Author's note: Ok, so I took a very unexpected and long hiatus, so sorry about that. Life just kind of got in the way and I just didn't have the time or the energy to sit down and write. But I'm back now, and I really hope this chapter was worth the wait.
It was a warm May afternoon and Alicia blinked a few times as she stepped out of the office building into the bright sunlight. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, allowing the sun to warm her face. She loved this time of year and hated the fact that, due to the nature of her job, she had to spend so much of it indoors.
It had been a crazy morning and her mind was still reeling from everything that had gone on. She had to admit she was a little disappointed when Cary had vetoed the merger that Diane had suggested a while back, so the fact that he had agreed so easily to Diane coming on as name partner in their firm had come as a big surprise. And if she was being honest, as much as she enjoyed the excitement of hers and Cary's start-up project, she was relieved to bring on another experienced partner whom she trusted.
The thought of leaving Cary to lead the firm on his own while she took time off had stressed her out more than she would care to admit. At least she knew that with Diane there to give guidance and counterbalance Cary's eagerness and tendency to overreach, the firm would be in safe hands. A bit like the necessary balance that Diane had provided to counteract Will's enthusiasm at Lockhart/Gardner back in the day.
Not only was she glad that Diane had stopped by with her proposal, but it also managed to distract her and keep her mind off of her afternoon appointment. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to get any work done, but after this unexpected turn of events the best part of the day had gone by before she realised that Owen would be picking her up any minute to go to the hospital. She had quickly gathered her things, said goodbye to Cary and headed for the elevator.
And that's how she came to be standing outside her office building a few minutes later, basking in the sunlight while she waited for her brother to arrive.
Her train of thought got interrupted by the honking of a car. She opened her eyes and noticed that the noise came from a car parked only a few feet away from her. She had been so preoccupied that she hadn't even noticed her brother's car when she exited the building. She grabbed her things and quickly headed over there.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there," she said as she opened the car door and climbed in. She hoisted up her duffle back and placed it on the backseat and put her handbag down by her feet.
"That's ok. The roads are pretty quiet so we should make it with time to spare," Owen said. He gestured towards the bag on the backseat. "What's with the bag? I thought I'd be bringing you straight home after."
"I know, but I've brought some things just in case. You never know," Alicia said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Alright, let's go then," said Owen. "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," answered Alicia.
Most of the drive passed in silence. Alicia was lost in her thoughts, a thousand and one possibilities and scenarios racing through her head. What if the test pointed out that there was anything seriously wrong with the baby? She couldn't bear the thought of anything being amiss, especially now that she'd gotten so used to the idea of having it.
But what would she do if it turned out that the baby had a serious birth defect or genetic abnormality? Not having it, Will's baby, was unthinkable. But then again, she already had two children that deserved her care and attention, as well as a law firm with employees that depended on her. How would she manage all that, on her own, with a child that required round the clock care?
In recent days she had often wondered what Will would've said in a situation like that. He would probably have said that they'd manage, that they'd find a way to get through it. Together. But that's where things got complicated. She was alone, and she'd have to figure all of this out by herself.
She suddenly felt a hand reaching for hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You okay, sis?"
Alicia looked over at her brother and nodded. "Yeah, just nervous."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna be there with you the whole time," he comforted her.
At the hospital they didn't have to wait long before Alicia's name was called out. Her heart was pounding as she got up and made her way over to the door the nurse had pointed at, Owen following in her wake. Seeing her own doctor whom she trusted with her life helped to calm her nerves ever so slightly.
Hands were shaken, introductions were made, and they took a seat while Dr. Foster and the ultrasound technician who would be assisting explained the procedure to Alicia and Owen. They took their time to make sure everything was clear, and that Alicia didn't have any further questions or worries before they would actually start the procedure.
"Okay, if there are no more questions you can go ahead and change while we prepare the equipment," said the doctor, gesturing to a screen in a corner of the room where Alicia could change.
