Chapter 29
Riza heaved an exhale and tiredly stood up to flush the toilet and placed the lid down before her legs gave away, and she sat on the cool marble bathroom tiles and rested her head on the toilet lid. She glanced at the clock: 8:50am – she had been stuck in the bathroom for thirty minutes now, for the second time this morning, and the nausea still hasn't gone away.
She deeply inhaled and exhaled through her nose, making a futile effort in trying to clear the discomfort. She started to feel the tinge of regret in her mind of not accepting Roy's offer to stay home and take care of her.
It had been six weeks since she found out she was pregnant, and now she was on her tenth week. "Still have more than seven months to go..." She muttered to herself, and grimaced when the nausea worsened. She bit her lip, desperately hoping that it would go away, and sighed in relief when it seemingly worked.
Mustering all the strength she could gather, she lifted her bottom of the ground and moved to the sink to brush her teeth, rinse her mouth, wash her face and finish her morning skin care routine the second time since she woke up this morning, before reaching for her soft, cashmere shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders, and headed down the stairs to fill her empty stomach.
She was thankful that the head maid of the mansion had written some anti-morning-sickness meal recipes, which had made the afternoons and evenings usually much more bearable than the mornings. She halted at the middle of the staircase and instinctively covered her hand over her mouth as a sudden wave of nausea came, forcing her to slowly reach for the ground and sit on the staircase while breathing in and out under a slow pace.
Riza cursed, unable to help but to hate how fragile her body had become. "Seems like I'll have to skip work again..." She muttered to herself, "Forgive me, everyone." She heaved a tired sigh, a guilty frown formed on her brows as she recalled the effort Rebecca and her team had spent on her social project while she had been absent for a few days already since she found out about her pregnancy. Dragging her body down to the living room, she sat on the sofa next to the glass table where the telephone was placed.
"Catalina speaking."
"Rebecca..." She sighed, feeling her strength drain away from just speaking a word, and nodded thanks when one of the maids handed her a cup of ginger tea.
"Oof, Riza, are you okay?" The blonde could imagine her best friend grimacing, "You need to take the day off?"
"Yes... I'm sorry, Rebecca."
"No worries, there are things that can't be helped. Is it... really that bad?"
"Yes, it is." She heaved another sigh, "I don't feel like a First Lady, I'm wearing loungewear all day in the mansion at this point."
Rebecca giggled, "Maybe I should take a picture next time when I come over and send it to the press. But, well, I'm not making fun of you or anything." Her tone turned less mischievous, "You should take more rests when you feel unwell, forcing yourself would just somehow affect you and the baby right? Not like I would really know though, never had a kid before."
"Right..."
"I also don't think that I would want to risk watching you throw up in the middle of the meeting."
"I never did, I always held it in."
"You didn't, but you always looked like you were going to for hours straight."
"It's not like I wanted to..."
"Plus, you can get more of your hubby's attention now, you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" She teased.
"He gives me attention whether I feel unwell or not, Rebecca."
"–Ahh, should not have mentioned your hubby, now I feel jealous."
A grin appeared on the blonde woman's lips. "Don't be, I'm sure you can find a man perfect for you. Don't you think that Lieutenant Colonel Havoc is a perfect match for you?"
"I need to get ready for work now," the dark-haired woman huffed, "Call me when you need me. Take care, Riza."
"Thank you," She chuckled. "See you tomorrow."
Riza laid on the low-rise sofa in her husband's study room as she stared blankly at the ceiling while lazily petting her two dogs who snuggled comfortably against her sides. She felt odd and uncomfortable, hungry and nauseous at the same time while constantly feeling grumpy and annoyed, as she had experienced in the past few weeks.
She slowly turned to the side, trying not to risk anything with her baby and to disturb the snoozing dogs.
"Did I wake you?" She cooed when the white dog in front of her gently placed a paw on her arm. Fubuki stared deeply into her eyes, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly as if she was smiling, just like a typical Shiba Inu. She reached to scratch her neck lightly, "Is this how you felt when you had your puppies?"
