The 24 week appointment was very quick. They had a quick chat but not much had changed since the last appointment except that Ressler could now feel movement on the outside and Liz's belly had continued to expand at the expense of her pants.
The ultrasound showed two equal sized wriggling babies who seemed to be quite content in the watery den. They were still boys. They were still growing fast, still big for their age. Liz still ate like a horse and had discomfort in her legs and back after a long day.
The scan showed nothing of concern and the doctor was pleased and happy for them. All told they were in and out in 20 minutes.
Then they headed to town to try and find a turkey for Thanksgiving. Ressler's family was coming down to visit for the weekend and the taskforce was coming over too. Ressler and Liz hosted obviously because it was where his Mom and Robbie were staying. And because they had the biggest house and the most space. And because they were the only ones with young kids and it was just uneccesary work to pack and move them when they could host.
That being said, they didn't have to do all the cooking because the other members of the taskforce were taking other foods. Bread and vegetables and potatoes and drinks and everything. They only had to do the turkey.
"Woah, this one's 26 pounds" said Ressler, bent over a freezer in Costco. "Look at that sucker." He picked it up, just to feel how heavy it was.
"I really don't think it has to be quite that big" said Liz, "I mean we don't want to be eating leftovers for a week and I know that Charlene was doing up a ham as well."
"I know" he said. "But there will be lots of people and we'll eat a lot because - well - it's Thanksgiving. And better safe then sorry right?"
"Will that even fit on the smoker?" she asked, doubtful. They'd found a recipe for smoking it online with great reviews and they were going to try that.
"Oh yah" he said. "Besides, it's a whole turkey. The 26 pounds include bones."
"Which are hollow in birds and therefore very light" Liz reminded him. But he wouldn't be dissuaded and wrapped his arms around the Turkey, pressing it to his belly as they kept walking.
"Oh, I should grab some paper plates while we're here" said Liz. "And milk and eggs."
"We should have gotten a cart I think" said Ressler.
"Yah, let's" said Liz, turning around and heading for the store entrance. Ressler turned with her and they threaded their way back through the giant store for a cart.
"This thing is cumbersome" said Ressler, exaggeratedly hefting the giant white-wrapped turkey he held.
"Ha" scoffed Liz. "I'll duct tape it to your belly and let you carry it around for a day. Then you'll know what it feels like to be pregnant."
"No wonder your legs and back hurt" said Ressler. "But they don't weight 26 pounds yet, not even with their fluid."
"No" agreed Liz. "But they will. By the end. They say your water is as heavy as your baby. If they weigh seven or eight pounds each at birth that's 15 pounds. Plus 15 pounds of fluid. Bam, 30 pounds. And that doesn't include the weight I've gained besides the belly. Breasts, ass, thighs. I've already gained 26 pounds. The doctor weighed me today in case you forgot."
"Well you wear it better then the turkey" said Ressler, humor in his voice.
"Why thanks honey" she said sarcastically. "Wait here, I'll get a cart". They had reached the entrance now and were going against traffic flow. He nodded and she stepped out the door and returned a second later with a cart. He awkwardly dumped the turkey over the edge and then pushed the cart away. Liz wrapped her arms around his bicep and walked with him. They gathered what they needed from Costco, plus a bit more because that always happened at Costco, and then headed to Aram and Yvonne's apartment for the kids.
"Thanks so much for picking them up" said Liz, accepting Ethan's hand in her own and leading him to the truck as Ressler did the same with Agnes.
"What's this?" asked Agnes as soon as she was buckled in her car seat bottom. She was slapping the turkey that sat on the seat on between her and Ethan. The problem with trucks was that one couldn't do groceries as well in them because there was no trunk to put them in. A year and a half ago Ressler had been the only inhabitant in his truck when he drove. It had been clean, pristine even. Liz looked back behind her know. Two carseats, a pile of groceries, a 26-pound turkey, candy wrappers, kids toys, backpacks, lunch kits, and two kids, both sitting on bottom-only carseats, slapping the white wrapper that covered the turkey and laughing their fool heads off. How things had changed. She knew he wasn't ready to get rid of the truck and she didn't make him because they also had the Suburban which technically seated nine. And when the babies came they'd still fit in the truck. The babies and Ethan in the backseat and Agnes in the front between them. They'd make it work.
