♡
Sara's POV
Michael's first task upon unlocking the door was checking the whole house, asking me to stay put at the front door until he made sure there were no unwanted people in here.
I took a deep breath and good look of the house - it needed a dire airing and a good dusting.
Heavy footsteps pounded above me, and my heart raced as I recalled the cold night Nathaniel had surprised me.
No, stop it Sara. You are safe. Your family is safe.
My hand flew to my stomach.
We are safe. Nobody's in here. Nobody will do you harm in your own house - not again. Not when they are locked away. All three of them.
Still, I felt my heartbeat up to my ears and held my breath, my throat so dry that I wanted to break out in a harsh cough. Against my will, my hands started shaking, and it itched in my fingers to check the monitors just in case.
My eyes flew around all the spots where he could hide. Behind that door. Behind the kitchen isle. Underneath that furniture over there in the living room. The corner that was invisible from here and always dim.
What if that wasn't Michael? What if he-
"Everything's clear", my husband's deep voice thundered from upstairs, making me jump. He appeared on the upper floor, which was visible from the front door. His expression softened as his eyes followed my hand, which flew to my beating heart. "We are alone."
Only now did I breathe in. When had I held my breath?
"Ok good. Good", I wiped my wet hands against my legs. "Great. Puh. Should we go pick up the dogs?"
"First you will calm down", Michael softly laid out. "I'll have Philipp drive up here."
"We should go pick up the dogs, they are ours after all", I explained, shaking my head.
"I'll just lie we are beat", Michael laughed, shrugging. "Calm down, mon amour. I'm here. You two are safe."
I smiled immediately, my shoulder's lowering. His tone made me believe him fully. "Do you have the money to pay him back?"
"I'll make a deposit", Michael mumbled, turning towards the staircase. "One second."
His steps echoed down the staircase, never descending them slowly. He always moved as if somebody was chasing him.
"I'm here again", my husband proclaimed and went to my side, picking up the suitcase. "Wanna kick your legs up and relax?"
"No, the house is in a state, we need to go shopping, tend to the dogs and unpack our things", I vehemently denied. "And if we feel like it, we should call tonight."
"Or tomorrow." Michael suggested with a worried look at me and the stomach. He wanted me to rest up, that much I could tell.
Still, I looked at him surprised and followed him to our bedroom. "After work?"
"No." The blond laid down the suitcase on the floor and unzipped it.
"During work? How on earth would that work?", I took the dirty laundry off his hands and threw it into the laundry bin.
"We aren't working tomorrow." Michael called over his shoulder, unpacking his work bag and rejoining me at our bed.
"You don't want to work tomorrow!?", my hand flew to his forehead. "You want to take another day off!? Are you feeling alright? Should we go to a doctor's?! You and skipping work - that's like ghosts being real!"
"Tomorrow's Sunday", Michael explained to me, breaking out in a loud laughter. "Trust me, I would love nothing more", he mumbled, thinking I couldn't hear him.
I slapped his shoulder. Workaholic!
Michael's fingers flew over the keyboard as he shot Philipp a quick text, all while I went to the laundry room and separated the clothes, immediately starting a load while I was at it.
My husband informed me he would turn the water on again and some other stuff, I just waved at him to do his thing. I understood basic things around the home but when he went into too much detail my mind just blanked. Just like when he talked about cars. I learned from mum - dad is a car freak as well - that you should just nod and throw an occasional 'mhm' in there, to make him think you are listening and to not hurt his feelings, no matter how much you didn't care about the cars he loved. Also when Michael started about football - good god!
Good, laundry is going, the fridge is empty, suitcase unpacked and Philipp will be here in half an hour. Enough time to plan the meals and grocery list for next week.
Michael already anticipated that, joining me at the kitchen table and already suggesting my Bosnian stew, a family recipe, as well as my curry. He was fairly uncomplicated food-wise, the only thing this hunk wouldn't eat were mushrooms and tomatoes. And unlike dad, Michael didn't mind if I cooked meatless meals often.
"Homemade meals, no matter what meals, taste amazing", Michael had said the first time he had tried my cooking with a fond smile on his lips. "You can always taste the love and effort a person is putting in for the other, so I love everything you or my family make for me. Nothing makes me happier than a proper, home cooked meal." Then he laughed suddenly. "Don't tell Marthe, but your cooking is better than anybody's!"
