Thank you to everyone who read last chapter, especially to those who reviewed. :) I hope you like this one! Disclaimer is on the first chapter.
Two Hearts Beat As One: Chapter 2
Bright light was streaming through the dandelion-colored curtains of the Schuesters' master bedroom, making the summer sunshine feel even more summery and suffusing the room with a brilliant radiance. The brightness slowly woke Will as it crept to his eyelids although he was reluctant to get up. Yesterday had been the most amazing day of his life, so far. He was to become a father! He looked down at his chest, his beautiful wife's sleeping form huddled over it, her breathing slow and even. He gently stroked her hair and gave her a small kiss on the head. The tiny movement woke Emma up, and she mumbled a sleepy good morning on his chest.
"Good morning, sleepy head!" he chuckled, giving her another kiss. "Don't get up yet! Here, have a cracker!" he said while reaching over the bedside table for the box of saltines he had placed there last night.
"Must I eat in bed? The crumbs are going to be all over the sheets!" Although Emma had gone leaps and bounds in overcoming her OCD, she still couldn't stand eating in bed.
"C'mon! It will help with the morning sickness, which thankfully hasn't reared its ugly head yet today," Will pressed on. "And besides, you didn't complain one bit with the mess we made last night," he smirked.
Emma blushed and took the cracker, slowly chewing on it. "I don't feel as nauseated today compared to yesterday," she admitted, ignoring Will's sly comment.
"Good!" Will said through a mouth full of cracker.
"Hey, you're spreading crumbs all over the bed!" she protested.
"Sorry!" he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
They continued munching on the crackers for a few minutes in comfortable silence.
"I think that's enough crackers for me today!" Emma declared.
"Me too! You ready to get up? I think you should do it slowly, though."
"Yeah. Surprisingly, I feel fine. I think those crackers did work."
"That's great! I think eating crackers in bed should be on our morning routine."
"I agree, I think I can live with eating in bed everyday, as long as it helps me not to throw up."
They showered and dressed, then had breakfast, Emma eating only small portions so as not to trigger her morning sickness. Between sips of his tea, Will asked, "So, what do you want to do today, Em? The weather is perfect for a walk in the park, maybe even a picnic. We can have one if you want."
"I was thinking of maybe window shopping at the mall today. Do you think it's too early to look at baby things? I really want to, Will," she said hopefully, her eyes sparkling.
At that moment, Will's heart suddenly swelled with joy. His eyes sparkled similarly to Emma's, and he fell in love with her even more, if that was possible.
"That's brilliant, Em! I'm envious I didn't think of that!" he said, giving her a peck on the lips and her favorite goofy smile.
"That's okay," she said, ruffling his curls affectionately, "It can be your turn to think of something brilliant next time."
"I may just have an idea about that!" Will said happily. Suddenly, a light bulb switched on his head about the perfect anniversary present.
xxxxx
They decided to go to the mall later that afternoon, after Emma's nap, to be sure that she was well rested and wouldn't have an episode of ralphing.
At 4 pm, both of them were safely buckled in the car, and in 25 minutes, they arrived at the mall. They first went to a clothing store which sold pregnant women's apparel because it was conveniently located near the main entrance on the first floor. Emma was quite thrilled to find out that there were a lot of fashionable get-ups to choose from, and frankly, she was quite relieved that she didn't have to wear frumpy dresses whilst heavily pregnant. If there's one thing Emma loves, besides Will, it's fashion.
"Honey, you're not even showing yet, you can still wear all your clothes!" Will said fondly.
"I know, I know! I was just looking at what I outfits I could wear once I have a giant ball of a belly!"
"I'm sure you'll still look beautiful no matter what!"
"Aww, you're so sweet!" she smiled and gave him a small kiss on the lips.
"It's the truth! You know what else you need to get during the pregnancy? Flat shoes!"
"No! I love my high heels! I'll never part with them!"
"It's for your own good, Em." Will looked a bit disconcerted when she said that. "And besides, they've got flat-heeled Mary Janes," he said, pointing to the shoes on display.
"Don't worry, Will, I was only joking! They have them in my favorite color, too," she laughed out loud. "C'mon, I'm ready to go."
They walked hand-in-hand towards the escalators, oblivious to the crowd around them. They were always like that when they were together, in their own universe of love. Reaching the second floor, they headed straight to the baby store.
Will couldn't hide his huge grin as they headed in that direction, and Emma was equally pleased and excited.
"Oooh, look at those baby outfits, they are so tiny and cute!" Emma squealed when she saw a row of onesies. One in particular caught her eye. It was an off-white one, with ladybug prints all over. Will noticed it was her favorite as she gently touched the fabric.
"That is so cute! It kind of reminds me of my very own cleany-bug!" he said, giving her hand a squeeze.
Emma smiled at him. He was always there for her, supporting her all throughout her battle with her OCD, even when they weren't yet together. She was glad that he was still here, this time, for the good times.
"We're only window shopping today, however. Maybe we can start getting the baby stuff in a month or two."
"If that's what you want, it's fine by me." He noticed that she was holding something back from him, and he thought he knew what she was thinking. He decided that distraction was the best cure this time. "Oh, look at this crib! I think it's fit for a baby princess!" he dragged her over to an intricately carved wooden crib which was painted white with little pink roses. "Do you think our daughter would like it? That is, if we will have a daughter."