The dog responded by licking her hand, seemingly comforting her, enticing a smile from the blonde.
A series of knocks interrupted her interaction with the dog, "Yes?"
"You have a guest, Ma'am."
"Oh, I wonder who it is?" She sat herself up, and combed her hair through her fingers in an attempt to straighten and get rid of the knots.
"A referral from the Führer, Ma'am."
A friend of Roy's? She wondered, and said. "Please tell the guest to wait for a few minutes."
...
"Miss Gracia." Riza said, surprised and happy to see the short-haired woman. "Long time no see, how are you and little Elicia?"
"We're doing well, thank you. Elicia is at her friend's place right now," Gracia replied merrily, holding the blonde's hands in hers, "I've wanted to see you since you have announced your pregnancy, and Mister Mustang has told me before that I could come visit."
Riza smiled, "I'm glad you came to visit, there are many things I would like to talk about." She glanced at the clock, "Perfect time for afternoon tea, what blend and sweets would you like? Let's go to the garden."
"Ah yes, that'd be wonderful. I've baked some apple pie, maybe we can have some lavender tea to go with it?" She said joyfully as she held up to show the containers, "I've brought some spinach quiche as well. Elicia has started to grow much more fond of them, just like her father. Have some for dinner."
"Thank you, Roy would be very happy when he comes back to see it on the dining table."
...
"Delicious as always... your apple pie," Riza exclaimed in between bites, all the discomfort she had experienced till a few moments ago completely disappeared. "I can never replicate it perfectly."
The chestnut-haired woman chuckled, "I'm glad you like it," She sipped her tea, then asked. "How is everything going? How many weeks are you?"
"Ten weeks. It's... quite rough," The blonde quietly admitted, "I've expected it to be... bad, but it exceeded my expectations, I'll say."
Gracia let out a soft laugh, "I completely understand. I went through a lot as well when I had Elicia, to a point where Maes had to drive my parents over to take care of me constantly, because I couldn't even leave the bed let alone doing housework."
"...I actually skipped work today." Riza sighed, "Are there any ways I can get rid of morning sickness or at least soothe it? I cannot continue to skip work."
"Just simply wait for it to be over, I suppose. Mine lasted for two months," Gracia hummed jokingly, and chortled when she noted Riza's exasperated look on her face. "Is your morning sickness very bad everyday? Or is it just some days?"
"Endurable most of the time, but some days it gets very uncomfortable. It's been around three weeks since it has started, and I have already taken sick leave five, six times."
"I'd say that it'll most likely be gone in a month or so, and I don't think it'd be a good idea to force your body when you really feel unwell." Gracia gave an embarrassed chuckle, her tone a bit apologetic. "Though I suppose I can't say much. I quitted my job after finding out I was pregnant as I had already decided to be a stay-at-home mum. I'm not saying that you should quit your job, of course."
Riza returned a laugh, "Not until I have finished my duties as a First Lady."
"Are your work hours flexible? If so, maybe you could consider working when you typically feel less uncomfortable, and work somewhere you tend to feel more comfortable?" Gracia suggested.
"...You're right, thank you."
"Is there anything wrong?" Gracia tilted her head slightly as she studied the First Lady, who wore an unreadable expression. "Are you worried about something else now?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Gracia." A light blush appeared on Riza's cheeks, and she apologised sheepishly. "... I don't know why, I was suddenly thinking about giving birth... What was it like?"
Gracia blinked, and laughed. The blonde right in front of her reminded her of her younger self – shy, anxious and excited. Unconsciously fondling with her wedding ring, she suddenly started to miss her daughter a lot and she mentally reminded herself to buy ingredients to make her daughter's favourite cake on the way home. She gave a teasing grin, "Very painful."
"...How long did it take?"
