I'm woken up the next morning by my phone ringing on my bedside table.
I groggily open my eyes to grab it, answering it.
"Hello?", I speak raspily, confused about who this would be.
"Honey?", I hear my mom's voice. Oh god. "Did you just wake up? What are you doing?"
I look at my clock then. It's just after 10am.
"Well… yeah mom", I clear my throat to speak more clearly then. "Your call woke me up but I'm… I'm awake now. What's going on?"
"You're still sleeping? It's Christmas Eve, I thought you and Rusty would be getting up to something fun for the day".
I roll my eyes then.
"Me, Rusty, and Cappie mom. He's here too, you don't have to act like he doesn't exist", I speak matter of fact, annoyed that she constantly makes it a point of not acknowledging his presence even though he was the father of my baby, the father of her granddaughter.
"Right… so he's spending time with you during the holidays even though you're not dating?", She asks.
"Well yeah mom, we're still close", I say, annoyed. "And I'm his only family here".
Kind of his only family, period. Only family that made an effort at least, I think to myself.
"His family? Casey… what are you talking about?", My mom sounds confused.
I look over to my right to see Cappie sleeping soundly, his floppy hair a mess, snoring softly. He looks really peaceful when he's not being a joking frat guy.
I can't help the smile that forms on my face then.
"I know you think it's weird mom. But… me, Cappie and this baby are a family", I speak confidently. "Even if me and him never try dating again… we're always gonna be a family".
"Well… I just think it's sad that you're a beautiful young girl and you're stuck pregnant with no boyfriend or husband. It's very unfortunate Casey", She sighs.
I scoff to myself then, trying to stifle in a laugh at the pure seriousness in her voice.
"Mom, I'm fine, believe me", I laugh. "I'm happy… I mean maybe, on paper, I shouldn't be, but I actually am".
"Well alright. I'm not even going to try to understand what's going on between you two, I guess I'll just never get it", She makes it a point to sigh loudly over the phone and I scoff to myself then at her overdramatics.
"Well no one was asking you to", I say as I breathe out, still feeling pretty tired.
"That's awfully sassy young lady!", She sounds mad now.
"Sorry", I shake my head. "I'm just really uncomfortable mom, the baby's really making me have to pee right now, she's so low down and it hurts. And I've been having these cramping pains… It's not you, I'm just in a bad mood".
"Alright well, I know how terrible that last month of pregnancy can be so… you're forgiven honey. Anyway I just wanted to let you know that we're planning to get there just in time for dinner tonight", She says.
"Okay, sounds good", I nod.
"And luckily Rusty's roommate is away so we're going to stay in his room. So we won't be infringing on your weird roommate arrangement with that boy", She explains.
"Cappie", I say again. "That's his name mom".
"Fine, Cappie. It's a very odd name Casey", She sighs. "Anyways me and your father should get on the road. You got everything for dinner tomorrow?"
"Yes", I assure her. "Me, Rusty and Cappie are planning to cook it up so you and dad can just enjoy the sights of Cyprus".
"The sights of Cyprus?", My mom scoffs bitterly then. "Honey it's a random university town in the middle of the lower half of Ohio… it's not exactly Times Square".
I laugh to myself then as I roll my eyes.
"Well… why don't you and dad take a stroll down Greek row?", I say sarcastically. "Or take a guided tour of the Kappa Tau house?"
I laugh then, joking around with her.
"You know, you've become very sarcastic since you've been hanging around with that boy again, I'm not sure if I like this attitude Casey", She says disapprovingly.
"Well sorry mom, it's probably the hormones. Anyway, got to pee. I'll see you later okay?", I say quickly, trying to get off the phone with her as I see Cappie waking up now.
"Alright", she sighs. "Goodby-"
"Bye!", I don't let her finish and instead hang up the phone.
I look down to see Cappie coming to, rubbing his eyes and then looking up at me. With the light coming in my window I could see all the different flecks of blue shades in them.
"Good morning", He gives me a smirk then, looking me up and down as I'm still naked from last night. "Who was that on the phone? Your boyfriend? Is he coming home? I guess should climb out the window shouldn't I… or maybe hide in the closet?"
