*everyone* Echo's back!! đđđđ„łđ
5 minutes later
*everyone* Oh no, Echo's back đšđ«Łđđ«šđ
Wait a second did you write Baby Holland or am I crazy
I wrote Baby Holland. Donât worry. Youâre not crazy.
Omega đ§Ąđ©·đ
sometimes i be sitting in bed AND THEN SUDDENLY I REMEMBER THE CROWS STOLE A FUCKING TANK FROM A HIGH SECURITY PRISON?!?
When the Bad Batch first shows up in The Clone Wars, Kix and Jesse are discussing their success rate, and one of them says âitâs not that they win, itâs how they win that concerns me.â
At first I remember thinking he meant they did things that were morally questionable. Very shortly we find out that he actually means theyâre fucking crazy
Can I be added to the Baby Munson taglist please??
Absolutely!!!
THIS MOMENT đđ«¶đ
Summary:Â In which the team's medic always finds herself patching up Hunter and Crosshair after one of their 'disagreements.'
Warning:Â language, mentions of rough fighting and severe injuries (inflicted by one another), bruised bones and knife wound, mention of stitches and needles, slight blood, and quarreling brothers
Pairing:Â Hunter x Fem!Reader Medic or Crosshair x Fem!Reader Medic
Type:Â Oneshot
Word Count: 2.8k
Note: Fully inspired by Echo's line of dialogue shown below
For the first time in a long time, the Marauder was nearly empty and entirely quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the soft humming coming from the team's medic who'd chosen to stay behind on one of the missions. You made sure to keep yourself busy, opting to organize a few bins of medical supplies on the nearby shelf.
The peace and quiet had suddenly broken when the familiar sound of Wrecker's booming voice called from the outside of the ship. You didn't really think anything of it at first because Wrecker naturally had a loud voice. But what you didn't realize was that he was calling for you.
The chaotic mess that accompanied them began to trail into the entrance of the ship. Their loud footsteps and intermixing voices filled the space, calling for you once again. And this time, you heard them more clearly.
Rounding the corner of the cockpit, your gaze immediately fell on the horrific sight in front of you. You gasped a little louder than anticipated, hands flying up to cover your mouth.
Currently, Wrecker had one of his bulky arms underneath Hunter's arm to support his weight and help him into the ship. The sergeant was barely able to stand on his own two feet and was clutching the side of his abdomen, wincing at each movement due to the severe pain. His bottom lip was also cut and bleeding slightly.
Behind them, Tech was doing the exact same thing only with Crosshair beside him. Now Crosshair didn't look any better. He walked with a limp and he had a black eye on the right side of his face which was only growing deeper in color with each passing second.
Both Wrecker and Tech were careful to escort the other two into the cockpit. They helped them onto the medical table, double checking to make sure they were settled before beginning to help them strip away the parts of their armor. They meticulously took off each piece with great care so that they wouldn't cause further pain.
Once they were finished putting the spare armor pieces to the side, Wrecker and Tech went to step away and silently joined Echo in the background. The two of them sat in only their blacks. You hurried to stand in front of them, taking a brief second to take in what was in front of you.
"W--What the hell happened to you two?" You demanded an explanation because you had honestly never seen them in a worse state. The two of them kept their eyes closed as they continued to writhe in pain.
"Nothing," Hunter grunted out while still clutching his side. He keened forward in his place in hopes of easing his discomfort.
"We knew what we were doing," Crosshair added. He was panting slightly as if trying to catch his breath. You glanced between the two of them with furrowed eyebrows.
"What's that supposed to mean?" You wondered. You were curious if they were keeping something from you as their vague answers did not satisfy you.
"Ask him," Crosshair hissed. He seemed to glare at his older brother through the corner of his eyes.
"Can we not talk about this right now?" Hunter pleaded. The pain was becoming almost too unbearable for him. He withdrew his hand from his side only to show that his hand was caked in his own blood.
"I'm not doing anything until one of you tells me what the hell happened," you reminded them. Waiting for an answer, you crossed your arms over your chest and glanced between the two of them. Neither of them wanted to look directly at you.
Hesitantly, Hunter lifted his head and looked at his brother sitting right beside him. He breathed steadily to himself to maintain his composure. He desperately needed some medical assistance, but he knew how stubborn you were. So he needed to come up with something.
"M-Mercenaries," Hunter spoke through gritted teeth.
"Mercenaries? Really? " You repeated with a cocked eyebrow. He nodded his head. "You need to work on your lying skills."
"I'm telling the truth," Hunter reassured her. He made a point to hold your gaze, but you still didn't believe him.
"Tech?" You called from over your shoulder without looking away.
"They were otherwise occupied in one of their fights," Tech replied without hesitation and without looking up from his data pad.
"Again?!?" You spoke with such shock that it caused both of them to wince at your words.
"Look," Hunter began. "We didn't really mean to take it as far as we did--"
"Bullshit," you interrupted him. You gestured to his side that he still clutched to help with the bleeding. "He stabbed you for crying out loud!"
"He was really asking for it," Crosshair commented. His eyes still flashed with anger. "And he started it anyways."
"I don't want to hear it," your voice rose a little louder to speak over him. You raised a hand to stop them. "This is the fourth fight you've gotten into this month. And I am here wasting precious materials to fix and bandage you both up each time. It's getting ridiculous!"
"We're sorry," Hunter spoke timidly.
"Don't tell me you're sorry. Tell each other you are sorry."
Neither of them were willing to do this which just proved how narrow-minded and stubborn headed they were towards each other.
Quickly turning away from them, you hurried towards the neatly organized shelf of medical supplies. You reached for various materials, stuffing what you could carry into the contents of your arms. Returning to the medical bench, you laid out the tools to view and inspect clearly.
Using your own data pad, you quickly took a thorough scan of the both of them to survey the extent of their injuries. While Hunter had sustained a knife wound to the left side of his abdomen, it had thankfully not pieced anything important. His knuckles were incredibly brushed and bloody. His lip was cut roughly. He'd definitely feel sore in the morning from taking such a harsh beating.
On the other hand, Crosshair managed to sprain his ankle during his tumble with his brother. He had two bruised ribs which he was lucky they didn't break. And he sported a nasty black eye right over his tattoo.
You quickly assessed that you'd need to help the sergeant first given that he had a knife wound and was still bleeding slightly. You handed the sniper an ice pack for his eye to temporarily ease the pain before you directed all of your attention to the other brother. You gingerly stepped forward to stand between his legs, reaching forward to grasp the edge of his top.
You made sure to help him out of the top of his blacks carefully, being extra mindful of the wound on his left side. He winced slightly as the material bunched around his shoulder. With great discomfort, Hunter managed to raise his arm in order to slide and remove the rest of his top from his arms. He discarded the piece of material onto the floor without a care in the world.
Now Hunter was sitting shirtless on the medical bench. His hand returned to the spot on the side of his abdomen, which was caked in his dried blood and still oozing with fresh blood under his fingertips. Taking the bottle of alcohol disinfectant, you doused a cloth in the clear liquid. You needed to clean the wound before you'd be able to stitch it up.
"This might sting a little," you spoke honestly.
With some hesitation, Hunter removed his hand from his side to allow you space to work. You carefully brought the wet cloth to his bleeding slide, pressing it into the gaping skin. As if on cue, Hunter practically lurched forward in his place. He gripped the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles started to bleed again. His eyes squeezed shut to block out the pain.
"Sorry," you added because you hated seeing him in pain.
