Melanie was sitting at the kitchen table, a cold cup of tea in front of her, bright and early the next morning. After waking up to find Chris in bed next to her, his face mushed into the pillows that weren't as soft as the ones in their bedroom, Melanie was torn between wanting to curl back up next to him or kicking him out of the apartment. Instead, she pulled herself out of bed and disappeared into the kitchen to collect her thoughts.

"There you are," Chris said quietly, as he came into the room. "What are you doing up so early?"

Melanie stared at the clock on the stove, the green LED lights read five-thirty, but her body was telling her that it was much earlier and that she should be back in bed.

Chris moved to sit down at in the chair on the other side of the table, watching her warily as she sat still and silent. "Mel," he said a few minutes later, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for what I said to you yesterday. I was out of line and I didn't mean to make you feel like your feelings and concerns didn't matter."

"But you said it anyway," she said softly, blinking.

"I know I did,' he nodded. "But I am willing to do whatever it takes to prove to you that I'm sorry."

Melanie looked down at the cup, her tea long gone cold by now. "Do you remember when you said you wouldn't hurt me?" she asked.

He wilted at the question, because he knew exactly what he said the night they got back together after their messy breakup. "Yes," he nodded. "I remember."

She looked up at him, "You really hurt my feelings, Chris," she shook her head. "You made me feel like an idiot and in return, it makes me not want to tell you anything anymore."

"Oh honey," he shook his head, reaching across the table, touching her hand. "I'm so sorry."

Melanie shook her head; "I'm supposed to trust you with my thoughts, Chris. You tell me that I should tell you everything that I'm feeling, and then you go and laugh at me in return."

"You can tell me everything, Mel," he squeezed her hand. "I don't know why I acted the way I did last night. The only excuse I can give you is that I'm an asshole and I really don't deserve to be this lucky to have you. I keep fucking up."

'I just can't trust you right now with all the heavy stuff," she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I just.. can't afford to have another fight like this, especially being this close to the end."

Chris nodded, though it hurt to hear that she didn't trust him. "I understand," he said, as much as it killed him to. "But I will do whatever it takes to gain your trust again, Mel. I mean it."

Melanie wiped her eyes with one hand, "I'm going to go lay down for a while," she said, moving the chair back. "I just need to be alone right now."

"Do you want me to wake you up later for lunch?" he asked, as she slowly stood up from the table.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I'm not hungry. I just need to lay down for a while and sleep."

He watched as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen and down the hallway, before disappearing into their bedroom; the door closing behind her with a soft click.

…..

By eleven-thirty, Chris had made lunch and decided it was time to wake Melanie up from her nap. While she insisted that she wasn't hungry earlier, he knew that she would have to eat something eventually if not to ease her hunger, than for Charlotte's.

Quietly, Chris pushed the bedroom door open and made his way over to her side of the bed, sitting down gently on the mattress. Melanie was curled up on her side, one hand under the pillow and the other draped protectively over her belly; the quilt had been pulled up to her hips, and she had put a sweatshirt on before climbing into the bed for her nap. Chris noticed how cold the room felt between the air conditioner on full blast and the tension that trapped itself from the day before.

"Mel?" he whispered, touching her shoulder. "Mel, time to wake up honey."

She groaned, pressing her face into the pillow as Chris stroked her arm. "Hmm," she sighed deeply, stretching her legs out underneath the blanket. "What time is it?"

Chris glanced at the clock on the nightstand, "Almost noon," he said, rubbing her blanket-clad legs. "Are you hungry? I made us a couple sandwiches."

Melanie shook her head, "I don't feel good," she mumbled.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly alert. "Is it the baby? Are you in pain? Do you want me to call the doctor?"

"I'm just really tired," she sighed. "Everything hurts and Charlotte's kicking up a storm."

Chris nodded, "Do want me to get the heating pad?" he asked, moving his hand across her hip and settling against her back. "Last time you used it on your upper back and it worked."

"I just want to sleep," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"How about you eat just a little bit first?" he suggested. "That's probably why Charlotte is moving around, because you haven't eaten anything since lunchtime yesterday."

Melanie sighed, "I'm not hungry."

Chris shook his head, "Please? Just a few bites and then you can go back to sleep," he promised. "I think you'll feel a lot better if you eat something."

"What did you make?" she asked, wincing as the baby kicked.

"I made you chicken and mozzarella on that roll you picked out the other day," he said. "I can put mayo on it and some lettuce if you're in the mood for that."

Melanie sat up slowly, "That's fine," she yawned. "I'll eat a little and then I want to come back in and sleep some more."

Chris nodded, "Whatever you want, Mel," he nodded, standing up. "Do you need help?"

She took his hand, pushing herself up off the bed as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Taking a few minutes to catch her breath, having slept in such a position that put pressure on her lungs, Melanie took a few deep breaths and long exhales as she stood.

