Hello! Sorry for not updating last week but the website was down, and this week didn't have time until now! I've also been forgetting this, but I want to thank you all for your positive reviews and for following this story. It makes me happy to know you are enjoying reading it!
After 4 and a half months, Monica couldn't hide her pregnancy anymore. Her baby bump had grown, and almost all her clothes had stopped fitting. She would have to drag Rachel to a maternity clothes shopping spree soon, she mentally noted while struggling to close the zipper on her trousers. After losing the fight against the zipper, Monica finally gave up and settled for a loose-fitting romper. But she needed something to wear underneath it. She rummaged through her drawers until she found the perfect T-shirt to go with it.
It was one of Chandler's old t-shirts that he'd left at her place one of the several times he'd spent the night there. Since the first time he'd slept at Monica's apartment, it had turned into a common occurrence, and suddenly, Chandler's belongings started to appear all over Monica's apartment. Besides some of his clothes in her bedroom, Chandler already had a spare toothbrush and other toiletries in the bathroom. Since their friends knew about it, Monica didn't try to hide the items, not even from Ross, who wasn't yet totally fond of the idea of his best friend spending the night with his little sister.
Monica stepped closer to the mirror to put on the T-shirt, which was too big on her arms when she heard her bedroom door opening.
"Is it a wear-your-boyfriend's-clothes-to-work day?'" Chandler asked when he entered the room and noticed Monica's outfit.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today," Monica replied. "But unfortunately, no. None of my clothes fit me anymore. I found one of your t-shirts, and since it fits me, that's what I am going to wear," She declared, indicating that the matter was not open for discussion. "It's either that or no clothes at all."
Chandler smirked at her.
"Well…, as much as I like to see you dressed in my clothes, I have to say I like the 'no clothes' option better."
Monica wanted to smack her boyfriend in the head playfully. However, suddenly, she remembered being in that exact same spot, also half-naked, only a few weeks before, with Chandler next to her. Immediately, she felt the heat pooling in her stomach, just as it had on that day.
Was it her imagination (or the hormones), or had Chandler changed in the last months? Since they started dating, he seemed different. Not emotionally: that Monica had noticed since the first day. But he looked taller. His blonde hair was longer, but not excessively, giving him a boyish look; his eyes seemed to shine brighter, and his smile, Monica's weak point, seemed wider. He looked hotter, Monica thought, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. She'd never had those kinds of thoughts about her best friend/boyfriend before.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Monica quickly discarded the t-shirt she'd just put on and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.
"I also think I prefer the 'no clothes' option," she seductively whispered to him before closing the space between them with a heated kiss.
After a while, they both lay on the bed, still recovering their breaths. Monica let herself stay there, soaking in the happiness that ran through her body as she stared at the man right next to her. She couldn't understand why they'd waited so long to sleep together. If she had known a few years before that it would be this good, she would have done it much sooner.
When her back started to ache due to laying for too long, Monica plopped herself against the headboard, looking at her rounder stomach, before breaking the silence.
"What do you think it is?" She asked, turning to Chandler.
Chandler took a moment to process the words that were directed at him.
"What?" He asked while also sitting against the headboard.
"The babies," Monica explained. "You think it will be twin girls or twin boys?"
Chandler caressed her belly, which did nothing good to Monica's fluttering heart.
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. A few months ago, I wasn't even thinking about having a baby," was his answer.
"And don't you want to know? Aren't you curious?" Monica asked.
Chandler studied Monica's face for a moment.
"Maybe a bit. What are you hoping for? Boys or girls?"
Monica thought for herself for a while.
"Sincerely… Ever since I thought about having babies, I never thought about the possibility of twins. I always pictured a boy and a girl," She started. "But you know, since I found out I was pregnant, I started to picture the baby in my arms. And I always see a baby boy with your beautiful blue eyes. Maybe it's a sign. Phoebe told me that it's normal for mothers to know the baby's gender without ultrasounds."
Chandler smiled at the compliment.
"It's funny because ever since I discovered I wanted to do this with you, I imagined two little girls who looked like you running around," he said, kissing Monica. "But I would be happy if we have two boys, too, Mon," He assured her. "As long as I can still be here by your side."
Monica kissed Chandler back.
"I wouldn't mind having two girls, either, as long as I can also be by your side."
Despite the lost time that morning, Monica managed to get to work on time. Since her morning sickness had subsided, the smell of food was no longer an impediment to Monica's work. However, being on her feet all day had started to feel worse than it was already. That and dealing with some customers the whole morning had done no favors to Monica's already unstable mood.
"Hey!" A familiar voice greeted Monica from the other side of the counter.
"Hey, Rach," Monica answered her best friend, who appeared for lunch at the dinner.
"How are you, Mon?" Rachel asked, taking in Monica's distressed appearance.
"Could be better. My back hurts, I'm getting fat, and none of my clothes fit anymore," Monica complained, pointing to the too-thigh waitress outfit.
"You shouldn't be standing for so long, and you shouldn't be working in that condition," Rachel said worriedly.
"Well, I don't have another alternative. I need to work to save money for the babies." Monica answered her friend. "But at least I'm only working the lunch shift, and I'll be over in a while."
