Soooooryyyyyyyyyy I'm finally here! Hope you all enjoy! Three more chapters for our new book ❤️
JULIA
September 20 1977, Stafford Terrace.
"She is growing." Freddie spoke lying beside me on our bed, his hand tracing the small curve that grew more and more over the weeks. I had a silly smile on my lips.
He was staying at home for a longer time, since the recordings sessions were over, but when he had a meeting, or even details to settle Wessex, he always took me with him. Always attentive and concerned.
"I tell you, I don't look like I'm four months." I linked our fingers together over the small top of my belly.
It was funny to have a little human growing inside me. Sometimes I found myself looking at myself in the mirror to try to notice the signs that she was growing, but obviously the changes were only noticeable after a night's sleep when the curve seemed to increase.
"When can we feel her moving?" Freddie drummed his long fingers across my belly making me laugh.
It was all so new to me, sometimes I was confused by the weeks, as if the mood swings, forgetfulness was not enough!
"I don't know mo ghràid." I spoke laughing as he got up and lay on my belly with his ear pressed to my navel, one hand resting on my lower belly, caressing it slowly.
"Love of my life," He sang softly with his lips glued to the bare skin of my belly, sending millions of chills all over my body. It was as if his voice had entered my body. "you've hurt me," he whispered, his brown eyes glued to me as if waiting for a sign that she had kicked.
"Continues." I asked smiling at him and taking one of my hands to the side of my belly to encourage her to interact with us.
"You've broken my heart and now you leave me" his voice sounded so sweet that tears started to flood my eyes.
I know, too sensitive.
Never, until that moment, I had seen Freddie sing Love of my life. That day, that song took on another meaning for me.
"Love of my life, can't you see?" He held the note for a few seconds and some tears streamed down my face.
I never forgot the intensity of that moment. It is a day that not even the most hard days have managed to erase from my memory.
"Bring it back, bring it back
Don't take it away from me, because you don't know
What it means to me "he smiled as he realized the tears." You are beautiful, "he said with his eyes glued to mine.
"I love you." I said, stroking his hair, he smiled at me while his hand continued on my lower abdomen.
"I love you too and I always will." He smiled at me and kissed my belly in an extremely sweet way.
The silence went on for a few seconds, he had a hand on either side of my abdomen, his ear glued to my navel. I could spend my life watching him look at our daughter, I wouldn't mind.
I would be the happiest person in the world.
"Love of my life, don't leave me." He started singing again while his hands continued to caress my stomach. "You've stolen my love, you now desert me.
Love of my life, can't you see? "He looked at me and I felt my heart double in size.
He was the love of my life.
"Bring it back, bring it back
Don't take it away from me
Because you don't know
What it means to me "
He sighed deeply and kissed the side of my belly, he had a somewhat frustrated look.
"What's going on in that head?" I asked smiling at him.
"She does not like me." He declared dramatically and I laughed rolling my eyes.
"Of course she likes you, don't talk nonsense." I brought my hand to his face and stroked the sharp, prominent bone on his cheek.
"Ah, you know ... if she liked her father." He spoke loudly with his lips pressed to my belly. "She would say hi to me!" He spoke and something moved.
We both widen our eyes in sync.
"Did you feel that kitten?" He asked startled making me laugh.
"Yes, I did!" I said, taking my hand to the kick site and poking. "Come on, now I want my hi!" I protested while Tiffany climbed on the bed suspiciously and Oscar watched everything with some curiosity. "Come on, Blair!" I whimpered and Freddie laughed in a good way.
"That's not funny."
Freddie looked at me with a naughty smile and I showed him my tongue.
"Look and learn." He spoke by sticking his lips again on my belly. "Blair, could you tell your mom that you love me?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at me convinced.
No signal was given.
"I think she was wrong." I crossed my arms against my chest.
"Blair?" Freddie whispered.
"I said it was a -" and then she kicked it again and Freddie jumped out of bed, startling Oscar and Tiffany.
"SHE LOVES ME!" He shouted with his arms raised as he came towards me.
Was feeling jealous of a baby while still in the womb was plausible or just one of the many craziness of pregnancy?
"She loves me!" He pulled me off the bed and turned me around while I laughed.
He threw himself on the bed, falling under me and hugging me against him while a few more kicks could be felt on the left side of my belly.
"Great, I think now she thinks it should be like this!" I said laughing while Freddie's hand followed the small kicks.
"She can do whatever she wants." He spoke with his face in the gap between my neck and shoulder.
"Are you sure?"
"Mhmm." He murmured, caressing the side of my belly incessantly.
"Even dating who knows if Ronnie and Deacy baby you know, if it's a boy?" I asked with a laugh when I felt his body tighten.
"We are not going to think about it now."
"But can't she do what she wants?" I asked taking his other hand and kissing it.
"With limits." He declared and I got up from the bed adjusting my shirt smiling at him.
It was still morning, summer beginning to show signs that it was indeed leaving to make way for autumn.
"We could start buying things for her room." I spoke as he stood up and pulled me towards him.
"I think it's a good idea. I'm totally convinced that she really is a girl." He commented smiling and I put my hand on his face.
Our height differences were a funny thing. When he hugged me, I felt protected.
I was standing on tiptoe to kiss him when the phone rang and he rolled his eyes and left the room to go downstairs to answer the phone.
