Hope this chapter clears up the whole is she or isn't she pregnant confusion.
Enjoy :)
Charlotte was sitting on the couch, curled up with a blanket over her legs. She had a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream resting on her stomach, which was looking more like pea soup now. She was watching The Colbert Report, trying to remember the last time she could see her toes.
Cooper walked into the house and glanced at Charlotte. He took off his backpack and set it down on the table beside the front door and walked over to her. He sat on the couch and let his hand wander up her leg. "Sorry, I'm late."
She turned her head and smiled. "Hey."
He leaned down and kissed her knee. "Did you have a nice night with Amelia? She was coming over, right?"
She nodded. "Mmhmm. She just left 'bout a half hour ago. She painted my toenails."
He smiled. "I can see that." He scooted closer to her and leaned over, pressing his lips against hers. "I didn't give you a proper hello."
She laughed and put the bowl of ice cream on the coffee table. "What have you been doin' this whole time?"
"I got some paint samples so we can start getting the nursery ready, and then I stopped by Violet's new place to see how she and Lucas were settling in. One thing led to the next and we got to talking about the baby and then Pete and then we started reminiscing about our friendship and how it used to be before I was with you and before Mason. I lost track of time."
She sighed.
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You're not gonna—you're not—."
"Just say it, Char. I've never known you not to spit out whatever's bothering you about Violet, so spill it."
She sighed. "You're not gonna go running to her again, are you? I know she's your best friend, but we had this conversation last year 'bout how much time you were spendin' with her. I like it this way."
He shook his head and massaged her ankle. "It's not like that, sweetie. Life's just taken over and me and Vi aren't as close as we used to be, that's all. I agree that what we were doing before worked one time—the time when we weren't in serious relationships. It'll never be like that again, not that extreme anyway. But I miss it—her, I mean."
Charlotte nodded. "I don't care what you do, Coop, but I come first."
"Always. There's no doubt what my priorities are." He rested his hand on her growing belly. "You and this little girl are my priorities. Always will be."
She smiled. "Just checkin'."
"But Violet's going through some stuff right now with Pete and I need to be there for her."
"You gonna move in with her again?" She scoffed.
He sighed. "Of course not. You're still not over that?"
"Why would I be? It doesn't matter that we're married now. You were sleepin' with me and decided to move in with Violet without even lettin' me know beforehan' or what the damn reason was, Cooper. Someone doesn't just get over that." She paused. "I didn't say that to dredge this whole thin' up again. I've moved on from that, but I've never forgotten it."
He nodded. "That was kind of idiotic, wasn't it?"
"A little bit."
He laughed and kissed her on the lips. "It won't escalate to that."
She smiled. "I know it won't."
"'Cause you'd kill me?"
"No, I'd just make you sleep on the couch whenever you decided to come home." She laughed and stood up. "I'm gonna go take a shower."
"You ok?"
She looked up from grabbing her bowl off the table. "With you hanging out with Violet?"
He nodded. "And just in general."
"She's your best friend, Coop, and she needs you right now, I get it. Separation is hard. Long as you're here with me when I need you to be, it's fine." She walked over to the couch and pushed her lips into his and smiled against them. "You're mine and always will be. Just remember your priorities." She rested her hand on his crotch and grabbed him, smirking at him.
He swallowed and pulled her down for another kiss. He broke away and leaned back on the couch. "She's strong. She and Pete will get back together and all this will be a distant memory. Violet's having fun, but I still need to show my support. I may have gotten lucky with you, but she and Pete are working through some stuff, and I'd like to be there for her."
Charlotte smiled. "Lucky, huh?"
"Ok, I admit, it wasn't luck. It was my pure awesomeness that got you to fall head-over-heels in love with me, but either way, I'm a lucky guy."
She slapped him and walked into the kitchen. She put her bowl in the sink and ran some water in it. "We can't all be this lucky."
"No, ma'am."
She smiled and disappeared upstairs.