When she reappeared and climbed on the examination table, the ultrasound machine and a tray with needles was all laid out and ready to go. Alicia's heart began to pound, the gravity of the situation hitting her. Although the doctor had explained everything to her and assured her that there was very little risk of complication, the thought of anything going wrong still terrified her.
She proceeded to lay down and Owen took a seat on a stool next to her.
"Right, let's do the fun part first shall we?" her doctor commented, trying to lighten the mood. "Let's take another look at your baby."
It didn't take long before the ultrasound technician had located the baby. Even though it had been only two weeks since the last ultrasound, Alicia could spot a clear difference. It looked more like an actual baby and less like a grey blob this time. It was something that would never cease to amaze her. She looked to her left and noticed that Owen was as amazed as she was. His eyes were glued to the screen, his stare transfixed on the tiny being that was happily moving around.
"What do you think?" Alicia asked.
"I've never seen anything like this before. It's amazing," he half-whispered. "I can't believe I'm actually looking at my little niece or nephew."
In the meantime, the doctor and technician were doing their analysis of the foetal position, placement of the placenta and some other things that would determine what kind of needle they needed to use.
"Alright, now for the less fun part," the doctor said apologetically as she turned the monitor away from them and prepared her equipment.
Owen grabbed hold of her hand and didn't let go throughout the entire procedure. Alicia was surprised at the speed of it all; she had expected it to take longer. It also didn't hurt as much as she'd have thought. It was uncomfortable, but she wasn't in any actual pain, which was a relief.
When it was all done and she was dressed again, the doctor motioned her to sit down once again. "You should stay home and rest for at least the next 24 hours. Of course, you can shower and walk around the house a little bit, just normal things, but nothing strenuous. Extend this period to 48 hours should you feel you need it. If anything's amiss like unusual discharge from the puncture wound or if you don't feel well, give us a call and come in immediately. But normally it should all heal within the next 48 hours. Do you have anyone to stay with you during that time?"
"I won't leave her side," Owen reassured her.
Owen started fussing over her as soon as they got home, insisting that she go lie down and take a nap. Alicia knew she would go crazy if she had to spend the entire weekend in bed, so in the end they settled on her lying down on the sofa instead.
It felt odd to be home like this in the middle of the day, mindlessly flicking through the channels and realising how horribly bad daytime television actually was. Owen made sure she had an endless supply of cups of tea and things to eat, until it nearly drove her mad and she ordered him to sit down and watch crap tv with her instead of fussing over her all the time.
By the time her children got home from school she was so relieved to have someone else in the house. Anything to draw her overbearing brother's attention away from her. He meant well and she appreciated the fact that he was so supportive, but he could be a little intense sometimes.
Grace dropped her school bag in the hallway and immediately rushed over to hug her mother. A look of worry was clearly etched onto her face. "How did it go. Are you ok, mom?"
Alicia smiled and pulled her daughter close to her. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need to take it easy this weekend."
Zach moved closer to the sofa, still a bit unsure about how to deal with the whole pregnancy situation and nervous about what to say. "Did it hurt?" he finally asked.
She shook her head. "No, not really. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was a lot less scary than I thought it would be."
Alicia noticed Zach's unease and motioned him to come closer and sit down on her other side. As soon as he sat down, she put an arm around each of her children and pulled them closer to her. "Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you guys' support? You're handling the whole situation really well and I'm so proud of you."
"We just want you to be ok," said Grace, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.
Alicia just smiled and planted a kiss on each of her children's foreheads. She knew that many challenges lay ahead, but she had all the support she could possibly wish for given the circumstances. This feeling of confidence probably wouldn't last, but just for a moment she allowed herself to revel in the feeling that she could take whatever life would throw at her.
She ended up having a full house that weekend. In addition to Owen staying with her, her children decided to cancel their weekend plans as well and keep their mother company. They ordered take out, watched cheesy movies and just enjoyed being in each other's company. A rare luxury with all of their respective, busy schedules, and Alicia relished every minute of it. Sometimes life wasn't so bad after all.
More to come soon. Please review x
