Summary: Helen visits Max and Luna in Switzerland; they tell her about the baby
Notes: Hey all! Sorry for the delay. I've had a lot going on in my life, personally and professionally. All good things, but it's kept me pretty busy. I'm trying to finish this up, I swear! Once I finish this, I'll try to finish up Ease Away My Doubts. That you for your patience!
Saturday, August 19th, 10 a.m., Geneva
"Okay, Luna, Mum's gonna be here any minute, but she might not be feeling that great. So we probably won't be able to do everything you wanted to do."
"Why's Mum not feeling good?"
Because they'll be flying to London next week for Helen's 12-week ultrasound, Luna should know about the baby ahead of time. "We'll tell ya later. How about we start making snack so it's ready when she gets here?"
"No! I wanna show Mum I can do it all by myself!"
"Oh! Okay then, big girl!"
Helen trudges up the hallway, tugging a suitcase along behind her, until she reaches apartment 314, then knocks on the door. Through the wood, she can hear the patter of tiny bare feet (music to Helen's ears!) and a squeaky voice shouting "I wanna do it!" The door opens, and Helen looks down to see a blonde-haired, brown-eyed little girl greeting her. "Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!"
"Hello, my little Munchkin!"
Luna jumps with excitement, reaching her arms up. "Up, up, Mum!"
"Let me come in first." Helen rolls her suitcase into the apartment, then picks Luna up. "Oof! My god! You've gotten so big!" Luna is now over half Helen's height!
"Yeah! I'm almost four and a half!" Luna boasts, holding up four fingers. "I missed you, Mum!"
"I missed you too, sweetheart!"
From across the room, Max watches his two ladies embrace, reminding him of when he brought Luna home to his and Helen's London flat. He loves how much they adore each other!
Helen catches Max's eye, the sweetest smile on his face. "Hi," she mumbles as they walk toward each other.
"Hey." Max gives Helen a long, soft kiss, then wraps his arms around her and Luna. "I missed you."
"Me too." It's been three weeks since they've seen each other in person, five since they've had sex due to Helen's pesky pregnancy symptoms. Maybe they'll get a chance this weekend.
"Daddy! Get off!" Luna pushes back, using Helen's shoulder as leverage. "You're squishing me!"
"Okay, fine! Sorry, kiddo!" Max shuts the apartment door and grabs Helen's suitcase. "Luna and I were about to make a snack, but she insisted on waiting for you."
"Yeah! I can make a smoothie all by myself! Wanna see?" Luna squirms, slipping out of Helen's arms, and tugs her by the hand toward the kitchen.
Helen looks around the apartment for the first time as she's dragged along. Even though the place is clearly lived in, the design itself is pretty minimalist: white walls, a gray couch, soft paper-like lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and a large wooden bookshelf; then in the open floor-plan kitchen, white cabinets with the refrigerator designed to match and tucked into the wall, and a counter separating the small cooking area from the rest of the living room. On the opposite side is a round table with enough space for four; the back wall has a wide glass window and sliding door that leads onto a balcony with houseplants and a view of buildings and trees.
While Max leans against the wall to observe, Luna tugs Helen over to the counter where the blender is and climbs onto her step stool. "You can help me make it, Mum!"
"Alright. What have we got?" Helen digs through the freezer and pulls out a bag of frozen blueberries and strawberries. She grabs a carton of milk from the fridge, then places all three items on the counter.
"Mum, can I have peanut butter in my smoothie?"
"Sure, Munchkin!"
"Ah! No, no, Luna! You can't have peanut butter," Max reminds her.
"Aww, but why? I haven't eated it for a long, long time!"
"Your skin gets all itchy and it makes it hard to breathe, remember?" He grabs some almond butter from one of the top cabinets instead and hands it to Helen. "I found out she's allergic on Halloween. Not exactly the best holiday memory."
"Oh, I'm sorry." For some reason, Helen feels ashamed for not knowing something so crucial. She's missed so much of Luna's life already!