Cooper opened the bathroom door and walked in.
Charlotte poked her head out of the shower and raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"
He shook his head. "Not really."
"Well, long as you're here, mind helpin' me with this dang soap?"
He smiled. "Lather you up with soap in places you can't reach?" He licked his lips. "Sure, I can do that." He laughed and took the puff from her.
She slapped him across the chest, leaving a wet handprint on his shirt.
He exaggerated the movements, going slower than normal, getting the puff in places his hands would die to go right now. He finished and handed her the puff. He pressed his lips against hers quickly and smiled. "That work for you?"
She nodded. "Mmhmm." She smiled and slipped under the cascade of hot water, running her hands through her hair.
He leaned against the wall and watched as the water trickled down over her breasts, her belly bump, down her legs, and watched as it pooled at her feet.
She opened an eye and glanced at him, his face distorted by the water. "Cooper."
He blinked slowly. "I'll let you finish." He shut the door and walked out into the bedroom, collapsing onto the mattress.
Charlotte walked out, wrapped in a white bath sheet, and crawled into bed next to him.
He rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, and pressed his lips into her exposed, damp shoulder, and then kissed her neck. His lips lingered against her collarbone as his fingers ran through her towel-dried hair. He turned her head towards him and pushed his lips against hers softly. He scooted closer to her and let his hand brush against her shoulders, up her neck, and across her cheek.
She smiled. "Tomorrow, you wanna go shoppin' for baby stuff?"
He nodded. "After I get those samples on the wall and we pick the colors, sure."
"Ok."
"It's gonna creep up on us."
"My due date?"
He nodded.
"Maybe for you, but I'm the one that's got a reminder with me all day, every day."
"I didn't mean it like that, Char. The weeks are gonna go by and we're gonna realize we're not prepared for her, that's what I mean."
She sighed. "Way to tell a woman who's 'fraid to have a baby that we're not prepared for it. Thank you for that."
He laughed. "Sorry."
She shook her head. "I'm only kiddin', Coop. Lord knows, she's gonna come faster than we can get ready for her. I know it. I've got time to freak out over how much stuff we've gotta do 'fore she gets here." She paused. "It'll probably be tomorrow."
He laughed. "We'll get it all done. We've got a couple months left."
She nodded. "I'll feel better when the nursery is finished. At least, she'll have somewhere to sleep."
"Yep." He kissed her on the temple.
She smiled and stood up. She looked at him, his blue eyes staring at her. "What?"
He scooted over to her, sat on the edge of the bed, and loosened the towel around her. He rested his hand on her stomach and glanced up at her. He smiled and brushed his thumbs over her skin. "Hellllloooo in there."
Charlotte grunted. "Must you do that?"
"Yes. She can hear you. It helps her get used to your voice. Besides, I like talking to my daughter. There's a baby in there."
"Thanks for tellin' me, Coop. I did not know there was a baby in there."
He laughed. "I'm just a wee-bit excited."
"A wee-bit? You sure about that?"
He smiled and kissed her stomach. "Don't listen to momma. She's just embarrassed that I caught her talking to you the other day when she thought no one was listening. I heard her sing to you too." He stood up and pressed his lips against Charlotte's. "No need to be embarrassed, my love. She needs to hear your voice."
"I was talkin' to her 'cause she was movin' and jumpin' around in my uterus and I was tryin' to relax."
He laughed. "You love her, Char. You don't need to make up reasons for why you're talking to her." He paused and smiled at her. "I love you."
"I know."
"And you're beautiful."
She rolled her eyes. "Enough."
He stood up and kissed the top of her head. He let his hands wander over her naked body and swallowed, pulling his hands away. "Sorry."
She glanced at him, her eyebrows raised. "Wanna do somethin' crazy?"
"By crazy, do you mean—?"
"That's exactly what I mean." She smirked and pushed him back on the bed. "It's been a few weeks."
He nodded. "Mmhmm." He let out a breath and scooted back towards the pillows.
