy, was with Danny!" Exclaimed Zoe, emitting a chuckle from Jessica.
"By the end?! I could wear a big ole mink coat, and it still wouldn't conceal my belly that was more akin to a two story house, than a baby bump!" Zoe laughs, as Jessica does as well.
"Heh! I felt like a two story house when we found out that we were having twins!"
"To be honest?" Said Zoe, as Jessica nods her head. "I thought Danny was gonna be a twin, and had a brother or sister hiding somewhere in there. * laughs * Though, nope! He was just a large baby, with a head that was nearly as big as his body!"
"Oh, gosh!" Jessica scrunched her face, then nodded her head, before emitting a wince.
"I have two abnormally large babies in there with equally abnormally large heads! .. What am I gonna do?!" Implored Jessica. "What if there's a third hiding, and--"
"Ssh.. Ssh.. You're okay, Jessie!" Soothed Zoe, as she rubs the top of her belly with one hand, and is rubbing the small of her back with the other.
"Jess.. You okay?!" Implored Sarah, as she comes in from the back to see Jessica in tears.
"I'm okay. Just resenting myself for ever allowing my husband to touch me!"
"Oh, Jess. * chuckles * Have you and Danny tried to induce labor at all?!" Questioned Sarah, as Jessica stares at her as if she had two heads. "Sarah.. Zoe just asked me that!" Jessica snaps at her.
"Jessie.. Sarah wasn't here when I asked you that, sweetie." Spoke Zoe in a soft voice, as more tears well up in Jessica's eyes.
"Nothing will work! Nothing!" Jessica sighs exasperatedly. "So.. Have you tried to.." Zoe enunciated, then leans in, and whispers into Jessica's ear. "Go, a bang, bang, bangity bang--"
Jessica gasps, then placed her hand on her chest. "You heard about that?!" Questioned Jessica with a quizzical expression; emitting chuckles from Zoe and Sarah.
"Oh, honey.. Your momma's not the only who sees all, and knows all! * chuckles softly * .. Danny told me!"
"Well.. I'm sorry about that, Zoe.. The night before, Danny and I saw an episode of How I Met Your Mother--" "Heh." Zoe chuckles, as she cups Jessica's face.
"No need to explain, honey.. It's fine.." Zoe smiles softly, when she widens her eyes, as she gets an idea.
"Danny!" Zoe turns to the direction of the patio door, and shouts, as Danny comes running inside. At first, Danny forgot that the door wasn't opened, so he nearly broke the door by running into it at full speed; emitting a hearty laugh from Sarah.
"What?! What is it?! Is it baby time?!" Questioned Danny in a frenzy. "The bags are in the car.. The car seats, too. Our bags--"
"Danny, relax.. Jessica's not in labor.. But we have a problem!" Zoe says, as she had grabbed both of Danny's arms, and lightly shook him.
"Oh!" Danny placed his hands on his chest in relief. "You had me going there for a second!" Danny smiles softly, before he furrowed his brow on his mother, and his smile turned into a frown.
"Wait.. .. A problem?! What problem?!" Danny tilts his head in a panic.
"Jessica's not in labor, son! That is the problem! Danny, your wife is miserable.. You put her in this misery.. Now you have to do your job, to put her out of it!" Zoe exclaims with fervor.
"Mom!" Said Danny, as he's flabbergasted. "No! I meant take Jessie out on a brisk walk around the block! Feed her some spicy, spicy Italian food that you cook so well!" Zoe narrows her eyes on Danny.
"Oh.. Oh.. We can do that!" Danny nodded his head. "I think you already did!" Retorted Anjelica, as she had no idea what they were talking about; she just wanted to tease Danny.
"Alright.. I already have Sarah as a pain in my a$$--" "I was just teasing you, Danny! Sheesh.. Lighten up, Francis!" Anjelica placed her hand on top of Danny's shoulder.
"Yeah.. * scoffs * Please don't take my title away, Anj!" Jested Sarah.
****
"Danny! Why are we going for a brisk walk?!" Questioned Jessica, nonchalantly. "Uh--" Danny said, when Jessica cut him off.
"Oh, yeah. I know! * snickers * Just because your mommy suggested it, so we're doing it?!" Said Jessica, exasperatedly, as she rolls her eyes. "Right?!" Jessica folds her arms.
"No! * sighs * Honey.. I know you're ready for this to be over with.." "Mm-hm." Jessica nods her head, while narrowing her eyes on Danny.
"And, whatever we can do, to make that happen.. I'll help!" Danny says with a smile, as Jessica rolls her eyes.
"You've already done more than enough!" Retorted Jessica, as she gasps, then darts her eyes on her belly.
"I know, I know, I know! I'm so sorry for doing this to you, baby. If there's anything that I can do to get you out of your misery. I'll do it.--" "Danny--" Spoke Jessica in a low voice, as she grabs onto his arm.
Danny carefully grabs both sides of Jessica's belly, then gazes into Jessica's eyes with so much love.
"Now, I know you've been less than interested in bow-chicka-bow-bow these last couple weeks, and--" "Danny--"
"I also know that you wouldn't be at all interested in trying bow-chicka-bow-bow right now.. But, honey--" "Danny--"
"It may be our only option at trying to induce labor, baby. It's a proven fact that bow-chicka-bow-bow--" "Daniel!" Jessica shouts in gritted teeth.
"What?! You wanna try bow-chicka-bow-bow right now?!" Questioned Danny with wide eyes, as he darts a glance at their surroundings.
"There's a park nearby. We can sneak behind the slide, and--" "Danny!" Jessica exclaims with fervor, then chuckles softly.
"I'm afraid we can't do that." She nods her head. "What?! Why?" Implored Danny.
"My water broke!" Exclaimed Jessica in a reasonably calm voice, as Danny's eyes widen like saucers.