I brushed through his hair as I remembered that, giving him loving eyes. "Thank you."
Michael looked up and smiled. "What for?"
"Everything and more." I intertwined our hands. "And for being my home. You feel like home."
♡
Sara's POV
Ella and Hunter had slept next to us, Ella's head always near my stomach.
The dogs had jumped on us and wagged their tails like crazy, Hunter crying loudly non-stop happily.
"Don't jump on mummy!", Michael laughed, dodging Hunter's tongue. "Mummy is carrying a little baby!"
Those words still made me melt and I immediately reached for my husband, the love flushing through my whole body.
Ella nuzzled onto my lap, and from the moment we had told them, she seemed to have felt it already, not budging from my side. Hunter always circled both of us, but for me it seemed he slowed down and controlled his movements more.
What surprised Michael the most is how alert Ella was suddenly, as if she was protecting me, while Hunter constantly wanted to be patted when he spotted me.
Animals really feel things we humans couldn't!
I stretched and Michael didn't even try to hide his phone, looking at me like a puppy that was caught doing something they shouldn't. "I was just-"
"Good morning to you too", I kissed his cheek and laid down on his shoulder. "Not out for a run?"
Michael moved his arm so I laid more comfortably on his chest. "No, not when the dogs and us are cuddling and won't let me leave. I also overslept."
"Overslept", I laughed. "Let me guess, you woke up at 6 am instead of 5."
"Guilty as charged", my husband grinned, plopping his head back onto the pillow. "You slept in for the first time in a long time - finally! I feel so much better now that you did."
"In return I'm not hungry at all", I pointed out. Usually I woke up ravenous, but not now.
Michael's face fell. "Not again loss for hunger! You have to eat something!"
"I will when I feel like it, I promise", I reached down and patted Hunter's head. He laid his ears back and wagged his tail happily, loudly hitting Michael's leg.
Then I started giggling.
"What is it?", he asked amused, his lips brushing over my forehead.
"Tomorrow I'm calling my gynecologist and asking for the first steps in a pregnancy", I couldn't control my smile that only grew wider. "Soon we'll have our first ultrasound."
Michael immediately wrapped his arms around me. "I want to frame one and put it in my office, next to our wedding picture."
"Oh Michael!", I kissed him square on the lips, long and hard. "Oh that reminds me, we still have to look at them!"
"When should we call the others today?", he asked, one leg out of bed. Yesterday we had decided to take it easy.
After Philipp and Jess had brought the dogs over, we exchanged quick hello's and how are you's and promised to meet up properly next week, then we gave the dogs all the love they deserved and brought them along as we went grocery shopping.
Michael made me sit down while he cooked us dinner, and I took that time to give the dogs many kisses and pats and compliments as I caught up with my murder stories on Youtube as well as my favourite vloggers, who were mostly Korean.
Even though I had long finished university, I still loved watching them live the college life, cook and study.
Around 10 pm we called it quits and went to bed, not before Michael sang to baby and stroke my stomach until I fell asleep. He really loved our baby more than words could describe.
"I have to calculate the time difference", I always had to put it into google, even after living here for over 3 years. "Around noon maybe?"
"Sounds like a plan. Stay put, I'll go get the pictures from the photographer."
My phone pinged in that exact moment, and as I looked at it, I was surprised to see Christine's number on the display. In a long text she said how she had gotten the number from Hector and hoped I wouldn't mind, then she inquired how we were doing and how France was. Lastly, she stressed that she wanted to get our wedding pictures soon.
And that should have been the first warning sign of what should have awaited us when we called his parents.
Michael's brows furrowed as I showed him the text. "She could have asked me."
"Well, we should give her a break, she is now my mother-in-law after all", I stared at it a bit longer. "What should I write back concerning the wedding pics?"
"That we were terribly busy and are just now going through them, she'll get them by next week the latest", he suggested with a shrug.
I wrote back exactly that - but didn't receive a response. Oh well, maybe she was busy.
Michael handed me a stack of pictures. "Ours are printed, the rest I have on a hard-drive. It will be easier to send."
"And if they want pictures?", I asked, making space for Michael to sit down next to me.
"Then they can print them out", my husband shrugged, not caring in the slightest what the others would do. "They are not children, they know how to do it. And don't you dare say "but what if-" we can't cater to every wish nor should we, Sara. That's how life is."