She crawled into bed and straddled him. She angled herself a little and cupped the sides of his face in her hands. She pressed her lips against his and sucked on his bottom lip for a few seconds, her teeth digging into the skin. "It's overdue," she mumbled.
He nodded and rested his hand on her back, as he deepened their kisses.
Cooper woke up the next morning, with a smile on his face.
Charlotte was pressed against him, snoring softly, peacefully. She shifted a little and yanked on the sheet.
"You up?"
She opened her eyes and rolled over to face him. "Mmhmm."
"How'd you sleep?"
She shrugged. "The sex helped."
"Rocked her to sleep, I bet." He smiled and kissed her on the lips. "Morning."
"Mornin'." She slowly sat up and pushed herself back on the pillows. She fought back a yawn and pulled the sheets up, covering herself. She turned her head. "You still wanna go shoppin'?"
"You think I'd change my mind between last night and this morning?"
"It's been known to happen."
He laughed. "I still wanna go shopping. After breakfast, I'm gonna paint blocks of color on the wall and we'll pick the colors. Get that out of the way, so we know what we're looking for."
She nodded. "Sounds good."
"I'm leaning towards cream and lavender or the sage is kind of pretty too."
"We'll see what looks best."
"We shall." He paused. "Stay in bed. I'll go make us breakfast."
"I can help."
"You wanna crack an egg?"
"You makin' fun of my cookin' skills or lack thereof I should say."
"No, of course not." He laughed and pressed his lips against hers. "All those maids growing up and not one of them showed you how to cook?"
"No."
"Maybe now that we're about to have a baby, you'll use this opportunity to learn."
"You have a problem with me not knowin' how to cook?"
He sighed. "Not particularly, no, but there are going to be times where I'm not here and you're gonna have to cook for our daughter. Casserole, eggs, soup, and takeout aren't gonna cut it. And I guess it doesn't make a difference at the moment 'cause she's gonna be living off your milk for a while and the solid food she's gonna be eating eventually are just dry cereal and stuff like that, but I think it'd be good for you to learn—for our child's sake."
She nodded.
"Besides, you're like amazing at everything, so I'm sure learning how to cook won't be a problem. You're good at math and you know how to read. That's all you really need to know how to do to follow a recipe."
She laughed. "You can teach me."
"I could."
She let out a breath. "I'm kind of hungry."
"Right, breakfast." He stood up and leaned over the bed, resting his knee on the mattress and kissing her.
"That came out wrong. I wasn't orderin' you to make me breakfast."
He nodded. "I know. You're cracking the eggs, remember?"
She smiled. "Mmhmm." She stood up and wrapped herself in the bathrobe. "I'll meet you in the kitchen," she said before disappearing into the bathroom, while he walked down into the kitchen.
Cooper was resting in a rocking chair at the store.
Charlotte nudged him. "Cooper."
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'm testing it out. This is an important decision."
"Well? Is it comfy?"
"It's heaven." He stood up and motioned for her to sit down. He grabbed the lavender nursing pillow out of the cart and handed it to her. "Now imagine you're holding her in your arms and you're breastfeeding her. How's it feel? The chair not the hypothetical feeding."
She rolled her eyes. "I figured that's what you meant, Coop."
He laughed. "Just making it clear."
She let out a breath and propped her feet up on the paired ottoman. "It's a keeper."
"Best one we've seen?"
She nodded. "Best seat my ass has been in all day."
He laughed. "Good." He paused. "You don't wanna get up, do you?"
She shook her head. "No." She paused. "My legs are cramping and my back hurts."
He sighed. "We can rest here a while." He took the bag of animal crackers out of the cart and handed them to her, along with her water bottle. "Refuel."
She smiled and took the snack. She opened the bag and took out a few crackers. She looked at them. "The universe is tryin' to tell me."
"What?"
"Out of all the animals I coulda got, I grabbed two hippos and a cow."
