#finally posting again :

lilyharvord · 6 years ago

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All the Little Horses Part 9

28 weeks

Your loosened joints, shifted center of gravity and added weight are just a few of the factors that cause you to slip, trip and fall more often than usual. This clumsiness is temporary, but for now, be extra careful. Your due date is still months away, but school (or at least a childbirth education class) is in session — so start taking notes. You'll graduate from one of these classes with all the skills (and know-how) you and the father need to get through delivery

I stumbled out into the kitchen, rubbing my hand down my face as I stretched. Cal was in the kitchen making breakfast when I almost ran into the counter with my hip. He looked over his shoulder at me and with a raised brow, he asked, “You feeling okay this morning?”

“My legs feel like wet noodles.” I mumbled as I stumbled toward him. He caught me, and holding me up he asked once more, “Do I need to take you to see Ada, or… someone? I mean this… this isn’t normal right?”

“Cal, I just need breakfast, okay?” I replied as I grabbed a piece of bread that he was going to toast. I bit into it, and turned, almost slipping as I did so. He caught me under my arms and volunteered, “Maybe you should stay in bed?”

“Don’t be stupid Cal, we’re going to look at the class today, and I have to get up and walk around or I’ll turn into a lump,” I glanced down at my stomach underneath his shirt which I had started wearing a few weeks ago, “Not that I’m not a lump already.”

He sighed behind me and helped me over to a chair, so that I could sit down and then returned to the stove. He threw me another worried glance as I ate the toast and chewed thoughtfully. Turning back, he flipped the eggs over, and I glanced at him with the same thoughtful stare before saying, “You look good in those pants, I like them.”

“You bought them a few weeks ago,” he replied as he dumped the eggs on a plate, his tone beginning to edge into worried territory again. I blinked in surprise at his reply, choosing to ignore his tone again, and exclaimed, “Damn, I have good taste.”

He sighed and then set the plate he had been working on in front of me. Leaning against the table, he asked, “You’re forgetting quite a bit lately, you’re sure that’s normal?”

I nodded and shoveled the eggs into my mouth, trying to prevent the conversation we had had yesterday over my forgetting what tomatoes were called and trying to call them unsweetened apples. He wouldn’t be deterred though, and shrugging at my quick aversion, he shifted from his position to stroll across the floor. I watched his back for a moment, my fork halfway up to my mouth as I narrowed my eyes. He was up to something, definitely. As he grabbed the cup of coffee he had been drinking, I raised the fork to my mouth completely and chewed on the eggs for a while, trying to keep myself from having to talk. He sat back down then and watching me curiously he said, “I thought of another name.”

“Yeah?” I said between another mouthful of food. He smiled at me sheepishly as he looked down at his cup, and nodded. God above I hope he came up with something good finally, I would be sick to my damn stomach if I had to hear Rachel or Erin again.

Looking up at me, he shrugged and said, “These are the big guns though, I mean it, like this is the last thing I’ve got.”

I blinked in surprise then, suddenly curious. If this was all he had, then maybe I would end up getting a bigger say in the name of our child after all. Shifting in his seat, he set his mug to the side and said, “I like the name Evelyn.”

For a moment, I was put off guard by how normal that name was. For the past week he had been throwing out wild names that ranged from absurd to absolutely not. Of course at that moment though the baby shifted spectacularly, and I made a choking sound as the bread and eggs in my stomach almost came up. Gagging at the feeling, I covered my mouth in case I did end up throwing up. Cal frowned though, his face burning red with embarrassment as he grumbled, “Geez Mare, tell me how you really feel about it.”

“No, no!” I cried as held my hand out, certain I wasn't going to vomit all over the table finally, and said, “No, she just did a barrel roll in my stomach, and I felt like I was going to lose everything I just ate.”

He blinked for a heartbeat, only to break out laughing. I laughed with him, and then said as I set my hand on my stomach, “I guess she likes it. She’s excited about it.”

His face lit up like a sun and with a bright grin he said, “Does that mean you like it?”

“It might…” I began but my response was drowned out by him kicking the chair back and leaping up. I shook my head, laughing as I watched his lips pull up in a grin bright enough to run the sun. Eventually, he dropped to his knees in front of me and pressing a light kiss on my stomach he whispered, “You like that name, don’t you Evelyn? Daddy is the best as doing this, much better than your mommy.”

“Hey, watch it.” I laughed as I set my hands on top of his. The baby kicked at our hands, and grinning wildly, Cal whispered, “Oh God, she’s going to be so beautiful.”

Nodding, I brought his hands up to my lips and pressed a light kiss on his knuckles.

(////)

A few hours later, after I had spent almost forty extra minutes trying to pick an outfit out, we arrived at a small loft near the center of the city. We rode up in the elevator in silence to the fifth floor of a downtown complex before passing through the open glass doors of the yoga studio. The room was colored with warm wood and white walls, while the far wall facing the street was floor to ceiling windows for a gorgeous view of the New York skyline. The room was already dominated by couples that were sitting around and chatting idly. A few of them gave us curious glances as the teacher came out of the back room though a draping curtain. A woman in her mid-thirties, she was dressed in casual yoga gear and carried a clipboard with her. She looked us up and down before holding out the clipboard and saying, “Welcome, I wasn’t expecting anyone new.”