"Hmmm... I think eight hours?" She tapped the side of her head, and peered at Riza. "And that's already not considered a long time already."
"Is that so..."
"But Maes stayed next to me the whole time," She let out a cheery chuckle, "Even when the nurses asked him to leave, he still stayed throughout the eight-hour labour."
The light frown and worry disappeared and was replaced with a soft smile. "I can imagine. Why did the nurses wanted him to leave?"
"Because he was panicking." Gracia laughed, "It was really painful, and I think I was just screaming and crying the whole time. Can't really blame him, I rarely cry in front of him, let alone full on bawling."
Riza let out a laugh as well, her laughter similar to the sound of tinkling bells, and she asked. "What happened next?"
Gracia studied the younger woman as she looked into her eyes with her honey hazel ones that were filled with curiosity and excitement, and she was reminded that she never really saw the blonde as the uptight lieutenant she used to be. Her smile and merry expression made her seem a few years younger, and she couldn't help but to feel protective – like an older sister would. Her smile widened, and she spoke. "Well, you see..."
As if they have sensed something, both Black Hayate and White Fubuki's ears perked up, and they immediately stood up as they were previously laying cozily on their beds with the pups.
Riza left the kitchen as the dogs quickly walked towards the main door, and she let out a chuckle as she watched their three puppies followed them excitedly yet clumsily. She crossed her arms, leaning against wall and smiled warmly to the man who just hung his coat on the coat rack, "You're back, Roy."
"I'm home," Her husband returned the smile as he took his shoes off and changed to his slippers before he bent down to pet the dogs, scratching their heads and ears. "How are you feeling? Do you need me to stay at home tomorrow?"
"I'm starting to think that you're just trying to skip work, Roy." She deadpanned, and he laughed nervously. "Miss Gracia came over this afternoon," She said, and pecked his lips as he wrapped his arms around her for a brief hug and kiss. "She brought some apple pie and spinach quiche over."
"Can we have a slice of quiche for dinner?" He grinned sheepishly at her, "It's been a while since I've had one."
She returned the smile, knowing how her husband had a soft spot for his best friend's wife's quiche. "Of course."
...
"So how was your day?" Roy asked as he watched his wife finish blow-drying her waist-length golden hair, and took her robe off to slip on her underwear, not so secretly admiring her plump breasts. His attention was soon diverted to the bump right below her breasts, and a soft smile hung on his lips as she placed her palms on top of the bump, gently caressing it as she quietly looked at herself in the mirror.
He swung his legs off the bed and took her cashmere shawl to put it around her shoulder, before wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, and placed his bigger, warm hands over hers. He kissed her cheek, smelling the faint lavender scent of the body lotion she had applied post-shower. "It's grown bigger, hasn't it."
Riza nodded, sending him a smile through their reflections on the mirror. "It has, my clothes aren't fitting my belly anymore." She rested her head against his shoulder, interlocking her fingers with his. "Do I look like a mother now?"
Roy frowned lightly, not really understanding his wife's question. "You've always had a motherly vibe," He let go of her waist to hold her shoulders gently, then reminded. "... the heaters in the room are on, but don't risk catching a cold."
She folded and placed her shawl aside before putting on her pajamas, "You asked how my day was." She dragged herself to the bed and settled down next to Roy, resting her head on his shoulder, sighing. "I took a day off again. This morning was awful – actually, it felt awful pretty much the whole day until Miss Gracia visited in the afternoon. If she didn't visit, I would've been wearing pajamas for the whole day."
"I bet you're feeling guilty about it, aren't you, dear?" He said whilst rearranging the sheets to cover them and signalled her to lay down, then moved to turn the bedside lamp off. "We all know you're not someone who would skip work without any reasons. I'm also glad that you didn't force yourself to go to work when you're feeling unwell, something that you definitely would've done when you were in the military."
