Jason looked out the window, Alexia was still in bed asleep, considering it was only about five in the morning, the sun hadn't even risen yet. He couldn't sleep, he hadn't slept well at all this last week, Alexia was due to have her baby in a few months and he couldn't help but think of Emily.
She was like a daughter to him, Alexia had had her when she was still fairly young and never enjoyed the gift of a stable relationship. In his twenty eight years of life he had never once known a girl as feisty and loveable as Emily. He heard a groan from inside his bedroom and went to go tend to his six month pregnant wife, Alexia. She awoke to an empty bed and braced her back with her hand, yawning from exhaustion. Jason had noticed how weary she had become lately, she must be thinking about Emily too.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked as she slipped her hand around his waist.
"I could say the same to you, you really should get some sleep", He said, it was only half past the hour now and she clearly needed to rest.
"Can't sleep", She said as she leaned on his chest, she winced when the baby kicked hard towards her spine.
"You right?" Jason asked when he saw this, she just nodded her head in response, Jason walked over to the couch and sat down where Alexia sat in his lap and leant her head on his chest, soon falling into a light sleep.
Jason heard the phone ring but made no effort to get up to retrieve it. He didn't want to wake up Alexia, he watched as her chest rose and felt to a soothing rhythm. He rested his hands on her bulging stomach and felt as his child kicked against the skin of its mother. He smiled, this was his baby. Alexia groaned and tried to press her body closer to Jason's and Jason wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to the top of her head. He soon fell asleep cradling his wife.
Alexia woke to the warmth of the sun on her skin and opened her eyes, soon closing them again after the sun's rays burnt through her pupil. She suddenly realised where she was, she only vaguely remembered falling asleep with Jason the night before and when she saw the time she gasped, it was well and truly past nine and she had a doctor's appointment in half an hour. She poked Jason in the stomach, waking him from his slumber.
"What is it?" He asked confused and then panicking slightly when he saw the look on her face, "It's not time is it? I can't be! You've got another three months to go!"
"Jason", Alexia interrupted his rambling, getting up from her seat to get ready before she continued, "No, I have a doctor's appointment in half an hour."
"Oh", Jason said as he got up and went to go get changed, he'd had a shower when he woke up earlier, Alexia headed to the bathroom to quickly cleanse herself.
Jason looked at his watch as Alexia finished applying her light make up. He leant on the doorframe as she did this, she was wearing grey, long sleeved top and black pants which worked well for her, her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her feet were covered with slightly elevated sandals. She sighed when she looked at herself in the mirror, Jason knew she wasn't satisfied with how she looked lately, she had recently taken to dieting, refusing to let the pregnancy get the better of her.
"You're beautiful you know", Jason told her as he closed the distance between then and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Yeah", Alexia said casually, dismissing the comment. Jason was worried about her and the baby, was it safe for a pregnant woman to diet? She had seemed so withdrawn lately. She rarely talked about Emily during the pregnancy and each time she did she became overwhelmed with tears. Jason knew it was hard for her, having lost her first child and now pregnant again.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"That we should leave now or we'll be late for the appointment", She said, noting the time, fortunately she was quick at getting ready and they still had fifteen minutes before the appointment was scheduled.
"No, what are you really thinking?" He asked, turning her around so he could look into her eyes, he saw tears beginning to well at the edge of her eyelids and embraced her gently.
"You really want to know?" She asked and Jason nodded his head in response, "I feel like I'm betraying Emily by having another child, sometimes I wonder if she's watching us and if she is what she would be thinking. What if she thought that I was replacing her or trying to erase her from my life by having another child, I'm just, scared that's all."
"I know", Jason said to her as he lifted her chin up with his finger, he saw her pain and felt tears of his own begin to fall, he missed her too and would do just about anything to get her back if it was possible, he hugged her for what felt like forever before saying something, "We should get going."
"Yeah", She said as they made their way out of the bathroom, the tiles were still slick with water and when Alexia stepped on the mat it slipped out from underneath her feet, luckily she was holding onto Jason who caught her before she fell.
"You right", He asked concerned and she shook her head in response before grabbing her purse and heading out the door with him.