A/N 1: Hello everyone again!
I know it's been three weeks since I posted a chapter in this story. The week after Easter Sunday was great as I had written about four-five chapters, but then life started getting busy. Let's just say that May hasn't been exactly the greatest month for me so far and I really can't wait for it to end in hopes of June being a little better. I have two jobs now and it has been more tiring than I thought. I really want to finish this story and I promise that it will be finished this year, but I would like to ask for your patience, your love and your positive vibes. I don't know when I will be able to post a new chapter again, but I promise that I will try to do it as soon as possible.
So, in this chapter we have a little time jump to get things going. The three friends are successfully in their second trimester and enjoying getting to know each other better and having no symptoms. Let's get on with our chapter.
It was the middle of July and it was getting slightly hot in England. All three women were now successfully in their second trimester and more specifically in the fourth month of their pregnancies. Fortunately Beryl was able to get off of bed rest after a couple of weeks, but she had strict orders to rest as much as possible in order to keep that baby safe inside till it was the appropriate time to enter this world. That gave them the freedom to meet a few times outside or at someone's house. One day they had gone for some shopping as they all needed a few clothes to accomodate their expanding bellies. They had arranged for all three families to gather at Elsie's house on Sunday for a BBQ. They were a little worried if their husbands would get along, but they were sure that everything would be alright.
"Anna, where is your mother?", Charles asked wondering where his wife had gone.
"I don't know. I was in my room talking to John.", Anna shrugged her shoulders and went to the kitchen.
"Elsie? Are you alright?", he said once he spotted his wife and noticed that she was just a little pale.
"I need to sit down for a couple of minutes. I would like some water please.", she said as she sat down on the sofa and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"What happened?", he sat down beside her and grabbed her hand.
"I was throwing up.", she took a few deep breaths.
"I thought that the morning sickness had stopped once you entered the second trimester.", his was confused now as she hadn't thrown up for days since she entered the second trimester.
"I know, but apparently something must have triggered it.", she took a few more deep breaths and placed her head on his shoulder only for her to cover her mouth and run quickly to the bathroom again.
"Elsie? What's wrong? Are you alright?", he stood in front of the bathroom door getting worried about her.
"Charles. I think it is your perfume.", she said as she opened the door and looked at him. She walked slowly towards the bed and sat down taking a couple of sips from her water bottle.
"What? I wear it every day. You haven't been triggered by that since you got pregnant.", he was getting a little upset now as he looked at her.
"It seems that now it reacts badly with my senses and triggers me.", she smiled sadly at him and grabbed his hand.
"Elsie. I don't have to change my perfume, do I?", he was looking at her like a small child that was asked to throw his favourite toy.
"As long as you wear it only when you go to the office and not when I am near you.", she giggled when his face light up at this condition and placed a kiss on his cheek.
About an hour later everyone had arrived at the house and the introductions had been made. The three women were chatting while sitting inside as the smells of the meat cooking were bothering Isobel a little. Elsie took a sip of her water and looked outside through the big windows with a smile.
"What are you smiling at?", Beryl asked her friend.
"Well, we were worried that they wouldn't get along. Would you look at that?", she pointed outside where their families were chatting and laughing.
"Our husbands have a great time while doing the cooking.", Isobel noticed where the three men stood chatting, laughing and taking care of their food.
"I wish William was here as well. He would have a great time.", Elsie said as she looked at her friend.
"He was sad when they called him to inform him that he had to go to Spain. He sends his regards and hopes to meet everyone soon.", she was worried about her son even though he was thirty years old.
"Well, he is going to meet everyone in a month. At Anna's wedding.", she smiled and placed a hand on her baby bump as she felt a couple of kicks.
"Are you alright?", Isobel asked noticing the change.
"Yes. He just kicked me.", she rubbed her belly.
"You keep saying "he" every time you talk about the baby.", Beryl was impressed at how her friend was so sure that it was a boy.
"I am pretty sure it is a boy, but Charles thinks it's a girl. We will learn the sex the day of the birth, but I know that this time I will give my Charles a boy.", she smiled widely at her friends. "Will you find out before the birth?", she asked both of them.