You went to wipe away some of the remaining blood around the wound and cleaned the skin thoroughly. Tossing the bloody cloth onto the table, you went to retrieve a needle and thread so you'd be able to sow it shut right afterwards. You threaded the string through the eye of the needle, leaning forward slightly to begin stitching his skin back together.
This wasn't the first time you'd given any of them stitches since they had many wounds inflicted to them over the years. However, this one could have easily been prevented if Hunter and Crosshair hadn't gotten into their little fight. You worked swiftly and steadily with the needle.
"What was it this time?" You asked out of pure curiosity and you could have sworn that the sergeant tensed under your touch. The two of them glanced at one another as if trying to secretly trying to relay something.
"Like he said: it was nothing." Crosshair spoke for the both of them. He drew his gaze away from his older brother. He recalled the conversation leading up to their fight, but it only made him angrier in the moment.
"Tech?" You repeated without looking away from your work.
"They were fighting over you this time," Tech replied without missing a beat. You raised your eyebrows in slight surprise at this confession, but your thoughts were quickly interrupted.
"Such a fucking tattletale," Crosshair scoffed. He sent his twin a deadly glare, but Tech didn't even seem to notice. He was too absorbed in the contents of his data pad. "He's always been like this," Crosshair said to his brother beside him.
"Yeah, I know. I was always there," Hunter grunted as the needle threaded through his tatted skin once again.
"At least I wasn't a biter as a cadet," Tech shot back. That was when he decided to lift his head so that he could look directly into his brother's narrowed eyes.
"You did bite a lot of people, Crosshair." Wrecker released a hefty laugh. He arms crossed over the length of his chest. He smiled at the fond memories of them as little cadets. "The regs especially."
"Just leave already," Crosshair growled at them.
Not wanting to anger him any longer, the other three members filed out of the cockpit and retreated back into their bunks for the night. They sealed the cockpit door behind them.
"Going back to this fight..." your voice seemed to betray you and trailed off into nothing. You glanced between the two of them as if searching for some kind of answer. "You were fighting over me?"
A quick tie of the thread and a cut with scissors meant your work was done for stitching. Neither of them seemed to say anything as you retrieved some more gauze from the side. You took one of the sergeant's big hands into your own, turning it over to begin wrapping his cut knuckles.
"Yeah," Hunter breathed steadily. He didn't even realize what he confessed to at first, but it was much too late now. "We were."
His eyes were transfixed on the way your fingers moved so delicately against his own. His breath had since caught in the back of his throat. He no longer felt the severe pain coursing through his side. You always managed to make him feel better and it wasn't just your medical skills that did the trick.
For the longest time, Hunter had been utterly fascinated by you. It went far beyond your medical knowledge and expertise in the field. You were known to be an honest and genuine person; someone who every member of his squad had grown to love and respect. You were a gentle-hearted soul which brought a newfound warm light to the otherwise hardcore company of brothers.
Slowly, Hunter watched the way you raised your head to look at him through your lashes. You had just finished wrapping his knuckles, gently laying them back down in his lap. He could feel your breath fanning against his face as you stood right between his legs. He briefly glanced down at your lips. And he wanted nothing more than to capture them in his own. But he knew better than to do something so careless.
You missed the quick glance he casted to your lips, but your eyes were fixed on his cut. You really couldn't do anything about the cut on his lip; it would heal in its own time. He silently thanked you with his gaze alone. And now your attention went to his younger brother sitting beside him.
"Why were you fighting over me?" You asked them with a hint of genuine concern behind your facial expression. You wondered if you'd be able to get a response out of the sniper now that all your attention was directed to him.
"We...we share...a common interest," Crosshair confessed honestly. He would have never said if the rest of his brothers were present, but there was just something about the way you looked up at him that made him cave.
Kneeling down onto the ground, you were able to hoist his bad leg onto your lap. You began to wrap his ankle carefully because you didn't want to cause him anymore pain than he was already in. You looped the stream of gauze around the backside of his ankle, bringing it back over the side and to the front. You briefly glanced up at him.
"In me?" You wanted clarification.
Both Hunter and Crosshair silently nodded their heads in response.
Avoiding their gaze, you went back to tying the knot on the wrapped ankle in your lap. You rose to your feet in a slow manner. You reached for the end of the sniper's top, carefully helping him remove it until he too was shirtless like his brother.
You had seen them shirtless countless times before and you always managed to remain medically professional. But there was something different about them now. This newfound revelation made you look at them in a slightly different light. The mere sight of their bare chests had your breath catching in the back of your throat. You knew if you weren't careful in regulating your breathing, Hunter was going to catch on sooner than later. Hell, he might have already caught on at this point.
You began to wrap a supportive brace around Crosshair's torso of bruised ribs, knowing that they'd need the extra support to help heal over the next couple days. You made sure not to make it too tight or too loose, watching for any discomfort behind his eyes. But you never saw any.
Now, having finished tending to their various injuries, you took a single step backwards and stood timidly in their presence. You still weren't able to look either of them in the eyes. When you realized how long you'd been silent and that they were waiting for some type of response from you, you tried to find the right words to express yourself.
"This is unexpected," you spoke softly. You just couldn't believe that two brothers had gotten into a quarrel over you. It went so far that one of them got stabbed this time around.
Had they fought over your before this? What were they fighting over specifically? Who else knew about this? And what else were they willing to do for you?
"You don't have to do anything with this information," Hunter wanted to reassure you. "And I hope this doesn't make things weird between us."
"It doesn't," you confessed with a small shake of the head. The corners of your lips twitched into a smile. "I'm certainly flattered...and honestly at a loss for words right now. I'm not really sure how to feel."
"You can have all the time in the world to think about how you feel," Hunter replied. He didn't have any expectations of where he wanted this to go for him, but he did want you to be comfortable around them. And you were going to need time to do that now that they had confessed to you.
"I'll...see you both around," you mentioned rather awkwardly.
Taking another step backwards to dismiss yourself from their presence, you wanted to get out of the cockpit before they could see the evident blush creeping onto your cheeks. You sent them a small wave and slipped out of the cockpit before they could say anything else to you.
Just as the door closed, Hunter and Crosshair seemed to breath a small sigh of relief. Their gazes were now directed to the solid steel floor underneath them, thinking about the confession and conversation that had just transpired.
"Well, that's out of the bag now." Crosshair spoke up first.
"Give her some time. I'm sure it's a lot for her to process. She'll come around," Hunter shrugged his shoulders.
"When she does come around, I hope you won't be too heartbroken with her choice." Crosshair taunted him. A sly smirk curved near the corner of his lip, knowing the mere power of his words and how they always managed to irritate his older brother. A deadly glare was sent his way in response.
Crosshair knew just the right thing to say to get under his brother's skin and if he wasn't careful, Hunter was bound to start another quarrel with him. But that's just something brothers do.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I AM NOT PLAYING THESE GAMES WITH YOU, ANON! YOU BETTER COME BACK AND TELL ME THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE OR I WILL SCREAM!
Omg did you hear that Tessa got hit by a car ???????????
wait WHAT???????
I wanna start writing another Eddie Munson imagine/oneshot but Iâm fresh out of ideas. Send it some requests so I can get out of that writerâs block đ«đ«đ«
Summary: A compilation of cute little moments during the readerâs unplanned pregnancy with Baby HollandâŠ
Warning: major cuteness and mentions of pregnancy
Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader
Type: Oneshot (I will write more of these if requested)
MASTERLIST
The early morning sun was starting to rise. The vibrant colors of the sunrise were spreading across the long length of the skyline. The yellow sunlight was filtering through the light white clouds, signaling the end of the rainy season. The air was very clear.