I closed my mouth again. He had read me point black. I would always be jealous of Michael's ability to say no and mean no. I could never and always looked more after other's than myself, as much as he tried to get me to stop doing that.
"Then I'll give you the phone when they start asking me that", I patted the spot next to me. "You'll love the first picture, it's you holding your nephew and nieces."
♡
I was more than nervous when Michael set up everything on his computer, shaking from head to toe with excitement. How would mum and dad and Emma react? Oh god was I nervous!
Michael wheeled another office chair next to his and moved the desktop so the camera caught both of us. The image of us was crisp and in HD, unlike my laptop camera. But Michael often held conferences in here, so no wonder he had spent money on a good setup to ensure perfection, as this man loved just that. My husband patted the chair and as I sat down, he asked: "Are you comfy?"
"Yup." I shifted and tugged at my hair, dress, ring - until Michael took my hand to stop me.
"You sure you don't want to eat a bite first?", he asked for the n-th time, but I shook my head.
"You saw me gag at the smell", I mumbled and softly nudged him to hurry up. "Wait-" he pressed the call button and I immediately panicked. "How will we say it!?"
"We practiced it at least ten times!", Michael whispered, stifling back a laughter.
"I'm drawing a blank here!"
"I'll start, you follow, remember?"
"No", I fished for hands, listening to the sound as we waited for them to pick up. "I'll just sit here and be pretty-"
"Silly", Michael laughed, kissing my hand.
"Are we interrupting something?", Mum swooned, then laughed. Immediately my heart raced.
"Mum, I'm-!"
"Where's Amar and Emma?", Michael nudged me with his leg, giving mum a big smile. "You look great Leila."
"Charmer - they'll be here in a second, they are finishing their lunch." My mum panned the camera around so I could see them. They waved. We waved back. I could tell Michael was trying his hardest not to laugh at me sputtering.
"You are so cute", he quickly whispered to me before mum adjusted the phone so we could see her properly again.
"Why are you so red?", my mum addressed me sharply with a worried, stern and also soft look, one only mother's possessed perfectly, and pointed at her neck and chest. "You are worried, aren't you? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing", I quickly waved it away.
"You know how red she gets when she scratches that part", Michael shook his shoulders, cool as a cucumber, unlike me, whose voice was too high.
Emma and dad sat down next to her and mum put her hands on her hips. "So, how was France?"
"We have something to tell you", I interrupted immediately and Michael broke out in a laughter. "Good god, calm down honey!"
I took a deep breath and mum's face immediately folded. "So something is up! Is everything alright? Did something happen in France? Are you two safe?!"
"Everything's fine everybody, calm down", Michael drew me into his arms. "Something amazing happened in France."
He looked into my eyes - and I broke out in a smile. His calm eyes calmed me down, and instead of this nervous flutter, it was now exciting, like butterflies in my stomach. I now remembered what we had revised, now that I had calmed down.
"Mum, dad, Emma ...", I smiled even bigger. "We have something to tell you."
Michael squeezed my hand and I could see them try guess what it was, their faces clueless.
We both counted silently until three, then in unison said: "WE ARE PREGNANT!"
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Good god react finally!
My heart wouldn't stop hammering away and I moved the mouse to see if we were frozen.
"H-Hello?"
"Give them a second", Michael whispered, squeezing my hands. "Mama."
Then, recognition, understanding, flashed in their eyes.
Mum started screaming with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her.
Immediately I took a deep breath, my hand flying to my heart and I laughed happily at my husband. He leaned over and kissed me.
Emma was frozen, her eyes widening only more and more.
Dad broke out sobbing, saying something that nobody could understand.
Then mum and dad stood up, jumping in joy.
Emma got closer to the camera. My sister wasn't the type to cry - she never was - but then she teared up. And I followed suit, starting to cry. "Oh my god! Oh my god!", she kept saying over and over and over again. "You are going to be a mum! A real mum and not a big sister annoying type of mum! The poor baby!"
We laughed, then Emma sobbed. "Congrats you two, I'm so- I'm so-!"
I sobbed. Ugly sobbed. It was so rare to see the stoic Emma so emotional that it affected me more than I ever thought it would. I could only nod as my little sister cried and cried.
"I'm so happy for you two! You are going to be an amazing mum, you always looked after children with a motherly sense and Michael will be such a cool and loving dad! Oh my god I can't believe it, god bless!"
Michael wiped over his eyes, his hands shaking as he held me again.
