Pregnancy didn't exactly suit the fearless Astrid Hofferson-Haddock. She wasn't used to people fawning over her and treating her like she could break at any second. In fact, she loathed the way people were treating her. She spent most of her young life making it a point to prove to everyone in the village that she was tough, strong, and she could take care of herself.
Getting married and having children hadn't exactly been something she had dreamed about as a girl, not like the other girls in her village. Sure, she knew it was a strong possibility, but she didn't give it a lot of thought. She especially never thought she would end up marrying the Chief of Berk. Being the wife of the leader of their clan definitely had their perks, but unfortunately being the pregnant wife of the Chief of Berk and carrying the next heir was NOT one of those perks. Everyone doted on her like she was made of egg shells. The older woman of the village loved to gather and tell her exactly what she should and shouldn't be doing. "Oh dear, you can't eat THAT now!" and "Oh sweetheart, you shouldn't stand on that ladder, please, allow Snotlout to do that instead!"
Oh she hated it. She had only been with child for a few months and already she was ready for the whole experience to be over with. It didn't help that her body was betraying her as well. She was hungry all the time, yet anytime she looked at food, her stomach retched and twisted. Of course, anytime anyone caught her losing her meal, she felt like it was a sign of weakness.
She had sat with Valka and discussed her feelings, but her mother in law had only laughed. "Just wait." She had said, confidently. "Once the babe comes, it will all be worth it."
She wished she could be so sure.
Even Hiccup was walking around the village with a spring in his step, his head held a little higher. The men would give him a little punch in the arm with a "good going, man!" and a "That-a-boy Hiccup!" and he would just smile and thank them for their congratulations. Even HE had started treated Astrid a little differently. It wasn't obvious at first, but little by little, he slowly backed off from asking for her help around the village like normal. When Astrid confronted him about it, he had just gushed, "You have the most important job of all! Taking care of our little guy!" He rubbed an affectionate hand on her barely swollen belly and kissed her forehead.
The truth was, Astrid was terrified.
Anytime anyone had a baby in the village, all the young viking teens and women without their own children yet would gather to blubber over the newest addition, pinching little cheeks and squealing in delight. Astrid had just never felt that way. She didn't see what the fuss was about.
She was going to be a terrible, awful mom. She just knew it.
But one day, things began to change.
She and Hiccup were sitting together at their dining room table. Hiccup was reading through and making edits to the dragon manual, and Astrid was sitting sideways, leaning up against him and trying her hardest to knit a little sleeper, when suddenly she felt something. She sat up suddenly and stiffened as she waited to see if it would happen again.
"What… what is it?" Hiccup turned to look at his wife, concerned.
"Uh… nothing. I think…" Astrid brought her hand to rest on the small swell of her abdomen. She was becoming more and more aware of a little sensation. It felt like little butterfly wings tickling the inside of her belly, or maybe she would more liken it to very soft fingertips just barely drumming on the underside of her stomach. It was the first evidence that there was something going on inside her body besides the need to throw up every time she smelled yak.
She looked back at Hiccup who had reached out and began to rub at her shoulders. "I think I felt… something."
Hiccup's eyes grew large and the grin on his face widened so far that she thought his face might break in half. "Really?"
She turned to face him on the bench and he excitedly placed his hands on her belly.
She winced apologetically, "I don't know if you can feel it yet…its very… tiny."
"But you felt it?" he asked, his eyes moving from her belly up to meet her eyes, wide with excitement. She placed her hands over his on her stomach and smiled. For the first time since she found out she was expecting, she could envision the little life inside her. As she looked into Hiccup's excited eyes, she could see those shining eyes on a little boy or girl, she could see that goofy little grin playing with the dragons. More importantly, for the first time, feeling her heart swell with love at the idea of their little family, she knew she could do it. She knew they could do it.
She still didn't like being doted on, and she definitely didn't like anyone telling her what she could and couldn't do, but at least now, Astrid carried the private smile of an expectant mother, aware of the little ticklings of the life growing inside her.