The air was so cold yet the trees were on fire. The leaves were showcasing those nice vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow. The grass was just starting to dry out in the fall season. The water droplets were lingering on the tops of the velvety green leaves of the large forest trees. The puddles were making the ground nice and damp. It was fall.
The pretty songbirds were flying through the blue skyline, heading towards the rough dry ground. The little birds were hopping around, pecking at the ground. Afterwards, the little birds would return back to the quaint little nests in the heights of the tallest trees. A new batch of little baby birds were lingering in the rustic contents of the warm nest, opening their little beaks in a demanding manner. The little squeaks of the baby birds were signaling the beginning of their never ending appetites.
At the given moment, Y/N had been sleeping the whole morning away with her dear sweet husband. She could feel her husbandâs forearm wrapped around her waist, gently coaxing her into his grasp. Her back was pressed against his bare chest, so she wasnât able to see his sleeping figure. She weaved her fingers through his own that lay across her stomach, savoring the sweet moment between the two of them.
However, she could feel this strong wave of nausea taking over her senses. Her stomach was lurching in a rough manner, gurgling with the most unpleasant noise. She tasted something tangy at the back of her throat. She tried to force down the bile, but it wouldnât do any good.Â
Without hesitation, Y/N had forced herself to scramble out of her bed. She had hurried towards the master bathroom, slamming the wood door open in desperation. She didnât even acknowledge that the noise had awoken her sleeping husband. She dropped down to her knees in front of the toilet bowl, feeling the vomit coming up her throat.
Her body heaved. She couldnât seem to stop the chunks of food covered in the creamy chyme from coming out of her mouth. Her stomach kept on contracting violently and forcing everything out of her system.Â
She didnât even notice the gentle fingers pulling her long hair out of her face. Her dear husband was towering over her smaller figure, staring down at her with a look of concern on his face. He rubbed her back in a very soothing manner, whispering some words of encouragement to her.Â
The vomit came up looking like clam chowder and smelling like pure acid. The wave of nausea was slowly starting to subside within her body. The pungent stench invaded her nostrils and she heaved even though there was nothing left in her.
Her throat felt sore from the stomach acid that was layering it. Her mouth was coated in the strong aftertaste of her own vomit. Her soft eyes were starting to water at the awful feeling in her stomach. She whimpered to herself. She just felt absolutely horrible. And she had for quite some time.
âThis is the fifth time this week,â Tom claimed. He did not hesitate to lean down to plant a soft kiss on the top of her head. He slipped his hand around her body, rubbing her stomach to soothe her. He looked down at her. âDonât you think we should take you to see the doctor?â Tom questioned.
âI am sure that itâs nothing to worry about, Tom.â She dismissed him. She wiped the back of her hand against her mouth, cleaning the small amount of residue forming at the corner of her mouth. She made a noise of disgust. âWe had dinner at that exotic place that week. It just didnât agree with me,â she claimed.
âI would still like to be sure,â Tom whispered. He turned his head to look down at her, waiting for some kind of response. He could see the faint nodding of her head, which meant that she was compliant with him. He smiled at her weakly. âI am gonna get your coat and shoes,â Tom said.
Slowly, Tom excused himself to that he could gather their things. He walked into the bedroom, heading towards the dresser on the other side of the room. He pulled out a random shirt, throwing it over his head. He also grabbed one of his old sweatshirts. He took the car keys off the top of the dresser.Â
Meanwhile, Y/N had closed the lid of the toilet. She flushed the contents of her stomach, so that she wouldn't have to look or smell it every again. She forced herself to stand to her feet, feeling slightly uneasy with each step. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection in the glass mirror.
She looked absolutely miserable. She had these dark circles underneath her eyes from the distinct lack of sleep. Her long locks of hair were tangled and tousled with knots. She wasnât wearing any makeup either, which only added to the fact that she looked like a complete mess. She almost couldnât stand to look at herself.
For some unknown reason, Y/N had thought of something that was given to her a long time ago. She wondered if that thing might be able to help her identify whatever was happening to her body. She also knew exactly where she had kept the little trinket.
Hesitantly, Y/N had dropped back down to her knees in front of the cupboard underneath the sink. She opened the doors of the cabinet. She started searching through the various feminine supplies and rolls of toilet paper, finding the little box at the back of the cupboard. She held a pregnancy test in her hands.
She could clearly remember when the pregnancy test was given to her. It was on the night of her bachelorette party nearly two years ago. It had been a gift from her closest friends. It was meant to be a sort of âgag gift.âÂ
She didnât think much of it at that time. She simply threw it under her sink so thatâif she ever needed itâshe would be able to find it easily in its convenient spot. Now she would finally have need of it after two years.
With shaky hands, Y/N flipped the small box over so that she would be able to read the instructions. She lifted her hand to close the bathroom door, heading back towards the toilet bowl. She was able to finish every single step within a few moments. She set the test on the back of the bowl.
In the meantime, Y/N was trying to brush her teeth in the most thorough manner. She just wanted to get the disgusting taste of bile out of her mouth. When she had finished brushing her teeth, she had decided to splash some water on her face. She cleaned her hands with a small towel, glancing towards the small test through the corner of her eye. It wouldnât be long now.
The small cheap beeping noise had started coming from the pregnancy test on the back of the toilet bowl. The final result would either show one line for negative or two lines for positive. It wasnât the most accurate thing sometimes.
She had forced herself to walk towards the small test. She was very hesitant to take the test into her hands, but she was able to do it. She had dropped her gaze to stare down at the results, feeling her breath hitching in the back of her throat. She could see two evident lines on the test. She was pregnant.
Slowly, Y/N had walked out of the bathroom with the small test in her hands. She had watched her husband scurrying around the bedroom in attempts to collect every single little thing that they might need for the drive. She called his name.
âAre you ready to go?â Tom questioned. He had turned to look towards her in his own place, but he had stopped in his tracks upon seeing the fresh tears gathering in her eyes. His heart had practically dropped into his stomach at the mere sight. âWhatâs wrong, sweetheart?â Tom wondered.
âItâs not food poisoning,â Y/N whispered. She had shook her head at her own comment. She had forced herself to swallow the heavy lump lingering at the back of her throat. She could feel the new salty tears streaming down her face.
âItâs not? What is it then?â Tom challenged. He had shifted to take one single step forward in his place, staring at her with a strong hint of curiosity in his brown eyes. He couldnât imagine what would have been wrong.Â
âIâm...Iâm pregnant,â Y/N choked on her own choice of words. She was hesitant to show him the small test in her hands. She could feel a sudden buildup of emotions gathering in the back of her mind, which took over her senses with such ease. She didnât know how her husband was going to react.Â
However, Tom was barely able to process his own emotions that were coursing through his train of thought. He felt a strong sense of shock and surprise, but he also felt an insane amount of happiness in the depths of his heart. He couldnât even find the right words to express his emotions to her.Â
âYouâre pregnant?â Tom whispered.Â
âIt makes sense,â Y/N claimed. She was quick to list the various symptoms that she had been experiencing lately that would have correlated with the signs of pregnancy. âI have been so nauseas recently. I have these mood swings all the time. I didnât even realize it at first, but I was also late on my period.â She confessed.
Her husband was still trying to process the mere thought in his mind. He was almost thinking too hard about it. He had only briefly talked about having kids with her. He told her that he wanted to wait a few years after they had gotten married. He defiantly wasn't expecting this, but he was completely overjoyed at the thought.Â
âYou are angry with me. You said that you didnât want to have any kids right awayââ she had started to ramble.
