Hello everyone,
late again, I know. But I think I will settle back to 1 chapter per week, because university started again, sorry.
Glad you liked the last chapter. Thanks for the reviews.
Disclaimer: No changes here, like always.
Nonetheless my nervousness just grows the closer I get to the birth. Until one Sunday I discover something strange while taking a shower. I am washing myself, not being able to keep my thoughts off the fact that my baby can come any day according to my calculations. Kanda took leave from his work. I call it maternity leave but he says he is officially just on sick leave. But still I am incredibly glad to have him here with me all the time. He is still working from home anyway, so his employer can't complain that he is missing so soon after taking two weeks of vacation to go to Japan.
But suddenly I encounter something strange on my body. I freeze and without thinking I run out of the shower, just managing to grab a towel in the process. Storming into the living room, I cause Kanda to jump nearly three feet high.
"Kanda! Kanda! Look here!" I yell panicking.
"What it is?" he hurriedly stands up from the sofa, "Is it time?"
"What? No, no. I just… I-I have a new entrance," I sniffle, hormones coming through again.
It takes him a moment to understand then he relaxes and walks over to me, ignoring my naked state and draws me into an embrace, "That is completely normal. Remember the doctor in Japan said that you will form a birth canal sometime before the birth. That only means you are close. Calm down."
"But, but…" I sniffle into his shoulder.
"It does not matter to me. You are you and all that changes is the fact that we have to pay attention now, because you can go in labour any time, okay?" He pulls my head up to look me in the eyes.
"Okay," I mumble.
"Good and now off you go. Finish showering or get yourself some clothes. We can't have you catch a cold, can we?"
"No," I beam at him and after a short peck on his mouth I hurry back to the bathroom.
But in the end all this incident managed to do was to increase my nervousness about the impending birth. Yes, we have everything prepared. There is a nursery set up in my room, I am not sleeping there anyway. Kanda forced me to read up on how the birth works. We have talked to River and he put me onto the list of the hospital he is working in, so I can simply go there when I have to give birth. Still I am pretty afraid that something might happen to my child. As if to assure me, he sends a series of kicks against my stomach wall.
Two peaceful days pass. On the third it changes. Early in the morning Kanda gets an urgent call from his work. I am sleeping when his phone rings. Groaning I burry my face in the pillow.
"Kanda!" I whine, "Turn it off!"
He grumbles and moves, searching for the device. When he finally grabs it, he curses.
"It's the work. I have to answer that. You sleep on, moyashi."
"Kanda," he puts the receiver at his ear.
"What? But I can't."
"Yes, but I called in sick leave."
"I understand the situation, but I can't come."
"No, I am okay. But – "
"Would you listen? I have a highly pregnant partner at home."
"What does that mean, you don't care? I can't just leave him alone."
"But you can't just – "
I hear him grit his teeth, "No, I don't want to be fired."
"Yes, but I am allowed to leave immediately if needed."
"Yes, in an hour."
He angrily snaps the device shut and throws it on the nightstand.
"Fucking idiots!" he curses, "Shit! There couldn't be any worse fucking timing."
Tiredly I force my eyes open. I did only halfway listen to his call but I didn't like what I heard. Looking at him I see his angry face, one hand is running through his long strands.
"Kanda? What is it?"
He sighs and leans down to press a kiss to my forehead, "I'm really sorry, moyashi, but I have to go. These jerks at the work forced me to come because of an 'emergency'. Apparently they got a big request which has to be finished in three days but they have only about half of the normal staff available and this isn't enough. So they are pulling who they can."
"You have to leave? But you can't. The baby can come any day now," I look at him desperately.
"I know," he strokes my hair, "But I can't do anything. I need this job. My savings will only last so long and they threatened to fire me."
"When will you be back?" my eyes are shining with tears.
"In the evening," he softly kisses me on the lips, "If anything happens call me, alright?"
I nod and throw myself around his neck. He strokes my back and murmurs calming words to me.
"You will manage today alone. There is enough food in the kitchen. I will tidy up when I come home. Take it easy and sleep as much as you can. And if you feel anything, no matter how small, just call me, I have my mobile with me."
"Okay," I mumble and give him a last passionate kiss, one hand supporting my bulge.