He's joking with me now as he looks at me mischievously.
"Oh stop it", I hit his arm as I giggle at his antics.
He grins and then leans up to kiss me. I happily reciprocate, my mother's words about him and me not fazing me. Not when I had him in my life like this.
"Well you did already climb out my window once", I shrug with a laugh as we pull away, still close to his lips as I speak.
"Right", He nods, blushing and then letting out a laugh, remembering the way I had gotten him out of my bedroom at the ZBZ house the morning after we slept together on homecoming.
I give him a laugh then and lean down to the floor to grab my nightgown, pulling it on over my head.
"I just have to go pee", I give him a grin. "Be back in a sec".
He nods as he sits up in my bed.
When I come back to my room from the bathroom he's gone so I make my way out to the kitchen and living room area to see him making coffee.
"Ow", I let out as I clutch my lower belly, bad cramps rippling through me. I actually have to hold onto the couch then as one hits me hard.
"What's going on? You okay?", Cappie turns around from the coffee machine to look at me worriedly.
"Yeah I think so", I take a deep breath, trying to breathe through it. "I guess it's just braxton hicks again".
"Here, just sit down Case. I'll bring you something. I'm gonna make omelettes", He says and gives me an assuring look.
"Okay", I nod and then go to sit down on the couch. "Omelettes are usually my specialty".
I laugh as I think about how I used to make them for me and Cappie when we'd dated in freshman year. After we'd spent the night together again during junior year's rush, he'd even mentioned that I make us some, stay around at the KT house with him for the morning after sleeping together again. But of course I had opted to run out on him, told him it was a one time thing.
I look down at my large belly then as I sit on the couch. Well, it definitely wasn't a one time thing, I think to myself with a slight laugh.
"So that was your mom on the phone?", Cappie interrupts my thoughts.
"Yeah", I sigh out and put my hand on my temple in annoyance. "God Cap, today is gonna be rough. Braxton hicks plus my mom… kill me now".
Cappie chuckles at me then as he cooks in the kitchen.
"Don't worry, me and Rusty are here to support you. And if you don't feel good we can make the dinner, me and Rusty", He shrugs.
"Thanks Cap", I smile then. "I'll see how I do. I just hope that the next 3 weeks aren't like this".
I groan then as I look down to my belly, touching it over the fabric of my nightgown.
"Yeah you're gonna drive mommy crazy aren't you?", I speak to her in my belly as I laugh. "Just like your grandma is!"
Cappie looks over at me then with a grin, having noticed me talking to her.
"What else did your mom say? Is she super excited to see me again?", Cappie looks at me sarcastically and I laugh at his attempts to joke about my mom's dislike of our whole situation… and of Cappie in general.
"Well she very outwardly let me know she thinks it's 'really sad'", I make air quotes with my hands when I speak. "That I'm apparently young, beautiful, pregnant, and don't have a boyfriend or husband in my life".
I laugh as I shake my head at her craziness.
"Wow", Cap laughs too. "Well… how much does she know about us?"
He gives me a sort of serious look then, I think genuinely curious.
"Well she knows that we dated freshman year… and that we dated again senior year again. She doesn't however know about our occasional tendencies to fall into bed together…", I explain, gesturing with my hands, earning a laugh from him.
"Okay I see", he nods then. "Well I guess I can see where she's coming from, she's probably just worried thinking that I'm a flake and you're gonna be alone in all this".
"I think she's worried that I'm gonna be an old maid", I laugh then. "Single, our daughter on my hip, unable to find a husband up to her standards".
I giggle then as I roll my eyes.
"That's definitely what her old fashioned brain is thinking", I explain.
"Well I'll try my best to convince her and your dad that I'm not going anywhere", Cappie says to me. "Maybe that'll make her a little happier and easier to be around".
Cappie turns around to go back to cooking on the stove then as I think about what he's said, a lightbulb going off in my mind.
"Wait a sec!", I gasp, startling him a bit. "That's it Cap. You're a genius!"
"Well thanks but I don't really know-", He laughs but I cut off his sentence.