"How far along are you oh godness I cannot believe it aaaah! Congrats baby, you are having a baby - AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Mum proceeded to jump even more as if she was a teenager and not almost 50 years old.
"Leila the neighbours!", dad immediately reminded her. "Congrats you two, a baby is ... amazing! You two are amazing! You are glowing! The baby is the luckiest to have you two as their parents! The baby will be raised with so much love-" "Oh my goodness my little baby is carrying a baby!", mum sobbed, interrupting dad. "Look at them - they are parents to be!"
"Oh stop!", Michael laughed, tears running down his face.
We laughed at each other. We both were crying along with them.
"I'll have my appointment soon mum, but I'm at least four weeks along", I told her.
"We just found out ourselves", the love of my life added next to me. "Sara has been experiencing sickness and loss of hunger, so we had her tested and well", Michael's smile grew shy. "The doc told us she's pregnant with baby!"
"We were so worried mum, dad! I thought I was sick!", I placed my hand over my heart. "But thankfully I'm just pregnant with our little baby!"
"Oh you two are gushing and blushing! My heart cannot take it!", Mum sobbed heavily, clapping ecstatically. "We already love you, baby Sara or baby Michael! Grandma loves you!"
"Grandpa too!"
"Auntie as well!", Emma chimed in, brushing over her eyes.
And that's how we gushed for almost two hours, talking about everything and nothing. Only now did it dawn on me - my parents would become grandparents and I would become a mother! Michael would become a father! I added a generation to our family!
♡
Leon and Rebecca picked up the second time we called them, Leon bouncing Sara on his lap who made sounds to amuse herself. Adrien and Estelle were colouring in the background.
"Heya you two! I forgot you two even existed", Leon joked, kissing the babbling Sara who reached for the camera. Sara shot us a cheeky smile, bouncing on her father's legs. She was almost ready to start walking, any second now as Michael mumbled happily at the screen, waving at his little niece.
"Sorry we had to get the kids in order before we could pick up", Rebecca explained and gave Sara her finger as she reached for it. "How was France? It must have been so stressful, being gone from home for so long!", Rebecca took a long glance at us. "Are you resting up properly? You should before you immediately go back to work!"
"Becca they are adults, they can handle themselves", Leon winked, bouncing Sara as she babbled and she laughed at how funny it sounded. Leon blew raspberries on her arm and she giggled like crazy.
We both melted at the sight and without thinking, reached out for each other's hand. That would be us soon if everything went well. I stopped my hand that wanted to go to my stomach, but I already couldn't wait when I could feel the baby's movement ... oh god I'm getting emotional just thinking about it!
Of course Rebecca didn't miss that. Her eyes darted between us, but she said nothing.
"We called for a reason - not only to catch up", Michael opened with a lovely smile.
"We have some great news."
"Are you?-", Rebecca immediately stopped herself, her hand shooting out for Leon's arm.
Michael nodded at me. Go ahead, he seemed to say.
"I'm pregnant!"
"We are expecting!", we said in unison.
Rebecca clapped like crazy, throwing herself into Leon's arms. Leon's smile grew broader, but there was still shock in his face that warmed up with every passing second. "A baby!?!", he finally realized. "You are pregnant! How far along?! How are you feeling? Are you experiencing morning sickness!? Oh god hopefully not as bad as Becca, she couldn't leave the bed for the first trimester! I'm going to be an uncle oh god I need to be on my best behaviour for the baby! When did you find out-"
"Stop babbling!", Becca interrupted but babbled herself.
Both of them spoke at the same time, rapidly, asking thousand questions that I couldn't understand.
Michael chuckled, his hand stroking over my still flat stomach. As if he knew, and to me surprisingly, that stopped their babbling and they melted visibly, all quiet now. Even Sara stopped babbling for a split second. "Four weeks at least, we have our appointment soon hopefully to check. We just found out and wanted to tell you guys. Sara was so sick we decided to check."
"Thankfully it's just a pregnancy and nothing worse!", I laughed, nudging my husband lovingly. "Though this one is still nervous about every move I make."
"You should have seen Leon!", Rebecca sighed heavily. "When I was pregnant with Adrien I wasn't allowed to move an inch!"
"And look at Adrien now - two legs and arms and a good boy", Leon grinned proudly, then his face softened. "Fatherhood suits you, Miche."
Michael's face softened in a way only his brother could make it soften. His eyes were proud and he whispered the softest thank you to his little brother.
