Life goes on
It gets so heavy.
The wheel breaks the butterfly.
Every tear, a waterfall.
In the night, the stormy night,
She closed her eyes.
In the night, the stormy night,
Away she'd fly.

Coldplay - Paradise

December 2017 - Thirty-eights Weeks Pregnant

"Where are you going?" asked Carlie who was sitting on the sofa with her back resting against a couple of soft pillows wearing yoga pants and one of Wendell's t-shirts. Wendell was shaved, showered and wearing a white shirt and black trousers.

"Hodgins has some tickets to some boxing thing and I am being forced to come. They think I am worrying too much and that I need a break apparently." said Wendell fastening the buttons on his cuffs. "I don't want to though because of how close you are to your due date. I cannot believe in two weeks she'll be here."

"I'll be fine. There will be Christmas cooking shows, even though we'll be going to your mother's this year. Will's at a friend's house for the night so I may just call it a day." said Carlie. "Also, I'll call you if something happens." She wriggled and winced as she tried to find a comfortable position.

"Are you okay?" asked Wendell.

"Back ache and she is kicking." answered Carlie. "You know that shirt would be good with a waistcoat."

The door knocked. Wendell went to the door and opened it to find Lisa standing at the door.

"Hey Carls, you won't be alone after all." said Wendell.

"I assume that you are going to this boxing thing that Lance is going to." said Lisa.

"I have been dragged." said Wendell. He let Lisa pass and followed her into the living room.

"Hey guess what?" said Lisa sitting on the couch next to Carlie. "I have a job tonight and I need a photographer."

"Why are you asking me?" asked Carlie.

"You're the best photographer I know."

"I'm also hugely pregnant and my waters could break at any moment." said Carlie.

"Lisa, I'm not sure she can go to this job of yours." said Wendell.

"She can sit down. Look, we're going to this job at some place where there will be loads of chairs and I'll be doing most of the work." said Lisa.

"Look, I know that I can barely move five inches without my back aching but I am not going to have a chance to go out for the next two years." said Carlie. "As I said, I'll call you if something happens. However, I look like crap."

"You don't look like crap." said Wendell. "You look beautiful. Carls, this weight is going to drop off you as soon as you have the baby."

"Besides, I will help with your look." said Lisa.

"Do you promise to call if something happens?" asked Wendell

"I promise." said Carlie. After a quick kiss, Wendell went to the bedroom, pulled out a waistcoat, kissed her again and left the apartment.

"Okay, so what do you have to wear that looks nice?" asked Lisa.

"A bunch of maternity clothes that make me look fatter than I am." answered Carlie.

"Okay, I am going to get the makeup box. You are hot. It's just that you have a human growing inside you so we need to emphasise that more." said Lisa. "I was thinking those beige chinos and the white frilly top."

"If you say so. So what is this job?"

"We are following a socialite for the evening to this sports club and then we might go to a party." said Lisa.

"We are following?" asked Carlie.

"I am following, you are taking the photos." said Lisa. "Now where is that makeup box?"

"Hold on I need a shower." said Carlie.

Carlie's back felt as though it had been tied into a giant knot and the hot shower did little to relieve the tension. Once she was dressed in her beige chinos and the frilly white top and beige flat shoes, Lisa had done her makeup and hair.

"Do you see how pretty you look?" asked Lisa when she held up a mirror.

"My face has gotten fat." said Carlie.

"You look pretty." said Lisa. "Are you ready?"

"We might as well get it over and done with."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Wow, what I would give to live in a place like that." said Lisa. "How are you feeling?"

"I would really like these back pains to stop but I gained about a bit of weight this week so her weight is pressing against my spine." said Carlie. "What time were we supposed to meet this woman anyway?"

"In a minute I think." said Lisa.

"Does she have brunette hair by any chance?"

Lisa honked and the brunette coming out of one of the house looked at the yellow car. Lisa opened the door and said, "You're Fern right?"

"You're looking at the right girl. I assume that you are the journalist who is following me tonight." said the woman.

"Yeah, so why don't you get into the car so we can get this show on the road?"

"We're going in the limo." said Fern.

"Does this mean I have to get out of the car?" asked Carlie.

"It looks like it." said Lisa. "Hold on I'll help you."

Lisa got out of her car and helped Carlie up. They walked – waddling in Carlie's case – to the limo and got in.

"You brought a pregnant girl along?" asked Fern.

"Carlie is a good photographer so I bought her along for the ride." said Lisa.

"Should she be walking considering how big she is?" asked Fern.

"According to my friend, some tribe somewhere in Maluku that have pregnant women working right up until they are ready to squat on the floor and push the baby out." said Carlie.

