“I can stay home,” Kassius states for the millionth time in the past week. He is leaving for the longest tour NXT has ever scheduled tomorrow morning and he has agonized about going ever since he found out. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be away for a month this late in the pregnancy.”
“But you seriously do think it’s a good idea to annoy your sleeping pregnant girlfriend,” I peek up at him from my spot on the couch. “Especially about something we’ve talked about at length. Everything is fine,” I motion to my swollen stomach. “My due date is three weeks after you come home.”
“Multiples come early,” he states.
“Everything is progressing amazingly on schedule. Dr. Brown says I’ll make it to at least thirty-eight weeks. We aren’t expecting any surprise appearances. You’ll still be home in plenty of time.”
“But…”
“No buts,” I state struggling to sit up. I try to hide the grimace at the sharp pain in my lower abdomen the movement causes. He immediately drops beside me, his hands on my stomach. The action almost a habit at this point. The heat from his hands soothing my aching and stretched muscles there. “I appreciate you wanting to be home but I can’t work right now. I can’t even fit at my desk or move around so one of us has to bring in the money for these kids. My savings can handle my household bills but there is still so much they need as much as I hate to ask you for money.”
“Rose, it’s…”
“You can’t make money at home,” I interrupt. “I love you and I love that you just want to be there for their birth but don’t let that screw with your career.”
“This is only going to get worse, isn’t it? Leaving you. Leaving them.”
“You know we work for a very family friendly company. You only have to leave us for a bit before we can travel with you.”
“The beginning will be the worst.”
“You will have Ruby run up my ass until she’s healed,” I smirk. Kassius had started bringing the woman around months ago hoping we would start a friendship. Despite being complete opposites, it had worked. After Ruby injured her knee, we grew closer spending almost every day together.
“You love Ruby.”
“I do love Ruby.”
“Knock knock,” Ruby calls from the front door.
“We summoned her,” I whisper, grinning.
“She’s like Beetlejuice, she appears if you say her name three times.”
“What are we talking about,” she asks plopping behind me on the couch.
“He’s worrying about leaving again,” I state glancing over my shoulder.
“Do you expect anything less? He barely let you lift a finger for the first three months, leaving for four weeks is probably making his head explode. He doesn’t trust me to take care of you.”
“See. She gets it,” he smirks causing me to roll my eyes.
“She’ll be fine. You’re leaving her in good hands,” she states sliding a hand around to rest above his. “See our girls are sleeping right now so Momma should….”
“Ruby,” Kassius snaps.
“Wait, what did she say? Girls? Are we back to guessing?”
“Kash,” she questions.
“Kassius, what is she talking about?”
“Big mouth,” he grumbles at the younger woman.
“I’m going to find you something to eat, Momma,” Ruby states pulling herself from the couch. “Someone has some confessing to do.”
“How do you know I haven’t eaten already,” I call after her.
“I know you,” she calls back.
“What’s going on Kash?”
“I know you didn’t want to know the sex of the babies but I couldn’t wait. I talked to Dr. Brown.”
“You found out we were having girls?”
“Yeah.”
“Then told Ruby?”
“I had to tell someone, okay? Are you mad?”
I shrug dropping my eyes to my stomach and his hands there. “Not really. Just disappointed. I wanted it to be a surprise. It’s not that important.”
“Can I bring up another subject you don’t want to talk about?”
“I don’t want to think about moving right now,” I state knowing what exactly he wants to talk about.
“It makes sense to move in together. Instead of paying two rents we can spend that money on a better place for the both of us. Somewhere bigger for the twins.”
“I’m not saying it doesn’t make sense. I know financially it makes sense. I know we need more space for the babies…The girls. I want to come home to you and my family but not right now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have the desire or the ability right now, Kash. You waited until I was five months pregnant to bring this up and I’m exhausted all the time. It’s only getting worse the closer we get to their arrival. It is literally going to take all my energy to get off the couch later. The thought of packing everything in this apartment makes me want to sleep for eight days.”
“Okay. So, what are we going to do?”
“You are going to go to work. Be amazing. Entertain everyone. Come home and prepare to meet your daughters.”
“Our daughters.”
“I have a feeling once these two are out of me, they are never going to be anything but Daddy’s.”
He grimaces, “Well, we have to drop that in the bedroom now.”
“Poor baby. You’re Daddy kink has to die,” I smirk.
“It died for a noble cause,” he smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
I nuzzle against his palm, “I am going to miss you.”
