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Shane had just finished two plates of scrambled eggs, as he heard the movement coming from their room. He looked at the clock. 6 A.M sharp. His wife worked like a clock. He moved faster putting the two plates on the table and filling his coffee mug and filling hers with green tea, finishing setting their breakfast table.
It was a chilly autumn morning and like the weather report had said the day before, it was raining. The perfect day to just laze around with his wife. Shane made sure to wake up earlier to check on the sprinkles in the greenhouse and feed the animals. The new auto-grabbers they had bought from Marnie had been working flawlessly, so no need to worry about that for now. And since it was raining, the autumn crops didn’t need to be watered as well.
They could spend the day watching the rain, curled up on the couch with some blankets, being all lovey-dovey with each other. playing some board games he knew she loved, and watching some romance movie Shane would never publicly admit made him tear up on the TV.
Satisfied with his solid plan and the way the breakfast table had turned out, Soon as he heard the TV be turned on the Fortune Teller Channel, Shane went to their living room to kiss her good morning, letting out a breezy laugh. She once claimed she didn’t believe it all, but she would descend the mines or fish on an unlucky day.
But the scene he found, stopped him right on his tracks. Clearly, she had other plans in mind. His farmer, in all her glorious 36 weeks of pregnancy, was ready to go out. She turned back to him and smiled as she finished lacing her boots.
Her combat boots.
“Morning honey.”She said as she waddled past him to the kitchen giving him a sweet peck on the lips. “You made breakfast! Thank you, love, this is so sweet of you.”
Shane was still too shocked and too weak on his knees to say anything so he just nodded. He was dreaming, right? A nightmare, of course. The farmer picked the green tea mug and took a sip, letting out a happy sigh. Then, she looked back at him with an apologetic smile. “Raincheck on breakfast? I am not hungry now.” She walked up to him wiggling her eyebrows and wrapping her arms around his neck. Instinctively, Shane’s arms were resting on her lower back. Even in his nightmares, he could not reject her, he pondered.
“Maybe we can eat something together after I come back?” Her voice was now seductive. “We could… get a pizza from Gus… tonight” She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, kissing either of his cheeks between her words. “What do you think?”
This was a good proposal. A lot like the one Shane had in mind this morning, to be honest. Maybe this nightmare, different from the others he usually had, would have a nice ending. But this was a nightmare for sure. Even if it felt more real by the second, Shane could not phantom a reality where she would go down the mines today.
Sure, it was raining, and the fortune-teller had indeed claimed that “the spirits were extra happy today”. But she was 36 weeks pregnant, the mines were full of monsters, and it was raining. Why in Yoba’s sacred given name would she even consider going out in this heavy rain?
His mind concluded it was a nightmare. No other explanations could apply.
But for the benefit of moving the plot along, Shane decided to ask “Are you going fishing today? I saw Gus post for a catfish at Pierre’s.” Shane looked at her backpack by their table and he could see there was something long pointing out of it. It didn’t look like her fishing rod at all but, a man could hope. “I could go with you and hold your umbrella so you don’t get too tired.”
She smiled at him and Shane smiled back. She wouldn’t be that crazy, would she? “Thank you, pumpkin. But no need. I am going to the mines today.”
Shane stared at her and she stared back, still smiling. “You know, things are probably going to be pretty quiet today since it’s raining, so I thought maybe it would be a good day to collect some ores. I checked the Fortune Teller and I am extremely lucky, so it should be fine.”
He couldn’t be hearing it right, could he? Because it sounded a lot like his wife was absolutely planning to go down the mines carrying their unborn child.
Well, since Shane was in the middle of a nightmare, or his wife had lost her damn mind, he said the only sensible thing he could muster. “No, you’re not.”
The farmer looked back at him with her eyebrows furrowed. “Yes, I am.”
He let out a choke as he answered again, feeling mildly hysterical. “No.”
His wife's facial expression turned stormy as she crossed her arms over her chest, just on top of her round belly. Her nose was scrunched up as it did when she was annoyed and Shane would find it cute if the situation wasn’t that absurd. “Can I know the reason?” She tapped her foot as if she was being the reasonable one. Incredulous, Shane just let his gaze fall to her heavily pregnant belly.
