It was utterly exhausting for three out of four pregnant woman to walk up the four flights of stairs it took to get to the apartments. Bernadette was still at the point in her pregnancy where, in comparison, she was talking the stairs in leaps and bounds. Her friends watched her enviously as she easily glided up each step, while they trudged behind, hanging on to the walls as the rounded the last corner, filling back in to Amy's apartment.
"You'd think they would have fixed that elevator by now," Bernadette giggled a bit before taking her seat.
"Ya, very funny, but you won't think so in a couple months" Penny retorted as she and Layla paid the sitter. Then like a flash of lightening, little Peter Hofstadter darted into his mother's arms.
"Hi Baby," Penny smiled, "Why aren't you in bed with your friends?"
Bernadette watched as the little boy cupped his mother's face in his tiny hands and kissed her. Penny looked lovingly at the dark haired, cuddly, little boy, before he began to stir in her arms. He was reaching for Bernadette, who smiled as her 'nephew' willingly reached into her arms.
"Awe," Penny grinned, "Did you want to see your Aunt Nee nee?" The boy smirked back with a nod of affirmation. Nee nee was the name Peter had given to Bernadette when he was first learning to speak. He had heard Howard call her Bernie and somehow through that encounter he gleaned Nee nee. As he got older the other cute nicknames he had for the rest of his surrogate aunts and uncles developed into their real names, but Nee nee had stuck. Peter was Bernadette's preparation for motherhood. He had always gravitated towards her since the moment he was born. It was almost as if he were mocking her saying "Haha I know you don't like me, Haha, I know I make you uncomfortable, but really you're just scared of me." The poor boy had the worst separation anxiety and the only other person he would allow to hold him was his Nee nee.
"Hi sweet boy," Bernadette grinned as Peter held up his hand so she could kiss his palm, it was their special way of saying hello.
Peter then accidently placed his hand on Bernadette's tiny belly. A smile instantly rose on the toddler's face. "Nee nee's baby!" Of course the boy was only making the connection due the constant explanation of his mother's pregnancy, but that did not stop the room from bursting into a chorus of 'awes'.
"Bernadette," Penny interjected, "What if you have a son? Will you still have time for my little cutie pie? You know, you are seriously the only babysitter he'll sleep for!"
"Don't worry Penny, he'll always be my special boy!" she laughed, giving Peter a tight squeeze.
"Speaking of baby gender," Layla began, "didn't you find out the sex of your baby today?"
"Penny!" Bernadette gasped, "I thought you and Leonard agreed to be surprised!"
"He did. I didn't. I can't do this again, I'm exhausted and can barely keep up with Pete. I just wanted a little girl!" Penny laughed.
"And…" Amy coaxed her friend to continue.
"I got her," Penny squealed, "But seriously, don't tell Leonard or he'll kill me!"
"Don't worry bestie, I got your back," Amy winked.
"Well, looks like we will both be buying pink, Penny," Layla slowly smiled.
"Shut up!" Penny screamed.
"Then I too should say that I will also be purchasing pink items, as well as blue, but still pink!" Amy giggled.
They turned to Bernadette.
"You have to have a daughter now! You need to find out!" Penny shook her friends arm trying to convince her to not be surprised.
"Gee," Bernadette began, "I really just hope that this baby is born healthy. Oh, and that I didn't expose it to any toxic viruses or chemicals that could cause fetal damage, while I was still working in the lab." Penny and Layla looked on at Bernadette, horrified at how blunt she had been addressing the possible chance that her baby could be in distress.
Amy nodded in agreement, "I complete understand your worry, it is a very plausible and not to mention common fear." Again Layla and Penny looked at their friend in astonishment and confusion, especially after she used the word common.
"Howard and I have wanted this for so long, I don't think we can handle losing another one!" Bernadette sighed.
"What do you mean another one?" Penny looked at her friend questionably. Bernadette, realizing what she had said was sent into a bit of a panic attack.
"What do you mean by that?" Layla asked, placing her hand on Bernadette's, giving her strength to finally tell her friends the story of her losses.
"Well, I guess I haven't been completely honest with all of you," she began, "this is actually my third pregnancy. The first was an unsuspecting surprise, ending in an all too sudden demise. The second was a dream that just unfolded into a nightmare. Then for the past three years I wished on stars and prayed that I would have a chance to experience such an amazing gift." Bernadette smiled at the now sleeping Peter.
"I can now fully comprehend your reasoning in not telling us the moment you found out," Amy spoke first.
"Is that Rajesh meant when he asked Howard about 'trying again'?" Layla contemplated.
"Ya," Bernie sighed, "After a while Howie just needed a friend."
"Didn't you need a friend?" Penny stated sounding hurt that she did not know the greatest struggle her friend had gone through.
"I felt like a hypocrite," Bernadette said defensively, "I preached for so long about never wanting children. I didn't expect to receive any sympathy for not being able to have a child when I wanted to have one!"
"You are not a hypocrite," Penny sighed, "You are human."
"A human who is now making another human inside of her! So stop worrying and enjoy it!" Amy said gleefully while clapping her hands.
Bernadette smiled, for once, in a social setting, Amy was right. It wouldn't kill her to be happy just this once, would it? Bernadette smiled looking down at her itty bitty baby bump and realized that if she remained happy, her baby would too.