I swallowed heavily. I almost started crying at their bond.
"And you found out in France?", Rebecca softly asked, picking up the unruly Sara who wanted to go down. She immediately crawled to Esi and watched her bigger siblings draw.
♡
We talked for a good hour and took a small break before we would call Marie and Gerard, but they didn't pick up.
When we called Marthe and Victor, Marthe explained that they had guests over and couldn't speak now - so we decided to call later.
I looked up to my husband.
"..."
"..."
"Sooooo", I drew out. "What now?"
He sighed, grumbled, stalked around his office, before he finally sat down again. "I guess dad and Christine next."
"If you don't want to, then we won't do it right now", I told him, backing away. "It's your decision and I'll agree with anything you suggest."
"I ... it's conflicting", Michael lowered his head. "I want to tell my dad. I want him to know I'm about to become a father too. As much as ... I'm still angry at him, somewhere deep inside of me I still love him ..."
"Then we'll call", I softly suggested, wrapping my arms around him. "He loves you too and I'm sure Hector will be proud of you."
"We'll see", Michael bit his lip, then searched for his father's name on the Skype list. It rung a few times and immediately Hector picked up. He was beyond happy that Michael was calling him, that much I could tell immediately.
"Hey buddy! I'm so happy you are calling me, how are you? Oh Sara you are there too, hello daughter-in-law!", he broke out into a laughter that was similar to my husband's, then eyed us proudly. "You two are glowing, had a nice time away? How was France?", Hector's face folded "Did they treat you two ok? Especially you Michael, did they behave unlike last time?"
"It was alright", Michael pulled a face. "I still hate it there."
"I know", Hector sighed pitying. "The duty was always ... dry."
"Not you too!", I grumbled. "It's hard enough to motivate Michael as is!"
"I'm sorry, but neither of us liked the higher society stuff of the Beaumont's", Hector pulled a face and apologized sweetly at me. "Wait let me go get Christine."
Michael just raised his eyebrows once at that.
The delicate woman appeared in the frame with my father-in-law.
Before I could even finish saying "Hello-" "Where are the wedding pictures?", Christine cried into the phone. "We should have been among the first people to receive them!"
Michael shot me an astonished look. "We just got home and have only now looked at them", I explained quickly. "We'll send the digital version soon, I promise!"
"No, not digital!", Christine cried again. "I need them printed out to frame them!"
"We aren't printing them for others", Michael dryly told her. "We don't have the time to do so", Michael interrupted her as she opened her mouth. "We are sending them digitally and you can print those that you like."
"And what about the ones you have?", she inquired and I shot her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"Why don't you send those?"
"Because they are ... ours?", I asked, not knowing if I heard right.
"But will you keep all of them?"
"Christine! You can't ask somebody for their wedding pictures!", Hector mumbled, but we still heard him even though he covered the phone. "Enough."
"We aren't calling because of that", Michael said loudly so Hector would remove his hand. "It's about something entirely else!"
"Oh, what's the news then?", Hector smiled at us, with a bummed Christine next to him. She was pouting, but I didn't know how to address the fact I wouldn't give away my wedding pictures ...
I squeezed Michael's hand. "You tell them, honey."
"Sara's pregnant", Michael tenderly said to his father and his wife, giving me a proud look. "We are expecting."
It grew silent for a second - then Hector looked at us, mouth wide open. Tears rose to his eyes as he realized what his son had just said to him. "You are going to become parents. To a little baby. Your guys' baby. ... A baby! A BABY!!"
"Yes!!", I yelled back, laughing happily.
"We are grandparents now!", Christine said into the phone, hugging Hector tightly.
"Congratulations you two! How far along are you?!", Hector cried, drying his eyes. He repeated his words, trying to make them clearer but sobbed again. "Give me a sec here ... my baby boy is going to be a dad!"
Michael's shoulders softened at his father's reaction. I patted his knee proudly.
"What are your plans for the labor?", Christine chimed in, taking the phone.
"I uh-", we exchanged a look. "We don't know yet, we still have to get-"
"Where are my ultrasounds?! Why haven't we gotten anything? We are priority, I'm the baby's grandmother!"
"Christine we-" "are faaaaamily! When did you find out? How far along are you?"
"Maybe four weeks", Michael agitated answered. "Can I finish my sentence please? We still have to go get a scan done, we just found out."