"That's okay. You couldn't have known."
"But what if you weren't watching and I had given her some by mistake?!" Helen squeaks on the verge of panic. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened!"
"Hey, Helen, it's okay. We don't even keep anything with peanuts in the house anymore," Max reassures her, rubbing her shoulders. "Don't stress about it and let's just enjoy the day." He gives Helen a gentle peck on the lips and an encouraging nod.
These pregnancy hormones have Helen's emotions all over the place. But what's most annoying is the increased anxiety and pressure she feels to do everything perfectly this time, even though that's not what Max expects.
"Come on, Mum! Watch me!"
After the smoothie has been made and consumed, Helen gets a tour of the rest of the apartment. Luna enthusiastically shows off her room, bragging about the books she's starting to read. The room isn't overly spacious, but modest enough to squeeze a crib on the wall opposite Luna's toddler bed. Although she begged to have it painted pink and purple, Max said since they're only renting that they should leave it as is.
Next up is the bathroom. It's narrow but long, and the mirror that spans the entire wall makes it look bigger than it is. The sink counter is made of gray and white marble with light wooden cabinets, silver light fixtures on either side of the mirror, and at the far end of the room is a tub spacious enough for two with an opaque shower curtain. Helen is relieved that there's a roll of toilet paper next to the toilet, which means she won't have to use a bidet. She can only imagine the shock and horror of getting sprayed in the face if she throws up tonight.
Max's room is a little larger than Luna's. The full-sized bed with a cream-colored comforter is in the center of the wall, illuminated by the light coming in through the sheer window curtains, plus a small warm simple lamp on a bedside table. Maybe they should get a matching set for Helen's side. A long dark wood dresser is on the opposite wall, covered in Max's personal belongings. Hopefully, that and the small closet will be enough to occupy all of his and Helen's things. She still has some paring down to do.
"Okay, now that you've had a tour, how do you feel about going out for a bit? Luna wants to show you her favorite playground. We can get lunch after and take you out on the town."
Helen checks in with her body. She's still tired, but that's the case no matter how much sleep she gets. Nausea isn't bad right now, and as long as she carries a snack bar or crackers and water, she should be fine for a while. "Yes, let me freshen up and use the loo first."
Max corrals Luna into the living room, shoving shoes on her feet as she talks about the day ahead. When Helen is ready, Luna goes to the bathroom one more time, then all three of them head out the door.
Before moving to Geneva, Max sold his car since the primary modes of transportation here are buses, trains, and bikes. If he's taking Luna somewhere close, Max usually opts for riding his bike with a tag-along stroller-like trailer. Obviously, they can't do that with Helen, but the park is within walking distance.
When they reach their destination, Luna drags Helen all around to her favorite spots: going down the slide, asking Helen to push her in the swing, and proudly demonstrating that she can finally jump from the jungle gym onto the low-hanging monkey bars.
Max remains hands-off, letting Helen take the reins, but follows a few steps behind. Helen glances over at him as Luna runs back up the play set. It's probably just her imagination, but despite Max's sweet smile, Helen feels like maybe he doesn't completely trust her around his daughter quite yet.
She's pulled out of her head when Luna shouts, "Catch me, Mum!" before leaping from the platform into Helen's arms.
An hour at the playground is enough to wear Luna out, and she and Helen are famished. They go to a homey restaurant with a variety of food cuisines. Max orders a burger for himself and a grilled cheese with turkey and apple slices for Luna. Per her doctor's recommendation to get enough Omega-3s, Helen orders a salad with quinoa and grilled salmon, the only fish she can stomach these days.
While they wait for the food, Helen asks Luna questions based on things Max told her last month. Thrilled to have her mum back, Luna animatedly chatters away as she colors on the children's menu, her answers turning into run-off stories. "Mum! Did you know I saw a mermaid movie with real mermaids?!"