"Ready?" Chris asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah," she nodded, as she took a step away from the bed.

As they walked down the hall to the kitchen, Chris never took his hand off her back as he led her over to the table. Pulling the chair out, Chris helped her down into the chair, before moving to the counter to grab their plates.

"Do you want water? Juice? I think there's some ice tea left from yesterday," Chris rambled, as he grabbed a few napkins off the counter.

"Water is fine," she nodded. "I could get it, Chris."

Chris shook his head as he took a clean cup from the dish rack, "I got it, Mel," he said, giving her a small smile. "You just relax and eat."

When he returned to the table with a glass of water for her and a glass of sweet tea for him, Melanie picked up one half of the sandwich and took a small bite. She didn't realize until that moment, how hungry she'd actually been since skipping meals from the day before. Taking a bigger bite this time, Melanie set the half down, and chewed slowly.

"Good?" Chris asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

She nodded and reached for her glass, taking a hearty gulp to wash the food down. Still upset with him, Melanie could see that he was trying to make things right; lunch and catering to her was the first step of many steps. While it still hurt, the words and his actions, Melanie couldn't bear to shut him out. She couldn't and wouldn't be like her own mother, who shut out everyone and took major attempts to drag her father through court. Melanie could play the bitch card to the extreme, and she was good at it. But nowadays, she was too tired to keep up with arguments and being bitter.

Once she finished with half of her lunch, Melanie set her napkin down on the table and sat back in the chair with a sigh.

"Done already?" Chris asked, as she yawned.

"I can't eat much these days," she shrugged. "I get heartburn too fast to enjoy anything."

Chris nodded, "I'll wrap that piece up and you can eat it later if you want," he said, standing up to collect their plates.

She watched as he took a piece of foil, wrapping the dish up, before carrying it over to the refrigerator. "Ready to go back to bed?"

"Yeah," she said, moving the chair back.

Melanie made a b-line straight to the bathroom once she stepped into the room, leaving Chris outside alone. Taking note of the bed, which was unmade since the morning before, Chris decided to fix the sheets and blankets for her. He was in the middle of shaking out their comforter, when Melanie stepped out of the bathroom.

"I would change the sheets, but you look like you're ready to drop," he shrugged, as he fluffed up the pillows on her side of the bed.

"I'll change them tomorrow," she mumbled, crawling across the bed; a somewhat difficult task at nearly eight months pregnant.

Chris situated the pillows up against the headboard, "This should help with the pressure," he said, when Melanie frowned at him. "So you don't feel like your out of breath the next time you get up."

Touched by his thoughtfulness, Melanie laid back and watched as he tucked her in; the exhaustion and ache in her bones crept on her quickly, as her body sank into the mattress and pillows.

"I come back in later to check on you," Chris said, as he smoothed the blanket up and over her shoulders. "Do you want me to turn the air down?"

Melanie shook her head, "Okay. I'll let you rest then," Chris nodded, as he started away from the bed.

He was startled when she grabbed his hand, tugging him gently back towards the bed. "Stay?" Melanie asked, as she squeezed his hand.

"Of course," he nodded, the tension visibly leaving him as he moved over her legs and onto his side of the bed. "Comfortable?"

"Yeah," she nodded, pulling the comforter up for him.

Once they were situated under the blankets, they fell into silence. Chris assumed that Melanie had already fallen asleep, given how exhausted she always was now that she was in the final stages of her pregnancy.

"I don't want to be mad at you anymore," she said, breaking the silence. "I'm still hurt, but I don't want to be mad at you."

Chris took her hand into his, as she turned her head to look at him. "I hate fighting with you, Chris. I don't want us to turn into my parents, and I don't want Charlotte coming into a world of tension and bitterness."

"We won't let that happen," he promised, as she rolled onto her side. "I think we're just emotionally spent at this point, with the baby and getting everything ready for her."

"You don't regret it, do you?" she suddenly asked. "Getting married and the baby, that is."

Chris's eyes went wide, as he fell speechless at the question. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, "Marrying you was one of the greatest things I've done in my life," he said. "Starting a family with you means everything to me, Melanie. You and Charlotte are my world."

He pulled back just enough to look down at her, "I love you," he said, reaching up to caress the side of her face. "I always have and I always will."

Melanie nodded, "Okay?" he asked, hoping that she believed him.

"Yes," she whispered. "I love you, too."

He kissed her again, before reaching down to pull the blanket up to her shoulders. "Get some sleep," he said, as he gently stroked the back of her head.

As Melanie fell into another round of slumber, Chris laid at her side, wide-awake. There was only eight weeks left until Charlotte's arrival, turning their somewhat quiet apartment into a chaotic living space. Chris had eight weeks to make it up to Melanie; eight weeks and the rest of his life, to prove how sorry he was and how much he loved her, Charlotte and any other children he would be lucky to bring into the world with her.