They got home and put away the groceries except the turkey which went into the sink to thaw. Everyone was in bed on time for once, bribed by the knowledge that Grama would be arriving the next morning.
And she did, in a rented car driven by Uncle Robbie at about 11 o'clock the next morning. The kids ran out to meet them instantly and were swept up right away by waiting arms. They moved his family's stuff into the new hose, got them settled in two guest rooms and provided a grand tour all before lunch.
After lunch they decided on a walk. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and they were all glad to get out.
"Let me grab the baby carrier" said Ressler, "Ethan will done in a block or two."
As it turns out, he made it three blocks. They walked slowly because Liz's pregnancy waddle wasn't the fastest and Ressler's Mom wasn't terribly fast either. The kids ran ahead, Agnes skipping, Ethan running circles, darting ahead and then falling back. For three blocks, he long legs carried him and then his batteries ran out because he'd been constantly overusing them. Then he promptly sat down on the sidewalk and refused to go further. When they all stopped for him he looked up at Ressler and demanded "Up, Daddy! Up!" So Ressler lifted him, flipped him to face forward and buckled him into the carrier on his chest.
Two and a half was a rough age. Endless energy but no patience to use it on walking. And still not a terribly long endurance.
But Ressler was glad the walk was slow too, that way he didn't tire from the giant oversized toddler strapped to his chest. The rest of the walk was largely uneventful and they arrived back tired and quite satisfied to sit on the couch and watch Disney.
Sunday was Sunday and they went about the day but with Grama and Uncle Robbie there. In the evening Ressler started the smoker and put the bird on it in preparation for the next day.
Monday they all dressed beautifully and decided to take some family pictures. It wasn't often that they were all together and Lisa wanted some pictures to boast on the fridge at home.
The day promised rain and and the sky was dark. The trees still held some color and looked bright against the deep blue. It was a trial to get everyone to look normal long enough for even one picture and she was so thankful that Aram had agreed to do it for them. He made the kids laugh so that their smiles would look genuine and they didn't have to pay him to the hills.
When pictures were done they all went inside for a cup of coffee and to pass the time until the others arrived and Thanksgiving dinner would be served. The kids had the puppies inside, playing in the corner on towels Ressler had spread on the floor for them. It was a constant stream of laughter and jumping over there. The adults sat on the couch, chatting.
"Here Daddy" said Ethan, walking over with a puppy on his arms and attempting to dump it on Ressler's lap. "He wants to say hi."
"Okay" said Ressler, "but not on the couch. They have to know that." He slid, alarmingly gracefully, to the floor, long legs stretched out beside the coffee table, a puppy on one thigh and Ethan on the other. Seeing that one puppy was allowed out Agnes quickly came to join the living room party with the other two. Soon Robbie and Aram joined them on the floor and things escalated, soon Ressler was laying flat, Ethan sat on his chest and the kids and puppies were crawling over the men like they were jungle gyms.
"They better not pee on the carpet" said Liz, gesturing at the area rug and the puppies in turn.
"Way ahead of you" said Ressler, his voice coming from somewhere below her. She couldn't see his face, it was pressed against the couch. But his hand came up, popping above the couch's edge, a bottle of cleaner in one hand.
He'd been trying to house train them by watching their movements and whenever it seemed like one of them had to go he'd quickly pick them up, run for the door and set them outside. It might or might not be working, she didn't know yet. One of them had it more or less figured out and she hoped the others would take after her. There had been accidents though. Thankfully he'd stuck to his word and cleaned them up himself.
She heard Ressler grunt as the air was forced out of his lungs and she couldn't see what was going on.
"You okay down there?" she asked, leaning precariously over the edge of the couch.
