"How far along…"
"About 8 or 9 weeks." She replies sleepily as she lies, half asleep on my lap. I absent-mindedly twirl a loose curl round my finger and she yawns.
"When did you start to wonder?"
"Well about 3 weeks ago, when I should have been feeling better after the ear infection and wasn't, I started thinking. I know I said there was no way but I forgot your going-away present. We weren't as careful as usual." I laugh softly.
"But it was worth it."
"Sure was." She murmurs into my knee. I laugh again and continue twirling her hair until I hear her breathing settle out into deep soothing breaths, then I scoop her up and carry her into the bedroom.
"Night-night my Anðeo." I whisper as I kiss her cheek then retreat to the sitting room
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"…My Anðeo." I stir as he kisses me then leave. I want to reach out for him but I'm so tired. I fall back asleep but wake up when he finally comes to bed.
"Anðeo?" I ask, my voice sleep laden. He leans into me so his lips brush my ear and whispers.
"Angel." I shiver as the word slivers down my spine. "That's what you looked like, your hair was all around your head and you had a half-smile on your face. You looked like an angel."
"Your angel." He kisses my forehead and wraps his arms around me.
"Yes, my perfect little angel."
"Hey, less of the little." I joke, then settle into his embrace and drift off feeling him breathing into my hair.
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I wake up to find my arms empty and some peculiar noises being emitted from the bathroom and sitting room. I check out the bathroom first and find Sam retching into the toilet bowl.
"It's started then?" She nods then retches again. "If it's any constellation…"
"Consolation, I think the word is consolation."
"Oops, so if it's any consolation, I feel bad for…participating in making of the child who is now making you vomit."
"Don't worry; I had it worse with Alex." She semi-smiles then dives back to the toilet.
"I'll leave you to get on with the…throwing up." I rub her back and walk to the living room. Before I can see anyone, I hear a small voice squeal.
"You do that noise, and then I'll do this one."
"Lilia, I'm bored."
"Shush Lei, I want to play this!" As I walk further in, I see Lilia's head sticking out from under the coffee holding a Barbie doll and a smurf puppet, and Leioa peeping from behind the TV set clinging to Po bear and a large unicorn toy.
"Anyone want breakfast?" I call, laughing as the two girls slither from their hiding places and attach themselves to my ankles. Alex springs from his bedroom and Jak runs out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on his pyjama bottoms.
As I put the last plate on the table- piled high with toast, pancakes, juice, cereal and milk- Sam emerges from the bathroom, dressed and looking rather more alert than 20 minutes ago.
As the boys squabble over the best pancake topping (syrup or jam) and the girls practice their juice pouring, Sam tell me she wants to tell them about the baby. Today, or rather, right now.
"Erm, Alex, Jak, Lilia, Leioa- listen up." I start.
"Well, we've go something to tell you." Sam says…
"A BABY?" Alex says, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. The girls rush over and climb onto my lap and Jak smiles, but Alex just sits there. Handing the girls to Luka, I squat down next to him.
"Look Alex, I know there have been a lot of changes around here recently, but it doesn't mean anything's changed with you and me."
"Yes it does, it means that you're gonna have even less time for me." He pouts and moves to walk away but I grab his arms and keep him still.
"I won't lie, I won't have as much time to spend with you for the first few weeks but after that I'll spend the same amount of time with you, I'll still take you to the park and shopping and everything. Just think, you'll be a big brother."
"It's still not going to be the same." He frowns and pulls away from me, disappearing into his room.
"Leave him Sam, it's a shock. Let him come to terms with everything that's happened in the last few days-it's a lot for any body, let alone an only child who's had his mother there every day for ten years. Suddenly not only is there three extra kids living in the house, taking up your time, there's gonna be a baby too."
I nod and swipe at a stray tear. My poor baby, he's been through a lot.
"Mom, I'm sorry for how I reacted." he creeps into the darkened sitting room and stands by the chair in the corner. I open my arms and he flops into them.
"I promise to spend as much time as I can with you. Luka made me realise how much you've dealt with this last few days, and how mature you've been. I'm proud of you." I kiss his head and he lays his head on my chest. And that's how Luka finds us when he crawls in at 2am from work.