The rest of the shift passed, and finally, Monica went to the dressing room to change out of her work clothes.
"I could swear I saw Chandler using that same t-shirt a few days ago," Rachel declared when Monica came out of the changing room.
"Yeah. It's Chandler's. It is the only thing that seems to fit," Monica answered.
"Looks like we need to go clothes shopping," Rachel declared excitedly. "When is your next day off?"
Monica should have known how shopping with Rachel would be. She would have come alone if she didn't need someone to help her carry the bags that would also give her an honest opinion on how the clothes she tried looked on her.
After a few walks around the maternity clothes section of the shop and trying on several options, Monica finally had new clothes that fit her. She was ready to go home and sit on the couch, reading a book. But Rachel had different ideas.
"Look how cute this is!" She squealed, shoving a pink baby romper on Monica's face. "I can't wait to come and shop for baby clothes!"
Monica took the tiny piece of clothing in her hands. It was indeed cute, and Monica felt compelled to take it, except for one fact.
"This is cute, but it's clearly for a girl. I don't even know if we're having boys or girls." She stated, putting the romper back on the hanger.
"Oh, that's right! I can't wait to know! I hope it's two little girls because this dress with a bow would look adorable!" Rachel said, now grabbing a flower-patterned dress.
"We don't know yet, so we're not buying any dresses now," Monica tried to take her friend away from the clothes. She was the one who was supposed to be drooling over baby clothes, not her friend.
Rachel put the dress back, and Monica couldn't help but stare at it. She couldn't wait to be at the store again, buying everything she would need for her babies, from toys to those adorable small-sized clothes. She started to picture her babies in her head. Two little girls wearing matching dresses with ribbons on their heads covered by thin blonde hair. Then it was two baby boys dressed in the blue dinosaur's one-piece that she'd looked at before. Ross would approve of it. Maybe Chandler was right in hoping for girls. Two boys would be much more challenging to handle. Perhaps…
"Maybe not clothes, but I think we should buy something for the babies," Monica said with a smile.
After running around the store for fifteen more minutes, Monica and Rachel finally found the perfect set of two matching teddy bears. And suddenly, having a gift for her babies in her hands made everything feel even more real to Monica.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a mother in less than six months," She happily said to her best friend, holding the teddy bears against her stomach.
"You're going to be great, Mon," Rachel assured.
Later that day, Monica lay on her couch, reading a book. Everyone else had gone to their own homes, and Rachel had already gone to her bedroom. The sound of the door opening broke the silence of the apartment.
"Hey," Chandler whispered against Monica's neck. She'd been so absorbed in her reading that she hadn't noticed her boyfriend coming in. He'd promised Joey he would stay with him after dinner to play a new videogame before going to Monica's apartment. Immediately, Monica placed the bookmark on the unread page.
"Hey," she whispered back to Chandler. "I was waiting for you."
Then, Monica started to get up from the couch. However, with each passing day, that was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Want some help?" Chandler offered his hand for Monica to support herself.
Once in the bedroom, they lay together in bed, facing each other.
"How was your day?" Chandler asked, brushing a strand of hair out of Monica's face.
"It was okay. I mean, my back hurts from standing for so long. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to work on my feet. But I also got some new clothes that fit me properly. Oh gods, it feels like I am fat again, shopping for new clothes because the old ones didn't fit anymore," Monica rambled. She didn't know she needed someone to vent until that moment. Chandler could make her talk about anything without even asking.
"Oh, Mon. You shouldn't feel bad about it. It's a great thing. It means our babies are growing and that soon we will meet them. Your new increased weight is temporary," Chandler sweetly tried to cheer her up. However, now that Monica had started to share her insecurities, she couldn't stop.
"What if I don't return to my original weight? I read that a lot of pregnant women gain weight and then can't lose it. I will be fat and ugly, and you won't like me anymore..." Monica knew the hormones were responsible for those kinds of thoughts and the mood swings, but by that point, she was already crying.
Chandler wrapped his arms around her and cupped her face, making Monica look into his blue eyes.
"Don't say those things about yourself. Maybe you will gain some weight, but so what? It was so that we could have our babies, and even if you don't lose it, I would never abandon you because of it," He said, his gaze full of sincerity. Chandler then whipped a lone tear from Monica's cheek.
"How can you know that? I'm sure you would prefer a girl with a thin body…"
"That's a lie," Chandler declared promptly. "I would always choose you, no matter how you look like. You know why, Mon?"
Monica shook her head, unable to tear her eyes from Chandler's.
"Because I love you, Mon," Chandler said so softly that if Monica wasn't so close to him, she could swear she would have imagined it.
Her heart started to pound quicker in her chest. For so long, she'd wished to tell Chandler those three words, but she hadn't yet, afraid he didn't feel the same way and would get scared. Now, she knew all her doubts and fears had been in vain. How could she even phantom he didn't feel the same as her?
"I love you, Monica," Chandler whispered again, a little bit louder, pouring all his love for Monica into his words.
Monica took a quick breath to control her racing heart.
"I love you, too, Chandler," She said, her tears now dry and a smile on her face.
And holding onto each other, they both fell asleep.