Arabella took a small breath and she rolled over in the bed. She groaned a little bit as she woke up, her stomach feeling tight. Hunter was beside her, fast asleep, so Arabella turned to look at the clock and huffed when she saw that it was about 6:45 in the morning. She placed her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes, wondering why she had woken up so early when she felt a tug in her stomach. Her eyes flew open and she raced out of the bed and ran to the bathroom as fast as she could. She was really hoping that she would avoid the whole 'morning sickness' thing but clearly, no such luck.
Hunter took a little breath he woke. He rubbed his eyes and looked over to find empty space where Arabella was. The sound of retching told him all he needed to know about why she wasn't there. He quickly got up and ran to the bathroom where he crouched down behind her and grabbed her hair. He held it in a pile on her head as she threw up again. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." He said quietly as he reached around and startes rubbing her stomach. "You're okay. I've got you."
"I'm so gross" Arabella moaned and she flushed the toilet, resting her forehead on her arms. "This better be worth it" She mummbled and she stood up, going to the sink and scrubbing her teeth clean. Arabella was thankful that Hunter was taking care of her like that but her cheeks still blushed at the fact that Hunter had now seen her throw up far too many time. She folded her arms across her chest and she rested her forhead on Hunter's shoulder
Hunter put his hand on her back and rubbed it gently. "It'll be worth it, beautiful." Hunter said, placing his lips on her head. "it won't be long until we'll be holding a little pink ball of a child and you'll be just as beautiful." She looked up at him and blushed. "Good morning, hot stuff." He said giving her butt a squeeze then leaning down and going to kiss her lips then moving to her cheek.
Arabella closed her eyes and she let out a little sigh, melting into his body. She felt gross and sick and tired. She wanted to go back to sleep but she was already so awake, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again and if she did sleep, she would sleep for the whole day. Arabella yawned and she turned her eyes up to look at him. "I'm sorry that I woke you up"
Hunter shook his head. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I was going to wake up eventually. This way, I get to make you a really nice breakfast." He said, pulling her closer. He was always going to be a little surprised at the ever-growing belly she now had. He pulled away a little and crouched down lifting up her shirt again like he had done almost everyday since ahe had started to develop the little baby bump. "Good morning to you, too." He said, placing a kiss against her skin.
Arabella looked down at him and she smiled softly to herself. Seeing him like that, so loving and so tender made her heart melt. Seeing Hunter do that everyday, was her favorite time of the day. It made her so happy to know that Hunter was so excited for this baby. As he placed the kiss against her skin, her eyes started welling up with happy tears. Hunter stood up and as soon as he saw her, he got a concerned look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but Arabella waved him off. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm just emotional. Stupid hormones" She huffed and looked up at him with big eyes and a little smile. She leaned into him and she kissed him tightly. "I love you"
Hunter pulled away a little then kissed her gently on the lips one more time. "I love you, too, Ellie." He smiled and put a hand on her cheek, sweeping a couple of tears away with his thumb. He looked into her eyes for several long moments then took her hand. "Alright, what would you like for breakfast, my beautiful wife? We've got about 3 hours before the doctor's appointment and I want to make you breakfast."
"Mmm...toast" Arabella said after a few moments and she looked up at him biting her lip. "I'm not really too hungry right now. I still feel pretty gross" She told him and she ran a hand through her hair. She let out a little sigh then kissed him. "I'm going to go get dressed. I need to find something that will fit me.." Arabella's voice trailed off then she shrugged and walked out of the bathroom with Hunter before she turned to go to her closet.
Hunter stood by the bed and watched her walk off to the closet. He sighed a little then pulled off his pajama pants and reached into his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. After a moment of thought, he grabbed another plaid shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. He took them over to the closet and handex the shorts and shirt to her. "There you go. We'll go shopping for maternity clothes after the doc's office." He said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
Arabella held the clothes lightly in her hand and she smiled a little bit in thanks to Hunter. Her stomach wasn't huge or anything but most of her clothes were skin tight and when she wore them, she just looked like she had gained about 15 pounds. Arabella turned her back to him and she slipped into the shorts before pulling the plaid shirt over her tanktop and buttoning it up. Arabella yawned then walked back over to Hunter and leaning against him, resting her forhead on his chest.
