Stays Four the Same

Breathing deeply and exhaling slowly, Miranda opened her eyes. One hand went to her belly and the other felt around for her husband's wrist, squeezing. "Your legs?" Ben asked in the darkness. She nodded. "Did you stretch?" She didn't answer, but a smile crept across her face. "I'm taking that as a no." He sighed and sat up.

"I was going to, but I forgot."

"Well, you can either do them and maybe prevent the leg cramps or don't do them and suffer," he said kissing her cheek and then her stomach. He slinked to the foot of the bed and picked up one of her feet.

"Ahh," Miranda winced as he massaged her foot up her calf to the bottom of her thigh before doing the other one. "Thank you."

He yawned and she felt bad. "It's no problem, babe. But you really gotta…"

"Stretch," they said together.

Ben lay down next to her as she flexed her feet. "Precisely. I want you as comfortable as possible." He put his head against her quickly growing stomach. "Right, baby girl?" He said to the tiny human forming inside of her. Miranda was six months pregnant and every day she was reminded of the many aches and pains that came along with pregnancy. The "joys" that people rarely spoke of when they talked about having a baby.

"Tell daddy that mommy is entitled to forget things every once in a while." Miranda couldn't fully make out his face, but his bright smile was near visible.

"Well, tell your mommy to make sure she stretches so that daddy doesn't have to get up at," he checked the clock on the nightstand on Miranda's side of the bed, "five o'clock because of cramping." And as if she knew exactly what Ben was saying, the girl kicked inside of her. Miranda picked up her husband's hand and guided it just above her bellybutton. "Look at her, listening to daddy already. She knows my voice."

"Because you've been talking our ears off for eight weeks. Right, my little Tater Tot," Miranda commented with a light chuckle. They'd come up with the nickname "Tater Tot" after going through a dozen or so cutesy nicknames since they hadn't settled on a name for the baby yet. Miranda and Ben had almost chosen "Bambi" until she realized it was the former non-cute nickname of one of her colleagues when he was a goopy intern. And, to add insult to injury, Bambi's mother had gotten shot in the movie and Miranda had had a gun pointed in her face less than five years ago. So, Tater Tot it was. Sometimes Ben called the baby "Princess" and that suited her just fine. "Now, watch this. Keep your hand there." She smiled as Tater Tot turned some more. Ben blew air from his mouth as Miranda sang in a low voice. "When I think of home I think of a place where there's love overflowing. I wish I was home." The girl became comfortable and settled down. "I wish I was back there with the things I been knowing."

Miranda turned toward Ben who grabbed the sides of her face and kissed her lips. "Touché." She laughed. "To be fair, you have the voice of an angel."

Their bedroom door suddenly opened and Miranda struggled to turn to face it. She was damn near out of breath when she saw her nine-year-old, Tuck, standing in the doorway. "What's up, bud?" Ben asked.

"I can't sleep," Tuck responded with a yawn.

"Is this about the first day of camp tomorrow… today?"

Tuck nodded and Miranda held out her arms and heart fluttered as his face lit up. He joined them in the bed. "Don't be nervous okay, baby?"

"That's right, Tuck. You're going to have so much fun," Ben said. Miranda nodded in agreeance.

"What if nobody likes me?"

Miranda scoffed. "Not like my son? Huh! I will come to that camp and push them all in the lake."

"Okay! Okay!" Tuck shouted. "Don't do that, please."

The three of them laughed. As a force of habit, Miranda put her hand back on her stomach, Tater Tot was moving again clearly not wanting to be left out of the family conversation. "Alright now, seriously, everyone, go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Tuck, hit the lights," Ben said. Tuck clapped twice. "I love you three." Her husband slid an arm around her waist.

"I love you, too, babe," she responded with a smile. Glad that she was still able to do so, glad that he still didn't mind coming to them and sleeping in their bed. Soon he'd be twice as tall as she was. But for now, he was still her baby. "And my big baby." Miranda kissed the top of his head.

Tuck yawned again. "I'm not a baby," he whined.

"I know."