"Huh? Uhuh" was his response. He had rolled to his front and lay full length on the carpet, Agnes and 'her' puppy - Molly - on his back.
The thrill of the floor was drawing and Liz let herself carefully down too, but sat leaning against the couch with her back. Ressler did a pushup, Agnes and Molly sliding off in the process, and sat next to her.
The kids came for him and he played along, pretending to hide behind her. She let him push her ahead and stick a leg behind her, wiggling in until she sat between his legs, her back pressed to his chest. He pulled his knees up, wrapped his arms tight around her and buried his face in the back of her neck.
"Haha" he said, into her shirt. "You can't get me now. Be careful with Mommy." They knew that, especially now as Liz's belly protruded ever further and they could feel the babies kicking. Her belly was in fact prominent now and it was the first thing people noticed about her, no doubt.
So the kids turned their attention on their Uncle and their honorary Uncle instead, leaving their parents alone.
"So" said Ressler, raising his head and whispering in her ear. "How's the nugs?" his hands came up on both sides of her belly and nestled under the bottom of the bump, raising it a little to take the weight and pressure off of Liz's body.
He'd learned that from a nurse after reading about it in the book and calling to ask about it. Liz's back pain wasn't even bad yet and they both knew it would get worse. But the babies already hung like a cantaloupe from her front and it wasn't weight her spine was used to carrying. So Ressler would sit or stand behind her, place his hands spread gently beneath her bump, press in to ensure he was beneath the babies and then lift the babies gently and carefully, holding the weight of them in his own palms. He relied on the strength of his arms to hold them and he could only do it for so long before that strength gave out and his muscles would quiver with the strain of it. Then he'd carefully release them, dropping them back into place. It wasn't easy but he knew how to do it. And then for several blissful minutes, Liz didn't feel the strain or barely even the existence of the babies. Her back had nothing hanging from it's tender vertebrae and she could feel her entire body relax in bliss. She let her head fall against him, reveling in only the feeling of his strong hands on her pelvis.
Her eyes closed and she sighed blissfully. It felt so good, even if her back wasn't exactly painful right now. It still felt good. Better after a long day, but good any time.
The others were giving them strange looks, Ressler noticed so he gave them one back.
"I know her back gets tender sometimes because the weight of the babies pulls at her and so I do this to take the weight away for a bit. The nurse showed me how." They nodded at that.
"Okay" they accepted.
"Thank you honey" said Liz and then he didn't care what anyone else thought. This was the only way he could help her with the physical chore of carrying their children and he would damn well do it, regardless of what others thought.
The rest of their group arrived shortly afterward and then the ladies were in the kitchen baking bread and vegetables and other stuff. The guys were outside, taking care of the turkey and ham. Four guys for two things, four ladies for the rest. It hardly seemed fair but oh well. She set the table with her fancy dinnerware and wine glasses. She had red wine for those who could drink, sparkling juice for those who could not. The table cloth was red and checked and she even went so far as to light candles and dim the lights.
Agnes thought it was great and she was jumping around the kitchen saying she felt like a pilgrim. She'd learned all about that in school of course.
"Don't break anything" said Liz and Agnes stopped flapping her arms but she was still hopping slightly. "Actually why don't you go ask Daddy if the meat is done? Tell him we're ready to eat."
"Ok" she went skipping outside and returned a minute later to report, "he says one minute. He's just taking them off."
"Okay, go find your brother. It's time to eat." And then she was setting things on the table.
As it happened, Agnes' brother was outside with his father and they all came in together minutes later.
"Okay, honey" he said with as he set down the turkey and Colin did the same with the ham. "We can eat."
They all sat down to the large table - they'd put in leaves to make it larger earlier - and the smells of the food nearly overwhelmed Liz. She was starving. She helped Ressler to dish up food to all their guests and to the kids. They had the huge turkey, ham, stuffing, mini potatoes, broccoli, cheese sauce, pineapple sauce, braided French bread, applesauce, and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. And they'd made it all themselves.
And more then that - it was edible. Delicious, actually.