"We'll tell my mom and dad that we've started dating again!", I suggest excitedly. "We can just tell them that we wanted to wait till we saw them in person to break the news. I'll tell them we got back together like… a month ago and have just been keeping it a secret".
I smile then as I look at him, thinking he'll be completely on board with this plan.
"It'll get my mom off my back, and probably make them like you more", I explain with a shrug.
"I uh…", He speaks awkwardly, stuttering a bit trying to get his words out. "I don't think that's such a good idea Case. You really want to lie to them?"
I give him a look then, confused.
He looks serious now, and nervous.
"Really? Now you're suddenly against lying?", I give him a look as I scoff.
He looks at me, I think forgetting a little bit about the eggs cooking in front of him.
"I…", He speaks and then sighs, looking down for a moment like he's trying to find the words to say. "I just think it's a bad idea, that's all".
I bite my lower lip then as I'm left sitting here confused. Confused at the sudden shift in the vibe between us after my suggestion.
I sit silent for a moment as he stares at me.
"Here… let me just turn the eggs off for a second", He speaks quietly, not wanting to burn them.
"Okay", I nod, croaking the word out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I just thought it would be a good idea, you know, to make things easier for us today".
I shrug as I try to explain my viewpoint. He walks out of the kitchen then, moving into the living room so we're closer together and can talk easier.
He stands in front of me, as I sit with my feet tucked underneath me, my one hand resting on my bump.
"Okay so let me get this straight?", Cappie looks slightly annoyed at this whole ordeal. "You, who has been saying for months that you don't think we should be in an official relationship, now want to pretend that we are so your parents will get off your back?"
I think it over.
"Well… when you put it that way…", I frown. "I don't know. Why is it such a big deal? Pretending to be a couple isn't very different from what we currently do".
"Yeah and… isn't that kind of the point?", He looks at me like this should be obvious.
I look at him, confused, unsure what to say to that.
"You and I live together, we eat dinner together, watch TV together, spend every day together, have sex regularly, sleep in each others beds more than half the time. I mean, we made a freaking child together!", He argues, his tone ramping up.
"Yeah I know, and it's great Cap-", He cuts me off before I can finish. But if I'm being honest I didn't even really know where my sentence was going.
"I swear Casey, you say we're just friends, that we're just doing this for the baby, but when no one's around…", He looks at me with an angry scoff.
"Cap…", I stare at him blankly. "I thought that we were good, that this is what you wanted. I thought that we we were doing what we have to for the baby".
"We didn't have to move in together before the baby's born, we did it because we couldn't be away from each other! And we didn't have to start sleeping together again… we did it because both of us know what's always been true!", Cappie just about shouts now, his tone escalating.
I'd only seen him like this twice. First, the night we pulled that all nighter to study for our women's studies course, where we'd ended up at the KT house and I realized he wasn't over me. That we really couldn't be friends because of the lingering feelings between the both of us.
And the second was just a week later during senior year homecoming when my rental car had broke down and I called him for help. Because of course I'd called him. He was my safety net, like Rusty had said. He was always there for me. Of everyone on campus, if he was in my orbit I knew I'd be okay.
I sit, mouth open, unsure what to say to him.
"Case we just had sex like, a few hours ago. And it was amazing, life changing, never feel like that again sex", Cappie stands, looking at me urgently, probably the most serious he's ever been with me. "It's not like this with other girls!"
"I know and it felt that way for me too but that doesn't mean….", I trail off.
"Doesn't mean what?", He pleads with me to finish my thought.
"It doesn't mean that we should be serious. I mean we only started talking again, and spending all this time together again because of the baby!", I say, tears threatening to strain my voice. "We wouldn't even be together right now, wouldn't even be talking to each other, if I hadn't gotten pregnant. You'd be with a string of other girls! I would be in Washington…"
I look at him, my eyes glassy with tears that threaten to spill over. But I didn't want them to. I didn't want him to comfort me, not when this was pretty much all my fault.
Because I knew he was right.
"Cap the only reason you're even here with me right now is because you got me pregnant!", I finish my speech as my voice breaks, finally getting to the root of my worries with him. Finally just saying it out loud after all these months of not voicing to him the true reason why I was scared to be in a relationship with him again.
