Work Text:
Just like any other Saturday morning, you wake up mid-morning without the sound of an alarm blaring in your ear. The sun is peeking through the closed curtains as you stretch and get out of bed, thankful that you don’t have to go into the lab again today and come home smelling like antibacterial sterilizer. You pick up the light robe strewn across a nearby chair, a friendly reminder of your wedding a couple months prior. As you put it on, you walk downstairs to find that a pot of coffee has already been made and a mug has already been laid out for you, as well as the peppermint creamer and sugar you traditionally add to it.
You pour yourself a mug, then walk outside, where you find Tom sitting and reading a script for some new project he has been asked to do. A slight smile crosses your face as you wrap your arms around him from behind and greet him. He sinks back into you, kissing your cheek and holding your arms in the process. You release your embrace, and ask him about the new script. He tells you where the plot is at the point, how his character is at the peak of a moral dilemma that runs throughout the film, and you make a joke about him turning into Loki and proceeding to destroy New York City again. He playfully glares at you, and you make some form of face back (it probably was very scrunched-up in an attempt to look pissed off). Both of you hold your expressions until, finally, you both burst into laughter before he asks you how your work in the lab is going. You shrug, saying that, for some reason, the bacteria you’re trying to culture refuses to grow.
As you try to further explain your research and why you need this bacteria to grow in a way that a non-biomedical researcher will understand, you reach into your pocket and grab the small stick that you’ve been hiding in there since last night. You keep talking while you figure out a way to sneak its results into the conversation. He asks if there’s anything else that you’ve been able to grow that would be able to work, and you take it as your chance. You comment that, while it won’t help you at all in the lab, there’s something that has started to grow that you’re excited about. He gets a puzzled expression on his face, as you gently push the stick towards him, you wait as he picks it up and his face slowly morphs into an expression of realization, then excitement and pure joy. You break out into a huge grin as you both stand and embrace, knowing that this is something you both have wanted for a very long time. Tears begin to gather in your eyes as you realize that, for the third time in your relationship, he’s crying tears of joy as well (the first two times being when you said “yes” and when he saw you walk down the aisle).
You stand there, in each other’s arms, as you dwell in the fact that your live are going to change soon, and that you should probably tell your families the good news before the media catches wind and makes it public knowledge. The two of you begin to brainstorm as you make your way upstairs to get ready for the day. Today, the two of you were planning on spending the day taking photographs and just hanging out in the city. You had been looking forward to this day for weeks, but, with the recent development, you think that it would be wise to schedule in dinner with his family so the two of you can share the big news. As he calls to make reservations for the evening, you step into the closet and pull out a light dress. The weather has been pleasant the past couple of days, so you think that, with a light sweater, it would be perfect for the day’s adventures. You hold it up to yourself in front of your full-length mirror and think that your soon to be changing figure won’t affect your spring and summer wardrobe too terribly much, and that you shouldn’t need new clothing until the beginning of fall. You begin getting out of your pajamas as Tom sneaks in and embraces you from behind and nuzzles your neck as you laugh and joke that he’s being inappropriate since there are children present (not a direct lie, but you really want to get into the city). He laughs, spins you around, and gives you a quick kiss before pulling a t-shirt and jeans off of their hangars.
As you continue on with your morning routine, the two of you begin making little jokes to each other about your future names (for the moment, you’ve stuck with simple “mum” and “dad”) and, finally, you grab your camera and begin your trek into the city. As you’re driving, you look at the clock and realize that, due to the time difference, your parents are probably up and at home, so you decide that now would be a good time to share the news. As soon as you tell them, you can tell that your mom breaks down in tears and your father wells up a little. You know they’ll be wonderful grandparents and spoil your little one with gifts. You hang up as you reach a parking lot, promising that you’ll call your brother the next chance you have (you can’t quite remember his schedule now that he’s at college). As the two of you walk out of the car, he grasps your hand as he always does. The only thing that sets today’s escapade apart from any other is the tiny squeeze or the slight rub of his thumb that happens whenever you see something relevant to the upcoming addition to your home. You debate going into one of the furniture stores and start to figure out what will need to be purchased, but you figure that there’s plenty of time for that. Today, it’s just you, him, and the city.
Tom reminds you that you were planning on meeting your best friend and her husband for lunch at a nearby café (as they were on their honeymoon nearby). As you approach the restaurant, you and your friend grin and embrace each other. The two of you have known each other since middle school, having survived everything from college to being in each other’s weddings. She was one of the first people you told about your engagement (outside of your family), so it only seemed fitting that, once you were all seated in a secluded corner of the café, she was one of the first people you shared this morning’s news with. Surprisingly, she did not scream as loudly as you thought she would (something you were thankful for, seeing as you didn’t know who was nearby and you wanted this to be as private for as long as possible). Over your meals, you trade your stories of the morning’s events and your lab work with hers of her so-far honeymoon and her current project (a sci-fi television show where she met her now husband). As you leave to continue on your day in the city, you give her a hug and tell her to update you on the remainder of her trip.