âWhat? No!â Tom exclaimed. He took a few steps in his place. He stood directly in front of her. He brought his hands to the sides of her face, rubbing her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. He could feel the smile growing at the corners of his lips. âI am just surprised. We are having a baby,â Tom sighed.
In response, Y/N found herself smiling at his sweet words. She had released a small breathy laugh before nodding her head in confirmation. She stared up at him with a spark in her eyes, thinking about their bright future together with a little one on the way. She couldnât wait for it.
His lips brush against her own in the most passionate kiss. His lips was warm and gentle. He slanted her head further, deepening the kiss. His hands were wrapped around her waist and her arms locked around his neck to pull him down slightly. His smile would only grow bigger.Â
Within a few moments, the two of them were forced to pull away from each other. He drew her closer to him. He had lifted her off the floor as if she didnât weight anything at all. His strong forearms were tightly wrapped around her small waist, holding her against him. He began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear.Â
âThatâs...thatâs wonderful,â Tom smiled. He was very hesitant to lower her back onto the ground, because he wanted nothing more than to just hold her in his arms forever. He looked down at her like she just had handed him the whole world. âItâs absolutely wonderful. Youâre wonderful,â Tom breathed.
âWe should schedule an appointment with the doctor,â Y/N suggested. She grabbed onto his hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. She pressed one quick kiss to his lips. She smiled brightly up at him. âWe can confirm it there,â Y/N concluded.
It had been nearly an entire week before the young couples scheduled appointment at the doctorâs office. They were currently waiting in the small examination room. They were just waiting for the doctor to come back with the test results.
Currently, Tom was pacing the short stretch of the room. He had the very tip of his thumb in his mouth, biting down on his nails out of habit. He just had this uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
âYouâre making me nervous,â Y/N confessed. She had a strong look of concern and worry on her face. She had dropped her gaze to stare down at her hands in her lap, fiddling with her fingers in a nervous manner. She let out a shaky breath.
âIâm sorry,â Tom sighed. He didnât mean to make her nervous, but he was very impatient to find out the test results. He walked across the small room, settling down in the seat next to her. He took her hand in his own.
In that moment, the doctor had opened the door and walked into his office. He was sure to close the door behind him for privacy reasons. He shuffled to stand in front of the young couple, stopping in his place. He was holding onto a clipboard in his hands, which no doubt had the test results on them. He smiled at them.
âI should congratulate you! It looks like your tests came back positive,â the doctor claimed. He had just briefly flipped through the pages on his clipboard. He was able to determine that she was eight weeks into her pregnancy. âYou are pregnant,â he confessed.
The couple had turned their heads to look at each other with wide smiles on their faces. The doctor wanted to do an ultrasound just to check the babyâs vitals and to make sure the baby was healthy.Â
The doctor started to prepare the ultrasound machine. He flipped a few switches and clicked a few buttons. The expecting future mother was currently laying examinerâs table. She lifted her shirt just high enough to expose her flat stomach. The doctor had smeared this cool gel onto her stomach, shifting to move the cursor through the weird sticky stuff.
Suddenly, a heavy thumping sound was starting to come from the machine. The tiny tympanic heartbeat was the only sign that a new life had begun within her. However, that would soon change when the screenâs monitor showed the a black and white fuzzy picture. There was a very small figure in the center of the screen. It was the baby.
At eight weeks, the baby was about the size of a small berry. He pointed out that the head was here and the body was there. He claimed that babyâs vitals were perfectly normal. He also said that the baby was perfectly healthy and growing naturally. He took a few pictures of the screen to print out for them.
âWould you look at that? Thatâs our baby,â Tom said with the biggest smile on his face. He was just staring down at the little picture in his hands, claiming that he was going to put it in his wallet so he could keep it close to him. He pecked his wifeâs lips in a loving manner. âI love you,â Tom whispered.
When it came time to tell their friends and family about the news of their pregnancy, the young couple decided that they only wanted to tell a few select people for privacy reasons. They wanted to keep the pregnancy out of the public press.Â
They were going to tell the family during their weekly family dinner with both sides of the family. The Holland family was hosting this weekâs dinner. They had also invited Harrison over for dinner.Â
The two of them found themselves heading towards the front door of his childhood home. They had stopped to stand in front of the door. They had rung the doorbell on the side of the door, waiting patiently by themselves. They could hear the faint footsteps coming closer. They had watched the door swing wide open to revel both of their parents on the other side.Â
âThere they are,â Nikki exclaimed. She was quick to pull both of them into the house. She had closed the door behind them. She had basically flung her arms around her sonâs taller frame, pulling him down to her height. She kissed his check affectionately.
âMy dear,â Sarah (her mom) smiled. She wrapped her arms around her dear daughter, squeezing her tightly. She almost didnât want to let her go, but she did eventually. She was already rambling on about how her daughter never came to visit her anymore.Â
Her dad had come to stand beside her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her smaller figure into his side in a loving manner. He pressed a small kiss on the top of her head. He pulled away from her. He had turned his head to look towards his son-in-law, taking one single step forward to address him.
âHow are you, son?â He wondered. He didnât seem to smile at him. He was standing directly in front of him. He was probably trying to seem intimidating to him. He gave him a firm hand shake.Â
âIâm good, sir,â Tom answered politely. He had released his father-in-lawâs hand, lowering it back down to his side. He nodded his head in acknowledgment. âItâs very nice to see you again, Mr and Mrs Y/L/N,â Tom stated with a small smile on his face.
In the background, the three brothers were trying to hush the dog who just kept barking. The boys would head towards the group to greet their own brother and only sister-in-law. They headed into the living room to keep talking with each other.
During dinner, the whole family was sitting around the table. The two fathers were sitting on either end of the table. On the the far side of the table, Nikki and Sarah were sitting beside each other along with Harry and Harrison. On the opposite side of the table, the young couple was sitting with Sam and Paddy.
The soft sound of silverware clinking and clanging against the plates could be heard very distinctly. The small talk was very brief. The boys were mostly talking about Harryâs new film that they were shooting in the backyard. The young couple had been silently for most of the meal because they didnât know how to bring up the baby.Â
Slowly, Tom had turned his head to look at his wife sitting beside him. He could tell that she wasn't really engaged in the conversation, because her mind was somewhere else. His hand found its way to her thigh. He squeezed her thigh in a reassuring manner, subconsciously bringing her back from her thoughts.
âYou have been very quiet this evening,â John (her dad) spoke up. He had turned his head to glance between the two of them, catching the unspoken communication happening during dinner. He raised his eyebrows at them. âWhatâs on your mind?â He wondered.
âWe have something that we would like to share with you,â Y/N said. She grabbed onto her husbandâs hand under the table, glancing at him through the corner of her eye. She released a shaky breath. âWe...we are going to have a baby,â Y/N confessed.
There was a moment of silence that had honestly felt like an absolute eternity. The whole family was simply trying unpack the load that had just been handed to them. The young couple were studying each of the family members, searching for some kind of reaction from them.
âY-Youâre pregnant?â Her mother was the very first person to speak. She spoke in a tone of disbelief. Her eldest daughter had only nodded her head in response. She smiled at her.Â
âI knew it,â Sam said with a triumphant smile on his face. He had turned his head to look across the small stretch of the table, pointing a finger towards his twin brother. âYou owe me money,â Sam stated.Â
âOh my god!" Her mother screamed. Her mother had screamed so loudly that it had practically startled every other person sitting at the table. She stood up from the table. She did not hesitate to run towards her, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. She was still sitting in her chair so her head was resting against her motherâs own stomach. Her body visibly relaxed at her reaction, melting into her motherâs embrace.
