Chapter 5 – Mothers
Sorry to keep y'all hanging for so long. Life's been crazy.
Thanks to my awesome boss, Christine, for always helping me and brainstorming with me! You're awesome.
Hope you enjoy! See y'all at the bottom (where I'll also answer a few questions some people have asked me.)
Astrid wasn't sure how long she sat on the bathroom floor, her back pressed up against the edge of the tub, and staring at the test in her hand.
The test that read positive.
Positive. It was only one tiny word but it changed so much in a single instant. It was the word that was going to turn her into a mother.
A mother.
It would be the most important role in her life. She'd been Lady Astrid Hofferson, Countess of Berk. She was currently Astrid Haddock, Duchess of Berk. She was one day going to be Queen of Berk.
And soon she'd be a...mom. That title was way more important than any of the other ones and in the end, the only one that really mattered.
And she'd prepared for all of those but one.
That was the reason she felt scared. And Astrid...well, she didn't get scared that often because she was almost always prepared for every new challenge and curveball that life ended up throwing her way.
That was until Hiccup crashed into her life - literally. And ever since then her life had been full of surprises, with most of them being good surprises.
Which is why there was a part of her that was excited about this. It was, of course, mostly covered up by the nerves and the terrified feeling that made breathing a little harder.
The longer she sat on the cold tile and the more thoughts that ran through her head, the more she began to realize that even though it was horrible timing and her and her husband were completely unprepared for such a role, that it was a good thing.
It was terrifying, sure, but it was also exciting because she may have been uncertain about everything else that went along with being a mom, but she knew one thing and that was that she loved Hiccup and Hiccup loved her and like he's told her many times before, they'd get through it together.
And if that's what she had to tell herself to work through the nerves that were trying their best to overcome every other emotion she wanted to feel, then that's exactly what she'd do.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door and her mother-in-law calling out her name.
"Are you alright, dear?"
"You can come in," Astrid told her from inside the bathroom and not answering Valka's question because she wasn't even quite sure on how to answer it.
She watched the knob turn and the door open slowly like Valka was hesitating because she wasn't sure what she was going to be met with on the other side.
The older woman wasn't surprised to find her daughter-in-law sitting on the floor of her bathroom. She would've been caught off guard if Astrid had been doing anything else other than resting there with a pale face and wide eyes.
Astrid placed the test still tightly held in between her fingers on the floor beside her, "Did you need in here?" she asked.
"No, no," Valka shook her head, "I just came to check on you."
"Oh...thank you," Astrid replied and smiled up at the woman in a way that probably wasn't enough to convince her that she was perfectly fine while sitting here on her bathroom floor.
There was silence between the two for a moment. Valka still hovering in the doorway like Hiccup had done this morning and Astrid looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.
"It was positive, wasn't it?" Valka spoke, already knowing the answer before she asked the question.
The young woman looked up at Valka, biting her bottom lip and hesitating on what to say, "How'd you know?"
"I've been here in this exact position." Valka moved from her spot in the doorway and walked over next to Astrid, sitting down beside her in front of the bathtub, "Sitting on the bathroom floor while thinking about the future and what to do next while dealing with so many different emotions that don't make much sense when you put them altogether."
"Right," Astrid replied, nodding her head slowly. Valka was a mother and she'd been married to the King. If anyone just slightly knew what was going on in Astrid's head at the moment, it would be the woman sitting right next to her.
"Hiccup was a surprise too," Valka started, "His father and I had only been married about six months or so and the day I found out, my first thought after the initial shock of it all was just how horrible the timing was."
"Yeah, that I can relate to." Astrid sighed.
Valka paused to give the young woman a sympathetic smile before she continued on with her story, "Right...well, not only was Stoick's father - the King - sick at the time but his coronation was also suddenly sooner than he'd planned and all of that stress was putting pressure on our marriage."
"You two were having trouble?"
"Oh yes," Valka nodded and began pulling at her fingers - something Hiccup also did, "Stoick cared more about his image and his job than he did the people closest to him. He was always choosing it first."
This definitely wasn't news to Astrid. Her history and conversations with Hiccup and even her experience with her own father made her a pro in the department of being ranked second - maybe even third - on the list of importance.
"Is that why you left?" Astrid asked, fully curious about her reason for leaving her ex-husband.