"Yeah, interesting. Shall we get this show on the road?" asked Fern.

"Okay, I am going to ask you a few questions. One, what is the most ridiculous rumour that you have heard about yourself?" asked Lisa.

"There was a rumour once that I was in a threesome that involved Pamela Anderson. As if." said Fern.

"Okay, what about your life's ambition?" asked Carlie looking at Lisa's notepad.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So what usually happens around this time is that I try to look for someone to – Hey watch it." Fern said while talking to Lisa but she bumped into Carlie without realising.

"Careful, she's pregnant." Lisa said.

"Does she know how much this dress cost?" Fern asked sounding annoyed.

"One, I have a name. Two, a baby costs more than a dress." Carlie said sitting on the sun bed by the pool.

"I don't know your name but for now I'll call you pregnant girl. I'll remember it better." Fern said smirking before strutting away.

"It is like high school all over again." said Carlie.

"Hey, just ignore her. You are prettier and smarter than she is. She wouldn't know how to spell dignity even if it was written on her forehead." Lisa said sitting next to her.

"Hard to have dignity when you're walking like a penguin with boobs like wet sandbags."

"Honey, I get you don't feel comfortable around a bunch of skinny girls but remember you have a great guy and a better, natural rack than any of those other girls."

"I suppose that makes me feel better."

"Good, now quit looking miserable and help me watch what Ms Willoughby does." They both watched Fern move over to some guy. "Seriously, whatever happened to feminism?" Lisa asked.

"It's still there. It's just that Fern Willoughby must have misinterpreted burning of the bras with get the knickers off and act like a total slut." Carlie said snapping a photo.

"Isn't he like a massive hockey player?" Lisa asked pointing to a man next to Fern.

"I think so."

"But it looks like her friend Chanterelle may be getting in first."

"No she's walking past him and towards… no way." said Carlie trying to push herself up.

"What?" Lisa asked.

"Look who she is going for." Lisa looked a moment and saw Chanterelle heading towards Sweets.

"Right, no more Miss Nice Girl." Lisa said getting up and running towards her partner.

"I'll just stay here shall I?" Carlie said to herself

"Right, you PVC skank." Lisa said to Chanterelle "Keep off my man or those bits of plastic you call breasts will - OH MY GOD!" She yelled when she saw someone floating on top of the hot tub. That someone was Finn.

What's with all the yelling?" Hodgins asked running towards the hot tub where Sweets and Wendell were pulling Finn out. "Shit, is he breathing?"

"I'm not sure." Sweets said as they lay Finn on the floor.

"We heard shouting, what's going on?" Some of the group said running towards the hot tub.

"Finn, he was floating in the hot tub." Lisa said checking Finn's pulse.

"Move I know what to do." Fern said pushing Lisa out the way. Immediately she began performing mouth-to-mouth on him.

"He's going o be alright, isn't he?" Carlie asked concernedly holding Wendell's hand that was around her shoulder as he was trying to keep her back.

At that point, Finn spluttered out some water and coughed. "See, told you he'd be alright." Fern said standing up and straightening her dress out.

"You alright, buddy?" Wendell asked helping Finn up along with Sweets.

"Not sure. What the hell happened?" Finn answered.

"Not sure but Lisa found you floating on top." Sweets answered. "How much did you drink?"

"Not that much."

They got to the summerhouse and Finn was laid on one of the loungers. "You stay here and sleep of some that booze. I'm not sure who would kill us first: Cam or Michelle." Wendell said.

"I don't think I drunk that much." Finn insisted. "Someone must have tried to drown me."

"I don't think so Finn." Carlie said. "You were pretty out of it earlier. Mind you Fisher isn't looking to good. He's still trying to pull that Sam woman."

"You alright Babe?" Wendell said rubbing her shoulder.

"Yeah, my back hurts still but I'm fine. He should be the one in need of looking after." She said pointing to Finn. "I don't mind keeping an eye on him. I'm not much use to anyone out there with this." she said laying her hand on her bump and Wendell lay his hand on top of hers.

"You are not useless." He said engulfing her in a hug. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, go and have fun. Just don't end up nearly drowning, please."

"Seriously, I think I have become a diabetic." Sweets said to himself.

Later that night, Carlie started to feel some aching in her belly but tried to ignore it. However by half two in the morning, they had become intense.

"Are you okay?" asked Finn.

"Yeah, my belly is aching." said Carlie.

"Wait, are you sure that you are not in labour?"

"Yeah, I am sure that I am not in labour." said Carlie before she doubled over. "Oh God. My water just broke."