Tom suggests heading towards some of the more tourist-y parts of the city, reminding you of your first date. It was shortly after you moved in to your first apartment and were beginning a year-long internship with the major television company where you consulted for a show you had published research on. One of the stars of the show had told you about a friend of his who would be “more than happy to show you around the city,” and, the next night, Tom showed up with a bouquet of flowers (which looked lovely in your kitchen), and the two of you set off towards the area where you currently stood. He took you to the restaurant to your right first, then surprised you with champagne on the city’s iconic ferris wheel. At the time, he didn’t know you had a slight fear of heights, so, when he had you open your eyes halfway up, you reacted by clinging to him. Slightly embarrassed, you tried to explain the situation to him, causing him to chuckle and pull you in to a mutual embrace. As you became accustomed to your new surroundings, he poured the champagne and you realized that there was something special about him. As you departed and began heading back towards your apartment, you felt the two of you fall into a rhythm that seemed familiar. He walked you to your door and, as you said goodnight, gave you a kiss that made you rethink your belief that the “spark” that was felt when you kissed your soul mate was a farce. The next night, he took you out again and, as they said, the rest was history. Even after you went back home to complete your education, the two of you would video-chat almost every night and, on weekends he wasn’t working, he would fly in and the two of you would enjoy just being around each other. You slowly became adjusted to dating such a well-known man and, before you knew it, you were sent on a scavenger hunt to find the pictures of a fairy tale based on your relationship, with him and a beautiful engagement ring waiting for you at the end. Then came moving in together, beginning your research at a nearby hospital, and the wedding. You break out in a huge smile thinking about this, remembering how everything from him crying as he first glimpsed you in your beautiful ball gown walking down the aisle to your brother singing the song to your first dance just fit together perfectly. You had known for a while that the two of you had wanted to start a family together so, after the honeymoon, you began trying.
As you drift back to the present from your memories, you briefly mention your excitement about being able to someday bring your child here. At this, he brings you close and whispers that he was thinking the same thing. Little things like this make you think of how he acts around his godchildren, making them constantly laugh and smile, and you smile, knowing that he will be a wonderful father. You continue on your journey, taking photos of the waterfront and the surrounding area. You manage to get a few candid shots of your love, and he responds by jokingly taking your camera and getting some of you. He also manages to get a passing couple, who don’t exactly realize who he is, to get some of the two of you. As he takes the camera back and thanks them, you realize that you should return home to prepare for dinner with his family.
During the drive back, you think that your brother is on a break from classes, so you try to call him. He doesn’t pick up, so you leave a voicemail message telling him about your news. A couple of minutes later, he calls back (apparently he forgot his phone was on silent), and jokingly yells at the two of you for “taking long enough” and that he’s very happy for you. You hang up after leaving some advice with him that only a big sister could give, and you pull back into your driveway. The two of you make your way back upstairs into your master bedroom. You glance into the currently unused spare bedroom closest to yours, and smile to yourself as you picture what it will so be filled with. But, for now, you know that you have impending dinner plans, so you enter your closet once again and reach for a simple, one-shoulder black dress. It had always been your favorite since you bought it for your first date with Tom, and it still looked as new as the night you first put it on. You pair it with a simple pair of black heels that make you appear not as short compared to your husband, as well as a black and silver necklace and earrings set. As you make your way into your bathroom to do some last-minute touch-ups to your makeup, he wraps his arms around you and rests his hands on your stomach and his chin on your shoulder. You smile at each other knowingly in the mirror, and just stand like that for a while, thinking about how the day has progressed so far. When he releases and leaves to get changed, you turn sideways in the mirror. You think you begin to see a slight bump showing, but convince yourself that it’s just your mind playing tricks on you at this point and that it’ll be there soon enough.
Once you’ve finished in the bathroom, you walk in to your bedroom to see him rolling up the sleeves of his crisp dress shirt. He extends his arm (as he has done for all of your dates, one of the many little things you love about him), and the two of you make your way, once again, back to the car. As you reach the restaurant and hand the keys to the valet, you spot his family waiting for you in the lobby. Once everyone is seated, they first notice that something is up when you politely refuse the wine that’s being passed around the table. You exchange glances with his mom, who you think knows why you invited them here, but doesn’t say a word. Conversations are exchanged until, right before the desserts arrive, you tell them the day’s news. You can immediately tell that are as excited as your parents were, and keep talking about all of the ways they’re going to spoil their new granddaughter or grandson. They ask if you’ve started talking about names yet, and the two of you chuckle as you say as you only found out this morning. You mention, though, that you’ve always love the names Jude and Lucy, since one of the first bands you fell in love with was The Beatles. Tom grabs your hand under the table and gives it a slight squeeze, possibly a sign that he agrees with your suggestions. Desserts arrive, and you continue talking about the soon-to-be new addition. You make a mental note to schedule an appointment with your doctor to begin that process, and also to begin looking online for books that the two of you can look at.
After the parting hugs, you and Tom travel once again back to your home. During this car ride, it seems as if everything begins to hit: the two of you are going to be welcoming another life into this world. You begin to express your concert that you’re not going to be a good mother, and that you’re not ready for this, when he tightly grabs your hand and reassures you that you’ll be wonderful and that he wouldn’t have asked you to marry him if he didn’t think you would be. He mentions that he’s just as scared as you are, and that, while the two of you won’t be perfect, you’ll give the child all of the love in the world and he or she will be happy. Reassured, you enter your home and, to your surprise, he picks you up bridal-style and carries you off to your bedroom to celebrate one of the now-few nights the two of you have alone. Afterwards, with his arms around you, you smile as you drift off to sleep, realizing that you wouldn’t want to spend this adventure with anyone else.