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She frowned, turning herself to look over her outfit in the mirror.
Had her pants always felt this tight? She didn’t remember the gap that was present between the buttons of her blouse and tugged on it slightly, trying to meet the sides together. When they refused to stay, she sighed and turned back around to go pick out a new outfit.
She didn’t think she had been gaining that much weight, but maybe the French pastries had finally started getting to her. Her sweet tooth had been especially insatiable for the past month. She began asking Eugene to stop by and pick her up a sweet while he was out chauffeuring her husband. She’d have to stop that now.
She was worried that Vincent would notice, of course, he would never say anything, she knew that, but still. He was her husband, and he noticed everything. From the way she didn’t walk straight, or the way the stumbled slightly through the doorway when she was especially tired, he noticed it all. He was sure to notice that her taste in clothes had changed at least.
After changing into a pair of looser pants and a sweater, she made her way downstairs to meet Vincent for breakfast. Her stomach rumbled slightly in anticipation of the pastry that was likely to be waiting for her on the table.
She found her way into the dining room, situating herself in her normal seat, across from her husband, who seemed to be missing at the moment. She frowned slightly. He wasn’t usually late for breakfast, and she didn’t remember him saying anything about an early meeting. Nevertheless, she waited for him to arrive, despite her want to devour the sweet delicacy before her.
Eventually, he arrived, his phone in hand, a pert frown evident on his face from his previous conversation. He unbuttoned his blazer as he sat with a sigh, and glanced up at her, his face softening ever so slightly.
“Sorry ma chérie, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
He reached across the table gently to squeeze her hand before returning to the meal in front of him.
She smiled slightly and began on her own, happy to finally begin eating.
“It’s alright. I know how busy you are.”
She watched him for a moment, looking over the features of his face. He seemed slightly more stressed than usual. Must have been talking to a quarrelsome client.
She continued eating for a moment, lifting her head slightly at the sound of her husband’s voice.
“Is that a new top? I don’t think I’ve seen you wear it before.”
She froze for a moment. He didn’t sound suspicious, nearly curious. Deciding she was still safe from him noticing her conscious choice of oversized clothing, she answered with a gentle smile.
“I’ve had it since I’ve moved to Paris, but I haven’t worn it since I was living with Kat.”
That was many years ago, she recalled. Long before she had found herself in the arms of her former enemy, now her current husband.
“Ah.”
Her answer seemed to satisfy him, as he continued eating his breakfast. Their meals were usually fairly silent, both of them preferring to enjoy the taste of the dish and each other’s company.
Once they had finished, Eugene came to clear their dishes away, and they stood up and walked to the door. Vincent to leave, and Isabelle to send him off. She was off for the day on account that she had just finished a fairly large story that had taken her quite a bit of time. Louise, who she had finally gotten on the good side of, had let her go early in the week. She’d have to be back tomorrow, but today she could just sit back and relax.
He shrugged on his blazer before buttoning it properly. She, like the perfect image of a housewife, reached up to straighten his tie before pulling him into a sweet and gentle kiss. Pulling away with a grin, he pulled her in closer by the waist and kissed her forehead. She again went quiet as his lips seemed to linger for a moment, signalling that he had sensed something amiss, but soon he stepped back and sent her a smile. They said their goodbyes and with one last kiss, he was off.
After he had left, and she had found herself home alone, she made her way over to the couch and pulled at her sweater with a frown.
There was no way he had actually noticed anything. The slight difference would not have been noticed by any normal person, but then again, Vincent had never once been called normal. She sighed as she stood again and made her way into the bathroom in order to step on the scale.
As the scale beeped, alerting her that it was done measuring, she glanced down and eyebrows lifted in surprise. While the weight gain was not drastic, the change was definitely larger than what she had been expecting previously. She lost herself in thought once more, thinking about all the reasons that this could be happening. The pastry excuse didn’t seem to be as true as she originally thought. As her thoughts became more and more twisted, her brain settled on one cause.
But that couldn’t be right, could it? She thought back. How long had it been? She hurried to the kitchen once more to grab her phone and check the calendar. Sure enough, her premonitions had been correct.
With a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose. Glancing at the door, she debated her next course of actions before deciding to gain clarification first. Sliding on her shoes and coat, she locked the door as she left and found her way to the nearest drug store to purchase a test.