"Casey….", He shakes his head at me like what I'm saying is absurd. "That day when I found out about the baby when you came back here to Cyprus… I was coming to see you anyways. I had no idea you were even pregnant, I was coming to see you because I couldn't stop thinking about you and I couldn't stand the idea of not being with you again. I would've done long distance… I would've done anything!"
"Yeah but now you don't have a choice to be with me!", I argue.
"And yet I still choose you, every single day", He says like it's obvious, then puts his hands on his temples like he's frustrated. "Hasn't that always been obvious?"
"I'm sorry", I start to sob then, unsure how to deal with this. Not wanting anything to affect what we currently had. I didn't want a repeat of Myrtle Beach last year, not when this baby was so close to being here. And that's what this was gearing up to feel like.
His whole body softens when he realizes the tears that escape down my cheeks.
"Shit… I'm sorry Case, I shouldn't- I shouldn't be bringing this up", He sighs and comes over to hug me but I tense up, putting my arms out to stop him.
"Don't Cap, I don't- I don't deserve it!", I say, a curdled sob coming out.
He gives me a sad look then, his blue eyes wet.
I really didn't want him to pity me, that wasn't what this was. I was just hormonal, and stressed, and fine… freaking terrified that he'd finally decide that this wasn't what he wanted and run.
"Casey… that's not true. I- I'm fine with how things are, okay? I shouldn't have said anything", He says. "We can tell your parents whatever you want".
"No, no", I shake my head. "Everyone was right Cappie! Evan, Ash, my parents! There's too much history, too many feelings between us to just live here together with our baby pretending that we don't need a commitment. God, I must be crazy to think this could ever work!"
I sink down into the couch then and Cappie kneels in front of me.
"Casey, c'mon", he shakes his head and takes my hands in his. "They don't have to be right. Let's prove them wrong. You and me are always gonna be you and me, alright?"
"You're gonna move out, aren't you?", I look at him sadly, tasting the salty tears on my lips.
"No, god Casey! No", He looks almost offended that I would even consider that he'd do that.
"I'm not leaving here unless you want me to", He says sternly. "You're not gonna be all alone with the baby".
"It's not even about the baby at this point!", I say, frustrated that I can't just get out how I feel.
He looks at me confused then.
"I don't want you to leave Cap. I don't", I look into his eyes.
"I'm not", He shakes his head and grabs my hand to his, bringing it up to his face. "I'm not. Now will you please let me give you a hug? Seeing you cry is killing me".
He gives me the slightest semblance of a smirk which makes me blush through my tears.
"Yeah, okay", I nod and he grins, pulling me into him.
"You can't leave anyways because there's no way I'll ever be able to get off the couch by myself to tend to my basic needs", I giggle, referring to how much my belly weighs me down now, as I'm lodged in the crook of his neck.
He laughs then.
"Don't worry, I've got you", He pulls away to look at my face then.
I knew he meant that in more ways then one.
"Thank you", I whisper. "Now we've just got to get through Christmas dinner with my parents".
I groan.
"Well, what's worse? That or labour?", He laughs.
I pretend to think about it for a long time.
"Christmas dinner with them is worse, definitely", I laugh. "At least after going through labour I'm gonna get a reward".
Cappie chuckles then.
"Yeah a reward of 18 plus years of responsibility", He smirks.
"But she'll be a cute bundle of responsibility", I smile.
"Yeah she will be", He nods, his face looking wistful, excited.
"Thank you for being there for us despite me being a mess", I say to him quietly then but he hears it regardless. His expression softens and he sits beside me on the couch.
"Always", He nods and grabs both of my hands to bring into his lap.
I'm reading the recipe for the turkey dinner I'm supposed to be helping Cappie and Rusty make tomorrow. It's mid afternoon now and I was preparing for all hell to break loose once my parents got here. As if today hadn't already been stressful enough with how things were between me and Cappie. I'm reading about what spices to use in the stuffing when there's a pounding on our front door.
"What the hell?", I whisper to myself and try to drag myself off the couch. Cappie's in the shower so I would need to pull this off by myself or let the door go unanswered.