"I don't want to risk anything with the baby..." She said quietly, and leant closer to her husband when he pulled her in towards him. Her eyes closed as a sudden wave of sleepiness came, and she nestled closer to him as he placed an arm around her and rubbed circles on her back soothingly.
"...You're clothes aren't fitting you anymore, yes? Would you like to go shopping for maternity clothes tomorrow? It's Saturday." He suggested. "Do you think you'll be okay tomorrow?"
"I can ask Rebecca to order some."
He moued. "I wanted to go shopping with you... We haven't gone out in a while, haven't we?"
She laughed lightly, opening her eyes to see the expression he wore. "Sorry, Roy. Yes, yes, a date with you would be lovely."
The blonde woman lifted her arm and placed her hand on the back of her husband's head to pull him close, and slowly pressed her lips against his. She slipped her fingers in his soft hair, gently massaging his scalp and ruffling his hair. He returned the kiss, moving their lips together whilst snaking his arm around her waist and tightening his grip around her, before licking and nibbling on her lower lip.
She parted her lips, allowing him to slip his tongue in and tangle with hers. He grunted when he felt her knee press again his groin area, rubbing against his erection, and he pulled away from the kiss just to see her grin playfully, her honey hazel eyes shimmering under the faint moonlight that shone in.
He narrowed his eyes at her and smirked, ready to lean in for another make out session before she turned, having her back face him, leaving her husband to gape at her. He huffed and placed his arm back where it previously had been, pulling her in closer. "That was uncalled for, darling."
Riza chuckled, "By the way, it's almost December, isn't it? When is winter solstice?"
"... I think it's on the 21st, less than a month to go." He muttered, "I never knew you were one to celebrate winter solstice."
She hummed, "I'm a bit craving for some nice, warm mulled wine."
"Alcohol is a no-no, my dear."
"I know..." She sighed, and turned her head slightly when she heard him chuckle. "What is it?"
He rested his palm on her belly, "Your cravings have begun. Is it a good thing? Does it mean that your morning sickness is coming to an end?"
"Hopefully," She murmured sleepily, feeling his pair of lips land on the crown of her head and his hand caressing her belly. "Hopefully..."
Omake: Fifteen hours ago –
Roy felt his consciousness return when he felt a thump beside him, and he heard a tired groan from his wife. He forced himself to open his eyes, and he glanced towards the clock on the wall: 7:30. He turned to his wife, instantly realising what she had went through, and he reached a hand up to her back, running his hand up and down soothingly. "Are you okay?"
He watched her nod lightly, her eyes squeezed shut as she breathed deeply whilst her hand clenched the sheets.
"I'll go get you some warm water." He murmured to her before leaping off the bed to quickly head out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen.
Riza turned and forced herself to sit up when she heard rushed footsteps headed towards their room. Well that was quick, she thought to herself and nodded thanks to her husband as he handed her her mug. Slowly sipping the warm water, she felt the liquid flow inside her body, from her throat down to her stomach, and she shuddered at the thought of it reversing back out. Fingers crossed, please don't. She heaved a tired sigh.
"Do you need me to stay at home today?" The raven-haired man asked, wearing a concerned expression. His frown deepened when she shook her head, "I insist, Riza."
"–No, Roy." She spoke firmly, and sighed, placing her hand on top of his and took a few shallow breaths before looking in his eyes for the first time since he woke up this morning and offered a weak smile. "I appreciate it, Roy, but please don't skip work for me. Morning sickness is very normal, and every pregnant women have to go through this."
"... Are you sure?"
"Positive, Roy." She nodded, and her gaze softened. "... Perhaps you can come home earlier this evening?"
Roy gave a nod, and she smiled. "Now go take a shower, don't be late to work."
A/N: I've wanted to write something more 'slice of life' in this chapter, hope you enjoyed reading it and hopefully wasn't boring. Any comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated! :D
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Thank you AthomeinFairytail, Nuzha, Anon Guest and Jaki for the lovely reviews!
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As always, stay safe and take care everyone! 3