Back at home, she waited anxiously for the results. She had already paced across the bathroom floor at least thirty times by the time her timer rang. Walking back to glance at the test cautiously, when she saw the two lines, her mind started running faster than she could keep up with.
How was she supposed to tell him about this? Should she wait? Surely not, if he didn’t notice today, he would definitely notice in a month or two when it would become obvious. She would just have to tell him flat out. She knew that would be the only way that he would comprehend it. He wouldn’t appreciate any cutesy surprises. He deserved to be told in a rational way.
He wouldn’t react happily, she knew. He wouldn’t be upset certainly, but she knew how thoughts played out in his mind. He would have to think through everything, and think about his next actions. Then, he would respond.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t talked about kids in the past. Neither of the two had been opposed to the idea, but they had settled on the fact that it would be unlikely for them. While it would be fairly easy to have a child, as she was still fairly young in terms of reproductive health, Vincent had been very clear that he would not be able to run around and play with the child like it would require, both on terms of his age and his job. They had agreed on the fact that their animals would remain their only children, and they had been satisfied with the conclusion.
Now, all of that discussion was out the window. She sighed and threw away all of the evidence. She walked back to the living room and lowered herself onto the couch with a sigh. Resting a hand over her abdomen gently, all she could do was wait and hope as she thought of what their future would be like.
Vincent entered alone that night, as Isabelle had texted and requested that she have alone time with him this evening. This didn’t raise suspicion within Vincent as she often would ask the same thing when she had other things planned. But tonight as he came into the house, she wasn’t there by the door with a grin like she usually was.
He hung up his coat with a frown and made his way over to her when he saw her on the couch. Walking around the couch, he settled down next to her, a vision of worry across his face. She was quick to ease his doubts though as she sat up quickly and turned to face him, cupping his face within her hands. She pulled herself up to kiss him gently. He, weak to her affection, responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her lovingly and kissing her back. They remained in their moment of gentle touches for a while before she pulled him in closer, finding her way onto his lap as she just revelled in his closeness. Resting her head on his shoulder she sighed gently and stayed silent.
He didn’t mind her company. While he had something else on his mind when he initially entered, these kind of nights were just as welcomed. He stroked her back gently as he rested his own head against her neck, taking in the smell of her familiar shampoo. He felt the gentle vibration throughout her body as she spoke up softly, breaking the silence.
“Vincent?”
“Yes mon cœur?”
He pulled his face back slightly as she did so they were looking each other in the eyes.
“I’m pregnant.”
She felt his shoulders go tense as his grip on her loosened ever so slightly. His face did not change, but she could practically see the gears turning in his mind as his eyes gazed at her, intense, yet far away, as if staring at something in the distance.
He did not respond for a while, but eventually he blinked, and with the blink, his focus came again.
“Pregnant?”
She nodded softly, anxious, but not afraid. She knew they would make it through this together.
“I see.”
He didn’t pull away from her, instead, he pulled her close once more to press himself against her shoulder. He stayed silent for a moment. Kissing her collarbone gently, he murmured quietly.
“How long have you known?”
She sighed and ran her hands through his hair gently.
“I just found out today. I didn’t see any sense in waiting to tell you.”
Again, there was silence. The next time he spoke, he finally pulled away from her, separating his body from her own, but instead taking her hand in his softly.
“No, there wouldn’t have been any sense in waiting.”
He pulled his phone out and began making a call. When the recipient picked up, he spoke quickly but softly in his native tongue. She could only make out a few words, but none of which were helpful to deciphering his conversation. Her eyes scanned his face, trying to understand what he was truly thinking. He was acting very practically about the matter, and it was slightly worrying to her, as she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
His call came to a close and she squeezed his hand gently as if to remind him of her presence. He glanced over at her, and his gaze softened as it fell on her.
“I made a call to the clinic.”
“The clinic?”
“Well, we have a baby on the way, so you’re going to need to see a doctor soon, oui?”
She felt her face go warm as her lips curled into a soft smile. He found himself smiling back at her before he pulled her close once more. This time, one hand on her back, one resting gently against her abdomen. He kissed her firmly yet lovingly on the forehead.
“Every moment of my life with you has been a surprise so far. Let’s make this one the best one yet ma chérie.”