Being a mother is amazing, ask any mother you know. The moment you give life to that child, is the moment that changes your life. That child depends on you twenty four seven, when the child needs changing, feeding, looking after, help with homework, entertaining, it's you they look for. But, there are down sides. Like illnesses, and tantrums, and being late to nursery, constant keeping them up at night. There is no rule book to being a mother, you may get advice and buy books of eBay, but when the time comes, you just have to go with it.
Ask Astrid, at 22 she didn't know what to do. Her mother saying " get an abortion, your way to young", her father reassuring " it's okay sweetie, it's only a baby. It just takes up 99.8% of your life." Okay sorta reassuring. And her grandmother" oh finally I get to knit for a great grand child of mine. I'll knit hats, jumpers, mittens, socks-". She was a messy for that entire 9 months. But once she saw her son, she knew it was worth it. Because he was perfect. But once and a while Ollie would get infections, he's had eye infections, a stomach infections, ear infections and he gets them twice a year. But this time was a throat infection, a very common one called tonsillitis.
xx
The screams of Ollie Hofferson filled the entire block of apartments, he hadn't slept in 24 hours, neither has his mother. But it didn't help that Julia the landlord of this block kept knocking on every five minutes.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
" One minute!" Shouted Astrid and she lay her crying babe on the couch before running to the door. There stood a very angry Julia, arms crossed and face scowling. " miss Hofferson, I've asked five times today and this is the final straw I need the rent now." She spoke over Ollie's screams.
" Julia, can you hear my son cry?" She asked tapping the door frame.
" Oh please, every one can here his screams" spat Julia.
" okay, so then you realise that neither me or him have slept in 24 hours, he is in serious pain, and I've had to take a day of work because my babysitter quit on me. My work pay does come in till two days, so give me till then, please" she pleaded looking back time to time to her son who's in pain.
" Unbelievable I -" she started but soon interrupted.
" Okay thanks" Astrid said as fast as possible, as she closed the door and rushed to Ollie.
" It's okay baby, mommy is here. I'll make it better." Astrid stood up and went to the fridge, she opened it and realised, the coldness was going down. She shut the door and went to the light switch and flipped it on and off. Nothing, the bitch of a landlord shut of her power. Shit.
The next thing she thought of was her phone, she might call the doctors again, book in. She went to her bag and search till she found her phone. Dead. Crap.
She had to think of something, she had never had tonsillitis before, so she had no clue on what to to. The best she had come up with was mushing fruit together and that still didn't work.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Astrid knew who that was, seven times today. She started walking to the door shouting " Julia, I have told you I can't pay-" she opened the door and, oh it was hiccup.
" Hiccup?" She looked at him, he had that goofy smile on his face, she had always loved that smile. But it soon faced when he saw the confusion in her face.
" You forgot. You know it's Friday, farm, Starbucks, coffee, animals, play area? Any ring a bell?" Shit. She had forgot.
" Hiccup I'm so sorry, Ollie's been up for 24 hours and I've had no sleep-" Astrid didn't finish that sentence since hiccup interrupted.
" What? Why?" But his question was answered as the sound of Ollie's cries filled the room once more.
" Is he okay?" He asked.
" He has tonsillitis, his tonsils are swollen, and I've never had it before. I don't know what to do." She explained, she was getting stressed out and flapping everywhere.
" Okay, okay. Can I come in?" He asked.
" Yeah sure" she stood out of the way and let him through, he walked over to Ollie who was still crying.
" I had tonsillitis when I was 11, remember. What are you feeding him?" He asked as he crouched down right next to him.
" Err he wouldn't eat, he said it hurt. So I mushed up some fruit and the still didn't work." She flapped.
" Okay, calm down. What he needs is yogurt. Do you have any?" She ran to the fridge and opened it. Nope.
" No"
" okay run to the shop down the road, get some" he commanded. As she ran from the kitchen to her bag and opened her purse. She had no money, nothing.
" Hic, I've got no money" and that's when she broke down. In tears, she slipped to the floor holding her knees in her arms head down crying. She only looked up when she felt hiccups arms on hers.
" Hey, it's okay" he reassured, while rubbing her arms.
" No it's not okay. I'm his mother, I'm supposed to know everything, be everything, and I can't even sooth a throat infection. How is he going to look up to me when he needs to." She sobbed as tears fell out her eyes.