"Oh, you did?" Helen recalls Max telling her he was taking Luna to see the new live-action movie back in June. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Yeah! Ariel was so pretty! She looked like you! You're pretty too!"
"Why, thank you, darling!"
"Can you sing like her?"
Helen can somewhat carry a tune, but she's never really been a fan of her tone. Hence, she only ever sings under the influence of alcohol when her inhibitions are down. "Oh, erm, I don't know. I'm alright."
"What are you talking about, babe?" Max interjects. "You sounded great on karaoke night!"
Helen snorts a quiet chuckle, but from the neutral look on his face, it appears Max believes what he's saying. "Either your ears are faulty or you were blinded by love!"
"What can I say?" Max endearingly shrugs. "I love every part of you!"
When the meal comes out, Max and Luna chow down on their food, but Helen merely picks at hers, beginning to feel tired and a little queasy. Up to this point, she was mostly fine because she was running off momentum, but now that they're still, her body is finally catching up. She can only focus on bits and pieces of what her tablemates are talking about.
"Hey, you okay?" Max asks halfway through his burger.
"I dunno," Helen shrugs. "I'm not feeling in peak health at the moment because of… you know…" she alludes, rubbing her stomach.
"Why are you not feeling good, Mum?" Luna innocently asks, still not aware of the life growing inside Helen.
"We'll tell you later, Lu," Max assures her. "You wanna head home, hon?"
"If you don't mind. I hate to cut the day you had planned short."
"Don't worry about it! We gotta get this kiddo home for an N-A-P anyway."
Max gets a box for Helen's leftovers and gives his card to the waiter.
"Daddy, I have to go potty."
As Max begins to slide out of the booth, Helen places a hand on his shoulder and stands up. "No, it's alright, luv. I'll take her."
"You sure?" Max asks, glancing back and forth between the two ladies.
"Yes, I need to go anyway. Come on, Munchkin."
Luna gladly takes Helen's hand, skipping along as she's led to the bathroom. Wanting to be independent, she frees herself from Helen's grip when they reach the stalls. "I don't need help. I can do it by myself."
"Yes, ma'am!" After relieving herself in the adjacent stall, Helen overanalyzes the moment from earlier. It made the most sense for her to take Luna to the loo since they could go in the women's room. Why wouldn't Max think she'd want to? It only adds to her fears of him not thinking she's capable.
Luna comes out of the stall, but the sink is too tall for her to reach, so Helen lifts her up. As Luna washes her hands, Helen stares at their reflection in the mirror. She's flooded with memories of brushing Luna's hair in front of their mirror in London every morning and night. Silent tears prickle her eyes, feeling both a bittersweet longing for those special moments and hopeful it can be like that again.
Luna looks up at Helen's reflection. "Why are you sad, Mum?"
Helen runs her fingers through the soft, blond hair, in part to comfort Luna, but also herself. "I just really missed you, sweetheart."
"I missed you lots and lots! All the days and nights!"
3:45
Upon returning home from lunch, Helen promptly passed out in Max's bed while he put Luna down for a nap.
Having slept longer than intended, Helen finally wakes up in the half-empty bed. It's weird, and not only because it's an unfamiliar environment. Even though she's been sleeping alone for well over a year, Helen hasn't gotten used to it. Waking up next to Max was such a simple pleasure. If she closes her eyes, she can picture Max lying across from her, a smile on his face so warm it gives her butterflies. Helen can't wait until they share a bed permanently.
Quiet conversation can be heard from the other side of the door. Even though she's still fatigued, Helen pulls herself out of bed and trudges toward the main living space. Max and Luna are sitting at the table with art supplies and paper. Max's eyes light up when he sees Helen first, then he whispers something to Luna.
Luna gasps and hops off the chair before bolting toward Helen. "Mummy!" She throws her arms around Helen before being picked up. "You sleeped a long, long time!"
"Yes, I was very tired."
"We've got some cheese and crackers over here if you're hungry," Max calls from the table.