"Mostly, yes. A mix of that and all the attention that came with being part of the Haddock family made me begin to think about just what kind of life I wanted my child to grow up in. And in the end, I made the hard realization that it wasn't that life but this one instead." Valka gestured in the air around her, signaling that she meant the small quiet life surrounding them.
"I can't even imagine having to make such a decision," Astrid spoke truthfully, not even wanting to have to think about leaving Hiccup or him leaving her.
Valka raised her hand and reached it over to Astrid but hesitated and pulled it away before it could touch her shoulder, "It was...hard."
Astrid met the green eyes of her mother-in-law, biting her lip again. She wanted to ask her another question, something else she'd been wondering about.
Valka saw the curiosity and hesitation on the girl's scrunched up face, "You know you can ask me anything."
"How did King Stoick take the news when you first told him?"
Valka pursed her lips and a small crease formed in her forehead, thinking for a moment, "He seemed excited at first but really the only thing it did was add to the stress that was already there. And soon he was talking less about being a father and raising a child and more about being King and raising a prince."
That was the answer Astrid was expecting. She didn't expect the King to be the kind of man to jump right up and start coming up with names and reading books on how to be a parent and all of the other things that new dads did.
And suddenly, the worry of how her own husband was going to react made itself known once more.
The sudden quiet and Astrid's distant eyes told Valka exactly what was running through the girl's mind, "You have to remember that Hiccup and his father...they are completely different people."
"Yeah, you're right."
But for some reason, knowing that still didn't take the worry away.
And this time Valka didn't hesitate to wrap her arm around the shoulders of her daughter-in-law and give them a gentle squeeze, "I know it's scary right now but, Astrid, it's all worth it in the end."
Astrid felt her mouth curve into a smile as she looked at the woman who was sitting here and treating her like a parent should. She was supportive and loving and willing to sit on the bathroom floor and tell her the things she felt like she needed to hear.
And even though her own mother couldn't be here to hold her close and help her through the things that were scary and new and filled with uncertainty, she suddenly realized she was still lucky to have that mother figure in her life with the woman next to her.
"You feeling hungry yet?" Valka asked.
The nausea seemed to - thankfully - be gone for the day, "Yeah, I could eat a little something."
Valka removed her arm from Astrid's shoulders and patted her leg before standing up, "Come on, I'll fix us some lunch."
Astrid stood up and stretched her stiff muscles from sitting for too long before cleaning up the mess and following her child's future grandmother into the kitchen.
Hiccup walked back into his old home as the cicadas began to buzz in the tall trees and as the cotton candy colored sky began to signal the end of the day. He tried not to think about how this was his last day of...freedom away from photos and meetings and Parliament officials breathing down his neck.
He told Fishlegs goodnight - not goodbye - because his childhood friend was traveling back to Berk with them in the morning. He was relieved to finally have convinced him to assist him with the rebuild of the orphanage. It would've been weird having to do all of this without the friend that's helped him with almost every other major project he's done in his life.
The house was quiet when he walked in. He would've thought that Astrid and his mother were gone if it wasn't for her car still sitting out in the front driveway.
His old house was never usually this quiet until everyone was sound asleep. There was usually the sounds of the television playing in the background, the radio, or his mother messing around with the pots and pans in the kitchen and pretending to know what she was cooking.
Valka knew her son was home when she'd heard the front door click shut. She walked out of the kitchen and met him in the small foyer by the door so she could let him know that his wife was sound asleep on the couch.
"How's she feeling?" Hiccup asked, his brows knitted in concern. He'd been worried - and guilty - all day.
"She's had a...tough day," Valka told him quietly, "She tried to wait up for you but fell asleep about an hour or so ago."
Hiccup set down the few things in his hands and quietly walked into the dark living room. He sighed at the sight of his wife fast asleep on the couch, a light blanket draped over her, and the book she was reading lying on her chest.
She looked...peaceful and Hiccup didn't want to disturb her but also didn't want her to sleep on the couch all night. He knew from experience that sleeping on that particular sofa for too long had a tendency to cause a stiff neck and an aching back the next morning.
Hiccup gently removed the book and placed it on the coffee table, tossed the blanket on the back of the couch, and then scooped her up into his arms. Even though Astrid was a heavy sleeper and could probably sleep through a natural disaster, Hiccup still carried her down the hall while taking soft and careful steps to make sure she didn't wake.
