For as long as she was a little girl, it was always Paula's dream to one day start a family of her own. Since she did not have many friends, she'd spend most of her time in her large room playing by herself while her parents and older siblings would all be at work. She liked it that way. Her imagination was all the company she needed and she did not wish for it to be any other way. Dressing up in her sister's clothes, she'd play make-believe. One moment she'd be carefully placing all her stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, and both her and her sister's porcelain dolls on their beds as she stood in between them facing her imaginary husband-to-be and then the other she'd be on the floor pretending to change her doll baby as if it were real.
As she got older and her days of playing with her toys slowly turned. Like most young teenagers, she kept a diary and wrote about her plans and dreams. At the time she thought that she would move out to Nashville and become a famous country star and one day marry her favorite country singer, but then that all changed and she realized that she wanted to marry someone like her own father. Someone who was loving and caring; and no matter what, through thick and thin, would always remain by her side. Basically, she wanted to marry a Puerto Rican man. But as time flew by those dreams seemed to alter.
She thought she had found the one at one point in her life. She even could imagine her life with him, but that too seemed to vanish as time went on and their two hearts that were once inseparable slowly began to tear away. In the bitter end she was left with nothing but a torn heart and a broken spirit. Paula had fought to keep their relationship going when all she did was cause more friction and distance. Her dreams and hopes were smashed for all she knew and that she would never find anyone else ever again, that she would forever be alone.
But as time went on, the very idea of her remaining single only got better and better. She was young and had her whole life ahead of her before. Why not enjoy it when she still had the chance? Away from her past, she chose to focus her time on going back to school and doing something productive for her future. Though her dreams of marriage and children were still present, she was able to push them to the back of her mind for they were not a high priority for her. Or so she thought…
For almost two years, London was Paula's home and her life back in Puerto Rico was all but a memory. No longer could she fulfil her plans of going to college and do what she wanted for during the time that she lived in women were basically not allowed to attend universities. Living in the Victorian era was a huge slap in the face for her but even more so, living in this time period as a completely different species was an even bigger change for the young woman. Being transported over 100 years in time was something she could have dealt with easily, but the fact that she was now a mouse was really something she had to get used to.
The world she always thought was only make-believe was now as real to her as it would be to anyone else. And those she came to love and adore from when she was a child, she was not able to see, touch, and converse with on a daily basis. However, she never knew that one of them she would soon find herself falling in love with, let alone vice versa.
For as long as Paula had known Basil of Baker Street, she always thought of him as unable to feel such emotions as love. To the detective, emotions were a weakness and if shown could only end in a negative light. But to her amazement, without even trying, she managed to break down the wall that he had built around him. From there, only time could tell where their future would head.
Within those two years their love for one another flourished. To Paula at least, part of her life was being fulfilled and everything else that she was forced to leave behind no longer mattered. All that mattered was the new life she had with her husband. Nothing could seem to go wrong. Or so she thought.
Not even a few months into their marriage did Paula finally discover the changes that she and Basil would soon encounter, her mostly. Paula found out that she was about three months pregnant and it was quite obvious that Basil was the father for there was no other she'd been with. At first she was devastated by the news, but soon she began to accept it and grew excited for the newest arrival.
As months came and went, Paula watched with sheer amazement as her body began to change, making room within her for the child she and her husband created. Not only that, but Basil really felt the appreciation for his wife and all she was sacrificing for the two of them. She wasn't only giving up her body, but even her life. He knew that there would be a chance of Paula losing her life when time came for her to give birth, as did she. As much as the detective worried about such a thing, he was always reassured that everything would be fine in the end.
One evening when Basil returned home from interviewing a potential client, he noticed the flat empty even though a fire burned in the hearth. Removing his Inverness, hanging it on the coat rack, he walked down the few stairs. Usually when he came home from a case, the detective would see Paula waiting for him as she sat comfortably in his favorite chair and a book in her hand but she was nowhere to be seen. He knew that she could not have been in the kitchen for Mrs. Judson, their landlady, had completely banned her from there for reasons even his wife thought were completely ridiculous. But neither argued, so the only other place that he thought she could be was upstairs in their bedroom probably resting.
His assumption was correct when he slowly opened the door and saw Paula sleeping peacefully on his side of the bed. Basil smiled lovingly at the sight before until realizing the chilliness of the room as he started to shiver. Like an instant reaction, he started a fire for he did not want Paula to freeze and fall ill, especially when she was already in such a delicate condition. After burning the crumbled up paper, he threw that and the match on top of the logs he had carefully placed inside the cold hearth. With how cold the room was, he knew the time it would take before the warmth of the fire would break through. Feeling a bit exhausted himself, he carefully climbed into bed behind his wife so not to wake her, but even still he knew that she was a light sleeper and as he moved closer to her, she began to stir.
"Hmm…," she mumbled. "Jonathan?"
"Yes, darling," he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. "Go back to sleep."
