Engine

"Well Sam," Freddie said as he stood outside the doors of a large store. "This is it. This is one of the most significant, sentimental moments we'll ever experience as a couple. What we are about embark on will stir up such real, raw emotions that it will bring us even closer together."

"Did you bring those chocolate bars like I told you?" Sam asked, rolling her eyes. "I'm starving."

"Oh right," Freddie said, quickly rummaging through his pocket. "Here you go."
"Alright," Sam sighed, stuffing half the bar into her mouth. "Let's get this over with."

"Get this over-Sam!" Freddie sputtered. "This is not something we do 'just to get it over with'! We are shopping for our first child together!"

"Yeah, okay, but unlike you, while we're doing all this shopping, I have to carry our first child together!" Sam snapped, waving down at her swollen abdomen. "I don't know if you've ever tried walking around while you're six-months pregnant, but let me tell you, it is not fun. All I want to do is hurry up and get this stuff so we can get home and I can get off my feet!"

She stepped past her husband, who was all too used to her moods by this point, and pushed open the door to the baby store.

"Besides, you're totally exaggerating this whole thing, as usual," she continued as Freddie followed her into the store. "No couple freaks out when they're buying baby stuff like that. It's just something you do. It's not like you come home with the kid or anything. Just find a crib and-oh my God!"

She ran over to a rack of baby booties and held them up to show Freddie.
"Look at these!" she exclaimed. "Look how tiny these are! Can you believe it? In just three months we're going to have a little baby who will wear little baby booties like this! Oh my God…Freddie, this-this is huge! We're shopping for our baby!"

"Yes," Freddie chuckled as he put his arm around her. "We are."
"We have to this right," Sam said firmly. "I don't care if we're here until the store closes; we're going to get this baby the best stuff they have here, starting with these booties. We need some in every color, especially since we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl. And then we need to get the perfect crib. Something nice, but comfortable; I want my kid learning the beauty of sleep early on. And we need-"

"Relax, baby," Freddie smiled, pulling a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "I made a list of everything we need. We'll make sure to get all of it." He leaned down and gave her a long kiss.

"It's exciting, isn't it?" Sam said once they pulled apart. "I mean this makes it seem so official."

"I know what you mean," Freddie agreed, leaning down to give her one last peck. "Here, let's get a cart and start at the back of the store and work our way forward."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sam frowned. "How come you're in charge of where we start?"

"I-Well, I wouldn't say I'm in charge," Freddie said slowly. "It's just it makes sense to-"

"Well I want to start over by the highchairs," Sam said firmly.

"But that's in the middle of the store!" Freddie said.

"And?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"And…let's go!" Freddie said, knowing better than to attempt to go against his wife right now.

…..

"Alright," Freddie said three hours later as the couple continued to walk through the store. "We've got clothes for the baby until it's six months old, pacifiers, bottles, blankets, bibs, enough diapers to wallpaper our house, more than enough toys…next thing on our list is the crib. While we're in that section we're also going to need to pick up sheets as well. I really like those ones over there with the cute little train engines all over them. I mean, sure, some people might think those are more on the boyish side, but I think they could also work for a-"

"Whoa," Sam frowned as her and Freddie stepped into the crib section of the store. She looked all around. "There must be a hundred different cribs here!"

"Yeah, pretty decent selection," Freddie nodded. "So, I'm thinking we try to find something-"

"Which-Which one do we pick?" Sam asked. "Which one is the right one?"
"I don't think there's any 'right' one," Freddie said. "I think it just depends on your preference. Now, for me personally I saw we try to find one of those cribs where you can adjust the sides as the baby gets-"

"But-But what if we get the wrong one?" Sam asked, starting to feel anxious.

"Hey, baby, you okay?" Freddie asked.

"I-Yeah, I-I'm fine," Sam nodded quickly. "It's just…let's just come back to this section, okay? Can we go look at something else? What's the next thing on your list?"

"Um, that would be the car seat," Freddie said. "But-"

"Great, let's go look at those!" Sam said quickly, grabbing the cart and turning around.

Sighing, Freddie followed his wife all the way across the store to the car seat section.

"Alright," Freddie said once they finally arrived. "With car seats, there actually is a right type and a wrong type. Some of these are meant for older kids, you know, ones around three or four. We're obviously going to want to get an infant one."

