TWO
"Who is it?" Claire whispered close to the door. "Claire, it's me, Alex. What's wrong?" The door swung open and an upset Claire fell crying into his arms. "Hold, on a minute. Tell me what's happened?" Alex helped her up to her room. Claire felt safe in his arms, but was worried about what his reaction was going to be. "Alex, I don't know what to do, I can't tell anyone, and please don't hate me -" "Hate you for what?" "Alex, I'm pregnant!" There, she'd finally let it out, and she fell into his arms again sobbing. "Oh." there was a long pause. "Are you sure? Is it mine?"
"Yep, I'm sure." Claire said between sniffs. "It is yours. I'm so sorry Alex!" "it's OK Claire. I'm glad you told me. Now we can figure out what to do about this situation." "Do you want a baby?" "Well, if it's with you, yes I do. I love you Claire. Don't worry everything will be just fine." He lay down on the bed next to her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Claire reached over and put her arm around him. She was surprised he wasn't angry. She felt wonderful.
The next morning everyone knew Alex had stayed the night. It was amazing how fast news could get around. Claire hobbled to the kitchen very slowly trying not to notice the stares and smirks from Jodi and Becky. "How was last night?" asked Jodi curiously. "Fine," Claire told her. "ALEX SLEPT OVER!!!" Jodi was ecstatic. "We didn't DO anything" "...sure"
"So, everyone knows we are a couple?" Alex laughed. "Should we tell them?" "No, not yet." "When? Pregnancy isn't something you can just hide! Sooner or later you're gonna get a bump!" "I'll tell Meg first. Hopefully she will tell the others discreetly, so I wont have to make a huge announcement." "Good plan, mummy." Alex said in an annoying voice. "Shut up, Alex."
Soon the whole of Drovers knew everything. Including that Claire was going to keep the baby. Tess made sure all the hard jobs we divided between everyone except Claire, who was very annoyed that she wasn't even allowed to leave the house without telling Tess where she was going. "I'm not disabled Tess. I can drive." "You have to be careful Claire." Then Tess babbled on about a pregnancy book that she recommended Claire should read. Claire walked out of the room before Tess would shut up.
It seemed like Claire's life was going down-hill. Some days she felt great, others she felt horrible. It was worse once she started to show the signs. A little bump was appearing, and it only made her feel worse. How could she cope with a baby? She hadn't even really thought about it that much. What would she do about childcare or schooling? Would she make a good mother? She started to spend most of her time in her room, looking through old photo albums of her childhood. She wondered if the baby would look anything like her.
Two months to go. It seemed like forever. Now Claire couldn't even see her feet! She'd read three books about pregnancy so far and was beginning to read another. "This baby stuff is actually really interesting!" Claire told Tess. "See, I told you, Claire! If only you would listen." Tess replied. "It says that my skin should be glowing." Hmm, sure doesn't look glowing to me." Claire looked in the mirror, examining her unfamiliar body. "Maybe that's because you should be getting some sun on that pale skin of yours" Tess said.
That afternoon, Claire sat outside on the deck chair reading her book. The sound of the birds and the smell of spring flowers were comforting. Every few moments she could feel the baby kicking, or moving inside her. "Alex!" Claire yelled. "Quick! It's moving! Feel!" Alex came from inside and put his hand on Claire's stomach. "Wow, it's amazing!" They sat silently together for a few minutes before Alex said "What shall we call her?" "Her? How do you know it's a girl?" "Well, she seems to be as feisty as her mother!" "I am not feisty! Well, not that much anyway." "So? What's your pick? What should we call her?" "For a girl, I quite like Emily, Louise or Millie. for a boy, Matthew, Jack or Benjamin." "Aw, cute! Lil' Ben!" Alex laughed. "I like Emily, but what about Jamie?" "Jamie? Claire said in a surprised voice. "Well, it's.OK, I guess! No, I like Emily!" Alex and Claire sat hand in hand looking out towards the horses grazing, meanwhile, Jodi, Becky, Meg and Tess were organizing a baby shower!
Claire wasn't too keen on a baby shower. She didn't want a lot of fuss. It was too late anyway, the room was set with streamers and presents sat all over the table. Terry, Nick, Liz and even Harry decided to come along.
"Open my one first!" Tess told Claire handing her a present. "Ok, thanks Tess" Claire unwrapped the tissue paper and inside were two outfits with little booties. "Oh my gosh they are so CUTE!" Jodi exclaimed "Yeah I know! But they were very expensive so the baby better like 'em!" Tess joked. "Thanks Tess, they're adorable!"
By the end of the night Claire had received many books, clothes, toys and a beautiful crib. She couldn't wait until she could set up the baby's bedroom tomorrow morning with Alex.