Wrapping his arm across her, he rested his hand on her hip, but that did not last long before he felt his wife take his hand and place it across her swollen stomach. Already he was familiar with the feeling for there have been many times before this that he would caress her stomach and she was far enough along to where anyone could feel the movements and kicks of the baby she carried within her. There have been a few times that she would place his hand where the movements were coming from and instantly the movements would stop.
It actually made Basil wonder if that occurred because the baby was unfamiliar with his touch. But that could not have been it. At first it didn't seem to bother him, but after a while it did. Paula would assure him that it was nothing to worry about but knowing her husband, he wouldn't accept it. He feared that because of the strong bond she and the baby already have that perhaps his own child would think of him as a stranger. Pushing those thoughts further to the back of his mind, he allowed himself to drift off the sleep with only the sound of the crackling fire and his wife's light breathing.
"I think it is a wonderful idea!" Mrs. Judson agreed with such excitement. "In fact it makes sense so you two will be just across the hall."
"Flaversham has already agreed to build the proper furniture needed," Basil discussed softly just in case Paula returned sooner than expected. "All we have to do is remove all that is in there now."
"But won't she find out what all is going on, Basil?" Dr. Dawson questioned as he poured himself another cup of tea.
"Of course she will," the detective replied with a chuckle, "but I know we all will be able to keep it a secret until the time comes."
"How soon are you wanting this project of yours finished by?"
"I'm hoping by Christmas, so we have plenty of time."
"But she still thinks that the nursery is going to be in her old bedroom," the landlady stated.
"For the time being. Of course she'll find out when Olivia comes to stay with us, but hopefully that won't cause her curiosity to rise."
"Of course it will. Apart from you that wife of yours is just as inquisitive. It'll be one thing to keep her out of that room before everything is finished, but when she does find out the truth-"
"I will have the room locked while we are not in there. Of course for the first month or so, the baby will be in our bedroom, but I just want everything to go perfectly. Paula and I have already discussed what color wallpaper we want in the room, so that's what she and Abigail are out doing now. Nothing will be done before that."
"Sounds like a solid plan to me," Dawson seconded. "Just tell us what you want us to do and we'll get it done."
Finally the month of December came and it was only a week away before the secret was about to be unveiled. Of course as expected, Paula was racking her brains with what her husband and the others were doing in that bedroom. The detective made quite sure that even while they were working on preparing the nursery, the door remained locked so the expecting mother did not waltz in.
However even more of a mystery was that there too was commotion going on from the bedroom down the hall where Paula used to sleep before she permanently moved in with Basil before they were even engaged. When she asked, no one would tell her and that only raised her curiosity that much more. Of course, she soon found out once Olivia had come to stay with the mice at 221 ½ but even still neither she or anyone else said anything.
"I thought we weren't going to move Olivia to the smaller room," Paula said one evening as she assisted Mrs. Judson with the dishes.
"True," the elder mouse answered, "but then Mr. Basil figured once you had the baby, that child would need as much room as possible. Apart from your bedroom, that is the second largest. And with Olivia only staying with us around the Christmas holidays, it only makes sense."
"I suppose you're right. What I want to know is why the secrecy? I ask Jonathan about it and he won't tell me anything."
Mrs. Judson chuckled. "My dear, he wants it to be a surprise."
"So even you won't tell me anything? I obviously know now what's going on in there."
"That may be, my dear, but you haven't seen anything yet."
Drying off the last plate before placing in the cupboard, Paula began to laugh. "All of you are frustrating!"
"This is what happens when you marry someone like Mr. Basil." Draining the water from the sink and drying off her hands on her apron, she and Paula walked out into the sitting room. Basil, along with Dawson had been out once more so both mice took a seat in the two empty seats by the fire.
"Someone should have warned me about that because I think I got ripped off."
"And why do you say that?" Mrs. Judson asked with laughter.
"See when I read the brochure, it strictly told me that I was marrying someone who was not an oversized child. Stupid misprint."
"A serious misprint if I do say so myself. Mr. Basil can and has acted his age when needed to, but even I myself believe that my tenant is a child trapped inside a grown mouse's body." The kind landlady paused as she watched the young mouse gently stroke her large belly, it was the most precious sight that anyone could witness when a young, expecting mother interacts with her unborn child. "It won't be too long, my dear."
Looking up, she ceased her actions as if forgetting she wasn't the only one in the room. Smiling lovingly, she nodded. "I know," she agreed. "I've just wanted this for so long that the anticipation is killing me. And I know Jonathan is worrying."
"Believe me, that is quite normal. When I was pregnant with my son, I can remember how nervous Richard was when I was close to giving birth. This is all new for him as well."
"Oh of course," Paula agreed. "But even now, I still find it so strange that I would end up marrying someone who was once imaginary to me. Sure I always pretended such things, but I never knew they would become reality."
