Chapter Text
“Mom? Are you okay?”
When Elsa opens her eyes, Aaron stands at the foot of the bed, dressed, hair combed, shoes on.
She blinks blearily. “What time is it?”
“It’s nine, the game starts at 10!”
“Oh! Shit!” She must have slept through her alarm; Oskar went on a hiking trip with his friends for the weekend, having taken Monster with him. He never oversleeps. She usually doesn’t, either.
Quickly, she swings her legs out of bed- and stops.
Her stomach clenches, and she tastes gall on her tongue.
“Mom…?” Aaron sounds very concerned. Elsa reaches out for him.
“I’m okay, love. I think I just got up too fast.” She swallows hard. “Are y’all ready?”
They’re taking Neil is she remembers correctly.
“Yeah.” Aaron comes around the bed and offers her his hands.
“You had breakfast?” Slowly, she takes his hands, giving him a quick hug. Aaron still likes cuddles from mom in private, even though he acts all embarrassed about his parents in public.
“Hm-hmm.” He squeezes her back for a second. “Andrew made eggs.”
“Alright. Just… let me get dressed. Ten minutes. Sorry.” She shakes her head; it’s like her mind is cloudy. Her stomach still feels weird.
While she’s in the bathroom, Aaron hovers outside the door.
Elsa brushes her teeth sitting down on the closed toilet lid, and decides to forgo make-up entirely today. She dresses in leggings and a knitted dress, as comfortable as possible. Hopefully it’s not one of those awful stomach bugs.
Downstairs, Andrew and Neil are sitting on the couch, watching TV. Their Exy gear stands ready by the front door.
“Good morning.”, Neil greets her politely when she comes into the living room.
“Morning, mom.” Andrew looks up at her as if he’s trying to determine what’s wrong.
“Good morning, you two. Sorry for being late, I overslept. You made eggs, Andrew?” She goes over to them and ruffles Andrew’s hair as he nods.
“Yeah.”, he says.
“Good job.”, she says and leans down to press a kiss to the top of his head. “Let’s go, then.”
In the car, Elsa is glad that the boys start talking about their game and their opponent, the Beckenridge jackals. It’s a good distraction from the rummaging in her stomach. There’s a bottle of water in the center console, but she’s afraid that she’ll throw up as soon as she takes a sip.
At court, the team is already waiting for them.
“Our mom overslept!”, Aaron announces when they arrive. Kevin immediately goes to Neil and Andrew.
“Sorry, sorry.” Elsa holds up her hands defensively, forcing an apologetic smile.
“Well, go change then. Quickly.” David, Kevin’s father and the coach, ushers the boys towards the changing rooms before turning back around to Elsa.
“Abby’s in the bleachers, second row on the left.”, he tells her. Elsa gives him a grateful thumbs up.
Since it’s summer, they’re playing on the outside court.
“Elsa!” Abby waves when Elsa approaches, smiling brightly at her. Abby is one of Elsa’s favourite Exy moms; she’s so young and fresh and uncomplicated.
“Hi!” They hug, Abby making space for Elsa to sit next to her. It takes Abby about two seconds to notice something is wrong.
“You okay? You look a little pale.”
“Eh.” Elsa slowly sits down. “My stomach’s acting up. I overslept, too, that’s why we’re so late- Aaron woke me up.”
“Oh, shit.”, Abby says, sitting down next to Elsa. “Stomach flu?”
“I hope not.”
Abby rubs her back. “Let me know if you need anything.”
The game goes well.
Elsa always tries not to get too involved; they’re kids, after all, but when Aaron passes to Neil and Neil makes a fantastic goal, she can’t help but jump up from her seat alongside Abby to cheer-
and promptly vomit into the grass in front of her.
“Oh!” Abby reaches for her hair, holding it out of her face while Elsa heaves, mortified. She just hopes her boys don’t see her like this right now.
Elsa spends the remainder of the game away from Court, which she is quite sorry about. The team wins, anyway.
Abby stays with her, giving her water and making sure she’s alright.
After the game, David takes the team to have pizza, and Abby volunteers to drive Elsa home.
Aaron almost doesn’t want to go, but Elsa convinces him that he doesn’t need to worry for her.
“Thank you.”, she says when Abby drops her off.
“No problem. Rest up.”, Abby smiles. “Enjoy some kid-free time.”
Elsa just gives her a weak smile.
Inside, she curls up on the couch with a warm water bottle on her stomach and a blanket around her. She feels the overwhelming urge to call Oskar, wishing he was here. So she does.
“Love of my life?”, he answers, making her laugh.
“Are you drunk?”
“Just drunk on fresh air. How are things at home?”
