I continued with my weight lifting. When I looked over at Erin she had her headphones on and was running on the treadmill. She was wearing black leggings and a navy blue vest over a black sports bra. Her little 10 week bump clearly visible but only little.
"How you holding up?" I smiled over to her.
"I'm okay!" She smiled as she finished up on the treadmill and moved over to the bench, wiping herself with the towel and grabbing her bottle of water. I finished up lifting and then went over to Erin and sat with also drinking my water.
"How did you find that? First pregnancy work out?"
"So good. I enjoyed that." She smiled. "Shall we head home then? We've got a meeting this afternoon."
"With?"
"Headquarters.."
"Fucking wonderful." I sighed. "What about?"
"You and me and our positions within CPD. It's not going to be nice."
"Great. I'm guessing uniform?"
"Well you've got to wear yours but I can wear anything." She smiled.
**
After getting home, getting changed and heading out to headquarters I began worrying. My head was telling me different things, could me having this baby end up being the end of our careers in CPD? It was worrying me.
"Let's get it over with shall we?" He smiled taking my hand as we walked in, we sat in the waiting room together and I couldn't help but look at him, he was wearing his black suit, he had all his medals on it and his hat. He smiled at me so I rested my head on his shoulder.
"I'm worried.." I sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm worried about what they are going to say."
"Don't worry, it won't be anything bad.." He laughed holding my hand. I just smiled a little bit and then shut my eyes. We sat there for about 20 minutes before we were called into the interview room. I smiled when Hank was among the 3 people who stood up on the opposite side of the desk.
"Welcome I hope you are both well." Commander Crawley smiled. "I've bought you both in because we are a little confused about what's going on. We need to look into what's going to happen from now on. Hank has told us about the pregnancy, so congratulations." He smiled as we all sat down again. Jay took my hand under the table.
"Thank you. So what do you need to know?" I smiled trying to stay strong.
"How long is it until you are coming to work again?"
"Not until after the baby is born. I've got 7 months to go until I'm due and I want to be able to stay home with my baby and recover. Because I know if I come back to work after giving birth my judgement will be clouded." I sighed.
"Thank you for the honesty Erin. When do you think you'll be ready to come back to work?" Hank smiled reassuringly and Jay squeezed my hand.
"I'm not sure, it depends on the birth and how myself and baby are recovering post birth. I would like 6 weeks? But again it has factors." I smiled. "As you know it will take me a little longer to recover than a normal birth because of the injury I suffer with."
"That has been taken into account. What about yourself Jay? Of course you will want to support Erin but you also have a career to worry about." Crawley smiled.
"I love my job Commander but my wife and family come before anyone. Especially knowing the possible health risks that this and any pregnancy carry for both my wife and my baby. I am willing to work until the week before Erin is due, and again I don't know how long I'll need off after, it depends how well Erin recovers because I don't want to be leaving her alone with a new baby and our 2 children if she's not recovered and feeling well?" He smiled looking between everything then me and kissing my head.
"That's fine, thank you." Hank smiled. "If you want to sit in the waiting room we will call you back in when we worked out a time schedule."
**
Erin didn't even sit down she just paced the waiting room, there were like 3 other people in there with us but she continued to pace. I sat against the window just watching her.
"Come on Erin sit down." I smiled.
"Why?" She sighed.
"All the stress isn't good.." I smiled looking at her, she sighed and come over sitting next to me and just looking out the window. I even tried to get her a cup of tea but she refused to have anything. I felt terrible because she was getting so stressed out over nothing. When finally we were called back in Erin was the first person to go in, she sat down and her leg was jiggling, bouncing off the floor.
"So we've made choices to suit you both." Crawley smiled.
"Okay thank you." I smiled. "Can you explain?"
"So in order for you to have the time off that you want Erin you will have unpaid time off both pre and post birth."
"No way. Are you kidding me? Baby on the way and I'm having unpaid time off?" She sighed.
"I'm sorry Erin but for you to be having the time off you can't be paid. Jay will receive his continued payment whilst he worked. But Erin you will be paid this week and then that's it?" Hank smiled.
"Oh for god sake." She sighed getting up and walking out. I looked at them all apologetically before running after them and going to find Erin.
**
I walked out into the waiting room and stood at the window, biting my nails as the tears ran down my cheeks. The next thing I knew Jay grabbed me by the shoulders, turning me around and pulling me into a hug. I just continued to cry.
"We can't afford to carry on without me getting paid.." I sighed.
"Erin we can. We've got this.." He smiled.
"No Jay we can't live on what's in the bank, and what you are bringing back?" I wiped the tears away.
"Let's get you home and sorted out shall we?" He smiled taking my hand as we left the office to go back down to the car. There was this constant worry in my head about everything, we weren't on a lot of money and with 2 kids and 1 on the way it's stressful.
As soon as we got home we both changed into PJ's and laid in bed together. Florence was playing with Harvey in his room and they know we were home now. Jay held me in his arms whilst we had some random TV programme on.
"It's so strange that after everything we're having another baby.." He smiled.
"It is strange but yeah in 32 weeks there will be another baby here." I sighed.
"It's exciting actually. So when are we telling our friends?" He kissed my head.
"I don't know. Not before 12 weeks though. I don't know when though because I don't want everyone knowing, I want this to be a private matter." I smiled turning to face him.
"Okay that's fine, I mean my family know and so does Hank and that's it really?" He laughed.
"Yeah friends and work friends can either find out in due course or when I turn up to see people with a baby in my arms." I laughed. He nodded and smiled. We continued to just lay there together until Florence come in.
"Mumm...?" She smiled sitting on the end of the bed with a big smile on her face.
"What's wrong?" I smiled.
"Nothing. I have a question though.."
"Oh no go ahead.." I laughed.
"Tomorrow morning I have a project to present at school and I really want to know if you could come with Dad and Harvey to come and see me."
"Florence I'll be there but you know that your Dad works a lot and Harvey is really awkward because it depends if he's tired or not. But I'll be there I promise." I smiled. She nodded and went off into her room. I wasn't sure I could be there tomorrow because I was feeling so down. I had to stay strong, Alex had been coming to see me and helping me feel better but I was worrying about this baby as well. 10 weeks was awful, I still had 2 weeks where the chance of losing the baby was so high anything could happen but then I was worried and scared of how long I had left. It was stressing me out - the thought I had still 2 weeks where the rates of me losing this baby were so high even getting out of bed could be dangerous. I think the best thing for me was too get out the house tomorrow morning. Go and see Florence doing this presentation at school.