âYouâre pregnant with our first grandbaby,â Nikki exclaimed. She had lifted her hand to cover her mouth in slight disbelief. Her smile was starting to grow at the corners of her lips. She had a few tears in her eyes too.
Meanwhile, her father had also stood to his feet. He had turned his head to look directly at his son-in-law, taking a few steps towards him. In response, Tom had stood up very quickly out of respect. He wondered if his father-in-law was going to punch him for impregnating his daughter. He was instead pulled into a hug.
For a brief moment, Tom was so shocked that he kept his arms at his sides. He had always known that his father-in-law was never a really emotional or sentimental man. When his father-in-law had pulled away from him, he could see the fresh tears in his eyes.
âYou are a good man, Tom. You must be sure to take good care of them now,â her father explained. He had forced himself to clear his throat. He had tried to lower his voice to hide the fact that he was crying tears of joy.Â
âYes sir. I will,â Tom said. He had turned his head head to look down at his wife beside him, feeling a strong sense of protectiveness overtake him. He placed a hand on her shoulder. And he smiled down at her.Â
For the rest of the night, the whole family was only talking about the new baby. The two mothers were now fawning and fretting over the expecting mother in their midst. The two fathers wanted to share some advice with the young couple. The four boys were bickering about who was going to be the best uncle out of all of them. The boys had also started to place bets down on the gender of the baby. And the young couple were able to tell that the whole family was just as excited for the baby as they were.Â
At thirteen weeks, the baby bump was finally starting to show little by little. She found it very difficult to get into her jeans. She jumped up and down in hopes of getting her pants higher onto her waist. She just wasnât able to secure the bottom. She would eventually just get frustrated enough that she would switch out her jeans for leggings.Â
She was (at first) very self-conscious about her baby bump. She would even wonder if the baby bump wasnât a baby at all. She had been having these insanely weird food cravings recently. She combined some of the weirdest foods together like pickles and ice cream or bacon and peanut butter.Â
One night, Tom had turned to wrap his arm around his wifeâs waist in their shared bed. He was greatly disappointed to find that his wife was not even in their bed. He quickly climbed out of bed to go find her.Â
She was currently sitting on the large plush couch in the living room. She had a heavy blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had a small tub of ice cream resting on the top of her baby bump. She dug her spoon into the tub of ice cream. Then she stuffed the silver spoon into her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably to herself.Â
She said that she didnât feel beautiful with the baby bump because she was convinced that it wasnât a baby bump at all. She believed that her baby bump was actually just her gaining weight from the weird food combos. Her husband had to convince her that she was absolutely beautiful to him. He also said that it was just the baby growing inside her.Â
Thankfully, her doctor was also able to reassure her that it was a baby bump. She was right at the end of her first trimester, so it was completely normal and natural that her baby bump would start showing now. She felt so relieved to hear that.Â
For a while, she felt bad that her dear husband had to put up with her weird food cravings and her unpredictable mood swings. She had known that it was apart of the process, but that didnât stop her from feeling bad about it. She would always apologize to him afterwards. And she was rewarded with a soft and sweet kiss from him.
Every night, Tom liked to lay down on the top of her legs with his head right in front of the baby bump. He would always start by lifting her shirt up to expose her growing stomach. He rubbed his hands on the sides of her stomach in a soothing and reassuring manner. He would pepper kisses on her bare skin, which tickled her sometimes. He also liked to talk to the baby even if the baby couldnât hear him yet.
During the seventeenth week of pregnancy, Y/N was able to feel the baby move for the first time. It had practically taken her breath away at first. She pressed her hand down to the side of her stomach, practically searching for the place the baby had moved.
With each day, the baby was starting to become more active in her stomach. The babyâs turns and kicks were getting more frequent and more obvious. She was slowly getting used to the fluttery feeling happening inside of her.Â
During one of Tomâs night sessions with the baby bump, the baby had actually responded to him with a sharp and strong kick in her side. It had caused her to grunt and press her hand to the side of her stomach. She had closed her eyes and breathed out slowly.
âAre you okay? Is something wrong?â Tom asked. He was looking at her with a strong sense of worry and concern in the depths of his eyes. He was quick to grab onto her hand to comfort her. He kissed the back of her hand.
Without hesitation, Y/N had shifted his hand down the side of her stomach. She had pressed his warm palm against the specific spot where she felt the baby kick. She had hoped the baby would kick again.
âCome on, baby. Your daddy wants to feel you kicking,â she said in the sweetest and softest tone of voice. Her heart had almost jumped out of her chest upon feeling another prominent kick coming from the exact same spot on her stomach. She laughed at the feeling.
âOh my. You can really feel him kicking in there,â Tom said with a big smile on his face. He didnât even catch the specific pronoun that had come out of his mouth. He had probably just said it subconsciously. He pressed a sweet kiss to the spot. He grew to love his baby more with each passing day.
The baby shower was going to be held at the young coupleâs house. The whole family was taking care of the various things that needed to get done before the guests arrived. The three brothers were suppose to be inflating pink and blue balloons, but it just turned into them âaccidentallyâ letting them loose on each other. The mothers were working diligently in the kitchen, preparing various snacks for the guests. It felt like things were really starting to come together.
However, when the soon-to-be mother had finally come down the stairs, she had wanted to help with some of the last minute details. She had tried to bend down to grab one of the streamers, but the whole family had just yelled at her. They said that she needed to sit down and relax because everything was already going to be taken care of and she didnât need to worry about anything. She just sighed to herself, sitting down on the couch next to the dog.
Once the guests had begun to arrive at the house, the baby shower was able to start. The couple had decided that they werenât going to find out the babyâs gender until he/she was born. There was a small bowl in the center of the coffee table where the guests could write down their guess on the babyâs gender and place it in the bowl. The three brothers were able to collect the papers, counting out how many people had voted for a girl and how many people had voted for a boy.
It was no surprise that her own mother and mother-in-law had said that they wanted their grandbaby to be a girl. Now Nikki only had four boys of her own. She wanted a granddaughter that she could spoil rotten with gifts and gowns. However, the Holland boys were absolutely convinced that the baby was going to be a boy for âobvious reasons.â The young couple really didnât care about the gender right now. They just hoped that the baby would be healthy when it came into the world.
The guestsâ gifts had consisted of an endless supply of diapers and bottles. They also received various baby creams, lotions, and powders. There was only one present left to open.Â
âWho is this one from?â Y/N wondered. She had been given the last present by her personal helper (Paddy). She didnât even notice the small blush on his cheeks. She had grabbed onto the small tag on the side, reading the name of her little brother-in-law. âIs this from you, Paddy?â She asked.
âYeah,â Paddy nodded shyly. He was fiddling with his fingers in a nervous manner, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all the adults looking directly at him. He pointed to the small bag. âIt used to be mine but I am getting too old now. I wanted to give it to your baby,â Paddy claimed
âOh Paddy,â Y/N said with a small swoon. She found a small brown teddy bear in the bag. The brown bearâs fur did look slightly worn and old. The teddy bear smelled like lavender, which meant that it had been thrown into the wash just recently. Now the teddy bear had soft brown fur, a button nose, and silky paws. It was just perfect.Â
âThe baby will love it,â Tom said with a bright smile. He had turned his head to look over at his youngest brother, tilting his head to nod at him. He wanted to give his brother at hug at the sweet gesture, but he knew that it would only embarrass him further.Â
It was starting to become much later in the day. The guests had started to take their leave until there were no guests in the house at all. The whole family pitched in the clean up the mess that was left. The boys were currently picking up the wrapping paper from the presents in the living room. The girls were working to clean and wash the dishes in the kitchen.
