Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! This is the one chapter I have actually struggled with. I wasn't sure what I wanted to write but I didn't want to have as big of a gap as it would leave to not write one. This may not be my best work - forewarning.

18 Weeks

"Does this shirt make me look crazy pregnant?" She asked, fiddling with her shirt and looking in the mirror.

"Babe, one, you are pregnant so you may look it but two, no, you don't look 'crazy' pregnant." He answered barely looking up from his book.

"Does this jacket help it?" She asked, walking from their closet into their bedroom.

Her movement caused him to actually focus his attention to her. "It looks great, babe."

"Ugh I hate this phase of pregnancy." She said sitting on the bench at the end of their bed and laying back onto the bed. "I feel like I don't look pregnant, just oddly fat."

"You aren't oddly fat, you're clearly pregnant." He kissed the top of her head before getting up and walking into their closet.

She laid there motionless, caught up in her thoughts. She didn't want to go to this summit. Her security detail had mentioned their need for heightened security, especially since the announcement of her pregnancy. She felt bloated, fat, and had this gut feeling something would go wrong on this trip.

"What about this dress?" He suggested holding up a tweed dress from her closet.

She welcomed the distraction from her thoughts. "Too small." She shot down quickly.

As he put the dress back in the closet, she picked up her phone and sent a quick text message.

"What about these pants?" He asked again holding up another pair of pants.

Before she could respond, Aly was in their doorway. "What's up mom?" She asked.

Elizabeth turned her attention from her husband to her daughter. "Hey honey, can you help me pick out some outfits for my summit?"

"Yea absolutely!" Aly answered eagerly walking past her mother and father into their closet.

Henry was a little shocked to see his wife asking for their daughter's advice. He stood near the closet to help Aly, in case she needed any.

"Ok so what about this top, it's loose enough so it won't cling to you too much and it's still loose enough to be comfy. This skirt, it's flared so it won't draw attention to your stomach because it'll flare over it a bit and these heels are high enough to command attention but not high enough to be super uncomfortable." Aly had picked out a light gray chiffon top with a black skirt and black pumps.

"I don't know if that skirt will fit…" Elizabeth told her.

"Do you usually wear it at your waist or hips?" She was amazed how her daughters fashion knowledge some times.

"In between?" Elizabeth answered, not totally sure where she wore it because she hadn't worn it in a while.

"Try it on!" Aly told her handing her the outfit she had picked out.

Elizabeth took the outfit out of her hands and walked to the bathroom shutting the door behind her.

"Has she been trying to pick out clothes since dinner?" Aly asked her father sitting down next to him on the bed.

"Yep." He responded, clearly exhausted and done with attempting to pick out clothes.

"Geez that's been like, two hours?" Aly questioned, amazed that it had taken her usually decisive and stylish mom two hours to pick out a handful of outfits for her trip. "Isn't it like a three day trip?"

"Yep." Henry answered again in the same exhausted tone.

Before Aly could ask another question, the bathroom door opened and Elizabeth emerged in the outfit Aly had picked out for her.

"Mom you look great!" Aly immediately complimented her.

"You think so?" Elizabeth asked nervously.

"Yea babe, you look great!" Henry told her as well.

"Alright, I guess I'll pack this one. I still need one more." Elizabeth said turning around and shutting the bathroom door behind her to change back into the pajamas she had on before.

That was Aly's cue to get back to working her magic within Elizabeth's closet. As she was still looking for options and holding pieces next to each other to decide how they'd look together, Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom.

"Mom, why not the new suit you just bought?" Aly questioned. Elizabeth had recently purchased a new maternity pant suit and wouldn't this be the right time to wear it?

"I think it makes me look too pregnant." Elizabeth answered. Sure she would be more comfortable in a maternity outfit and she wouldn't have to worry about it suddenly not fitting but she was also slightly afraid of not being taking seriously because of her barely there bump.

"Mom… you are pregnant." Aly told her still confused as to why she didn't want to show off her stomach.

"I know…" Elizabeth started.

"No, Aly has a point… why not wear it?" Henry hated that his wife felt the way she did about her body right now but he also didn't totally understand why. The world knew, she wouldn't be able to hide her bump forever and why not be comfortable if she would be wearing uncomfortable shoes and sitting in uncomfortable chairs all day.

"I don't know... " Elizabeth was really torn.

"Wear it! It fits you well, it's really cute, and it doesn't look like it was made for a pregnant person." Aly attempted to convince her.

It worked.

"Ok, I'll pack it." What Aly said was true, it fit her well, it didn't look like it was made for a pregnant person and while she wouldn't describe it as cute, it was nice.

"Ok what else?" Aly asked ready to pick out another outfit.

"I think that's all I need. I already have my gray skirt suit, it's the only one that I know fits and the two outfits you picked out." Elizabeth told her. "Daisy is taking care of my gown for the gala."

"Oooh what did she pick out?" While Aly enjoyed styling for every day, she really loved formal events.

"It's red, pleated, makes me look super pregnant but it's comfortable." She answered.

"What accessories are you wearing with it?" Aly really wanted to style her for a formal event.

That question must have been a cue for Henry to do anything but listen to this conversation. He headed towards the closet and grabbed a couple pair of sweatpants and a couple oversized t-shirts and put them in her suitcase.

"Those gold earrings and the bracelet over on my vanity." Elizabeth motioned towards the jewelry resting on her vanity.

Aly walked over, took a look, and complimented it immediately.

"Alright noodle, bed time." Henry told her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her forehead.

"Night dad." She responded to Henry and walked over to Elizabeth. "Night mom." She said giving her a hug.

"Goodnight, Noodle." Elizabeth responded as she walked out the door.

Henry waited until Aly was out of their room and shut the door behind her. "Let's go to bed." He told Elizabeth who had already began to make herself comfortable in bed.

"Yes please." Elizabeth responded.

Henry shut off the lights in the bathroom and their closet before climbing into bed with Elizabeth. As soon as he got in bed, Elizabeth snuggled up to him. They had a ritual before any of them left for overnight trips, they'd curl up together, discuss their trip, make love, and spend the entire night curled up in each others arms. Tonight and this trip would be no different.

She woke up the next morning just a few minutes before her alarm, which was already set earlier than she had hoped. Her plane was taking off in about an hour and she had told her staff this flight could be as casual as possible. They had 12 hours on a plane, no one needed to be apparence ready.

She put on a pair of maternity jeans and a loose fitting sweater. She was hoping to get more sleep on the plane and she wouldn't be able to do that in regular pants. She got ready as quietly as she could and woke Henry up just before she left to say goodbye.

"Good morning baby. I'll see you in a couple of days." She whispered to him, waking him up.

"Good morning baby. Let me help you get your suitcase downstairs." He began sitting up in bed.

"No honey, I got it." She responded.

"Elizabeth, no." He told her already up and out of bed and walking towards her suitcase.

"Fine." She caved.

He started walking down the stairs towards their front door with her not far behind. Once they reached the door, he finally broke the silence.

"Ok, have an amazing trip my love." He said before placing a warm kiss on her lips.

"Last call, you sure you can't go with me?" She asked still sleepy and not ready to be on a plane for 12 hours.

"I wish I could. I love you." He told her giving him one last kiss.

"I love you too. See you in just over 72 hours." With that, she walked out the door.