"Casey!", I hear Rusty's voice.
I manage to get up off the couch, despite my big belly, and I waddle to the door. I had my pink Victorias Secret slippers on, the only thing that I can really fit on my feet these days besides my Uggs.
I make it to the door and open it up, out of breath from just doing that.
"Rusty?", I breathe out. "What is it?"
"What, did you just run a marathon?", He laughs, referring to my out of breath state, and I glare at him, narrowing my eyes in annoyance.
"You try being 9 months pregnant!", I whine.
"Sorry", He laughs. "I can see you're… agitated. But I promise, I have good news".
"What is it?"
"There's a freak snowstorm starting here in the next few hours. All through Ohio they're telling people to stay inside for Christmas because they might be snowed in. They're calling it a full on blizzard!", Rusty explains. "I looked out on the balcony a few minutes ago and there were already some flurries!"
I look at him, confused.
"What? You suddenly love blizzards now? Congrats Rus, you're gonna have a white Christmas, yipee", I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes, a little annoyed that this is what I got off the couch for.
I clutch my lower stomach still, the pains not really having subsided that much throughout the day.
"No", He gives me a look, annoyed that he's not getting his point across. "What this means is that mom and dad just called me to cancel on Christmas dinner".
I suddenly find a smug grin making its way onto my lips.
"Wait… really?", I confirm.
"Yep", He nods. "They were almost to Indianapolis when they realized how much it was snowing and then they turned on the radio… and the weather forecasters were telling people to stay off the roads. The storm is coming from the Midwest and arriving here pretty soon and continuing on through the east coast. So they turned around!"
"Oh my god!", I put my hand over my mouth in surprise and when I pull it away I'm smiling at Rusty, still in awe that I'm getting away with not having to see them these next two days.
"I know, crazy right?!", Rusty laughs.
"Why didn't mom call me?", I wonder.
"She asked me to tell you, she said she didn't want to get in an area with no service or run out of phone charge", Rusty explains. "She said she would call you later though".
I nod and can't help the way I smile like a crazy person at the relief I'm feeling right now.
"You know we probably shouldn't be so happy that we're not gonna see our parents on Christmas. Maybe we should get that checked out?", I joke to a laugh from Rusty.
"Well it means we're all off the hook", Rusty smiles.
"Thank you Jesus," I put my hands up. "Literally, since it's like… his special day or whatever".
Rusty scoffs at me.
"Yeah it's a genuine Christmas miracle", Rusty shakes his head with a laugh as I invite him in, closing the door behind him as we walk into the living room.
"I mean, I'm sure we'll still have to hear mom complaining about how we should've followed her original plan for us to come home to Chicago for Christmas and I refused to", I groan. "But at least a phone yelling at me I can turn off".
"Yeah using the baby as an excuse was a good idea to make them come here instead", Rusty laughs.
"It was a real excuse Rusty!", I argue. "I could go into labour at any time".
"Yeah sure", Rusty scoffs sarcastically. "She's not supposed to be born until the second week in January".
I didn't even realize the shower stopped but Cappie walks out from the washroom, a towel around his waist.
The way he looks right now, his wet hair slicked back with his muscles glistening, definitely doesn't go unnoticed by me. I hope he can't see the way my eyes bulge out of my head as I look him up and down.
"Hey Spitter! I thought I heard your voice", Cappie smiles. "The parentals aren't here early are they? Because them seeing me in a towel would be… awkward."
Cappie gives us a scared look.
"Actually Cap", I grin at him. "They're not coming at all now".
"Wait really?", Cappie looks like he's stifling a smile in.
"Cap you can smile", I giggle. "We're happy about this".
"Okay good because…", He sighs of relief. "That's honestly a huge relief. I don't have to be on my best behaviour now".
Me and Rusty laugh then.
"Well it looks like it's just the three of us for Christmas then", Rusty shrugs.
"Four of us", I point out to Rusty, pointing to my belly, earning a smile from Cappie.
"Well, that's more people than I've ever had for Christmas", Cappie scoffs, looking happy.