The Holland boys been ordered by their dearest mother to carry the various gifts out to the car. This would quickly turn into a competition to see who could carry the most gifts. Of course, Paddy was trying to balance an entire tower of presents in his hands and Sam tried to stack some on his head. It only resulted in some of the presents being dropped onto the ground. They were thankful that their mother didnât see that.
At the end of the day, Tom and Y/N would drive back to their own house which was only a few blocks away from them. She wanted to help him carry the gifts into the house, but he insisted that he could carry them by himself. She would direct him to bring the various presents into the only spare bedroom in their small house, which they intended to convert into a nursery. They would have to start working on that sooner or later.Â
The whole week had been dedicated to cleaning out the second bedroom in their small house. They were going to start to convert it into a nursery this next week. The young couple had decided to paint the walls with a mild grey tone, because it was a pretty neutral color. It was also very clean and bland.Â
Now Tom and Haz had taken a few days to paint the whole nursery. At first, they didnât buy enough paint for the whole room. They had to go back to the store to buy more. The only problem was that they bought the wrong shade of grey in the nursery. They had only realized this until they had painted half the wall. The two boys would have to go back to the store again.
At the moment, Y/N was twenty-three weeks into her pregnancy. She had found herself spending most of her time off her feet because they were starting to swell. Her neck was constantly stiff and her back was killing her. She wasnât able to really relax with the whole baby thing.Â
Today, Y/N and Tom were planning on going out to the shops to pick out various pieces of furniture for the nursery. He had wanted his brothers (including Haz) to tag along with them so that they could help him lift the heavier furniture. She had already ordered some decorations to put in the nursery, but now they needed some other essential items.
"Why don't Sam and Harry look for some gender neutral onesies, sleep suits, and rompers? Iâll have Tom and Haz start looking for a carseat and a good stroller. And Paddy and I will look for a crib/craddle and a changing table,â Y/N said with a small smile on her face.Â
At once, Sam and Harry had hurried to find a cart for themselves. They were immediately headed towards the clothing aisle near the back of the store. In the meantime, Y/N had found herself reaching down to grab onto Paddyâs hand. She started leading him in the right direction, shifting towards the large furniture section of the store. Finally, Tom and Haz had started off on their own journey to find the things.
Currently, Sam and Harry were standing in front of the clothing racks that were specifically for baby boys. They really didnât know where to start, so they just started grabbing each of the outfits on the racks. The two twins would simply toss each piece of clothing into the cart.Â
âWhat size will he come out as?â Sam wondered. He was quick to find the small tag on the back collar of the clothes that indicated the size of the infant. He had turned his head to look at his brother standing beside him, tilting his head for some kind of explanation.Â
âHeâll be a big boy. Thatâs for sure,â Harry smiled. The two twins had basically cleaned out the small store, buying every single baby boy outfit in biggest size possible. They had a strong feeling that the baby was going to be a boy. They really didnât have any regrets.
Meanwhile, Tom and Haz were reading the directions on the back of the box for a special stroller. The two of them were able to find different brands of strollers, carriers, and carseats. They had already added a certain carrier and carseat to their cart.Â
âItâs like building a rocket,â Tom exclaimed. He had just briefly read some of the directions on the back of the box, finding that he didnât know most of the names of the parts. He didnât think it would be an easy task. âI wouldnât even know where to start,â Tom confessed
âI can help you assemble it,â Haz said. He had shrugged his his shoulders at the notion, stating that it couldnât be that hard to put it together. He sent him a small smile.
With a simple nod the the head, Tom and Haz had managed to hoist the heavy box into the cart. They were already able to get everything on their list. The two of them started to head down the long length of the aisle, shifting to round the sharp corner. The next aisle was full of books!Â
Hesitantly, Tom had found himself turning into the book aisle. He was taking a quick glance at the titles of the books. He had grabbed one book that was called âWhat To Expect When You Are Expecting.â He silently wondered if he should take some of these books home with him. He placed the book in the cart.
In the other aisle, Y/N and Paddy were carefully studying the different displays of baby furniture. The two of them would take their time and stop to look at one. They were able to point out their favorite features of the furniture piece, but they were also able to find some flaws (wrong color or weird design).Â
There was a large white crib with thick bars and a shelf that had drawers built into the side. There was also a white changing table which was an added addition to the set. The furniture was quite expensive.
âDo you like that one?â Tom asked.
In response, Y/N had practically jumped at his words. She had shifted to face him, scolding him for scaring her so badly. She was able to look back towards the matching furniture, mentally imagining what the two pieces would look like in the nursery at home.Â
âI love it,â Y/N confessed. She ran her hand across the smooth wood. She didnât want to look at the price tag again, but she had to face reality. She sighed to herself, shaking her head at the thought of spending so much money. âBut the price is tooââ
âDon't worry about the price,â Tom cut her off. He had taken one single step forward in his place, shifting his hand to the side of her waist. He pressed one soft kiss against her temple. He smiled at her. âIâll buy it for you. Iâll buy you anything you want,â Tom said.Â
Within a few moments, Tom and Haz were trying to maneuver one of the boxes into the cart. The two of them were shouting directions at each other, telling one to go right or the other to go left. They were finally able to get one of the boxes into the cart, but they still had one more box to lift and carry into the cart.
In that moment, Sam and Harry had been able to rejoin the group. The two of them were told to grab one of the corners so that they could turn the box onto the side. This was defiantly the heavier piece of furniture out of the two. In the end, the four of them were just able to get the fine furniture into the shopping cart.Â
In the background, Y/N had found herself wandering down the long length of the aisle. She had stopped to stand in front of a white rocking chair with a teddy bear on the seat. She could see that the chair also came with an ottoman. She had looked over the small stretch of her shoulder, silently pleading for permission from her dear husband. She didnât need much to persuade him.
It was trial and effort. The four boys had been trying to carry the two big boxes up the stairs and into the nursery. The four of them kept having to readjust their grip or change the general direction. The boys had been shouting commands at each other for the past hour. They were able to get the big boxes into the nursery at last.
The Holland boys had just finished unboxing the heavy furniture. They had thrown the bubble wrap and packing peanuts in the trash. The boys were now left to assemble the whole thing.Â
At one point, Sam and Harry had been trying to translate the directions for the crib which they were convinced had been written in another language. That language had turned out to be French, so they flipped the piece of paper over to read it in English.Â
Meanwhile, Tom and Haz had been looking at the various labels on each piece. They had tried to organize the parts in an orderly manner, but they quickly found that random parts and pieces would be put together. They just couldnât make any sense of it.Â
âWe need to attack Point B to Point E on part six and then turn counter clockwise until Point A is parallel to Point U on part ten,â Harry read aloud. He had lifted his head to peer over the edge of the paper, looking at the various parts in front of him.Â
âCause that makes perfect sense,â Tom sighed. His voice was laced with complete frustration and confusion. He ran his hand through his hair. He frowned down at the pile of parts in front of him.
âMaybe you should take a break,â Y/N suggested. She was currently standing in the doorframe of the nursery, staring into the small nursery from the hallway. She had subconsciously placed her hand on her stomach.
âNo. I can do this. Iâm the father,â Tom explained. He had waved his hand in dismissal. He had turned his head to look towards the piece of paper, taking two of the parts listed in his hands. He was able to connect them together.