They chat, and she tells him. Oskar immediately offers to come home, but she tells him there’s no need to. “Aaron already dotes on me enough.”
Oskar laughs softly. “Yeah.” Aaron will always be their mama’s boy.
“Tell me when it gets worse, okay? And go see a doctor.”
“I’m sure I’ll be good as new tomorrow.”
She’s not.
Not on monday, either, even though Oskar is back home, making her tea and taking care of the boys.
On tuesday, she calls the doctor’s office. She gets lucky; they have one free appointment left today because someone else cancelled.
The nurse, a friendly young woman in purple scrubs, checks her in and leads her to one of the examination rooms.
Elsa still feels queasy; all she could manage for breakfast has been toast.
„I‘m gonna take some blood now, and then we‘ll take a urine sample, too.“, the nurse explains in a friendly, sweet tone. Elsa just nods and tries to smile.
„I just really want to stop feeling so ill every day.“, she forces out, voice shallow.
„Let‘s see what we can do, then.“ The nurse hands her a little plastic cup.
---
„Dad, can’t we just order Pizza?“
Oskar looks up from the pot on the stovetop. Aaron lingers in the doorway, phone in hand and a grumpy expression on his face. Oskar is well used to that expression; having two pre-pubescent boys basically comes with it.
„No. You just had pizza last week after your game. We’re having something healthy.“ He stirs once. „Besides, this is just chili. You can put a truckload of cheese on it.“
„Vegetarian chili.“, Aaron moans, „...so basically just beans. Ugh.“
Oskar can‘t help but grin. He picks up a lose bean that he must have missed when draining them before, and throws it at Aaron.
„Stop complaining and get your brother. Where is he, anyway?“
„With Neil. Upstairs.“ Aaron says it like it‘s the most annoying thing ever.
„Is Neil staying for dinner?“, Oskar asks.
„I don’t know, Dad.“ Another eyeroll. Oh, how lovely it was back when the twins were still little and attitude was cute.
„Go get them, then.“, Oskar repeats. Right when Aaron turns around to trudge off, he adds, „We can watch Harry Potter later if you want.“
Aaron visibly perks up at that, even though he obviously tries hard not to.
Ever since the boys have entered this weird, awkward developmental phase, they need time apart. Andrew spends his with Neil; Aaron, however, can’t always deal with that, and so, it’s Dad and son movie nights or fishing trips.
„...yeah.“ Aaron nods and then finally wanders off to get Andrew.
Oskar smiles down at his chili.
He’s in the process of getting plates out of the cabinet when his phone starts vibrating on the countertop.
‚Elsie♥️‘, the display reads.
Oskar answers it with a cheery „Hello!“
„Darling?“ Elsa doesn’t sound cheery at all, and Oskar‘s heart drops into his stomach.
„What’s wrong?“, he asks.
There’s the smallest pause on the other end of the line.
Then, Elsa says: „Can you get me? Please?“
„Is something wrong?“ Oskar is already shutting off the stove, and quickly putting the plates back.
„Just… come get me, okay? I‘m… fine.“
Oskar feels a little sorry when he leaves the boys to have dinner on their own, but Elsa had sounded so distraught.
When he parks at the curb by the doctor‘s office, she sits on a bench there, leaned forward, hands holding her hands.
Oskar quickly hurries out of the car.
„Love, what’s wrong?“
When she lifts her head, he sees that she‘s been crying, and his heart stops for a second.
He sinks down on the bench beside her, grabbing her hands. They’re cold and clammy. „Is something wrong?“
She shakes her head and gives him a teary smile. „I… no… not...wrong.“
„What is it, then?“
She takes a deep breath, hands tightening around his.
„...I’m pregnant. Ten weeks already.“
For a long moment, Oskar just sits there, dumbfounded.
A slow, stupid „…What?“ is the only word he can manage after his silence, and Elsa‘s laugh that follows is the most beautiful thing he‘s ever seen.
„I‘m pregnant, you oaf! The doctor looked at me like I was the virgin Mary, and it‘s a risk pregnancy, but… I am.“
Oskar is glad he’s sitting. Otherwise he‘d probably tip over right around now.
Due to Elsa‘s medical history, they‘d never expected having children on their own, and it wasn’t like it mattered, really. Adoption had been just as valid, and the twins are their children, whether they‘re related by blood or not.
For years, they tried anyways, but never successfully. And it‘s fine, really, they’ve already got two wonderful children.
„Hello?“ Oskar startles when Elsa snaps her fingers in front of his face.
„Uh, sorry. I… I‘m…“ He slowly shakes his head.
„Right?“ Elsa laughs again, and links her fingers with his.
„We’re… having a baby.“
„...another baby.“, Elsa corrects him, and leans her head onto his shoulder.