"Well to Mr. Basil, you were never imaginary. You are just as real to him as you are to me. I could see from the moment he met you how much he changed and thankfully for the best. He seems just as happy as his mother described him to be when he was with his first love. I never want that to change for him, especially for you."
"And neither do I," Paula agreed. "I know there are some challenges, of course you know exactly what I'm talking about, but if I was able to change him as much as I did, I know this baby will do more."
"I would imagine so, dear. In fact, I have already seen the changes in him once you found out you were pregnant."
"As have I…a little too much I'm afraid," Paula added, feeling guilty as she did. "I understand it is only out of kindness, but I just feel that Jonathan is becoming a bit…Well…"
"Overprotective?" Mrs. Judson finished, smiling lovingly as the young mouse looked away. "Most first time fathers do, so believe me when I say that what you are feeling is nothing new. If you remember, Dr. Dawson was the same way with his wife."
"Yes, but when he realized that he was being a bit so, he backed off," she explained calmly. "I love my husband with all my heart, but just because I'm carrying his child doesn't mean that I've suddenly become weak and fragile."
"I do believe it's more than that. He knows that you are not delicate, I can only assume that because of his profession he does not want the risk anything happening to you. That is also why he has been turning down so many cases since the news was broken."
Paula could only stare confusingly at the elder woman. "He has? Oh, Mrs. Judson why has he been doing that? This entire time I assumed that he just turned them away was because the case itself just didn't live up to the challenge for his intellect. Sometimes I just don't understand that mouse at all."
"I understand how you feel, dear," Mrs. Judson agreed. "But don't be so cross with him, just remember that his intentions mean well. I can tell he's growing more nervous as your due date gets closer. He just wants everything to go well for both you and the baby."
"He's making it seem like he's expecting something to go wrong and I don't want that. It's just putting more stress on him…and whatever he's doing up there," Paula added as she motioned the staircase behind her.
"Well that I can assure you will be worth the wait," Mrs. Judson said, grinning. "However, just do what you can to assure your husband that everything will be fine and that there is nothing to worry about."
Chucking lightly, she shook her head. "You make it sound so simple," Paula commented as she carefully lifted herself from her seat.
"Sometimes it is, dear," the landlady replied. "Now you look exhausted, you should probably go rest."
"That was the plan," she agreed. "Jonathan better be lucky that I love him so much because his little parasite is draining me."
Hearing such a thing cause the elder mouse to laugh with amusement. "Never would I have thought of it like that, but I would say that is true. Go rest now."
It was roughly a quarter to seven that evening when Basil finally emerged from the bedroom. Turning back for one more look, he smiled happily and feeling such an accomplishment with all the work he and his friends had put into this very large project. Only two more days, he thought before he would finally show his wife the room. Closing the door and locking it behind him, he let out a yawn before placing the key he held in his hand, in the pocket of his smoking jacket.
Knowing Paula was asleep; he carefully walked into their bedroom and undid the sash of his house coat before placing it over the back of the chair by his desk. Before joining his wife, he kicked off his shoes and carefully climbed into bed, once more on her side for she was occupying his own. When we entered the room, he noticed that the young mouse was not wearing one of her own night dresses, but instead his button-up shirt. Seeing such a sight, he couldn't help but chuckle softly before tucking a few strains of hair behind her ear. Doing such a thing, he froze when she began to move, switching to lying on her back, but to his relief she did not wake up. Such a movement he noticed that the shirt she wore was not buttoned all the way and caused the fabric to ruffle, exposing her pregnant belly. Basil hesitated for a moment before lowering himself and gently placing a kiss on his wife's stomach.
"Only a few more weeks," Basil whispered keeping a hand on the place he placed his kiss. "I never imagined my life being where it is now. And I don't think your mother will ever know how much I deeply appreciate it. She is the second woman I ever fell in love with, but she is the first and the last I'd ever want to spend the rest of my life with."
Pausing for a moment, he glanced up at Paula, hoping that he didn't wake her before turning back to his unborn child resting peacefully inside his or her mother's womb. "Your room is finally finished, my love," he began. "I only hope that your mother loves it as much I do. Of course I know she's dying to see it, but I'm sure she can wait for a couple more days…and so can you."
It was then that the detective felt a slight movement, though at first was not quite sure if it was his wife waking up or if it was a reaction from the baby. Doing his best to hold back his excitement, he asked, "Can you hear me, sweetheart?" When he felt the baby move again, his heart warmed with delight as he chuckled.
"Oh how long I have been waiting for this," Basil continued as he kept feeling his child moving around. "I can't wait to see you, to be able to finally hold you. I know your mother keeps asking me if I wish for you to be a boy or girl, but all I want is for you to be born healthy and safe. You are the most precious thing I could ever have. I hope that you know that I have loved you even when you were just a tiny little thing." Feeling another kick, he placed another kiss where it came from. "I love you."
Resting his head on his wife's stomach he held his smile while he continued to feel the baby move around. But never once did he realize that right above him, Paula was looking down at him, grinning and quietly crying tears of joy.