As understanding dawned on her, the farmer hugged herself in a defensive stance, not meeting his eyes as she muttered mostly to herself. “It’s not because I am pregnant that I can’t do anything.”
Oh.
Oh.
Shane and his wife hadn't really planned on having a baby in the first year of their marriage. They had been caught by surprise, but soon they were joyful. He never thought he could have a kid. Jas had been a gift to him even if by unfortunate circumstances, but he loved her wholeheartedly. But to have a child with the woman he loved? To enjoy all the processes of pregnancy and early infancy together? It was a dream he didn’t know he had until it was in his door.
His wife on the other hand always had a dream of having children, she had become close with the children of the Valley in a flash and she loved them. Even if she never bluntly brought it up to him, Shane knew she dreamed of a big family.
Still, neither of them had considered it to begin so soon.
The problem was that pregnancy, even if it was like a dream coming true to the farmer with all its perks, it had its downfalls. Not that she had a risky or hard pregnancy. Considering the stories he heard during the years, hers had been quite peaceful. That was part of the problem, actually.
She had expected to take all the measures to keep the baby safe if she had to. Fortunately, the baby was healthy, she was healthy. And even so, with each passing day, she could only do less and less.
They had Harvey as their primary care doctor in town and a good obstetrician in Zuzu City that Jodi recommended and they had hit his wife hard with the restrictions. She couldn’t keep her same lifestyle of walking around the forest chopping trees, going to the mines, fishing, and tending the crops day in day out be it sunny or raining while pregnant, even if everything was A-OK.
The first major thing that had deflated her was the complete prohibition of horseback riding during her pregnancy. It had too many risks. She felt that hard. Shane also didn’t know how to ride, so it was a sad scene watching the farmer only walking around with her trusted horse through the farm grounds, both of them longing for a ride.
Since then, the restrictions had only grown. The farming life was a hard one and to bring the baby safely, she had to give up on a lot of things for the time being.
People in the Valley were trying to help the best they could. Marnie checked on the animal whenever she could, Maru made sure the sprinkles and the machines were working on the top of their game, Willy attended her ponds whenever he was able, Carol and Jodi, helped her to tend the crops when they could.
Sometimes, Sam (and a dragged Sebastian) brought the wood and rocks she needed to build something, Harvey made sure to check on her at the farm every now and then to prevent her from walking all the way to the clinic, Leah, brought some of her foraging bouts, Emily offered to take less shift at the bar to help around the house offer also made by Penny, Hailey, and Sandy (even if some more then others only wanted an excuse to delve on baby fashion talk).
Everyone in town was trying to make things a little less hard for them in their own way. Hell, even the creepy wizard had dropped by the farm with a potion for the morning sickness. His wife was loved and cared for everybody. They wanted her to have the easiest and lighter pregnancy possible. The only problem was that the farmer apparently couldn’t take it anymore.
Shane could see it clear as the day now. Part of her identity in town had always been linked to her work, with what she could do to others, with her farm. She wanted to work, to tend her crops, her animals, to go around town, foraging deep in the forest, to ride. She never liked things done the easy way. She had married him, after all. Without it, what was her role in Stardew Valley now?
So that is what this is really about. Shane thought as he got close to her. She tried to run from him, but Shane was faster and pulled her gently against him, sitting on a chair and bringing her over his leg.
“Babe,” he called in a sweet voice reserved for her ears only. “You know everyone knows you are capable of doing anything you want right? We damn well know what you are capable of. You rebuild that community center on your own, always taking care of others all on your own. You help people whenever they need you.”
Her eyes were glued to his chest, not facing him. She was pouting and Shane had to suppress his smile at how cute she looked now. He continued, serious. “You can do anything if you put your mind to it. But now you need to rest, there is no need for you to go down the mines. Marlon can take care of it for now. You need to rest. The baby needs you to be safe.” Shane rested a hand on top of her round belly letting his head fall to the crook of her neck. “I need you to be safe, okay?”
A moment passed before Shane felt the small but calloused hands envelop him in a hug. He took a deep breath of her. She smelled faintly like morning dew, It was a comforting and lovely smell of her.