"And now go back to sleep," he says, shortly laying one hand over mine, "I will be back as soon as I can."
With that he leaves the bed and later the apartment. I fall back into the cushions, burying my face again. I suddenly feel so alone and helpless. If the baby comes now, I can't even get out of the flat on my own. Softly I stroke my belly.
"Please little one, wait just a bit longer. Don't come until Kanda is back. I can't do it on my own."
Luckily I fall back asleep soon, but with an uneasy feeling which I am sure comes from the fact that Kanda is not laying next to me.
Fortunately the day is calm and all I get are the usual backaches and swollen ankles. Only now do I realise how much Kanda actually did for me each day during my last month.
When he returns after seven o'clock in the evening he looks tired. Nonetheless he greets me with a kiss on the mouth and puts the dishes I used in the washer. Before going to bed, he gives me a massage and lays down next to me.
"Do you have to go tomorrow as well?" I ask, already drowsy, shortly before falling asleep.
He strokes my back, "Yes, I'm sorry. Tomorrow and the day after that. But when it is over I have two weeks just for you, I promise."
I nod and simply cuddle deeper into his warmth, happy to have him back and deciding to ignore the rest for now.
The next day I don't even wake up when he leaves the bed. Breakfast is ready when I walk into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing my aching back. I smile softly and set to eating. This time I put the dishes away myself. I go back to bed after breakfast, dozing or reading while relaxing my back. Lunch I have to make myself.
I have just finished eating when I feel it the first time. A twinge of pain shoots up my spine from the region of my lower back. Uncomfortably I rub the place.
"That hurt quite a bit, little mister. It would be nice to refrain from that," I mumble to my child.
But I simply ignore it and go on to bring my plate back into the kitchen. When my back keeps on hurting the whole afternoon through I decide to take a shower, in hopes that the warm water will relax me. It does, to some extent. But as soon as I'm out of it the pain returns. I groan, great! Sometimes I really wish the whole pregnancy would just be over. But because my thoughts are too focused on Kanda and the fact that he is not here with me, I don't dwell all that long on the pains, putting them off as backaches and the baby kicking.
The evening I am tired and lay in bed when I hear the front door open and Kanda come home at about eight o'clock in the evening. He walks straight into the bedroom and I groggily heave myself into a sitting position. He looks even more tired than yesterday, but smiles softly when he sees me. Pulling off his jacket, he sits himself on the bed next to me and gives me a kiss on the lips.
"Hey, moyashi. Sorry, I am so late. Are you okay?"
I supress a wince due to another pain shooting through me. They have become slightly worse since the afternoon. Nonetheless I force a smile on my face.
"I'm fine. But I missed you. And my back is bothering me."
"Want a massage?" he asks.
"If you won't fall asleep in the middle of it," I tease him, "You look ready to."
He rolls his eyes, "Turn around, baka moyashi."
His hands feel good on my skin and for the first time today, my muscles relax completely. I sigh in contentment and lean against him. Soon I am dozing again and Kanda lays me down on the mattress while he goes to the bathroom to get ready for bed as well. I only groan when another pain shoots through me. Kanda comes back, slides into the bed next to me and pulls me to his body.
"Night moyashi."
"Goodnight," I murmur back, but somehow I don't feel the calm I usually feel when I go to sleep in his arms.
But he doesn't seem to notice because it doesn't take long, especially for him, until I hear slow and regular breathing. He's dead asleep. But I can't seem to follow him. I still feel the strange pains and can't find any position which is comfortable. I keep on moving, turning every few minutes, which earns me quite some displeased groans from Kanda. He lets me go to give me the room to get comfortable, but I still can't keep laying in one position. After about an hour he finally grabs my wrist, his half-open eyes shining in the darkness.
"Moyashi, can you keep still for goodness' sake? I have another long working day tomorrow and I would very much like to sleep," he grumbles.
"Sorry," I lower my head.
He only mumbles something and turns the other direction. I watch him for a moment before the next pain forces me to groan. They are not getting better. Probably even worse. I sigh in exasperation and lay on my side, trying to fight the urge to keep moving.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading.
I guess you all know what is happening.
See you next chapter and please review.