Hunter put a hand on her back and kissed her head. "Come on. Breakfast." He said with a laugh as he ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him a moment and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips before lifting her up in his arms and starting down the stairs. He brought her to the sitting room and set her down on the couch before hurrying to the kitchen and putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.
Arabella pulled her feet up onto the couch and she glanced around, feeling a little useless. She knew that if she got up and went to go help Hunter with something, he would probably just tell her to sit down or he would carry her back to the couch. A piece of her blonde hair fell in front of her face and Arabella slowly twisted it around her finger while she waited for Hunter. Arabella looked up when she heard Hunter coming back and she smiled.
Hunter placed a plate with two pieces of lightly buttered toast on the table in front of Arabella with a glass of orange juice and a small vase with a flower in it. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "Everything okay?" he asked, seeing the look on her face. "Did your craving change or something? I can go make you something else. Do you want something else?" Hunter said, starting to stand up.
Arabella tugged him down beside her again and she shook her head. "No..this is perfect" She said softly and she placed a kiss against his cheek. "Everything is fine" Arabella told him with a nod and she looked down at the tray, a little smile spreading across her lip. "Thank you for all of this" She said and she leaned into Hunter, closing her eyes for a moment.
Hunter nodded softly and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" Hunter said quietly, kissing her lightly on the temple. He put his hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. "If there is anything wrong, please tell me." He said, burying his face in her hair. He closed his eyes and placed a kiss behind her ear. "I couldn't imagine losing you or the baby." He said quietly, pulling her closer.
Arabella looked up at him and she let out a little sigh. "You're not going to either of us. We'll both be here or you" She told him and she curled up beside him. "I'm just being silly. I feel really gross and useless and slobby and I'm all emotional and it sucks" She said and let out a sigh, not looking up at him. Maybe once they got moving and left for their appointment, she would start to feel better.
Hunter sighed and leaned into her a little, kissing her gently. "You are beautiful and wonderful and perfect. You will never be anything else." He rubbed her stomach a little and then reached down, grabbing the flower off the table and putting it in her hair. "I love you." He said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "And that will not change no matter how big you get or how many times I hold your hair and rub your back as you throw up or anything else. I promise you."
"Thanks" Arabella said softly and she touched the flower lightly then grabbed the toast off of the table. She leaned back into her seat, next to Hunter and she took a bite of the toast. Chewing slowly, she thought over the day ahead of them and as she did, she drummed her fingers on Hunter's leg. "I hope that this doctor's appointment goes okay" She said and she offered a bite of the toast to Hunter.
Hunter took a bite of toast and nodded a little. "Well, if the baby is this big at two months then, I can't imagine that he's unhealthy. I'm sure we're fine." He said, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Do you know what this appointment is about? Or is it just some check up appointment where they make sure everything is okay?" He asked, placing his hand on her leg.
"It's just a check up. They'll do an ultrasound and all of that" Arabella said and she finished off the piece of toast. She picked up the glass of orange juice and took a big sip, starting to feel a lot better. "I hate all of these doctor's appointments. Going to the clinic is just so..." She said and she shuddered. "It's full of sick people and it smells too clean"
Hunter laughed a little. "Isn't that kind of the point?" He said, giving her a little squeeze. "I'll be right there with you. You'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you." He leaned back on the couch and pulled her down on top of him, so she could put her head on his chest. They had about 3 hours until they had to leave and he really wanted to just lay with his wife. He ran his hand down her side and to her stomach where he placed his hand and rubbed gently.