"This is actually pretty cool guys, we basically have this whole apartment building all to ourselves for the holidays", Rusty smiles. "I mean… minus the few residents that aren't students that have gone home to their families".
I look at Cappie, part of me scared of this snowstorm, of the fact that it's going to keep me and Cappie in the same apartment together whether we liked it or not for possibly days. After our last conversation there was really no escaping what was true. The two of us could make that jump to be in a relationship, especially before the baby got here, it was just me that was scared.
Cappie looks back at me, a tinge of awkwardness in his gaze.
"Well I'm fine with being snowed in", I profess, trying to change the subject. Happy Rusty is here as a buffer between us. "Getting anywhere these days isn't exactly easy peazy when you can't even do up your coat".
"Yeah we can just watch our favorite Christmas movies and stuff", Rusty suggests.
"As long as you don't eat all the food in both our apartments Case", Cappie jokes and I'm happy that he's still acting normal with me, still being his usual self.
"Yeah we'll have to ration her or else we'll be in an emergency state!", Rusty chuckles, playing along.
"You guys!", I put my hands on my hips. "Cap, I will rip that towel off so fast!"
I threaten him.
"If Rusty wasn't here, I would totally be up for that", Cappie looks at me smugly.
"Ew guys! Okay number one rule for us spending time together the remainder of the holidays: no sexual comments, no alluding to you guys having ever seen each other naked, no overly gross displays of friends with benefits PDA…", Rusty starts.
"Don't worry Rusty. We're not ones for PDA", I shake my head.
"You got it Spitter", Cappie nods. "But… you do know how babies are made right? Or did you miss my monthly sex talk with Beaver again?"
Rusty laughs then.
"Ha-ha", He says, mockingly. "All I'm saying is that I obviously know that you've… done it… but I don't need to hear about it or think about it. At least you're too pregnant now to do it while we're hanging out everyday so I won't walk in on you guys doing more than sleeping".
He gives us a look as me and Cappie's eyes meet, Rusty's words ironic after all what we'd just done last night.
"Well actually…", Cappie starts with an awkward grimace and then his mouth turns upward into a smirk as Rusty realizes what Cap is saying and gives us a grossed out look.
"La La La La La", Rusty cuts Cap off from saying any more, putting his fingers in his ears and closing his eyes.
I give him a roll of my eyes then.
"You're right Rusty", I speak loudly so he can hear me and he removes his fingers from his ears. "I've been having way worse braxton hicks pains after…. last night, so it's not gonna happen again. You don't have to worry about walking in on us or anything Rus".
"You're just telling him that right?", Cappie whispers to me, a devious smile and glint in his eyes.
I roll my eyes at the two of them.
"No I'm being serious", I give him a look then and his expression immediately goes concerned, his face falling.
"What? Seriously Case?", He looks worried then. "Why didn't you say anything? I didn't think that… sex would make that worse".
He gestures down to my stomach.
"I didn't want to worry you", I say with a shrug. "And I don't know, maybe it didn't make it worse, I'm just having a lot of cramping. I had it a bit last night too, the whole evening".
"Usually I would be grossed out by this, but are you sure everything's okay Casey?", Rusty gives me a serious look.
"You guys!", I let out a huff and cross my arms, but can't help but smile at how they care about me. "I'm fine, I promise. I'm sure this is normal. And I'm not bleeding, and I can still feel her moving in here all the time. I mean it's not like I'm going into labour or anything".
"Okay well, you should sit down, don't worry about doing anything where you have to move. Just sit down and relax, maybe watch some TV", Cappie rambles and takes my frame in his arms, guiding me over to the couch, his overprotective side coming out.
"Alright sure. I'm gonna put on While You Were Sleeping", I shrug.
For some reason that earns the attention of Rusty and Cappie because they both veer around to look at me.
"What?", I ask with a shrug, unsure why this brought out a reaction in both of them.
"While You Were Sleeping?", Rusty groans. "Really?"
"Yeah it's not even a Christmas movie Case", Cappie gives me a look. "I have to side with Rusty on this one".
"What? It is totally a Christmas movie!", I argue. "It's my favorite!"