"Jeez," Sam said softly, looking at the model car seat on display. "Look at all these straps."
"Well yeah, they're to hold the baby in," Freddie chuckled.

"But how am I supposed to know which strap goes where?" Sam asked slowly. "Or how to actually get the baby in this?"

"I'm sure there's an instruction manual," Freddie assured her. "Now, how about this one right here? It's got an A plus safety rating from the-"

"An instruction manual?" Sam repeated, glaring at him. "You think by me reading an instruction manual I'll suddenly just become an car seat expert?"

"Well, I-I-" Freddie started, confused. "I was just pointing out that-"

"Yeah, I get it, you're all about the instructions!" Sam snapped. "You always have to read them before we play a game or you microwave a pizza or put together a dang car seat!"

"Um, Sam?" Freddie frowned, looking around the aisle, where people were beginning to stare. "You-You're sort of starting to make a scene-"

"Well you know what isn't going to have your precious instructions for you to read?" Sam continued, ignoring her husband. "This baby! Yeah, that's right! So it doesn't even matter how many times I read some stupid car seat manual! It's not going to suddenly know how to take care of this baby! It's not going to magically make me know how to change a diaper or how to burp the baby or-or how to actually be a mom!"

"Sam," Freddie said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What are you-"

"I can't do this," Sam mumbled, shrugging his hand off of him. "I-I have no idea how to do any of this. I-I got to get out of here."

"Wait, Sam!" Freddie called after her, but Sam had already hurried down the aisle and turned the corner.

"Only three more months," Freddie sighed as he began to push the heavy shopping cart after his wife. "Only three more months…Then we can go back to just her usual crazy."

After taking a lap around the store, Freddie finally spotted his wife sitting in the middle of a rocking chair display, absentmindedly rubbing her abdomen as she stared off into space.

"Rocking chairs were on the list too," Freddie said, sitting down in the seat next to her. "Of course they were last on the list since they're right next to the register, but-"

"I can't do this, Freddie," Sam whispered, looking up at him. "I-I have no idea how any of this works."

"Aw, Sam," Freddie said, giving her a warm smile. "That's ridiculous. Of course you can do this."

"No, I can't," Sam sighed. "I can't even take care of myself! If you weren't around I probably would've burned down the house by now. I'm completely irresponsible! I'm not going to be able to take care of someone else! Someone who's completely dependent on me! I don't even know how to use half the stuff we're buying!"

"Well you can always-"

"I swear, you bring up the instruction manuals one more time I will hurt you," Sam growled.

"Look," Freddie said. "I get it. Now that everything is getting closer and more official…you're starting to get nervous and anxious. That's completely normal! This-This is totally new territory-"

"I just don't want to mess this up," Sam whispered, looking down at the bump of her stomach. "I mean…this is one of the only things I've actually really cared about doing right. It's not some school assignment or work thing that I can just wing…It's our baby."

"You won't mess this up," Freddie assured her, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"How can you know that?" Sam mumbled, rolling her eyes. "I mean I always mess things up. I'm Sam! One time I made a microwave explode by putting twelve cans of Dr. Fizz in it! How can you possibly think that I won't-"

"Because I can tell how much you already love this baby," Freddie said. "From the second you told me you were pregnant, I-I could see it in your face. I know you'll do anything for our child. You can learn how to get the baby in a car seat and how to change a diaper in a day. But you've already mastered the most important part of this whole parenting thing."

Sam gave him a small smile. "Maybe it's just the hormones, but…but that actually makes me feel a lot better."

"I'm glad," Freddie said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Just remember, Sam. You're going to be a great mom. Our son or daughter is going to be incredibly lucky to have you."

"The baby's going to lucky to have a dad like you too," Sam told him. "And…And I'm really happy about that. I mean, if I couldn't have one of those dads that's always there for you and teaches you to ride a bike and helps you with your homework and-and actually cares about you…I'm glad this kid will."

"You think I'm going to be a good dad?" Freddie asked.

"Of course I do," Sam nodded. "I mean, it's like you said…you already love this baby. That's already way more than my dad ever gave to me."

Freddie got to his feet and held out a hand to help Sam up.

"This baby is going to be just fine," Freddie told her. "More than fine. That much is for certain."