---------------------------------------
Arabella slipped into a comfortable pair of shoes and she yawned a little bit. They were just going for a small apointment, but Arabella was happy that Hunter was going with her. He didn't have to and he didn't have to get up with her, but he did and he was by her side. Arabella couldn't express just how thankful she was for that. She looked over at Hunter and smiled a little bit as she put her bag on her shoulder. "Ready to go?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Hunter said, offering her his arm. She took it and he led her out of the house, locking it behind him. He opened her car door and helped her into the car before going around and getting in his own spot, starting the car. A moment later he was backing out of the driveway, heading for the doctor's office. He looked over at her and took a deep breath. "You doing okay? The baby alright? Can you feel that he's there at all? I don't know when the baby becomes a...actual...thing or something, but I don't know."
Arabella smiled a little bit at him. It was really amazing to see how excited he was about this whole thing. She liked knowing that he was totally invested in it with her. Arabella placed a hand on her stomach and she shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it. Like...it doesn't feel like an actual baby but I feel different" She said and she looked up at him. "It's rather hard to explain"
Hunter nodded a little and put a hand on her leg. "Well, if you need anything, tell me, okay?" He said, taking a deep breath. He thought a moment and then looked over at her. "Am I being too...like...I don't know. Overbearing? I don't know. I don't want to bother you. I'll do whatever you want, sweetheart."
Arabella smiled and she slid over so that she was closer to him and she could place a tender kiss on his jaw. "You're amazing, Hunter" She said softly and she smiled up at him. "I'm really, really happy that you're here for and you want to be involved in all of this. It would be easy for you to just...go on with your life" She said and she placed her hand ontop of his.
Hunter laced his fingers with hers and smiled a little. "I just want everything to be perfect." He said, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. "I would never ever leave you. This isn't your kid." He said with a nod. "This is our child and I'm going to be with you to help him." He said, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.
Arabella grinned up at him and she turned to look out of the window. As Hunter pulled up to the doctor's office, Arabella let out a sigh and she placed a hand on her teeny tiny baby bump. She always felt really uncomfortable going to a doctor's office or a hospital. Clearly, it was going to be something that she was going to need to get used to. Arabella turned to look at Hunter and gave him a small smile. Just as she was about to get out of the car, she saw that Hunter had ran over to her side of the car and was holding the door open for her. She smiled a little and took his hand, letting him help her out. "Here we go.." She said and she hooked her arm with his, walking into the doctor's office.
Hunter put his hand on hers as she held her arm. "We'll be okay." He said, pressing his lips to her cheek. They walked in and Hunter stepped up to the counter. "We have an appointment with Dr. Harris for 11." He said to the woman at the desk. She handed him a clipboard and Hunter took Arabella's hand and found a seat, helping her sit down then sitting next to her. With that he looked at the clipboard and took the pen in hand. "Okay. I'll need your name." He said with a laugh.
"Hmmm...I can't remember my name" Arabella giggled and she placed her chin on his shoulder, looking down at the orm. "I know my last name, because I'm rather ond of it. It's Reed. However, I forget my first name" She teased and she placed a kiss on his jaw. She watched him as he filled out her name and she closed her eyes. "Once we get home, I think that I need to go for a nap. Getting up at 6:45 is not working or me" She mumbled.
Hunter kissed her lightly on the temple and then continued filling out the form. It didn't take very long and a moment later he was handing it back to the woman on the desk. He sat back down and looked over at Arabella and grabbed his arm and put her head down on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Hunter took her hand and placed a kiss against her hair and watched the door, waiting for the doctor to come out and lead them back to a room where they would find out how their baby was doing. Hunter was anxious and a little nervous, but but he couldn't imagine how Arabella was feeling. She must have been a mess.
Arabella took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down a little bit. It had taken so much for them to get pregnant. It had been such a difficult process and part of Arabella was expecting something bad to happen to the baby. They couldn't go for this long and not have something major happen to them. Life just didn't work out for them that way. Arabella could feel herself drifting off in Hunter's arms. Feeling his arms around her mixed with the gentle sounds of the clinic was almost soothing. Arabella was just about to fall asleep when she heard someone say. "Arabella Reed?" and she looked up with big eyes then turned to look up at Hunter before nervously standing up.