"Who is it?" Claire whispered close to the door. "Claire, it's me, Alex. What's wrong?" The door swung open and an upset Claire fell crying into his arms. "Hold, on a minute. Tell me what's happened?" Alex helped her up to her room. Claire felt safe in his arms, but was worried about what his reaction was going to be. "Alex, I don't know what to do, I can't tell anyone, and please don't hate me -" "Hate you for what?" "Alex, I'm pregnant!" There, she'd finally let it out, and she fell into his arms again sobbing. "Oh." there was a long pause. "Are you sure? Is it mine?"
"Yep, I'm sure." Claire said between sniffs. "It is yours. I'm so sorry Alex!" "it's OK Claire. I'm glad you told me. Now we can figure out what to do about this situation." "Do you want a baby?" "Well, if it's with you, yes I do. I love you Claire. Don't worry everything will be just fine." He lay down on the bed next to her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Claire reached over and put her arm around him. She was surprised he wasn't angry. She felt wonderful.
The next morning everyone knew Alex had stayed the night. It was amazing how fast news could get around. Claire hobbled to the kitchen very slowly trying not to notice the stares and smirks from Jodi and Becky. "How was last night?" asked Jodi curiously. "Fine," Claire told her. "ALEX SLEPT OVER!!!" Jodi was ecstatic. "We didn't DO anything" "...sure"
"So, everyone knows we are a couple?" Alex laughed. "Should we tell them?" "No, not yet." "When? Pregnancy isn't something you can just hide! Sooner or later you're gonna get a bump!" "I'll tell Meg first. Hopefully she will tell the others discreetly, so I wont have to make a huge announcement." "Good plan, mummy." Alex said in an annoying voice. "Shut up, Alex."
Soon the whole of Drovers knew everything. Including that Claire was going to keep the baby. Tess made sure all the hard jobs we divided between everyone except Claire, who was very annoyed that she wasn't even allowed to leave the house without telling Tess where she was going. "I'm not disabled Tess. I can drive." "You have to be careful Claire." Then Tess babbled on about a pregnancy book that she recommended Claire should read. Claire walked out of the room before Tess would shut up.
It seemed like Claire's life was going down-hill. Some days she felt great, others she felt horrible. It was worse once she started to show the signs. A little bump was appearing, and it only made her feel worse. How could she cope with a baby? She hadn't even really thought about it that much. What would she do about childcare or schooling? Would she make a good mother? She started to spend most of her time in her room, looking through old photo albums of her childhood. She wondered if the baby would look anything like her.
Two months to go. It seemed like forever. Now Claire couldn't even see her feet! She'd read three books about pregnancy so far and was beginning to read another. "This baby stuff is actually really interesting!" Claire told Tess. "See, I told you, Claire! If only you would listen." Tess replied. "It says that my skin should be glowing." Hmm, sure doesn't look glowing to me." Claire looked in the mirror, examining her unfamiliar body. "Maybe that's because you should be getting some sun on that pale skin of yours" Tess said.
That afternoon, Claire sat outside on the deck chair reading her book. The sound of the birds and the smell of spring flowers were comforting. Every few moments she could feel the baby kicking, or moving inside her. "Alex!" Claire yelled. "Quick! It's moving! Feel!" Alex came from inside and put his hand on Claire's stomach. "Wow, it's amazing!" They sat silently together for a few minutes before Alex said "What shall we call her?" "Her? How do you know it's a girl?" "Well, she seems to be as feisty as her mother!" "I am not feisty! Well, not that much anyway." "So? What's your pick? What should we call her?" "For a girl, I quite like Emily, Louise or Millie. for a boy, Matthew, Jack or Benjamin." "Aw, cute! Lil' Ben!" Alex laughed. "I like Emily, but what about Jamie?" "Jamie? Claire said in a surprised voice. "Well, it's.OK, I guess! No, I like Emily!" Alex and Claire sat hand in hand looking out towards the horses grazing, meanwhile, Jodi, Becky, Meg and Tess were organizing a baby shower!
Claire wasn't too keen on a baby shower. She didn't want a lot of fuss. It was too late anyway, the room was set with streamers and presents sat all over the table. Terry, Nick, Liz and even Harry decided to come along.
"Open my one first!" Tess told Claire handing her a present. "Ok, thanks Tess" Claire unwrapped the tissue paper and inside were two outfits with little booties. "Oh my gosh they are so CUTE!" Jodi exclaimed "Yeah I know! But they were very expensive so the baby better like 'em!" Tess joked. "Thanks Tess, they're adorable!"
By the end of the night Claire had received many books, clothes, toys and a beautiful crib. She couldn't wait until she could set up the baby's bedroom tomorrow morning with Alex.