As she'd expected they didn't finish Ressler's 26-pound turkey and she was sure they'd be eating leftovers all week. But they ate what they could and they were all impossibly full and therefore sleepy. They played a game after supper and the kids colored pictures before falling asleep with their heads on their arms at the kitchen table.
Everyone left early and Ressler carried the kids up to their beds and ran Liz a bath before coming back downstairs to load the dishwasher and clean up the mess the night had inevitably caused. By the time he made it back upstairs after checking on the kids again Liz was in the bath, sunk low, with hot water up to her breasts. He shed his button up shirt for the Tee beneath and sat beside the bath, picking up the sponge to scrub Liz's shoulders. She moaned as he slowly worked his way lower, over her breasts and belly, down her legs, one at a time. Eventually he dropped the sponge and turned on the showerhead, lowering it to wet her hair and massage it full of shampoo. These actions made his T-shirt wet so he stripped it off and tossed it on the floor.
He looked good, Liz thought, face and chest flushed by the heat of her bath, jeans hanging low on his narrow hips, hair curling from the humidity as the gel dissolved. And suddenly she couldn't care less about the bath.
"Get in here" she said, reaching for him, her fingers closing on his waistband. The tub was huge, kidney shaped, and there was lots of room. She'd already turned on the jets.
Her skin was warm, the water floating around her and rendering her weightless in a way that seemed impossible by this point in pregnancy. Her muscles were relaxed, her body limp and slippery and he didn't need to be told twice.
He stripped off jeans and boxers in one go, then his socks, whipping it all over his shoulder and he was sliding in behind her for the second time this day. But the first naked. He picked up the sponge again and she let him, his touch was incredibly gentle, paradoxical to the thick cut of bone, the visible pull of muscle, the thick veins that ran the length of his forearms. She pressed back against him and he wrapped her tight in his arms. She wanted to turn and face him, so she did, pulling free of his grasp and turning in his arms, sitting in his lap. The water moved with her, sloshing dangerously close to the edge.
He slid lower, letting his pelvis become more horizontal so hers could cradle his. They fit well together. She was technically an average sized woman and he was a large man. But they fit well. When they stood her head fit perfectly beneath his chin so he could rest his on top. When they sat next to each other both his back and legs were slightly longer and his shoulders wider, perfectly so that when he wrapped his arms around her she sunk back and her own shoulders were surrounded by his. But the best was this.
In bed, lying, upside down, missionary, sitting, behind. Basically any position where their pelvises aligned. They fit like two blocks with corresponding edges that clicked together. Her thighs fit on either side of his hips, and she could literally feel the bones of his pelvis meet hers, sometimes. Including now.
But there was something missing, something between them that kept them from truly connecting. Only one way to fix that. She lifted her hips, felt his body respond to the action like it should and when she lowered again the problem was solved. He grunted and exhaled in sync with her and his hands came to rest on her hips.
She felt him move beneath her and responded in kind, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, grasping his shoulder blades and looking into his dilated pupils as she allowed her lips to make contact with his swollen ones. They made sweet love in the warmth of the water, taking their time. So much so that by the time they finished the water was cold. Ressler groaned.
"We should get out" he said. Then he reached his foot to end of the tub and grasped the plug between his toes and pulled it up so the water would drain.
"Uuuuh" said Liz, now exhausted and curled sideways against him.
"Come on" he said, then he pushed himself to his feet, stepped out and reached for her. She let him help her out and wrap her in a giant fuzzy towel. He dried himself down and wrapped one around his waist before pulling her hair out of the one she had pulled around her shoulders and letting it fall down her back. He led her to the mirror and took up her brush, loosening the tangles. The comfortable feeling of the brush on her back did nothing to change her current mood. By the time she had underwear and pajamas on she was nearly sleepwalking and when Ressler took her by the waist and led her to bed, tucking her under the covers, she let him.
She felt Ressler crawl in behind her and slide down beneath the covers to bid goodnight to the babies that were settling in her stomach, but she didn't actually hear the words, having already fallen asleep herself.