Hunter helped her up and she hooked her arm in his. "Come on, Ellie." He said quietly, pressing his lips on her temple. She held onto his arm like she was going to float away or something. They followed the nurse back through the hallways and into an examination room. The nurse said she'd be right back and then stepped out, letting Arabella sit down carefully and get comfortable. Hunter took his spot next to her on a stool and took her hand. "Everything is going to be just fine, sweetheart." He whispered, holding her hand tightly and placing a hand on her stomach as he leaned in to put a small kiss on her cheek.
Arabella smiled softly up at Hunter and she leaned into him as much as she could from her spot on the chair. She hated sitting on the chair like that, it made her feel all exposed and vulnerable. Arabella took a deep breath as the doctor walked in and said hello to them. Hopfully, this would get easier for her the more they went to see the doctor. She listened as Hunter and the doctor talked for a minute, but she didn't really pay much attention. Arabella looked up at the doctor once she had everything set up. "Are you ready, Mrs. Reed? This is going to be cold" She said with a little chuckle and a friendly smile.
"Yeah" Arabella said softly and she put her head back, looking at Hunter. The doctor squirted some kind of gel on her stomach and Arabella squeaked. It was very cold. Goosebumps popped up all over her arms and she smiled a little bit when she felt Hunter rubbing her arms.
"How is everything going for you?" Dr Harris asked, looking at the screen as she worked.
"Really great, actually" Arabella said softly and she smiled up at Hunter a little bit. There was a bit of silence in the room and she closed her eyes. It seemed to be going well so far. Dr. Harris seemed happy at least. But then she heard the doctor gasp a little bit out of shock and Arabella snapped her head over to look at her.
"Well, well, well..this is a surprise" Dr Harris said and Arabella bit her lip, squeezing Hunter's hand tightly. That did not sound good. "It looks like it's twins" She said to Arabella in a happy voice. Twins? As in..two? Arabella looked up at the doctor with a shocked look on her face then she turned slowly to look at Hunter.
"Twins?" She breathed. Arabella could feel her heart skipping and her stomach twisting up into knots. They had tried so hard just for one. They almost didn't have any at all. Now, they were having twins. Arabella turned to look at the screen and when the doctor pointed out the two very separate babies, tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Hunter blinked at the ultrasound and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. "Uhh...wha..." He muttered, looking from the doctor to the ultrasound to Arabella then down to her stomach then back up to her. He took a deep breath and then cleared his throat a little, realizing how long he had kept his mouth open. "Twins?" He asked, looking at the doctor in disbelief. The doctor laughed a little.
"No one ever believes me." She laughed again and smiled at Arabella. "Yes, Mr. Reed. Twins. It's too early to tell the health or the type or the gender, but yes. Twins."
Arabella covered her mouth with her hand, tears falling easily. She didn't feel ready for twins at all, but she was just happy that she was actually pregnant and she was blown away by the fact that it was twins. Arabella turned to look up at Hunter and she took a deep breath. "Twins" was all she managed to say and she smiled softly up at him as the doctor cleaned off her little stomach.
Hunter let out a sigh of relief and just plain surprise as he finally realized what it meant. He took Arabella's hand away from her mouth and leaned forward, placing his lips on hers briefly before just holding her in a hug as Dr. Harris finished cleaning off her stomach. She pulled her shirt back down and then wiped off the probe and put it back on the cart. "We're going to have twins, sweetheart." Hunter whispered to her as he pulled away a little and wiped her tears away.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she nodded. "Yeah.." She whispered in a watery voice and she kissed him lightly then sat up. With shaking hands, she smoothed out her shirt and took Hunter's hand as he helped her down from the chair. Arabella thanked the doctor and said goodbye to her then hooked her arm with Hunter's and let him lead her out of the room. Everything felt lighter and better. She was nervous and anxious and worried about having twins, but it was more than she could ever ask for. Just a few months ago, she didn't think that she would ever have kids and now they were having twins.