Astrid wasn't heavy but Hiccup wasn't particularly strong either and his arms began to give out from underneath him by the time he made it to his old bedroom.
He gently laid her down on the bed and both him and his shaking arms sighed in relief from the sudden release of the weight.
Hiccup was pondering how exactly he was going to get his wife under the covers when he saw her stir, rub her eyes, and slowly blink them open. When she saw him standing there above her, she smiled and sighed his name.
Then as realization set in, he watched her eyes fly open, "Hiccup!"
Astrid scooted into a sitting position, curling her legs up underneath her, and he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.
There was a heavy silence for just a moment before Hiccup spoke up, "Hey, listen...I'm sor-"
"No, don't apologize," Astrid cut him off, "I should've never said what I did."
"But you were right, I do tend to hover."
"Yeah, you do." She stated.
He looked away from her and down at his lap, "Sorry."
"I'm just not used to it."
"I'll try to do better," Hiccup glanced back up at her, "but I can't promise you that I'm ever going to stop worrying."
She grabbed his hand resting on the soft duvet between them, "That goes for me too."
He gave a half-smile when he felt her give his hand a gentle and comforting squeeze, "How're you feeling?"
"Better," Astrid answered, "How was your day?" She added quickly, changing the subject away from her.
"It was fun. Like old times, you know?" Hiccup looked away from her for a moment and over at the window with a distant look in his eyes and a soft smile spread across his face that made it seem like he was remembering a fond memory filled with sunny days and laughter.
"I'm glad you had a good time."
"I missed you though," he turned to look at her again and laughed, "I sucked at every single one of the games. I know for a fact that you would've crushed and won every single one of them, probably on the first try too."
"Oh, I definitely would have. We would've had to buy a whole new suitcase for all the stuffed animals we'd be going home with tomorrow."
What she said must've made him realize something because he suddenly stood up quickly, startling her, "I just remembered...I'll be right back." And with that, he walked out of the bedroom.
Her husband came back not even one minute later with an excited spark gleaming in his eyes and something held in his hands that Astrid couldn't make out in the room only lit up by the small desk lamp.
"I did win a game - it took ten tries - but I saw this hanging on the wall and just had to win it for you." Hiccup sat back down on the bed and handed her a small plush horse that she noticed was the same light grey color as Stormfly.
"Thank you, babe." She grinned, "What game was it?"
Hiccup scratched the back of his neck, "The...one with the water gun."
Astrid tilted her head back and roared with laughter, "It took you ten tries? Hiccup, oh my God."
"Hey, those game are rigged. I swear they are." He spoke defensively.
She bit her lip and tried not to laugh at the fake hurt and scowl spread across his face, "Right...you just keep telling yourself that."
"You know, if you aren't going to appreciate all the trouble and embarrassment I went through to get you that horse then I'll just keep it for myself." Hiccup teased, holding out his hand.
Astrid held the horse close to her chest, guarding it, "Nope. It's mine."
The young couple sat there until their giggles died down, "Well, I'm really glad you're feeling better."
Astrid nodded.
"Guess we better get some sleep," Hiccup sighed, "we have a long day tomorrow." He began to push himself up off the bed while groaning like an old man in his seventies.
"Hiccup..." Astrid called out, stopping him before he could stand up completely.
He looked back over at her, an eyebrow raised curiously, "Yeah?"
She hesitated, "Nothing...never mind," she waved him off, "go get ready for bed."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Hiccup nodded, leaned over and gently pressed his lips to her forehead before standing up, grabbing his night clothes from his bag, and heading out the door to the bathroom in the hall.
Astrid had the chance to tell him - she should've told him...but she didn't.
She didn't because sitting here on his old bed in his old room surrounded by posters of sci-fi movies and memories of a past she wasn't apart of was not the way she wanted to tell her husband that he was going to be a father.
Yay for some Valka/Astrid bonding! Also, how cute was that little plush horse moment? Huh? Well, we head back to Berk next chapter!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!
HTTYDFanGirl22: To answer your question, yes, I do get some inspiration from Harry and Meghan. Lol
Guest: A few others have asked me about the future name(s) of the child in this! Without too many spoilers, I do plan to connect HTTYD3 in that way – with a few tweaks of my own but you'll see!