“Sorry, you’re right. Obviously” She sighed. “I just feel like I’m going crazy.” She let out a huff “These pregnancy hormones are driving me insane. Of course, I can’t go to the mines. What was I thinking?” Her voice was trembling and a little wet. Shane smiled against her neck before looking at her.
Her nose was a little runny, as she sniffed, and her eyes wet and puffy as she tried to contain her tears. Shane thought she looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful to him, even if she was a little messy.
“It’s okay. Things are different now and they are going to get even more.” Shane stared at his hands resting on the smooth curve of her belly. He could feel the light movement of the baby inside her. He smiled “For the first time, in a long time, I feel like things are going to get better. I’m trying to be less of a dick because of it. I want to enjoy those moments with you. I want to do better, for both of you and Jas.”
The farmer leaned against him, resting her own hands on top of his, interlacing their fingers. With her free hand, she cupped his face and gave him a soft and sweet kiss on the cheek before giving him a lopsided grin. “You can begin it by stopping saying the d-word in front of the baby.”
Shane let out a scoff. “You literally cannot choose the moments I can curse or not like that.” His voice turned sly as he spoke in her ear. “Last night you were asking for it, should I remind you to not say it as well the next time?”
His wife lightly swatted him letting out an incredulous chuckle. “I cannot believe you.” She shook her head and looked at the breakfast table Shane had put together. “Well, we better eat it before it turns cold, right?”
She moved as if to get up but Shane held her in his lap shaking his head as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Let’s eat like that.” His wife shook her head again but didn’t make a move. She scooted both plates closer to their seat and they ate like that. They shared bites of their plates and shared sweet kisses.
Later, as the rain fell outside slamming the window. He helped his wife back to the couch she laid there as Shane took a seat across from her, picking her feet, unlacing her boots, and massaging her sore calves.
He also put a movie on their old cassette player. It had been her grandfather’s, before his passing, and miraculously, the damn thing still worked. His wife loved watching the old movies he also had on that thing, and Shane loved to see her watching them.
Most of the movies they stored on the TV rack were some sugary romance. The other items of her grandfather’s collection were stored in the cellar, but Shane would not venture there, it was too strong of a temptation to just go down to a room full of alcoholic beverages just like that.
And, as his wife was not in the best capacity to go down there with her waddling pace, the overly sugary romance it is. Not that the farmer would complain.
As the morning turned into noon they stayed lazily on the couch, watching movies, talking, and playing casual games Shane had brought from his spouse's room to the living room to make things easier for her.
As the evening came, Shane left her resting on the couch against the pillows enveloped in a colorful patchwork blanket reading a book as he went to the town to pick up dinner at the Stardrop.
The movement at the Salon had been awfully busy, but it was a Friday after all. He kept some small talk with Emily and Kent as he waited for his order, doing his best to not even look at the Prairie King Arcade, this was a rabbit hole of its own.
Gus called him, and Shane asked the man to put it on his tab quickly running back home. The heavy rain was now a soft drizzle. He wanted to go back to his wife and eat dinner with her talking about anything and nothing before heading to bed.
A perfect ending for their lazy day.
Shane opened the door and went to the living room only to find his wife snuggling up on a pillow with her eyes closed and lips parted letting out an even breath.
She was sleeping. Shane sighed, unable to refrain the smile from his lips. Being careful, he picked her up on his arms carrying her back to their room, depositing her softly on their bed.
He tucked her in and kissed her temple, watching as the soft light from outside painted the contours of her face and her eyelid twitches as she dreamed. He let his hand soothe her covered belly before he planted a kiss there as well, he hoped the kid could feel all the care he put in every action concerning them.
Shane left the room carefully closing the door. He looked around the room and decided to clean up a little around the house. He didn’t care about it that much, but he knew the farmer did. He cleaned up the plates and stored back the games, books, and cassettes back in place.
Before, Shane's lazy days were full of a day old frozen pizzas, half cold beers, and laying on his bed in his aunt's house, until the feelings just went away.
Now, he sat on the couch of his house eating a warm dinner, watching anything that was on the TV, knowing that when he went to bed, the warm body of his wife would snuggle up against him searching and offering a comforting touch. He smiled at the thought.
Despite any plans or expectations, this was truly the best way to end a lazy day.