The thought of cheese disgusts Helen. So far in her pregnancy, dairy hasn't sat well in her stomach. But she should eat something. Helen sits at the table with Luna in her lap, nibbling on one of the crackers. "What have you two been working on?"
"I drawed this for you!" Luna slides her piece of paper across the table to Helen.
"That's very sweet, dear! What's on the picture?"
"That's me, that's you, and that's Daddy!" Luna declares, pointing to each wonky figure. "You're playing with me in my room because we're having a sleepover!" As thrilled as she is to have her mum here, Luna worries that Helen is going to leave again. "Can you stay here with me forever and ever?"
That seems like the perfect segue. Helen looks over at Max, and based on his knowing smirk, it seems he's thinking the same thing. "Actually, your father and I need to talk to you about something."
"Hey Lu," Max begins, thinking it best to rip off the bandaid, "Mum has to go back to London tomorrow afternoon."
"No!" Luna whimpers, burying her face against Helen's chest. "Don't go! Don't go! I'll miss you!"
Luna's desperation to hold on makes Helen feel guilty because it's her fault the little girl is facing separation anxiety. "Sweetheart," Helen says in a soft maternal voice, rubbing Luna's back, "I'm only going back to London for a bit, but shortly after, I'll be coming to live here with you two!"
Luna perks up, trying to contain her excitement in case she's misunderstanding what was said. "You're gonna live with me and Daddy?"
"Yes, Munchkin! Would you like that?"
"Yeah!" she exclaims, bouncing in Helen's lap. "You can sleep in my room with me!"
Nope! There's no way Max is allowing that! "Sorry, Lu, Mum's gonna stay in my room," he interjects, even though he knows Helen would have corrected her.
Helen reaches for Max's hand to tone down his possessiveness. "But if you're ever scared in the middle of the night, you can always come join us for a cuddle." Part of the reason Helen isn't close with her mother is that Serwa would always chide that she was too needy when she simply needed comfort. Helen is determined to do things differently with her family. She wants her children to know they can come to her about anything. "Isn't that right, Max?" she asks, giving him a firm look that conveys it isn't a question.
"Yup." Max can't argue with her. It would be selfish to hog Helen all to himself. "Helen, should we tell her the other thing now too or…?"
Helen shrugs. "I suppose so, considering next weekend's event."
"Hey Lu, we've got some big news! You know how Mum's feeling a little sick and extra tired?"
"Yeah. That's not fun. If you throwed up, I'll take care of you, Mum!"
Helen's heart melts! Luna really is a mini Max! "Thank you, my love!"
"Well, the reason Mum feels icky is because she's pregnant! Remember that word? It means she has a baby in her belly!" With her ever-growing thirst for knowledge, Luna had asked Max a few months ago where she came from, so he explained a bit about how Georgia had been pregnant with her.
Luna looks at her mum for confirmation, lighting up with joy. "There's a baby in there right now?" she asks, pointing to Helen's stomach.
"Yes, there is! You can touch my stomach, but you won't be able to feel the baby yet."
Luna presses her hand against Helen's stomach. "How does it fit in your belly?" She's seen some pregnant women before, but their stomachs are usually pretty large, and Helen's is flat.
"It's still quite small, almost the size of a lime. But it will grow larger and larger until they're big enough to be born."
"How did the baby get in there? Did you eat it?"
Max stifles a snicker at Luna's guess. But he doesn't ever want her to feel ashamed for asking questions.
"No, Munchkin," Helen says. "The baby is in a different part of my tummy, a special organ called the uterus. It will expand as the baby gets bigger."
"But how did it get in there?" Luna asks again.
Helen is unaware how much information Max wants to give Luna. They haven't had that conversation yet and she doesn't want to overstep. "How about you answer that one, Doctor Goodwin?"
Based on her age and maturity level, Max thinks Luna is ready for a basic scientific explanation. He just needs to make sure she won't go blabbing about it to her peers. "Okay, Luna, you can always ask me and Mum anything, but just like when you have questions about private parts, we don't talk about this in public."