“Ditto, Sweetheart.”
“This is going to be fine.”
“Who are you trying to convince?”
“Both of us,” I sigh leaning up to capture his lips.
“Hey now,” Ruby chuckles re-entering the room. “Isn’t that how you got here in the first place?”
“In a relationship, yes. Getting knocked up was a lot more aerobic.”
“And a lot less clothing.”
“Ewww,” Ruby smirks, settling a bowl containing a chopped salad topped with grilled chicken in front of me.
“There was that one night with your favorite dress,” I remind Kassius as I pick at my lunch.
“Mmm. That was a good night.”
“That dress works every time.”
“Please stop talking,” Ruby sulks, her palms cover her ears tightly.
“I’ll deal with our sulky teenager. You need to finish packing.”
“Keep my girls entertained for me, will ya, Rube?”
“And make sure she eats,” Ruby agrees. “Are you okay,” she whispers.
“Yeah.”
“Still with the Braxton Hicks contractions?”
“They’re getting stronger the further into this pregnancy,” I huff.
“Why don’t you tell him?”
“This pregnancy has stressed him out. He freaks out over every little thing.”
“You can’t blame him.”
“I don’t,” I sigh, running my hands along my bump. “I’m trying to protect him.”
“He’s a big boy. He doesn’t need protecting.”
“I say the word contraction and he is going to go into protection mode himself.”
“Have some faith in him,” she states. “Tell her, Girls.”
“Thanks to Auntie Ruby’s big mouth now I’m going to have to figure out your names these next few weeks,” I change the subject.
“Momma is trying to change the subject without me noticing,” she whispers to my stomach. “Talk to Kassius before he leaves,” she states.
“All packed?”
“Yes ma’am,” Kassius smiles as he reclines beside me on the bed, his hand going to my stomach. “It’s still not too late to tell management I can’t leave.”
“Yes, it is,” I sigh. “I’m tired of having this conversation. I’d rather be having the moving conversation at this point.”
“Let’s move in together,” he pounces on the opportunity.
“Find some guys that will pack for me and I will start looking for a new place,” I counter.
“Yeah? You’re just going to give in that easily now?”
“I’ve wanted to since you’ve first brought it up. I just wanted to wait. But there really isn’t going to be a good time now. I’m about to pop now. In a little under two months, I’m going to have two newborns. Before I know it, they are going to be toddlers. I’m never going to have the energy that I feel I’m going to need. I just need help.”
“You’re admitting you need help? Now I know you’re serious,” he grins.
“You’re an ass,” I roll my eyes. “But I love you.”
“I love you,” he pecks my lips. “And I love you,” he kisses one side of my stomach before moving to the other side. “And I love you.”
“And you have an early morning and need to go to sleep.”
He groans moving back up my body. “I’m not sleepy.”
“Ain’t happening,” I grin. “Daddy.”
“See now you’re just sending me mixed messages,” he grins diving into my cleavage.
“I can’t,” I mumble pulling his face back to mine. “You’re going to have to get reacquainted with your hand.”
His brow furrows as his eyes finally meet mine. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t just zone in on a single word when I tell you this, okay?”
“What?”
“I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions for about a month now. They are starting to get stronger on the pain scale. Hence why I’ve been so squirmy lately.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“You worry about every little pain or twinge I’ve had this entire pregnancy. I realize that I gave you some of that worry with the misc…”
“That had nothing to do to you,” he interrupts.
“I know,” I sigh, cupping his face. “Doesn’t mean it didn’t make this pregnancy a higher risk. Which put you into protection mode. Which I find endearing but put way to much stress on yourself. I didn’t want to add any more worry or stress over something that is not that important.”
“You are important. You are the most important person in the world to me.”
“You’re most important person to me. That’s why I don’t want you worrying. That’s why I don’t want you ruining your career for me. I…I…Fucking hormones,” I mutter wiping at my eyes.
“Okay,” he sighs, pressing a kiss to my lips. “We’ve made it this for without problems. I will stop worrying if you stop hiding things for me. I know Braxton Hicks are nothing to worry about. I would have done anything in my power to make you more comfortable. No more secrets. Will you do that for me?”
“I promise,” I whisper.
“And I promise not to worry or at least to hide it better,” he winks. “This tour is a different story. I will think about you and these two for the entire month. Worrying about if I’m missing out.”
“I will take a picture of this thing every day to prove that they are safe and in place.”
“Are you going to cross your legs until I get back to keep them in?”