Cal took the clipboard and flipped through the papers, reading the agreements and everything the class had to offer. I peeked over his elbow while he did that, and read the statement before frowning and saying, “Could we just sit in on the class?”

“You can join, but we don’t take sit ins, sorry.” The woman said with a shrug, before holding her hand out for the clipboard. I huffed in annoyance and Cal sighed before reaching for a pen on the desk. He filled it out and then handed it to her. She flipped to the back-most page and said, “Are you certain you have no due date?”

“My doctor hasn’t set one yet.” I grumbled in annoyance, reaching down to set my hand on my stomach, before Cal nudged me. His action a subtle warning to behave myself. It drew a glare from me, which he pointedly ignored as he replied to the instructor, “I’m afraid not, that’s why we’re starting classes now.”

She frowned at his response and then shrugged and gestured for us to enter the floor space. We followed her in, and ended up next to a middle aged woman who looked us over and then whispered something to her husband. He chuckled, and I bristled in response before she turned to us and said, “First timers I suppose?”

“Is it obvious?” Cal supplied with a light chuckle, while he rolled out the mat he had been forced to grab. I sat down in a heap and watched the woman suspiciously while she chattered with Cal, the two of them getting a laugh about the instructor’s mood while she walked around interrogating people on their practice habits.

“You two are adorable though, good for you for coming in, nowadays all the people your age want to do the whole thing surgery.” She said with a twinkling laugh. I shifted uncomfortably and said coolly, “Why are you in the class if you’ve done this before?”

She blinked in surprise and then laughing, she glanced at me and said, “Well, I was hoping to do a water birth, and that takes a special kind of breathing technique.”

I frowned skeptically, and then asked, “Water birth?”

“I gave birth to my first son in the hospital, worst experience of my life. I could have done the whole thing on my own at home.” She said matter of fact as she smiled, but when she saw me and Cal share a look she leaped forward and said, “By no means should you do that though, the first baby’s always the hardest, go to the hospital, you don’t want anything to happen.”

Suddenly, a loud whale cry sounded through the room and I bucked against Cal in surprise, and he caught me, settling me as the instructor crossed to the front of the room and announced, “Today we’ll be working on those meditation techniques we talked about last class.”

The couple next to us settled in, with the woman sliding between her husband's legs, and leaning against him comfortably. I glanced at them curiously, and when she saw me staring she smiled and gestured for me to take the same position. Slowly, I slid between Cal’s legs and he leaned back to let me lay on him. The whale song was soon joined by a soft drum beat, and the instructor's voice calling for us to begin our breathing techniques. Cal snorted softly and grumbled under his breath, “Nice of her to show us what those are.” He earned a snicker from me in response, and with a smile, he pressed a light kiss to my shoulder.

Two hours later, I had the breathing down, and the position. I was finally comfortable, and inside of me, the baby shifted less, her kicks almost subdued as I breathed slower and slower. Steadily, I began to nod off, leaning more and more on Cal who grunted as I forced him to compensate so that we didn’t fall over. Just as I was starting to fall asleep though, the instructor pulled up the blinds and turned off the music. I sat bolt upright as the baby delivered a hard kick to my hip, making me wince in surprise. I massaged the spot softly and whispered, “Geez kiddo, I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”

The couple next to us was packing up and Cal got up slowly, popping the joints in his knees and ankles as he did so. I winced, guilty for probably putting him in a very uncomfortable position, and watch as he massaged his knee before saying, “That wasn’t too bad.”

He helped me up then and rolled up the mat while I said, “I loved it, we should do this more.”

Laughing softly, he crossed the room to put the mat away, and went to thank the couple across from us for helping us through the whole class. I followed him sheepishly, and holding out his hand to them, Cal said, “Thank you, really, if it wasn’t for you two we would have been lost.”

The woman laughed and shaking his hand, she winked at us and said, “Don’t mention it sweets. You two are adorable.”

I blushed at her comment and shaking her hand as well I said, “We ugh… we didn’t introduce ourselves. I’m Mare, and this is my fiance Cal.”

“A pleasure to meet you, my names Naomi, but everyone who knows me calls me Nanny.” She laughed at the nickname and ignoring my hand completely she pulled me in and kissed me on the cheek. I tensed in surprise and she patted my cheek saying, “You’re so sweet, have a good weekend you two, enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts!” She left after that, sliding her arm around his husband's and leaving. I stood there with Cal then, the two of us at a lost with the woman.

“Interesting nickname,” Cal said with a confused expression before walking over to grab my bag. I smiled softly though, I wouldn’t mind spending more classes with her. Maybe she could give me some advice…I wouldn’t have minded it one bit if she did.

AHHH!! I’m posting again!!! Here are some tags!!! (((:

@powerisadangerousgame-redqueen @jessiemartin @inopinion @calmareforever @nightmarebarrow @marecalrandomstuff @marecalforever @scxrletguardsdawn @redqueenfandom @merrymareshmallow @clarafarleybarrow @scarletguardsource @selenbean-beany

#all the little horses #AtLH #wow holy shit its been a hot minute #finally posting again #I'm in London on vacation and I've got the kick of inspiration!!!#Maybe I'll post this whole story finally #(((:#my fanfics #my works #my work #red queen #glass sword #kings cage #war storm #marecal #the eternal ship #the eternal ship sails on

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