Slowly, the white crib and changing table were starting to take on a familiar form. The directions had actually made some sense. The tools and power tools were being used to secure every single nail/screw into place. The furniture had been assembled by a team of âprofessionals.â
Nearly three hours later, Y/N had walked into the small nursery with a tray of glass of lemonade. She had basically gasped at the beautiful sight in front of her. Her babyâs nursery was perfectly put together.Â
The white crib was pressed against the farthest and darkest wall of the small nursery. The white changing table was laying underneath the window. The matching rocking chair was lingering in the corner of the room with the ottoman at its feet. The closet was full of baby (boy) clothes. There were a few miscellaneous stuffed animals scattered across the floor. It looked absolutely perfect to the expecting mother.
Instantly, Y/N had placed the tray of drinks onto the top of the table. She walked straight towards her dear husband who was still kneeling on the ground, securing the last screw into place. She had placed her hand on her stomach in an affectionate manner.
âItâs perfect, Tom. He will love it,â Y/N said with the biggest and brightest smile on her face. She had lifted her hand to touch the white wooden railing of the baby crib, running her hand across the smooth wood. She just couldnât wait to see her baby in that very crib in a few short weeks.
âHow do you know itâs a boy?â Tom wondered. He had turned his head to look at his wife standing over him, quirking his eyebrow at her choice of pronoun. He was most amused by her words. He smirked at her.
âI just do,â she boasted. She had shrugged her shoulders at her sides. She had forced herself to keep a frown on her face, but it was hard for her to keep her poker face. She could feel the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
âWhat if I want a girl?â Tom challenged. He was now playing along with her little game. He had subconsciously shifted his hands to the sides of her stomach, rubbing her large stomach in a soothing manner. He hummed under his breath.
âNo. Youâre not getting one,â she claimed. She couldnât keep her smile hidden anymore. She had placed her hands on the stretch of his shoulders. She was quick to lean down to his level, pressing one soft kiss on his life.Â
âIs that so?â Tom smiled. He had shifted his hands through her long locks of hair, shuffling his hand to the back of her neck to keep her close to him. He could feel her move to perch on his knee. He slanted his head to the side to deepen the kiss.Â
âYuck!â Paddy called. âTheyâre kissing.â
For the past few weeks leading up the the babyâs birth, Tom had spent most of his time worrying about his heavily pregnant wife. He was constantly standing right beside her because he refused to even leave her side. He just wanted to be close by when she needed him.
He would bring her anything that she asked for, whether that be pillows or pickles. He would massage her sore and swollen feet at the end of the day. He would press kisses against her baby bump to show his love and affection.
He had found himself checking the duffle bag that they would bring to the hospital with them (when it was time for the baby to come). He just wanted to make sure that they had everything they needed. He even made a list of things to bring to the hospital.
During one night session with the baby, Tom had started by lifting her shirt up to expose her heavily pregnant stomach. He rubbed his hands on the sides of her stomach in a soothing and reassuring manner. He pressed one soft kiss on the underside of her stomach.
âI really wish you had come for my birthday,â Tom confessed. He had turned his head to press his ear against the top of her stomach, shutting his eyes to savor the sweet moment. He was listening to the babyâs solid heartbeat. âYou would have been the best gift to receive,â Tom explained.
âHe will come out soon,â Y/N promised. She didnât want to admit that she had been having some contractions for the past few days, because she knew that it would only worry her husband. She knew that he would drive her straight to the hospital if she even mentioned it. She was just trying to hold off for a little longer.
However, Y/N was unable to hold it off any longer by the next night. She had been tossing and turning during the entire night because she wasnât able to get in a comfortable position. She could tell that her contractions were becoming a lot stronger and a lot closer together.Â
In the early hours of the night, she had hoisted herself into a sitting position in their shared bed. She could feel a strong contraction hitting her like a ton of bricks, causing her to scrunch her eyes and hold her breath in pain. She had dropped her hand onto the side of her stomach, grunting to herself at the painful sensation coursing through her body. She was quick to wake her sleeping husband.
âWhatâs wrong, sweetheart?â Tom wondered. He sat up in bed. He had turned his body to face herâs in a split second, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. He could see the visible pain etched onto her face. He took her hand in his own to reassure her.Â
âI am having contractions,â Y/N grunted to herself. She felt like she was clawing at her own stomach, feeling the pain ripping through her entire body. She could feel this small amount of relief washing over her, feeling the effects of the sharp and strong contraction start to die down. âI-I think that the baby might be coming,â Y/N said with a small whine.
For a brief second, Tom had been in a full panic mode. He had practically jumped out of their shared bed. He was quick to put some real clothes on. He had started to grab various things around the small stretch of the room, stuffing the car keys into his pocket and grabbing his wifeâs loose shoes to wear to the hospital. He had hurried back to her side.
During the next contraction, Tom was sure to set a small timer on his phone. He was careful to watch the timer on his phone, pressing the stop button once she said that the contraction was over. His phone had read fifteen minutes apart.Â
Nonetheless, Tom wanted to take his wife directly to the hospital despite her protests of being too early. He helped her out of bed. He had grabbed onto of her favorite sweaters, throwing it over her shoulders. He had started to lead her down the stairs, heading straight towards the front door of the house. He did not forget to grab the duffle bag on the way.Â
Slowly, she had climbed into the passenger seat of the car. Her dear husband was careful to stretch the buckle across the big baby bump. She had placed her hand on the side of her stomach. She could see the carseat in the back of the car, which only brought a smile to her face. She was going to have a baby.Â
On the way to the hospital, Tom had quickly called their parents to let them know that they were headed to the hospital. He had turned his head to look at his dear wife sitting beside him, trying to see if she was uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form. He was quick to grab her hand in his own. He carried her hand towards his face, pressing a soft kiss to her hand.Â
At the hospital, the young couple were able to be checked into an empty room. Even though her contractions were pretty far apart, she was already an entire week late. The doctors wanted to put her in a room (as soon as possible) so that they could check to see how the baby was doing at the moment. They had also figured thatâas soon as she went into laborâthe baby would come out in no time. They had to get her in the room.
In the private room, Y/N had taken the time to change into the hospital gown. She had been hooked up to various wires and tubes that would monitor her/her babyâs heart rate and her contractions. She was also given some medication to ease the pain for the moment.
Now the doctor had come to check the monitors and to check her cervix dilation. She hadnât even started dilating just yet. It was way too early to do anything at this point. She would just have to ride out her contractions and wait for her cervix to start to dilate.Â
During the first hours, Y/N was laying down in the hospital bed. She was hoping to get some sleep before she would have to deliver the baby, especially since she didnât get much sleep. She had plenty of pillows and blankets to keep her comfortable. She had fallen asleep within a few minutes. She was able to sleep for an hour.Â
In the background, Tom had been making a few personal phone calls to friends and family. He had turned his head to find her sleeping figure on the hospital bed. He stood to his feet, shuffling towards her. He had lowered himself onto the side of the bed, lifting his hand to brush some hair out of her face. He leaned down to kiss her head lovingly.
Within a few moments, Y/N had woken from her hour long sleep. She had hoisted her body into a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She gripped onto the white sheets underneath her, feeling this strong contraction coursing through her. She closed her eyes tight.
Once the pain had gone away, Y/N had very slowly stood to her feet. She had started to walk around the small stretch of the room, remembering some book or article that had said walking induces labor. She had one hand on the side of her stomach and one hand on the curve of her back. She sighed to herself.
Without warning, she could feel the fresh tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She had placed the back of her hand against her mouth to hide the fact that she was getting emotional. Her salty tears were wetting her cheeks by streaming down her face. She sniffled her nose.
