Cranky pregnant Tessa snuggling and choosing baby names.
Hello James
Will sat in the drawing room with his feet up and his book open. He glanced up and smiled as Tessa came into the room. She wore a dress made of something soft and green. She looked tired and beautiful. He started to read aloud from the middle of the sentence he was in.
She gave him a little smile as she came to sit beside him. She tucked herself in close to his side. Without pausing the story he lifted an arm so he could hold her. She put her head down against his shoulder and put her arm around his waist so she could hold him close.
He read to the end of the chapter before he paused to ask, "What's wrong?"
"I hate being pregnant," she told him without raising her head.
"Are you feeling ill again?" he asked. He ran his hand up her back and kissed the top of her head.
"I always feel ill, I think he's never coming out. Why does it take so long?" she complained cuddling in a little tighter. He put down the book and used both arms to pull her closer.
"We still have months left, which is probably a good thing as we haven't got a cradle and he'd have to sleep in a hat box. Or we could just put Charlotte's new one in the hat box and take their cradle," Will said.
"We are not stealing Matthew's cradle nor are we putting our child in a hat box," she said but he had made her chuckle and that made him worry less. Warlock pregnancies were notoriously difficult and no matter how many times Will was told that her life wasn't in danger it did not stop the worries. He held her close and placed a hand on the swell of her stomach.
They are both strong and they will be in good health. Jem had told him that and Will tried to believe it. He kissed her forehead and reached for the book again.
"Will!" her voice was sharp with surprise or fear and it snapped his attention back and he dropped the book.
"Are you well? Tess?" he didn't try to keep the little spark of panic put of his voice.
"He moved," she said and looked up at him with wide eyes. His immediate response was to scan the room but they were alone.
"He? Who moved?" he asked.
Her face broke into a smile that was purely happy as she laughed and said it again, "He moved. Give me your hand."
She took his wrist and understanding washed through him as she put it to a lower place on her stomach. He leaned his head against hers and waited to see if it would happen again.
When it did, they both laughed.
"He's actually in there," Will said.
"I hope so or there is something direly wrong with me," she said patting her stomach.
"We're going to be someone's parents," Will said softly.
"We're going to be James' parents," she said.
Will looked at her and she was still smiling and looking down. She said it easily, like it was simply a fact.
"Is that what you want to name him?" he asked.
"Of course it is," she said looking up at him. "Isn't it what you would choose too? I thought we hadn't talked about it because we didn't need to. We could call him something else."
"No, we can not. You are right, there is no other name for him," Will said smiling at her. He hadn't mentioned it not because he thought it was an obvious answer but because he had feared that it wasn't and that he would open difficult feelings for her if he brought it up.
She was still close against him. He tilted her face up and she kissed him with a smile still on her lips.
"Hello James," Will said as he felt the faint movement below his palm again.