"Why?"
"Because not every kid knows where babies come from, and it's their parents' job to tell them. And I think you're smart enough to understand."
"Okay." Luna feels special that Max thinks she's smart enough! It's like he's letting her in on some top-secret information!
"So, Luna, to make a baby, you need two things, one from a man and one from a woman. Mum and I love each other so much that I gave her something like a seed from my body. It mixed with an egg inside her, then it turned into a baby."
"Mum had an egg in her belly? Like a chicken egg?" Luna knows that some eggs have chicks inside, but the ones at the grocery store don't. Maybe Mum ate one of the empty ones to make the baby.
"Not exactly. Her body has its own eggs, lots and lots of them. And they're way tinier than chicken eggs."
"Did it hurt? When you gave Mum your… seed thingy?" How else would he give her something from his body? Did he have to cut it out with a knife like during surgery?
"No," Max chuckles darkly, smirking while exchanging a heated gaze with Helen. "It didn't hurt one bit." Quite the opposite. It's always pure, mind-blowing bliss! But Luna doesn't need to know that much information yet.
"Oh, good," Luna sighs in relief, her curiosity on the subject sated for now. "When's it gonna be born?"
"Not for almost seven months," Max says. "Probably a little before your fifth birthday in March."
"Is the baby gonna live with us too?"
"Yeah! You both grew from part of me, so this baby is your little brother or sister. That means we're all a family! Even Mum!"
"Yaaayyy!" Trembling with elation, Luna wraps her arms around Helen again! "Hi, baby! Can you hear me?"
"They can't hear anything yet," Helen informs her, "but you can introduce yourself if you'd like."
Luna leans down close to Helen's stomach. "My name's Luna, I'm your big sister! Come out soon, I wanna play with you! I love you!"
Helen kisses the top of Luna's head. "You're going to be a wonderful big sister!"
Since it's getting late in the afternoon, Max brings up the topic of dinner. His original plan was to make lasagna, but the sound of ricotta and mozzarella cheese makes Helen queasy.
Assuring Max that they'll be fine on their own while he runs to the store, Helen and Luna play together. The younger of the two dances around the living room, serenading her own rendition of Frozen's "Let It Go" into a toy microphone. In hopes of keeping her pregnancy symptoms at bay, Helen drinks some ginger tea and rests on the couch while watching Luna's performance. She's missed this beautiful chaos!
Having a half-brother she never really knew makes Helen wonder how her life could have been different. She should have taken the initiative to visit Fahrad more than once, but what if she had been given the opportunity to know him when they were kids? What if they had grown up together? What if Serwa never pushed Helen's father away and they had another child? It only makes her more angry at her mother for all the lies. Helen rubs her lower abdomen; at least her child will get to know their sibling.
"Mum, are you watching me?"
"Yes, I am, darling." Although Helen was partially zoned out, too distracted by her racing thoughts to completely focus on the child in front of her.
"Why is the baby making you feel icky?" Luna asks, tiptoeing over to the couch.
"Because growing a baby is hard work, and my body is still getting used to it."
"Maybe I can snuggle you and read you a book, and then you'll feel better!" That usually makes Luna feel better when she's sick.
Helen thinks Luna's optimism about curing her churning stomach with a book is a little far-fetched, but she's appreciative nonetheless.
Luna grabs a book from the shelf, then climbs under the blanket and onto Helen's lap.
Helen runs her fingers through Luna's hair, getting lost in the lilting tones and lisp of the little girl's voice. Luna can only read a few words in the picture book of The Little Mermaid, but she knows this story by memory.
A few pages in, Luna considers something she hadn't thought of before. "Why doesn't Ariel have a mommy? Did she die like my mommy?"
