"Man I'm not gonna be sorry when this bump is gone and the baby is finally here." I sighed, easing myself onto his sofa and sighing. My back was always aching and my poor feet throbbing.

"At least you've got a built in table there though, pretty handy." Billy replied, nodding to the can of coke that was balancing on it as I took a bite of pizza.

"That's about the only good thing about it." I smirked.

"I think it suits you." He shrugged and I raised an eyebrow, not believing him for a second.

"Yeah right."

"No it does! You're definitely the sexiest pregnant woman I've ever seen."

"You only think that because it's your baby, and men are weird like that. I'm sexy because every other guy knows I'm your territory while I'm like this. It's like the human equivalent a dog pissing on something to claim it as his." I theorized and he rolled his eyes.

"I've always thought you were sexy! How do you reckon you got this way in the first place?" he asked.

"Because I was slim and toned, not to mention I'm extremely charming when I want to be." I smiled.

"Well whatever, you're still sexy. You've got nice green eyes, and you still have a great ass too - and now that your pregnant you've got pretty big jugs, so that's a plus." He said and I giggled.

"Thanks."

"Any time."

"So... you like my eyes?" I probed after a few moments, grinning.

"Yeah, green eyes are hot. Do you want me to just come out and say it?" he smiled at me and I nodded, stifling a laugh. He rolled his eyes and looked back to the TV. "You're beautiful. There."

"You think I'm beautiful?" I grinned just to wind him up.

"Yes! I think you're beautiful! Now shut up." He said loudly, trying to suppress a smile. I moved over to him and rested my head on his shoulder as we watched TV.

"Who do you think the baby will look like?" I asked after a while.

"Dunno, hopefully you." He replied and I took my head off his shoulder to look at him.

"I'd like it to have your smile. You don't smile enough, you know.",

"I smile plenty." He said.

"No you don't, but you should do it more. It suits you. And if it's a boy, I'd like him to be tall and broad like you too."

"Well it'd be weird if he was slim and curvy like you." He replied and I snorted with laughter.

"You know if every girl got to see you the way you are when you're around me, you'd have a serious problem." I said.

"Why's that?" he asked, still watching the TV.

"Because they all swoon over you anyway. If they found out that you're sweet, caring, and funny too they'd fall obsessively in love with you." I grinned.

"Well what can I say, you're one of the privileged few!" he grinned and flung his arm around my shoulders. It was hard not to act like a couple when you shared something as special as a baby together. The experience brought you closer together, whether you wanted it to or not. No matter what was going on, the other person would understand – and only that other person. We'd had a few people assume we were together, but we weren't. We were just very good friends who sometimes had a playful flirt together, friends who could completely relax and be themselves around each other. After all, he was right; he had seen me naked and helped me through my constipation. There was no reason for us to be awkward around each other anymore.

0000

"Thank you so much, I could kiss you!" I said happily to the plumber the next day as I paid him and he laughed.

"Well maybe I'll take you out for dinner some time, then we can see about that kiss." He replied. I was stunned.

"You do realise I'm not just a bit weighty, I'm pregnant." I said dumbly, making him laugh again.

"Yeah I can see that. I know you're probably not up to much any time soon because I can tell you're almost due, and when my sister was almost due the last thing she wanted was anything like a date. But you have my number, give me a call some time if you fancy it." He smiled; he did have a cute smile.

"Alright, thanks." I smiled, my ego soaring. He left and I went into my fixed and very dry kitchen, still grinning hugely. Perhaps I wasn't as hideous as I had thought. He knew I was pregnant and still asked me out – there was hope for single mums everywhere! I felt a rush of giddiness and did a little jump up and down a few times, feeling elated, and then very wet. In a wave of mortification I realised my little jump had caused me to piss myself.

"Oh sure, don't let me be happy for too long kiddo. Back to reality with a bang." I muttered, all my good feelings gone. I then realised it wasn't that I had wet myself; my waters had broken. I wasn't due for another week but there it was, all over the floor. With a trembling hand I reached for the phone and rang Billy.

"Hey, can you come over please?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Yeah sure, what is it?"

"I just need a hand with the crib." I lied, not wanting him driving in a panic. Twenty minutes later he arrived in the door and I was sitting in there in a fresh change of clothes with my hospital bag.

"Where is it?" he asked, looking around for the crib.

"I lied. My waters broke while I was in the kitchen." I said and he stared at me, then looked to the kitchen floor where the fluid was, then back to me.

"Why is there always water going everywhere when it comes to you?" he smirked and I laughed.

"The kitchen was your fault." I retorted, standing up.

"Alright, have you got everything? Fuck I need a cigarette." He said, running his hand over his head as he helped me out the door.

"Yeah everything is here. Just drive calmly yeah? I'm not gonna have the baby on the back seat so there's no need to speed."

"Don't worry, I'll get us there in one piece." He said as he helped me into the car and sat in the driver's seat. He started the engine and looked over at me; I looked straight back at him.

"Ready?" he asked and I nodded.

"Let's do it. Let's get this baby out here so we can meet it already!" I said, feeling nervous and excited. He smiled and we pulled off toward the hospital.