1.
Jude held the small white strip in her hand. It had a tiny pink plus sign on the screen.
"I'm pregnant." She said softly, smiling.
"Jude!" She heard him calling from the other room. "You've been in there for ten minutes. Are you alright?" Her husband burst into the bathroom. She quickly moved her hand behind her back. This wasn't how she wanted to tell him.
But he knew her better. After 10 years of knowing each other, of which the last three had been in marriage, he ought to.
"What's behind your back?" he questioned.
"Umm, nothing." She tried. He pinned her against the wall, and using the knowledge of her ticklishness, wrestled the white strip from her hand. He looked at it, and his mouth opened in shock.
"You're pregnant?" He whispered. She put her hand on his arm.
"Tommy?" He looked up at her. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out…"
"You're pregnant!" he smiled. He picked her up and spun her around. "You're pregnant! We're having a baby!"
She laughed.
2.
He held her hair back while she threw up. She had been so nauseous. It took a lot out of her, being sick all the time.
But he was there with her the whole time.
3.
She could actually eat now. The morning sickness had lightened. Now, she was moving into the craving stage.
All night, every night, she craved something crazy.
But he went and got it for her every time.
4.
"Do we want to find out the sex?" Tommy asked her.
She looked up from her maternity book.
"Do you?" She asked.
"No." He answered.
"Neither do I." she smiled at him.
5.
"Well, Mrs. Quincy, everything looks in order. Any strange cramps or does everything feel alright?"
"Yes."
"Good. Well, I'll just clean you up, and you can go home."
"Thanks."
6.
"What about we just go with parent's names?"
"No. Too predictable. I want him to have a unique name." she said.
"I think it's a girl." Tommy said. He rubbed her swollen stomach.
"I like the name Finn." She said. He started to massage her shoulders.
"Ok. Finn for a boy. What if it's a girl?"
"It's a boy."
"Jude, we need a girl name. I like the name Olivia."
"Ok, whatever." She was moody today. He kissed her neck, understandingly.
7.
"Ughhh. My body isn't even mine anymore. I'm playing host to the virus." She whined.
"It's a baby, dear. I know that's what it feels like, but it's a baby. Do you like the animals?" her mother asked.
They were buying the bedding today.
"Yeah, that's cute. We'll have to get everything in that theme. And we can paint the room green."
"That'd be nice." Tommy said from behind her.
"Well, look who finally decided to join us." Jude said coldly. He was late.
"Jude, I'm sorry I'm late. You know Georgia."
She couldn't deny that Georgia sometimes rambled on forever. She sighed, her sign of forgiveness, and then rubbed her lower back.
8.
The nursery was done. It was a baby's dream. They stood in the doorway, his arms wrapped around her.
"It's beautiful." She said.
He nodded in agreement.
9.
"Ok, this is it Jude. You need to push now." The doctor told her.
"I can't, it hurts." She said, slumping back into her bed.
"Come on Jude, push!"
She pushed.
"You're doing it, baby. Come on, you're fine. You're so wonderful." Tommy held her hand as she pushed.
"Just for the record, I'm going to KILL YOU!" she screamed from gritted teeth.
"There's the shoulder." The doctor called out. Tommy looked down, and saw his baby's head and shoulders. The doctor helped to pull the baby out.
"It's a boy." The doctor cleaned the baby up, then wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to Jude.
She stared down at her son. She felt tears well up.
"He's beautiful." She said, looking up at Tommy. He was looking at her, mesmerized.
"So are you." He said, honestly. She blushed. The looked down at their son.
"We're parents." She whispered.
"I know." He said, touching the baby's face, and hands, making sure everything was there.