Helen recalls that Max told his little girl that Georgia was in heaven, but how much has he told her since? She's unaware of the backstory of what happened to Ariel's mother, but given Disney's tendency for the main characters to have a dead parent, the queen mermaid likely died before the story takes place. "Yes, I think she did," Helen says softly, rubbing Luna's arm.
Not having a mother is something Luna can relate to Ariel about. But at least now, she has Helen back. She's quiet for a moment, the cogs turning in her mind. "Do you have a mommy?"
The question catches Helen off guard. She wasn't planning on bringing up her mother, nor has she even heard from her since their disastrous meeting last weekend. "Yes, I do. But we don't get along."
"Why?"
"Because she isn't very nice to me. She doesn't treat me with kindness or respect. Part of a parent's job is to make their child feel seen, heard, and understood. And she's never done that, nor has she apologized for it."
"That's not nice!" Luna pipes up. "I love you! You're the best!"
Luna's expression of sympathy warms Helen's heart! "Thank you, darling."
Even though Luna doesn't fully understand the concepts being discussed, anything that makes her mum upset can't be pleasant. She wraps her arms around Helen's neck, squeezing her tight. "Sorry your mommy's mean to you, Mum."
Helen holds onto Luna; she doesn't ever want to let go! "I promise to always hear you, sweetheart!"
As Luna settles back down next to Helen, Max walks in the door with a grocery tote in hand. "I'm home! How are my favorite ladies?"
"Good. Our Miss Luna here is reading me a book. Kiss?"
After placing the bag on the counter, Max tilts Helen's chin up for a chaste but lingering peck, then smooches Luna's head. "Whatcha got there, kiddo?"
Luna holds out the book to show Max the cover. "It's the Ariel story!"
"Nice! Well, you keep on reading, and I'm gonna get dinner started."
After Max puts on a pot of rice, he starts chopping vegetables for the curry, occasionally glancing over and Luna and Helen across the room. In his head, Max knows he's enough for Luna, but she seems happier than she's been in a long time now that Helen's here. Probably since London. They only lived together for three months, but quickly formed an inseparable bond that stretched across time and space!
Luna met Elizabeth a few times, but never formed a deep connection, in part due to the language barrier. While Max's "relationship" with Alice was short-lived, they hung out with her and Bobbi semi-frequently even before romance was added to the mix. But Luna was so young at the time, she doesn't remember them now. And she knew Georgia for all of twenty minutes on this side of the earth. Out of all the women Max has been with during Luna's lifetime, Helen is by far her favorite! Even while staying with Gwen and Calvin post-London, Luna couldn't stop talking about Helen.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Max, Helen, and Luna enjoy spending quality time together as a family again. Between eating dinner together, more imaginative play, and watching a pregnancy-related episode of Bluey, one of Luna's favorite shows, it feels just like the early days after Helen moved into Max's tiny New York apartment.
When bedtime comes around, Luna insists that her mum does the nightly routine. Helen can't resist Luna's puppy-dog eyes (a trait she inherited from Max), so she guides the little girl into the bathroom. After Luna has used the toilet and put on some pull-ups, she hops onto her sink step stool. "Daddy says I have to brush my teeth every day. Or else I'll get cavities. That's tiny holes in your teeth."
"Yes, that's right. It's important to brush them morning and night."
"Are you gonna brush your teeth too?"
"I'll brush them before my bedtime."
"Wait! Can I show you something?" Luna squeaks urgently before hopping off the step stool and opening the bathroom closet. She pulls out a small purple plastic cup similar to hers and Max's. It's decorated with stick-on yellow stars and the word "Mum" written in what appears to be gold marker. "I made you a new one 'Helen cup!' Daddy helped me with the words!"
As Luna holds out the cup, Helen is overcome with emotion. It's such a tiny gesture, but it means the world to her, like she's a part of this family again. She takes the piece of plastic and wraps Luna in a tight hug. "Thank you, sweetheart! It's beautiful! I love it!"