"Today?", Hector asked, reappearing in the frame.
"No, two days ago in France-", I answered, when a cry made me jolt upwards and twist my face.
"And you didn't call immediately!!?", Christine snapped into the phone. "Why on earth would you-?"
Hector took the phone away with a horrified look. "How are you feeling, Sara?"
"A bit sick", I honestly answered. "But fine."
"She doesn't eat anything", Michael worryingly told his father. "No matter what I give her."
"That's the first trimester, your mother was also constantly sick", Hector sighed. "But it will get better, try not to worry that much. Just support her the best you can - and in a way she feels comfortable, that will help the mother and the baby - my grandchild good god I'm only now realizing I'm going to become a papaw!"
"Have you fought of any names?", Christine chimed in.
"No, we just found out-", I repeated, but the second wife already rambled down a list of names. "Or after their grandparents", she suggested. "But as a primary name and not secondary. How many children do you want? Four max, right? Then you can name them after every grandma and grandpa!"
"I'm not naming a daughter of mine Veronique", Michael immediately put a stop to this.
Christine grew silent. "I didn't think of Veronique."
"And we didn't think of any names", Hector stressed. "It's their baby."
I exchanged a look that Michael knew - worried.
"Anywho, who will be in the delivery room with you? Are you planning on feeding the baby formula or will you breast feed? I might help you and come down before the birth to help you get ready and bring you onto the right track of parenting-"
I could see Michael's facade crack.
"I should also be in there with you, I mean, you are giving birth to my baby-"
Michael next to me got real quiet. Not quiet because Christine was speaking, but eerily quiet. I couldn't even hear his breathing. He didn't move an inch, sat there straight and with an unreadable face.
Then his jaw muscle moved.
Oh god. Oh god I knew what that meant.
"Babe."
His voice was stone cold. Controlled. So thin with anger that the words barely got out his throat.
"Y-Yes."
"Would you be so kind and go to our bedroom?", he so lowly spoke, that I at first couldn't even hear it. "You go and rest up. I'll see you two in a minute."
I stood up without another word and stalked to the door faster than anybody could.
"But I was talking-", Christine wailed.
I hadn't even closed the door to his study fully, when Michael already snapped and yelled so loudly, that the frames outside his office shook. I barely caught the frame as he ripped into her asking "WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DICTATING MY WIFE AROUND THINKING YOU CAN TAKE OVER HER DECISIONS AS A MOTHER TO OUR FUCKING BABY!?"
I could only shake my head and as I laid down in bed, only then did I realize what Christine had said to us.
Did she seriously try to tell me I should name my baby after her? And did she decide herself that I should have 4 children with Michael?
And hold the fucking phone - did she say I will give birth to her baby?!?
I immediately sent mum a message 'Christine! HELP!'
And mum, being the saint she is, immediately called me a second later. "What what what? What is she trying to pull? Should I fly over to America?!"
I poured out everything to her what Christine had said - and mum grew quiet.
"Wow. Not even grandma tried to force her way like she did. She didn't even try that with the delivery room stunt she pulled."
"Mum!"
"You need to establish boundaries immediately! Some grandma's go so crazy over becoming grandmother's that they want to have it their way, and not the way of the parents! Trust me, grandma tried the same with me! She barged into my hospital room even though I told her I don't want that!"
"So you won't try that with me?", I asked, now tired. I laid down.
"I always swore to myself to never middle with you kids, in either relationships or babies, but I will help if you need me."
"And I love you for that."
"I love you double", mum blew a kiss into the phone. "How is my grandchild doing?", she asked, in an attempt to distract me - and it worked.
"So far I only feel butterflies in my stomach", I brushed over the baby. "I'm still not showing."
"That will take a bit, but once you do, it's the cutest thing ever. Especially when the baby moves. I often saw your little feet pressing against my stomach, especially when your dad spoke to you."
"Oh stop that's too cute!", I gushed.
"Bebo, try not to let yourself be overruled when it comes to your baby, ok? Only you two have a say in how the baby should be raised and nobody else, alright? Ignore Christine, but place boundaries if she oversteps. And, as your mother and best friend, you can do that with me and your father as well. If we annoy you or do something you don't like, tell me, and I'll try to stop it, ok?"
"You are a god-sent!", I sighed.
"No, I'm not. The god-sent are you two, my children. I'm just trying to be a good mum."
"You are the best mum."
"And you will be too, you'll see."