" What happened to Astrid?"
" She became hopeless"
he rubbed her arms again. " look Astrid no one said raising a child is easy, i wouldnt know, but the first time I met Ollie he was an amazing little boy, and I knew he looks up to you as an amazing mother." She stared at him for a moment. " really?"
" Really. Now come on and get up. This is not like you. Now here is a £10 go to the shop quick." He said handing her a £10 as he helped her up. But Astrid being Astrid had to try and decline.
" No hiccup I can't take this" but the door knocking again paused this argument going any further. Astrid walked to the door and their stood the one and only Julia.
" Look Astrid I don't know if you have noticed but I have been forced to turn off your power, so-" Julia started.
" Oh I've noticed, how could you. I need this power, my son is ill." Argued Astrid as hiccup walked up from behind.
" Well all I ask is £200 of rent then I'll be out of your hair and your power will return." She scowled back.
" Does it look like I have £200 on me? I can't even afford yogurts on my own, my boyfriend's paying for me" she shouted back flashing her the money in her had. But before Julia could answer back, hiccup had already stepped in front handing Julia a hand of money.
" But I have, £200 in cash take it and please turn on the power." He forced the money into her hand not even looking at the bewildered Astrid behind him.
" See, that was easy the power will be on in 10 minutes" she patted the money into the side of her jacket then went strutting down the corridor up to her own apartment. Once out of sight hiccup turned to see Astrid looking more stressed than ever.
" Hiccup? I can't pay that back"
" Astrid I'm not giving you this money and expecting it back. I'm giving it you because I know you need it and your my best friend I've not seen for 7 years. Now go take my keys" he threw her his keys and pushed her out the door " and get yogurts I'll look after Ollie"
xx
Hiccup was right, the yogurts did work. He ate five in a row, and then finally went to sleep next to Astrid on the couch snoring slightly.
" Right I best be off its 3:00 now, I'll leave you two to rest" he kissed astrids cheek and rubbed Ollie's head, but not to ruff that he woke him. And the quietly left, he got to opening the door and stepping out when he heard Astrid call him back.
" Hiccup wait!" She ran to the door before he left. " I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you" he gave her that humble smile of his, which she knew he would say something sweet next.
" You would have thought of something, because your an amazing mother, and there is nothing you can't do for that boy of yours."
She smiled and blushed, there it was the sweetness. But hiccup had something else to say " err Astrid I don't know if you remember but before, you called me your boyfriend" he nervously spoke while rubbing the back of his neck. He watched as Astrid face turned to horror remembering.
" Oh my god, I'm sorry I guess it just slipped out"
" no, I kinda liked it. Being your boyfriend, it has a ring to it." He smirked leaning against the door frame.
" Was that your way of asking me to be your girlfriend?" Asked Astrid standing in front of him. And of coursed he smirked.
" Hey, I guess it is. So will you?" He gave her that smirk he used to give her, the one that would make her crumble to he knees.
" Your not just asking me though, there is also a two year old in that package" she looked back on Ollie who was still on the couch, then turned back to hiccup, no one wants a girl with a son involved. She had learned that from previous boy friends.
" I wouldn't ask if I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Astrid you have been my childhood crush since I was 7, you have been my friend, my best friend. And when you went away I thought I lost you. To tell you the truth I haven't had a proper girlfriend, they have all been one offs. The closest I got to a relationship was for 5 months then I found out she sleeps with other guys. You have been in my mind for 7 years, night and day, that night we spent together years ago has become I dream I relived every time I close my eyes. When I first saw you coming out of my dad's office I couldn't believe it, and that little boy you think every one will turn on has been the youngest person to make me smile like I do when I see you. He is so smart, and intelligent, you can see it in his imagination. Your right I'm not asking you, I'm asking both of you, to come into my life so I can get to know the two of you and you guys can get to know me." He grabbed her hands and brought her towards him, placing their foreheads together as he watched her breath in and out slowly, taking in every bit of detail he just spilled out.
" No one ever wants to get to know him" referring to Ollie and her eyes filled up " they all look at him like monster because of his biological father, even my own mother does, so why do you?" She asked as a tear slipped out.