"We decided to wait until the birth. We only want the babies to be born healthy.", she placed a hand on her belly. She was bigger than the other two women considering she was having twins. "Richard would like for the twins to be girls. Matthew doesn't really care about the sex as long as they are healthy. I would like to have a girl and a boy. I want a daughter so much and I want to give Richard a son.", she felt a kick on her right side and grinned thinking that the baby was agreeing with her.
"We wanted to know before giving birth, but after my scare we decided to wait until then.", Beryl let a tear fall at the thought of her scare as it was still fresh to her. "I see that my Alfred is trying to get Sybil's attention.", Beryl noticed as she looked outside and giggled.
"Well, he can try all he wants but I don't think he will be very successful. She has her eyes on someone from her university. He is studying to become a doctor as well, but I think he is two years older than her.", Elsie explained to her friends. "She will be very polite and let him down softly.", she smiled and hoped that she would find a great man to marry. "However, I have a feeling that maybe some day all of us will become a big-big family.", her hand went to her middle and rubbed it softly as she looked outside. Yes, one day they were all going to become a big family.
Anna was glad to see that her mother was having fun and talking with her friends. She didn't remember her mother going out with friends even when she was little, only once or twice a year with her co-workers from the school. So, she was glad that she had found the two women and they were on this journey together. She was pretty impressed with Daisy who was quiet smart and confident for her age.
"Anna, is everything okay?", Sybil asked again and placed her hand on her sister's arm to get her attention.
"I'm sorry. What did you ask?", Anna smiled at her sister and placed her other hand on top of her sister's.
"I asked if everything is okay. You seemed to be thoughtful.", she smiled at her.
"Yes, everything is okay. I was just watching our mother with her friends and I am glad she has found them.", she turned to Daisy and smiled at her.
"I am glad as well for my mother to have found them. My parents go out occasionaly with a couple of friends, but mom never had friends like that. She was always working at her shop and looking after her family.", she looked inside at her mother who was laughing at something Elsie or Isobel had said. "I am also glad that she can share this journey with them.", she smiled at the two women sitting next to her.
"Well, I am sure that now that we have all met, they will make sure to arrange something once in a while. Let's not forget that you are all invited to my wedding next month.", Anna said and smiled looking at her soon-to-be husband who was talking with their fathers.
"Thank you very much for the invitation, Anna. You are very kind to invite us all to your wedding when you don't even know us so well.", Daisy was really smart and well raised from her parents.
"I couldn't have mom all alone at my wedding with all these relatives around looking at her like she is doing something wrong in having this baby. I want her to have a great time and if I can be truly honest, I have really loved Beryl and Isobel.", she looked inside once more before turning her attention to Daisy. "People can be very mean and cruel to someone, Daisy. I know what that feels like first hand.", she said sadly and took a deep breath.
"What do you mean?", Daisy was a little confused now. Anna didn't have a baby or a child.
"Some people haven't been kind with their words when they learnt that John is ten years older than me and has been divorced.", Anna explained and watched the younger woman realize what she was saying.
"Well, they are fools. Anyone can see that the two of you love each other very much and take care each other.", Daisy smiled at her.
"We do love each other very much. I can't wait to get married to him and start our own little family. Well, perhaps wait a little until my mother has given birth to our new sibling.", the three women laughed with her last coment.
The gathering was going well and everyone was having a great time. The three families were blending together very nicely and that thought made Elsie happy with her idea to finally gather all together. She was currently sitting in the garden with her friends and their husbands. She looked around and was satisfied to see that everyone was talking with someone. She frowned a bit when she couldn't see her youngest. She tried to look inside the house, but didn't see her anywhere.
"Excuse me. Charles, have you seen Margaret?", Elsie was getting a little worried now.
"She was talking wth the girls ten minutes ago.", Charles looked over to the girls and noticed as well that Margaret was not with them.