He swallowed, trying to keep himself from laughing. "Well, I think you're beautiful."
"You're not helpin'." She bit the head off the hippo. "That's helpin'."
He smiled. "At least you blend in here."
She grunted.
"That came out wrong, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
She sighed. "I know." She paused. "I'm pregnant. I'm huge. It ain't a new development. I'm only gonna get bigger."
"But you look hot pregnant," he emphasized. "You're like the hottest pregnant woman I know."
She laughed. "Ok, now you're helpin'."
He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her softly. He broke away and smiled. He moved her feet and sat down, replacing her feet on his legs. He took off her right sneaker and dug his thumbs into the sole of her foot, adding light pressure as he slid his hand up and down.
She looked around and swallowed. "Here?"
"Why not?"
She shrugged. "'Cause we're in public."
"We're in a store full of pregnant women and we're surrounded by baby stuff. I think they understand that you need a pit stop and a quick foot and leg massage."
She nodded. "Proceed."
He smiled. "Just eat your crackers and let me do my job."
"Well, excuse me."
He laughed. "Do as I say, woman."
"Yes, sir," she joked and bit the head off the cow.
A few minutes later, he glanced at her. She was half-asleep. He rubbed her leg, stirring her awake. He smiled. "You ready to go home?"
"We're not done shoppin'," she said, fighting the urge to yawn.
"You're done shopping. We can come back another day and besides half the stuff we still need to get is on your baby registry."
She nodded. He had a point there. "Can we stop at the store and get some frozen yogurt?"
"Sure." He paused. "And I have a surprise for you. I forgot I had it in the car."
"What is it?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."
"Please, just tell me."
"You're no fun."
"Please?"
He sighed. "Fine." He paused. "Your copy of To Kill a Mockingbird is falling apart 'cause you crack it open so many times, so I got you another one. I know you read it to our daughter before you go to sleep, so I thought you'd like a new one."
She smiled, but tensed up a little. "You didn't throw out my old one, did you?"
"And risk you biting my head off like that cow or hippo, no ma'am. It's still on the shelf in the office."
"I always thought you were asleep."
He shook his head. "Not always."
"Have I been keepin' you up 'cause I can read it—."
He kissed her, cutting her off. "No, you haven't. I've been listening on purpose."
She let out a breath. "She'll have it memorized by the time she learns how to read."
Cooper nodded. "It's your favorite book and now it'll be hers." He paused. "Speaking of hers, we need to pick a name. We've known that she's a girl for a month and a half now. I think she deserves to be called something besides her and she."
"Put it on the list, Coop—the never-ending, list."
He nodded. "It'll feel good when we can start checking this stuff off."
"Definitely." She looked around. "Do they have a bathroom?"
He looked at her. "You're in a baby store, Charlotte. Of course they have a bathroom."
"That's not really what I meant to say."
"You mean, where is it?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"I think I saw it back by the clothes—so straight back and to your right."
She stood up and smoothed out the front of her shirt. "I'll be right back."
"I'm gonna go pay for this stuff."
She grabbed her wallet and took out her credit card. "Put half on this."
"Char, you have your account, I have mine, and we have a shared one. I don't need your credit card. Half your money and half my money will be going into this anyway."
She nodded. "Right. Force of habit."
"Go to the bathroom and meet me at the registers." He paused. "Wait. Are you mine tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you have other plans for the rest of the day? Like Amelia plans or otherwise?"
She shook her head. "Oh, no, 'less she calls me."
He nodded. "Ok."
"Why?"
"No reason. I just wanna spend the day with my pregnant wife, that's all." He smiled. "Put your credit card away and go to the bathroom."
She slipped her credit card into her wallet and took off for the back of the store.
Cooper shook his head and walked towards the front of the store. Some things never change. He laughed and got on line.
Thank you for reading and reviewing...keep it up.
This is the final stretch.
:)
and I have no idea if Private Practice will be renewed, but I hope so :D