She laughed. "I think that's way beyond our budget! And, we could have a son, you know. There is a fifty percent chance of it."
"I really don't care about the baby's sex, Em. Having either a boy or girl is fine by me," he said truthfully.
"I don't care either. We're going to love him or her so much no matter how he or she turns out!"
"Only, I want our baby to have your big old Bambi eyes!"
"And I want him or her to have your butt chin!" she retorted.
They were both laughing hard after that. They went around the store for a little over an hour, checking out cribs, toys, and outfits. That gave them an idea of what they wanted to get the baby in the near future.
When it was nearly six o'clock, they decided to have an early dinner at a vegetarian pizza place. Emma insisted that she was in the mood for it, which surprised Will.
"Are you sure about this, Em? There are loads of cheese on pizza, even if it's vegetarian," he said skeptically after they ordered.
"I'm sure, Will, and besides, there will be lots of vegetables on it, too, and that's good for the baby!"
"Okay!" he relented. "Listen, I have to go to the bathroom, will you be all right for a few minutes here alone?"
"Yeah, I'll be all right."
He gave her a kiss before he left the table. He was back within a minute, however.
"Ugh, the men's bathroom is out of order, I'll have to go out of the restaurant. Can you forgive me for this? I really need to go!"
"Maybe . . . look, just go, I'll be fine. I'll still be here when you return."
"Thanks! You can start eating without me if our order comes, I know you're hungry." He gave her another kiss and left.
When he returned, she had eaten two whole slices of pizza.
"Hey, glad you could join me!" she greeted him. "You were gone awfully long, I tried to wait for you before digging in, but the pizza was so tempting, and the cheese is so good, I couldn't resist!"
He laughed, clearly amused. He never imagined Emma Schuester loving cheese, but then again, he never imagined Emma having Schuester as her last name either. We have really come a long way.
"That does look good," he said, taking a slice for himself. "Don't worry, I washed my hands very well."
After dinner, they went to the record store, a favorite haunt of Will's. They ended up buying a bunch of CD's, and Will was already thinking of a mashup for the Glee Club from a couple of the songs. Next, they went to pick up some groceries at the supermarket. They drove home after that, tired but happy from their shopping.
They plopped down on the couch when they arrived, ready for some sleep, dumping what they bought on the coffee table.
"I think I'll take a shower before bed. No, I think I'll take a shower now. I feel so sticky!" Emma said.
"You do that, Em, I'll put away all this stuff," Will offered.
"Thanks, honey!" She kissed him on the cheek before heading for the master bath.
xxxxx
After 20 minutes, Emma was dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed. She found Will already asleep, facing her side of the bed, an open book beside him.
She felt a surge of happiness and love seeing him there. He was her husband, and they were having a baby together. She had to put aside that scary thought of the possibility that she would lose the baby. It had entered her mind just this afternoon before she fell asleep for her nap, but she had not said anything to Will about it. It was just a remnant of her OCD, which she has full control of now. Seeing Will on their bed strengthened her resolve even more not to entertain that thought.
As she pulled the covers off on her side of the bed, something made a slightly scrunching noise. Lifting the covers up, she discovered a small package lopsidedly wrapped in the same periwinkle wrapping paper she used just yesterday. Beside it was a piece of paper folded in half with the words 'Read Me First' written on it. She looked at her husband, who was snoring a little bit, and smiled as she shook her head.
The letter in her hand read this way:
My darling Emma,
Here we are, opening up another chapter in our lives together. I know the road will be long, and not entirely free of twists and turns, but always remember and imprint it in your heart that I will always be here with you. There is nothing to be scared of, we will face this together!
Thank you for bringing back the light in my life. Yo te amo.
Yours forever,
Will
Emma was surprised that he picked up that she had some anxious thoughts about her pregnancy. It left her a bit teary-eyed. He truly was her better half. She slowly opened the present, revealing the cute little ladybug onesie she had admired earlier. A little note fell from it. It read: Advance happy anniversary! I couldn't resist! I guess we're even now! :) xoxo
She laughed out loud. "You can stop feigning sleep now, Will. I know you don't snore!"
She found him looking straight at her, wide awake with a big smile. She surprised him by diving at him for a kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other and smiled into their kisses. When they pulled apart, she said, "I love it. And I love you for knowing how I feel even without me saying it. Don't worry about it, though, my happiness and excitement far outweigh my fears, because I know I'm not alone, you're here."
He pecked her on the lips lightly and gave her a small squeeze. "I love you, too, and I'll always be by your side. Now, I think we need to sleep," he said while taking the onesie from her and putting it gently on the bedside table, along with the book he was reading. "We have a doctor's appointment to get to tomorrow." He crawled back under the covers, turned off the bedside lamp, and resumed his place on the bed, his arms around her.
Darkness crept into the bedroom, but slivers of moonlight escaped from the curtains, making the atmosphere relaxed and dreamy. They shared one more sweet kiss before sleep slowly overcame them, Will with a smile on his face, and Emma feeling safe and bold in his arms. Together, they could conquer anything.
AN: Up next, the appointment with the OB-GYN. :)