Teeth finally brushed, hair combed, and pjs on, Luna crawls into bed. "Can you read me a story? Daddy always lets me pick out two books."
"Just one for tonight. I'm not feeling in tip-top shape."
Luna picks a story about two hares, a father and a son. In preparation for bedtime, the father and son compete to demonstrate how much they love each other, increasing the amount every time. "'I love you right up to the moon,' says Little Nutbrown Hare. Big Nutbrown Hare tucks his son into bed and whispers, 'And I love you to the moon... and back.'" Helen closes the book, examining Luna to see if she's sleepy. But the little girl just looks puzzled. "What's the matter, Munchkin?"
Luna sticks her tongue out and furrows her brows in concentration. "Why did you go away? Did you not like being my mum?"
The question shatters Helen's heart! Even though they turned out to be inaccurate, it brings up some traumatic memories from when her own father left. She can't let Luna carry the same thing with her. "Oh, sweetheart, no! I adored being your mum! Please know, my leaving was not your fault. While I was gone, I missed you so much, it hurt."
"Then did you not love Daddy anymore? I thought you were gonna get married and I could wear my big-girl princess dress!"
"I loved your father then and I love him now still. Leaving you two was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
"But why did you go?" Luna asks again, having not yet received an answer to her original question. "I missed you all the time!"
The reasons surrounding why Helen never got on that plane are way too complicated for Luna to fully understand at this age. "There were some things I needed to figure out on my own, things about myself and about my mother. I can tell you more when you're older. But right now, it's time to go to sleep."
"Will you still be here when I wake up?" Even though Luna's parents told her Helen isn't leaving until tomorrow afternoon, she still needs reassurance.
"Yes, I'll be right down the hall."
"And you love me too, right?"
Helen hates that Luna even has to ask that! "Yes, of course! What made you think I didn't?" Surely, the day they spent together, plus Max giving Luna Helen's love last month, convinced her of that.
Embarrassed, Luna shrugs and looks down. When she started preschool last year, she had asked her teacher, Ms. Stacy, why Helen left after Max didn't give her a straight answer. The teacher didn't have an answer either, but Brandon, one of the mean kids, said it was probably because Helen didn't love her anymore (something he was immediately scolded for). Although Ms. Stacy said that was likely not the case, Luna couldn't get Brandon's words out of her head.
"Come here, baby." Helen opens her arms, welcoming Luna in for a long, tight hug. "I love you so, so much! More than you can comprehend. That's never changed. I'm terribly sorry for making you feel otherwise by leaving how I did. Can you ever forgive me?"
Luna silently nods, squeezing her arms tighter around Helen. "Will you love me forever?"
"Always." The day Helen moves here can't come soon enough! "You're in my heart, no matter where I am, no matter what anyone else says."
"Love you, Mum." After a few quiet seconds, Luna shudders a sigh, then relaxes her grip. "I'm happy you came here."
"Me too, my love." Certain that she's been thoroughly comforted, Helen kisses Luna's cheek, tucks her into bed, turns off the bedside light, and heads toward the exit.
"Mum?"
Helen faces Luna in the doorway. "Yes?"
"Can you leave my door open a teeny bit? Or else the dark is too scary."
"Of course. Sweet dreams." Helen pulls the door shut until there's only two inches of space, then turns toward the hallway to see Max leaning against the wall. Confused, but soothed by his soft smile, she grabs his outstretched hand and follows him back toward the living room. Exhausted from the long day, she plops onto the couch and leans her head back.
Max sits next to Helen and rests their linked hands on her thigh, unwilling to give up physical contact yet. He waits until Helen sits up and has regathered some strength to begin light conversation. "I thought today went pretty good! During your nap, Luna wouldn't stop talking about how much fun she had with you at the playground. I think for tomorrow, maybe we could—"
"Do you trust me around Luna?" Helen cuts him off.
Max is caught off guard, causing a few seconds of delay as processes Helen's question. "Yeah, I do! Why wouldn't I?"