"If you will excuse me.", she told to the group and stood up walking over to the girls. "Excuse me for interrupting you all, but have you seen Margaret?", she asked hopeful. "Charles said she was here a few minutes ago.", she looked at her daughters.
"I think she said something about a headache or something.", Sybil told her mother and noticed that she got worried.
"I will go and check in her bedroom. Thank you, honey.", Elsie entered the house and went straight to her daughter's bedroom. She knocked on the door and waited a few seconds, but didn't get an answer. She slowly opened the door and looked inside smiling when she saw her sleeping on top of her covers on the bed. Approaching the bed without making any noise, she grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and covered her daughter. She left before she woke her up and joined the others again.
"Well? Did you find her?", Charles asked his wife as she took a seat next to him again.
"Yes. She is sleeping in her bedroom. I just covered her with a blanket and let her.", she placed a hand on her belly and took a deep breath. This pregnancy was taking more energy as it progressed.
"She is sleeping? She will be up all night, Elsie.", Charles sighed and looked at his wife.
"Let her, Charles. It's summer and she doesn't have to go to school tomorrow.", she smiled at her husband reassuringly.
"Fine.", he sighed and went back to the conversation with their friends.
"Well, I think it's time for us to head home.", Richard said approaching Elsie and Charles.
"So soon?", Elsie pouted at them.
"It is very nice, but I am getting really tired and they haven't stopped playing around.", Isobel said as she placed a hand on her belly with a tired smile.
"Alright. Make sure to rest and I will call you tomorrow. It was so nice that you came.", Elsie reached and hugged her friend with a smile.
"Thank you for inviting us and having us. Everything was great.", Richard shook their hands before saying their goodbyes to the others and leaving the house.
Slowly everyone started leaving the party and going to their houses, only John staying longer with the Carson family. Later in the night Margaret woke up feeling rested and didn't know what to do. She decided to go to the kitchen and find a snack before going to the living room to watch a movie. After only a few minutes she heard someone coming down the stairs and saw that it was her mother.
"Margaret? What are you doing up at this hour? Are you alright?", Elsie became worried about her daughter.
"I am fine, mommy. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I felt a little hungry, so I grabbed a snack and decided to watch a movie.", she paused the movie and turned to look at her mother. "What are you doing up at this hour?", she was a little worried as well.
"I can't sleep. I had the same problem with all of you.", she sighed and rubbed her belly. "I am going to get something from the kitchen and I will be back to watch that movie with you.", a couple of minutes later she was sitting next to her daughter watching the movie.
They were trying to find another movie to watch when they heard footsteps on the stairs and both turned to see who was it. Mother and daughter smiled when they noticed Anna and Sybil looking at them with wide eyes. The two young women approached them slowly and stood next to the couch.
"What are you two doing up?", Anna asked with worry.
"Are you having a movie night without us?", Sybil asked looking a little upset.
"Well, Margaret couldn't go back to sleep after sleeping from early afternoon. I can't sleep because of the pregnancy and found her watching a movie.", she shrugged and sipped her water. "What are you two doing up?", Elsie asked her daughters with worry.
"We couldn't sleep and decided to go out in the garden for some air.", Anna answered her mother with a shrug of her shoulders.
"You are welcome to join us. We were searching for another movie to watch. Grab snacks from the kitchen and come.", Margaret said going back to the screen and going through the movies.
A few minutes ago the four Carson women were sitting and watching a movie Anna chose with snack on the table and their laps. They had a little break once the second movie ended and went out in the garden for some air, before fixing the couch so they could lie down on it and bring more snacks. At some point through the third movie Sybil was the first one to fall asleep with her head on Anna's shoulder. Elsie was the next one falling asleep with her head on the back of the sofa. By the end of the third movie all four women were asleep. In the morning Charles came in search of his wife and smiled when he found them all together sleeping on the couch with Margaret's hand protectively on her mother's belly.
"My family.", he smiled and took a couple of pictures with his mobile before going to the kitchen and making a big breakfast for all of them. He was going to spoil them that day and he was happy.
A/N 2: If you have any other suggestions for baby names, I would love to hear them.
To Be Continued...