Cappie and Rusty look at me still unimpressed.
"Do you guys have to push a watermelon out of your downstairs region in less than a month?", I cross my arms. "I don't think so! Besides, I'm the one having pain. I'm putting it on!"
"Dude, she's right, let's just watch the movie", I hear Cap whisper to Rusty.
"I heard that", I turn around to look at them, a smug grin making it's way onto my lips.
Cappie gives me a smile and then makes his way to his room to change into some clothes.
"Damn… you really do have him whipped", Rusty sighs with a laugh.
"Yep", I grin. "Being pregnant is good for some things".
We'd finished a movie and a half now, we were currently in the middle of Fred Claus now. We just ate whatever we had in our freezer for dinner, saving the food we'd bought yesterday for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Cappie and Rusty had made a frozen pizza and muffins from a mix we had in the cupboard. With me still pretty starving, I ate two popsicles in the freezer that I forgot I had even bought.
I'm laying on the couch now, my feet in Cappie's lap as he sits upright. Rusty's sitting in the chair he usually sits in.
I wince in pain then, holding onto my lower belly as a bad cramp comes on. Rusty and Cappie are pretty entrenched in the movie but after a few seconds Cappie noticed somethings wrong.
"Hey you okay?", He looks to me, worry on his face.
It's funny, we'd had a borderline fight earlier but any awkwardness or annoyance with each other sort of went out the window the second he found out I was in pain. I think because we both knew that even if we weren't on the same page with each other about what we should be, we would always be on the same page about the baby. She trumped any issues in our relationship, she trumped everything.
He runs his hand along my leg then trying to be comforting. My whole body tenses up as I ride out the cramping, hoping it'll ease up a bit. It comes on in waves.
"Yeah", I sigh then, trying to regain the ability to breathe correctly. "I think so".
I breathe out then and lay back, feeling it wane a bit.
"I don't know why but I'm kind of starting to feel pain in my lower back too", I frown. "I guess that's just because I'm really pregnant and the baby's pushing on everything. That reminds me, I have to pee".
I sit up then and attempt to get off the couch, but Cappie is up and on his feet before I can even try to get up.
"Here, I got you", He nods and he leans in to take me in his arms as his lifts me up and onto my feet.
"Thanks", I give him a small grin then, my eyes meeting his. I really hope he wasn't mad at me. I really hope earlier hadn't changed anything. Because I needed him.
"Yeah no problem, do you need help getting to the washroom?", He asks, being serious.
"Cap", I giggle then. "No, I'll be okay".
I give him a look as he smirks and I waddle down the hall to the bathroom.
When I get there I close the door and then go to sit down on the toilet to pee. After I'm done I try to stand up from the toilet seat when all of a sudden I have an excruciating pain throughout my back.
"Ow…", I let out.
I try to stand up from my seated position, find a way to at least go lay down on my bed and let the pains I'm getting right now pass.
"Was that you?", I hear his voice.
"Yeah", I say in pain, through gritted teeth.
I hear his footsteps then heading towards the washroom.
I'm hunched over, holding onto the side of the tub, trying to move, but failing.
"Oh my god! Case are you okay?", He opens the door, seeing me in the state I'm in.
I look up to see shock on his face, worry running through his eyes as his mind springs in action.
"I don't know", I shake my head. "I just got way worse cramps all of a sudden, like even worse than earlier today. And now they're also in my back and my hips…"
I whine, distressed with not knowing what the hell is happening to me.
Wait a second.
"Crap!"
"What? What is it?"
"Cappie I'm totally going into labour", I look up at him with panicked eyes.
"What?", He scoffs nervously. "You're pranking me right? It's still early, like really early".
"I don't know", I whine, panicked as I feel his arms around me, helping guide me to my room and onto my bed so I can lay down. "I think this is it".
"Oh my god", Shock runs over his face as I lay back on my bed, a little more comfortable now even while bad pains run all through my body.
"I'm going into labour…", I let the sentence run over and over again in my brain, unable to believe that it's even coming out of my mouth. "3 weeks early. In the middle of a snowstorm. On Christmas Eve. In a state that's currently under a weather warning".
"Shit".