Helen is ashamed to even ask, but she needs to quiet the nagging sensation in her gut. "I dunno, I just feel like you've been hovering over my shoulder all day."
"What do you mean?" The last thing Max wants to do is invalidate Helen's feelings, but he needs more clarification.
"Like…" Helen stutters, not knowing quite where to begin without sounding stupid. "Like when Luna had to use the bathroom after lunch, you were about to take her. But I was right there. It felt like you didn't want me to go with her by myself."
"Oh, that was just a force of habit. Since you haven't been around, I've been handling bathroom trips on my own. Sorry, that was kinda weird."
"It's not only that, but you stood awkwardly behind me the entire time we were at the park, you seemed unsure about leaving us whilst you went to the food shops, and you stood outside Luna's room during bedtime. And it just made me feel like you don't trust me to be alone with her quite yet." She wouldn't necessarily blame him if that's the case.
"God, Helen! I'm sorry I made you feel like that! I trust you around her, I swear." Max grabs both of Helen's hands, rubbing them with his thumbs. "I wanted to give you space to do your thing with Luna. The only reason I stuck around so close today was that I love watching and listening to your interactions. I just wanted to be there for every moment I could."
"Th– that's all?"
"That's all, Helen, I swear." During the early days of their initial relationship, Helen needed reassurance about her relationship with Luna then too. Max keeps in mind that she may need it even more this time around. "Luna really did have a blast with you today. It's been a long time since I've seen that happy."
"I've missed her so much!" With her fears assuaged for now, Helen pulls Max's forehead to hers. With his support and encouragement, maybe this transition won't be as difficult as she anticipated.
Helen is so close that Max's heart is pounding in his chest. Being in her presence always does that, but now that his baby is growing inside her, Max's heart feels twice its size.
It's been a long few weeks apart that Max's body is craving Helen. He cautiously presses his lips to hers, testing the waters. They're a little drier than normal, probably from not drinking enough fluids throughout the day, but he doesn't mind. What starts out almost chaste quickly turns intimate as Helen climbs to straddle Max's lap. She grabs his hands and puts them on her waist, wanting to feel him all around her, inside her. Helen parts her lips to give Max's tongue access, but immediately regrets it and pulls back.
"Helen? Babe? What's wrong?" But the answer is pretty clear.
Clapping her hand to her mouth, Helen jumps off Max's lap and runs to the kitchen sink just in time for chunks of chickpeas, vegetables, and rice to spew out. This has been Helen's least favorite part of pregnancy so far. But the sensation of Max holding her braids and rubbing her back makes it a little easier.
Once she's sure her stomach has finished evicting its contents, Helen swishes some tap water and runs the garbage disposal.
"Not quite over the nausea, huh?" Max tries to keep his voice even, avoiding letting on the shock of Helen almost throwing up on him.
Helen spits the water from her mouth and shakes her head. "I just want it to stop."
"I know. It will soon." Max dabs the corners of Helen's mouth with a paper towel, then brushes the vomit-induced streaks of tears from her cheeks. "How about we take it easy for the rest of the night? Curl up on the couch and and just talk or watch something."
As much as Helen wants to be with Max, she's not feeling well enough to go that far tonight, so just nods. "I'm going to brush my teeth."
When Helen turns the hallway corner, she sees Luna peeking out of her bedroom. "Luna, what are you doing awake?"
"I heard you were throwing up. You okay, Mum? I wanna help."
"I'll be alright. I've got your father taking care of me tonight. Off to bed with you."
Luna wraps her arms around Helen, tall enough that her head rests on her mother's stomach. "Baby, be nice to Mum!" she demands, then climbs back into bed. "Maybe I can take care of you tomorrow."
Helen chuckles to herself. This little girl is such a joy! She's so grateful to be in her life again! "That would be lovely. Goodnight, Munchkin."
"Night, Mum."
Notes: I haven't seen the live-action little mermaid yet, so no spoilers 😬