" You once said that your mother and father are the people you are related to, your mum and dad are the people who raise you. Ollie wasn't raised by his farther, he was raised by you, and I can see what a remarkable young boy he is becoming, plus he makes me laugh." She kept his eyes on him, she knew hiccup was different to the other guys. Hiccup knows her, and really she couldn't see herself loving anyone but hiccup.
" So I'll ask again, properly this time, will you be my girlfriend Astrid?" Her eyes still gleamed from her tears but she still had a massive smile on her face.
" What do you think?" She smirked, knowing it would cause him to smirk. And it did. It also caused him to drag her closed to his lips kissing her ever so smoothly. And of course she kissed back after all he did deserve it, but the heating smooch had to come to an end as hiccup pulled away with an idea in his head.
" What?" She asksed knowing he was thinking of something.
" You know, you still owe me a second date." He smirked at her, causing her to narrow her brows together.
" And what would you suggest?"
" You, me, Ollie, my house I'll order Chinese for us two and Ollie can have as many yogurts so he likes, cause I've got loads and we can watch finding nemo since I may or may not have it on dvd." He said getting all excited.
Yet Astrid had a hard time answering that since she only had one question in mind " why do you have finding nemo on dvd?"
" It was my favourite movie when I was a kid"
" you were thirteen when it came out" she pointed out.
" Would you just answer the question"
" I don't know hic" she answered looking back on Ollie.
" Please" he pleaded.
" One minute" she went back through the door, soon hiccup heard clapping and a little croaky voice say " yeah" next he saw Astrid throw him a car seat.
" Put that in your car" she demanded going back into the apartment, he smiled to himself happily, he got the girl. And walked quickly to the car.
xx
They drove up to hiccups house, and it wasn't just any old house it was massive. Astrid gawked at it as hiccup came to a halt, she stepped out of the car, so did hiccup, she stared for ages until hiccup came up behind her. He wrapped both arms around her waist and rested his head in the crook of her neck.
" Are you just going to stare for the rest of the night?"
It took her a while to answer but she soon did. " this is your house?"
" It was a 21st birthday present" he said like it was normal to get a house at 21.
" Hic for my 21st my parents got me the shoes I had my eyes on for two years" she turned her head to him.
" Oh well okay then should we go in?" He unraveled his arms from her waist and opened the door to were Ollie slept soundly with billy, he had fell asleep in the past 10 minute drive.
" Ollie sweetie wakey wakey, we are here" Astrid soothly said, as she rubbed his arm gently waking him up. As soon as he was awake she unbuckled him and lifted him out of the car, gently placing him down on the grown.
Once in hiccup ordered the Chinese, while Astrid and Ollie looked around. The first thing Ollie saw was the big tv right in front of a nice cosy two cornered couch, his first instinct was to run up and jump right on and get comfy. Astrid still wandered around. A pool table, a mini bar, a wine shelf at the back of the kitchen. This place was a bachelor pad. She wandered round some more until she bumped into hiccup.
" Hey, so what do you think of the place?" He asked.
" Well, it's different" the disappointment in his face killed her.
" Different? You don't like it" and that last bit wasn't a question, he knew she didn't.
" No, no I do, it's just I'm seeing a lot of hazards for a two year old boy" she stated. It took a while before hiccup even acknowledge her answer. However he wasn't sad, in fact he was smiling. Smirking.
He walked up to her and placed his lips on her head before saying softly " and this is why your a great mother, now their are loads of yogurts in the fridge, help yourself. I've ordered food I'm just going to put on the DVDs for Ollie, you can join once you have the yogurts" before they parted he kissed her lips then went to check on Ollie.
xx
They were all sat staring at the movie, ollie had already fell asleep and Astrid kept nodding off him hiccups arms.
" Do you remember after collage when we used to come home to my house and cuddle on the couch like this?" Hiccup asked, trying to jog astrids memory.
" Oh yeah, they were the days"
" and you still look as beautiful" he said making her blush. He kept on falling asleep on his shoulder, hiccup knew she was tired, she hadn't slept properly for over 24 hours.
" Come on, time to go home. You've been fed, he's been fed and your both tired. I think you both deserve a good night sleep"
He got them in the car but just before he set off Astrid interrupted " hic I'm sorry I ruined our second date"
" are you kidding. Best second date ever" and he drove off to take them home.