“If I have to. I’m not letting you miss the most important day of your life,” adjusting as another pain shoots through me.
“I don’t think you have any control over that but I love the sentiment. What can I do to make you more comfortable?”
“Nothing really. Pacing helps but I’m too exhausted for that right now.”
“What about changing positions? I read somewhere that that helps.”
“You and your reading. That’s the cause of all your worries.”
“I like to be well informed,” he chuckles moving from the bed. “Here,” he smiles handing me my body pillow. “Try laying on your side. You shouldn’t lay so much on your back anyway.”
“More from your reading? Dr. Brown said it was fine as long as there is no numbness.”
“Roll onto your side already,” he grins climbing into bed. “Isn’t that better,” he asks as I change position.
“It would be better if you were holding me.”
“I can do that,” he chuckles draping his arm over my side. His hand cradling my stomach. “Goodnight, my Rose,” he whispers, kissing my shoulder.
“Goodnight, Kash,” I pull his hand up to kiss his knuckles before returning it to my stomach. “I love you.”
I blink away tears as another pain shoots through my abdomen. No amount of walking or changing of positions can ease them over the past hour. “Fuck,” I groan as I return to the bedroom after what seems like my millionth lap around the apartment. “Kash. Kash, wake up. Wake up. Kassius,” I growl.
He jerks awake, his hand reaching for my side of the bed. After a short search, his eyes finally land on me in the doorway. “Rosie? It’s one in the morning. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. They aren’t going away.”
“What aren’t?”
“Rose,” Ruby questions from the end of the hall. “Are you…”
“No,” I groan. “Hurts so much.”
“Fuck,” Kassius breathes, grabbing his phone. “How long?”
“Bout an hour.”
“I knew I should have gotten up when I heard you up walking around,” Ruby mutters. “I’m so sorry.”
I wave her off as I try to breathe through the pain.
“Rose, we’re taking you to the hospital. Dr. Brown is going to meet us there. Ruby, grab her bag out of the front closet.”
“It’s too soon,” I whimper.
“I know but we need to be prepared. Come on, my Rose.”
“I really don’t want to leave now,” Kassius whispers.
I peek through my lashes at him. “You have to. You have two daughters to support. Your Baby Momma is feeling a bit lazy all of a sudden.”
We arrived at the hospital only to be ushered immediately to a room. My doctor determining that I was in fact in labor and progressing faster than any patient she’s ever had. My daughters arriving by three thirty.
“She just finished giving birth to two beautiful girls. I think I can give her some slack.”
“Have you been down to see them?”
“Yeah. Thankfully they look just like their mother.”
“I’m just hoping they get their father’s hair,” I smile. “Are they still in the NICU?”
“Yeah. They aren’t on any oxygen so that’s something. The nurses said their oxygen levels came up almost immediately and they refused to let those masks stay on. They don’t seem to be having any issues without so everyone is allowing them to have their way. They are still in the little baby greenhouse though.”
“We really need to think of names before you leave. We can’t keep calling them, them and they.”
“Ruby has some ideas.”
“Let me guess: Ruby and Riot?”
“Actually, she says that since I have a Rose, I need a Lilly and a Violet.”
I contemplate that for a few seconds. “I love those.”
“Yeah?”
I nod. “No middle names. Just Lilly Ohno and Violet Ohno.”
“Ohno,” he breathes.
“Are you repeating your last name or realizing that you have to leave soon.”
“I don’t want to think about leaving.”
“Don’t start.”
“Kash,” Ruby starts slipping into the room. “I grabbed your bag from your place but I could only get you a couple hours. Hey Momma.”
“Kassius.”
“I’m still going. Management is giving me a little extra time. There is still some paperwork I need to fill out before I leave. I want to be able to hold my bouquet of girls before I leave. She agreed to the names by the way.”
“You did good, Rube,” I smile over at the woman.
“My god daughters need to match their momma,” she grins settling beside me.
“You tell her she’s the godmother,” I ask turning back to Kassius.
“Nope.”
“Am I not?”
“Well that was the plan but I’m rethinking now that you’ve just claimed the title,” I grin.
“I’ll take out anyone who tries to take it from me.”
“Only if you keep that one in line for me while I’m recovering.”
“You,” she points. “Get your shit together. You have two hours before your ass needs to be at the airport.”
“That’s my girl,” I smile. “Get him.”
“I will be back soon,” Kassius states squeezing my hand.
“Hopefully, our whole family can be together before you leave.”
