Charlotte's sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery watching her husband and son attempt to put the crib together.
Cooper glances at the picture on the instruction pamphlet and nods. "Oh, so this part goes here. Got it," he mumbles.
"I want to remind you that our daughter is goin' to be sleepin' in that crib."
Cooper nods. "I know what I'm doing. I'm following the picture. This crib will be sturdy enough for you to sleep in."
Charlotte looks at Mason. "Go get ready for bed, honey."
"But momma."
"It's a school night, Mason. I don't want to hear it."
Mason grunts and stands up. He walks out of the nursery and into his room.
"Are you sure you're puttin' that thing together correctly?"
Cooper nods. "Don't worry, Char. Blue will be safe and sound when she's laying in her crib. I promise."
She nods. "I'm just sayin' it wouldn't hurt for you to read the instructions."
"Would you feel less paranoid if I did?"
She rolls her eyes. "I'm not bein' paranoid. I'm tryin' to ensure that your ego isn't gettin' in the way of Blue's safety."
"Fine. If it'll make you feel better, I'll read the instructions."
She smiles. "Thank you." She pushes herself out of the rocking chair and groans. She rubs her belly and walks towards the door. "I'm hungry. You want somethin'?"
He shakes his head. "I'm good."
"Suit yourself." She disappears into the hallway and downstairs.
Cooper wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing loud noises coming from the hallway. He rolls onto his side and rubs his face as he opens his eyes. He expects Charlotte to be lying beside him, but her side of the bed is empty and cold to the touch. He swallows and tears the sheets off. He sits up slowly and glances at the clock. It's three in the morning. 1000 things are running through his head. He stands up and stumbles a little. He sleepily pulls on some sweatpants and walks out of the room. He follows the noises and pushes open the nursery door. He blinks. "What?" He pauses. "Charlotte, what the hell are you doing? It's 3 AM."
Charlotte turns her head and swallows. "Did I wake you up?"
"I'm pretty sure you woke up the entire West Coast. What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doin'? I'm takin' the crib apart."
"I see that, but why?"
She sighs. "I had a dream. We brought Blue home from the hospital and when I put her in the crib, the whole thing collapsed on her."
"Charlotte, you watched me put the crib together, you even saw me follow the instructions. The crib is safe." He walks over to her and tightens the screws she had loosened. He fixes a few of the wood slats and then kisses the top of her head. "Relax, sweetie."
She lets out a breath and stands up. "That dream was just so real."
He hugs her, maneuvering around her swollen belly. He steps back and lifts her chin. He lowers his head and presses his lips against hers, all in an attempt to relax her. He breaks the kiss and yawns. "Come back to bed."
"I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm hungry and in the mood for some pretzels with peanut butter."
He laughs. "It's three in the morning."
She glares at him. "I don't give a crap what time it is, Coop. I'm awake and I'm hungry."
He nods. He knows it's smart not to say anything else about her early-morning appetite. "I'll probably be asleep when you come back to bed." He leans in and kisses her on the cheek.
She nods, tilting her head slightly. "Did I wake Mason up?"
He shakes his head. "If he's not in here, he's still asleep."
"Good."
"Are you ok?"
She nods. "Just a little anxious, I guess." She pauses. "I'll be in the bedroom in a few minutes." She smiles and leaves the nursery, heading down into the kitchen.
A couple days later, Charlotte walks into the front door of the house and smiles at Mason, who's sitting on the couch, looking at his math textbook. "Late start on homework, Mase?"
Mason turns his head and nods. "Are you mad?"
She shakes her head. "Just focus." She pauses. "Do you need any help?"
"I've got it, momma. I'm almost done."
"Well, keep workin' and if you've got any questions, come to me, not your daddy. He sucks at that kinda stuff."
"Hey!" Cooper walks down the steps and gives Charlotte a soft kiss on the cheek.
She laughs. "I'm only kiddin'."
"Sure." Cooper pauses. "How was your doctor's appointment?"
She glances at Mason and then walks into the kitchen.
Cooper follows her, getting her subtle hint. "Is it bad?"
She shakes her head. "The appointment was fine. I just wanted to tell you in private."
"Oh, ok. You scared me."
"Sorry. That wasn't my intention." She pauses. "Addison says that the baby's still small, but her heartbeat's strong. She's doin' fine."
He smiles.
She pulled out a picture from her purse and handed it to him.
He looks down at the photo and smiles. "She has your nose and mouth." He pauses. "So the appointment went well?"
She nods. "Addison just told me that if I don't go into labor by 37 weeks, she'll induce me as long as the baby's lungs are mature enough."
"You do realize that that's less than two months away. Blue's gonna be here in six weeks at the latest. Isn't that crazy?"
She nods.
Mason walks into the kitchen. "Is something wrong with the baby?" His parents wanted to talk privately in the kitchen, which can only mean one thing in his head—something's wrong.
She shakes her head. "Your baby sister's just fine, sweetie. I promise." She pauses. "You finish your homework?"
"Nope. I came in here for a snack."
She runs her fingers through Mason's hair as he passes her. "Get your snack and go finish your homework. No more breaks, got it?"
Mason nods. "Yes, momma." He grabs a handful of pretzels and walks back into the living room.
She watches him leave the kitchen and once he's on the couch, she slaps Cooper. "His homework is usually done by now. What were you two doin' all afternoon?"
"Ow." Cooper pauses. "He stayed after school for a self defense class. He asked if he could stay and I couldn't say no. We just got home a half hour ago. I made him sit down and do his homework as soon as we were done with dinner."
She sighs. "Sorry."
"It's always my fault, right?"
"I said, sorry. I just assumed you two were foolin' around. It's not that unfair of an assumption, Coop."
"Whatever." He pauses. "Did you eat dinner?"
She nods. "I grabbed somethin' at the hospital after my appointment."
"You look tired."
"I am and my back and feet are killin' me."
"Momma?"
She turns around. "What is it, Mase?"
"I need help."
"Ok." She heads into the living room and sits on the couch beside her son to help him crank out the rest of his homework.
Later that night, Charlotte's standing at the bathroom counter, brushing her teeth. She sees Cooper walk up behind her and feels his hands rest on her shoulders. She sighs, his thumbs digging into her sore muscles. "Hmmm."
Cooper pushes her hair to the side and lightly brushes his lips against her neck. His hand slides under her shirt and rests on the side of her stomach. He feels a small flutter, which brings a huge smile to his face. "She's awake."
Charlotte spits out her toothpaste and gurgles with some water. She turns her head and nods. "I'm exhausted, so I hope she calms down a little." She wipes her mouth and walks into the bedroom. "So I think I narrowed it down to three names."
He comes into the bedroom and crawls into bed. He raises an eyebrow and looks at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Jordyn, Jocelyn, and Madelyn."
"I thought you didn't like Madelyn."
She shrugs. "It's growin' on me." She rolls onto her side and shuts her eyes.
He massages her lower back as he lies there beside her. "That the spot?"
"To the left and up a little."
He moves his hand and adds pressure. "Better?"
She lets out a breath and nods slowly. "Mmhmm."
He presses a kiss to her shoulder and smiles. "Goodnight."
"Don't stop," she slurs.
"I'm not."
"Goodnight, Coop." She's exhausted, and even with him massaging her, it takes her a while to fall asleep. She's got a lot on her mind, the baby's moving around, and the 31 week pregnant belly under her shirt isn't helping much either.
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