Out of instinct, Tom had been quick to rush to her side. He wrapped his arms around her smaller frame, drawing her into his grasp. He tried to tilt his head down to look at her face, but she simply buried her face in his chest to hide from him. He asked her what was wrong.Â
âI just want it to be over,â she cried. She turned her head to nuzzle into his neck, trying to be closer to him. She could feel the muscles of her chin tremble like a small child. She sobbed into his chest unceasingly, hands clutching at his sweatshirt.Â
âIt will be over soon,â Tom promised. He was holding her in complete silence, slowly rocking her as her tears soaked his chest. He weaved his fingers through her long locks of hair, hushing her with his soft voice. He kissed the top of her head.
When the doctor had come back to the room (nearly three hours later), she was very pleased to find that she had made some progression. She had dilated nearly four centimeters. She said that she would come back to check up on her in a few hours. She left the room once again.Â
Now Tom was leaning back against the hospital bed with his heavily pregnant wife laying in his arms. He could feel her back pressing against his chest, practically leaning into his soft touch. He had shifted his hands towards the sides of her stomach, rubbing her stomach in a soothing manner.Â
âYou can do this, darling. Just breath,â Tom whispered upon feeling her body tense in his grasp. Her contractions were starting to get longer, stronger, and closer together. She was accumulating a thin layer of sweat on her forehead from the pain that she was going through. She released a strangled moan.
At one point, Tom had slipped out of the bed. He was currently sitting on the chair beside her bed. He had gone to get some ice chips for her. He was now feeding them to her upon request. He smiled at her silly behavior.
A few hours later, the doctor had come back into the room. She was sure to check the vitals on the monitor for her and her baby, coming to the conclusion that everything was completely normal. She had also found that she had dilated to seven centimeters, which meant that she would be able to start pushing soon. She had left the room to prepare for the birth.Â
The three nurses entered the private room in blue scrubs. The nurses had brought some various pieces of equipment that would help with the birth. The nurses had started to organize some things for when the time came for the baby to be born.Â
They had placed these two leg-holders on either side of the bed. The nurse had begun to explain the whole process. She said that they were going to count to ten during the contraction. This was the prime time for her to push. Once they got to ten seconds, she would be able to stop pushing for a short break between contractions. The baby would come out much quicker this way.
She had dilated ten centimeters! She had been in labor for nearly twelve hours before it was finally time to push the baby out. Her legs were placed in the two holders on the side of her bed, putting her in the perfection position. Her husband had been given a cover to wear over his clothes so he wouldnât contaminate anything. He was now standing right beside her, holding her hand the entire time.Â
âAlright. You are going to start pushing now,â the doctor had encouraged her. She lifted her head to look at her patient, nodding her head in approval. She started to count to ten for her.
In that moment, Y/N had forced herself to push as hard as she could with the little energy she had left. She could feel the intense pain streaming through every single cell in her body. She came to the end of ten seconds. She dropped back down into the bed, dreading this whole process.Â
It had been nearly two hours since she had started pushing during her contractions. With each contraction came a pain that dominated her entire being. In those moments, for those seconds that stretched into infinity, there was nothing else. She didnât care if other patients could hear her screaming from other rooms.Â
When the pain passed, it was only for a minute or so. She was trying to catch her breath with closed eyes. She was unwilling to re-engage with life outside of her own body. She couldnât even focus on her husband standing beside her, encouraging her with forehead kisses and sweet words.Â
The doctor was telling her that is was time to push again. With a guttural grun,t she did so and was told to stop. It was just enough. She had felt the baby crowning, but she held her breath. Without any further effort, the newborn baby had slipped into the doctorâs hands. The doctor was quick to wrap the baby in a soft blanket.Â
The newborn baby had taken a deep breath only to release this loud cry of protest. The baby had been covered in this mixture of a white waxy substance and some small specs of blood. The newborn was quickly cleaned with the soft blanket by the doctor.Â
âItâs a boy,â the doctor exclaimed.
The new mother could feel her eyes turn glossy with tears. Through her exhaustion, she can manage a small smile. She did not hesitate to look at the baby that was being brought to lay on her bare skin of her chest. She begins to cry the sweetest tears she has ever known, She felt the painful moments leading up to this slowly melting away.Â
At the sight of the baby, Tom had burst into tears of joy and happiness. He didnât even seem to care that his hand had been practically crushed in hers during the last two hours. He only cared about his beautiful wife and his newborn son at the given moment.
In that moment, Tom was able to cut the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors. He had turned his head to look back towards his loving wife and son. He could feel his heart swelling one hundred times in his chest, growing more at the mere sight of his loved ones. Leaning down, Tom was able to get a better look at the baby. He was quick to cradle the back of the baby boyâs head, pressing a soft kiss to his head. He couldnât stop smiling.Â
The baby was so light. His head was burrowing into his motherâs chest, feeling the warmth of her body so comforting. His tiny toes were peeking out from the blanket. His head was a mass of brown waves that would match his fatherâs looks. The baby had opened his mouth to cry, but he could only manage a quiet snuffling sound. His throat must have been dry and sore.
âHeâs so beautiful,â Y/N smiled. She had shifted to newborn baby closer against her chest, bringing him in closer to her face. She had brushed the back of her face against the babyâs chubby cheek. She kissed his soft head.Â
âHeâs absolutely perfect,â Tom agreed. He had turned his head to look at his dear wife laying beside him. He pushed her sticky and sweaty hair away from her forehead, kissing her in such a loving manner. âI love you so much. I am so proud of you,â Tom confessed with a bright smile on his face.
With great hesitation, the new mother had handed her baby boy to the nurses so that they could clean him and check on him. The nurses had only brought the newborn baby to the small table on the other side of the room because they had all of the necessary equipment with them.Â
During the whole checkup, Tom was carefully watching the three nurses from the sidelines. He was still standing next to his wifeâs beside, but he was watching them from the short distance. He could see that they were just weighing and measuring him at the moment.
âGo see him,â she encouraged him. She could tell that he wanted to be there. He wanted to stand beside the three nurses, watching his baby boy in a protective manner. He wanted to spend every single second with that newborn. He just wanted to hold his baby boy and he never wanted to let go.
Hesitantly, Tom had shuffled across the small stretch of the room. He stood beside the nurses. He had lowered his gaze to stare down at the little naked baby on the surface of the table. The soft pink baby was crying so loud and hard. His bottom lip was trembling in its place. His hands were balled into tight fists. And his eyes were still squeezes shut.
âItâs okay, baby. Iâm here,â Tom said.Â
Upon hearing these words, the baby boy had stopped crying in a split second. He had popped his eyes open. He had turned his head to look directly towards the sound of his own fatherâs voice, recognizing the tone. His cheeks were stained with these fresh salty tears. His warm brown eyes were just gazing up into his fathersâ.
The nurses were quick to swaddle the silent baby, wrapping him in this light blue blanket. They placed this blue hat on his little head to cover his dark locks of hair. The one nurse was very careful to lift the newborn baby into her arms. The nurse had turned her body towards the new father standing beside her, handing the baby boy to him.
âDo you want to hold him?â the nurses wondered. In response, Tom was gently handed his own son. He was holding him very cautiously and carefully, fearing that he might break him because he was just so little. He never tore his eyes away from the baby boy in his arms. He walked back to the beside.
The newborn baby had come into the world after fourteen hard hours of labor. He was five pounds and four ounces. He was also one full week late. He was born at 8:14am on June 3rd.Â
The new parents were both currently laying on the hospital bed in the private room. The two of them were staring down at the baby in complete admiration. They had turned their heads to look at each other, leaning forward to share a kiss. They could feel their love for each other growing stronger with each passing minute. They never wanted this happy moment to end.Â
âWelcome to the world, Thomas Stanley Holland Jr.â