I went to Oscar and picked him up and did the same with Tiffany, Tom and Jerry came and followed me as I headed towards the kitchen. They knew it was breakfast time.
"You little bastards." I commented laughing while Oscar purred and Tiffany pretended not to be giving a shit.
Freddie was on the phone and Phoebe had probably gone to the market, I put Tiffany and Oscar on the counter and bent down to pick up Jerry and Tom and left them on the counter too.
It made me laugh because it reminded me of the first time I stepped on Stafford five months ago when I didn't even think I will be pregnant.
"Shall we go to the banquet?" I talked to the four and patted each of them on the head.
As usual I poured the food into the bowls and then put water in the kettle and took it to the fire.
I watched the four of them eating and imagined a beautiful girl with blond hair and brown eyes on the counter with the cats. The scene made me smile.
Phoebe came in through the back door carrying some bags of food.
"Pheeeebs!" I smiled at him and took one of the bags and placed it on the counter.
"Good morning Juls, I'm late-"
"Oh for God's sake, I can put the kettle on! What do we have for breakfast?" I asked sitting on the bench and resting my arms on the free space of the bench making Phoebe laugh.
"Eggs with bacon for Fred and fruit with yogurt for you." I rolled my eyes.
"I can eat eggs." I said, taking Tom on my lap and caressing him.
Phoebe laughed as he kept the foods in the fridge.
"I know you can, but it's funny to see your outrage." He admitted and I opened my mouth like I was shocked.
"You are living with Fred a lot." I spoke on a sigh as Tiffany stared at me as if she was taking her place in my arms.
"What about living with me?" Freddie came into the kitchen and sat next to me, taking Tiffany in his arms.
Phoebe placed cups in front of us and turned off the fire.
"Juls wants to eat eggs with bacon." He spoke as he put the tea bags in our cups.
I rolled my eyes.
"I think she deserves it today." Freddie spoke kissing my cheek and I looked at him suspiciously.
"What is happening?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as Phoebe poured the hot water into our cups.
"I'm going to need to work." He spoke with a shrug.
"So when you work, am I entitled to eggs and bacon?" I asked as I put Tom on the floor and Tiffany jumped onto my lap.
"No, but I don't want my daughter to look like an egg with bacon." He smiled at me and I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to need Phoebe today, do you want to go with me or is Ronnie still here?" He asked as Phoebe put the eggs in the pan.
"Ronnie comes here, rest assured." I spoke knowing the desperation that was when I had no one to watch over me.
It sucked!
I could defend myself, Cameron wouldn't be crazy to come into our house and try something against me.
"I shouldn't be long. But behave yourself." He pulled my face into his and kissed my lips gently.
"Aye, daddy." I said laughing out loud as he rolled his eyes.
****
Being alone was almost a miracle. There was always someone to stay with me. As soon as Freddie and Phoebe walked out the door, I slid over to the stereo and grabbed the Abbey Road album from the Beatles' collection that Freddie had and put it on, then Come Together started playing over the home speaker system.
Tiffany and Oscar looked at me curiously while I did my dance performance.
"Here come old flat top
He comes groovin 'up slowly
He got joo joo eyeballs
He one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please "I sang while my feet beat the rhythm of the song.
"He wear no shoeshine
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca-Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free "I threw myself on the couch between Tiffany and Oscar.
"Come together, right now
Over me "I sang, thickening my voice and the phone rang.
I rolled my eyes and turned down the sound and went to the phone.
"Hi, Ronnie!" I spoke as soon as I answered.
A snicker sounded on the other end of the line.
"I'm afraid I'm not your friend." the deep voice made me freeze.
Am I going crazy?
"You were so Happy singing, what happened? Are you ashamed of me?" He laughed and I felt my stomach churn inside me.
"You know, Stafford Terrace is a great neighborhood." My heart was racing so fast that I could barely think when I slammed the phone back down.
Cameron was at Stafford Terrace? Was I being watched? I had to sit on the couch and take a few deep breaths.
It was not possible!
Oscar came up to me and sat on my lap, I know it sounds silly but he looked worried. Something played in the background, but I could barely hear the music.
Cameron's voice echoed in my mind and I felt the breath stuck in my lungs. He knew I was alone. I should call Wessex and ask Phoebe to come home. But I couldn't move. I felt trapped.
The doorbell rang and I jumped on the couch startling Oscar who ran away. I forced myself to get up from the sofa and went to the window in the hall to take a look at who it was.
One wave of relief seemed to overtake me when I saw Ronnie and Robert and I ran the door open.
"Auntie Julie!" Robert hugged my legs and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hello Rob! You look bigger!" I said, messing up his hair, he bounced into the house.
Veronica looked at me with a frown and seemed to study me for a few moments.
"It's all right?" She asked taking a hand to my forehead.
I was probably white as a ghost.
"Yes, it's okay I- I'm just sick." I lied hugging her.
"Ah! Did the morning sickness come back? What hell Julie!" She spoke, separating herself from the embrace and analyzing me again. "Do you want to stay home?" She had a concerned tone.
"No!" I spoke excitedly and Ronnie just nodded. "I just need to drink a glass of water and get my bag and - and we can go!" I pulled her into the flat and locked the door.
I knew that Veronica hadn't bought my story, and I also knew that I was increasingly cornered by Cameron.