Hunter helped her into her seat and then got into his and started the car. "That explains why you got so big so fast." Hunter said with a laugh. He backed out and headed toward there house when he stopped at a red light and looked over at Arabella. "Does that mean we'll have to buy two of everything, now? We should call Kyle and Marina and see if they have any tips or hints or extra stuff maybe." He said, moving through the stoplight.
"We should call them anway, it would be nice to talk to them for a little bit" Arabella said with a nod and she looked out of the window, placing a hand on her stomach lightly. She smiled to herself, picturing her and Hunter with two little babies with two little blankets and two little stuffed animals. "Oh my gods....two of everything.." Arabella breathed then turned to look at Hunter. "Two college funds. Two cribs. Two babies.." It was like everything was finally hitting her and her stomach twisted up at the thought.
Hunter took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "Oh my gods, I didn't even think about the college funds. I'll have to make another one." Hunter said with a nod. "We'll have to get another crib and a stroller for two babies instead of one. And blankets and toys and clothes. Well, we can't really buy clothes, yet. We need to figure out if it's two girls or two boys or a girl and a boy." Hunter took a deep breath and slipped a finger into the waist of her shorts, pulling her across the seat to him and putting his arm around her. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
Arabella sighed softly and she shrugged, placing her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. "Anything works for me" She said and she looked up at Hunter. "Shopping. Sleeping. Eating. All three" She said with a littla laugh and she ran her fingers along his thigh.
Hunter laughed and turned to her, pressing his lips to her hair. "Let's go home, then. And we can take a nap and I'll make you food and we'll have a nice night then we'll go shopping tomorrow or something." He said as he turned onto their street. It was only a moment later when he was parking in their driveway. He got out and pulled her out into his arms, shutting the door with his foot. "Couch or bed, my dear?"
Arabella yawned and she nuzzled into him. "Bed" She whispered. Part of her felt almost guilty when Hunter took care of her like this. The other part of her, however, was exhausted from waking up early and being all stressed out from the doctor's office and she was glad that Hunter was taking her into the house and up to their bedroom. He placed her down on the bed gently and Arabella tugged him down next to her, snuggling up to his side. "What do you want to have? Two boys, two girls or a boy and a girl?" She asked him in a low voice.
Hunter laid on his side next to her and put his hand on her stomach. "I'd be happy with anything, but I really want one boy and one girl. I know that we'd be lucky to get everything that we want out of this pregnancy, but I'd really like to get a boy and a girl." He rubbed her stomach for a moment before leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips. "How about you?"
Arabella nodded in agreement. "A boy and a girl would be amazing" She said softly. A small smile spread across her lips and she looked down at her stomach. "I like the balance of it. I like the idea of our daughter growing up with a protective brother" Arabella said with a little shrug and she looked up at Hunter. "I used to want a twin brother, so badly" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter smiled and unbuttoned a couple of the buttons on the shirt, revealing her pregnant stomach. He put his hand there and gently rubbed it, feeling her skin. "You're so beautiful." He said, pressing his lips gently to her stomach then back to her lips where he kissed across her cheek to her ear. "I love you."
Arabella blushed and she closed her eyes, leaning into his kisses. "I love you too, Hunter" She whispered. Being in that bed with him felt amazing. She loved laying next to him and when she felt him kissing her and holding her, the fear and the anxiety went away. Everything went still and she could breathe. Arabella nuzzled into him and she placed her hands on his arm. Slowly, she began to drift off to sleep and she was happy.
Hunter closed his eyes as he leaned back and put his head on the pillow, feeling her fall asleep in his arms. He took a deep breath and he could feel his own fatigue catching up to him. He finally took a deep breath and fell asleep.