A Day Out [:

Last night, it stormed....a LOT.  I'm not sure how everyone else slept through it, but I sure did not.  Sooo at around two-thirty in the morning, I sat on the wicker chair, curled up in a ball and trying to keep from getting too scared of the loud, booming thunder and crazy lightning.  Terror hasn't necessarily been a foreign emotion this week -- I've been stressed and scared and worrying all week, ever since I found out that I'm expectant.  I just can't help it -- I'm so scared that something will go wrong, and something will happen to the baby.
About twenty minutes into the storm, it had finally quieted down to just the patter of rain on the roof far above my head.  At about the same time, Eugene came stumbling quickly from behind the cutout. 
"Why're you up,  hon?"  he asked, rubbing his eyes and clearing his throat.  "Are you feeling okay?" 
"Yeah," I stood up from the chair, smoothing my dress out.  "I-I...the storm woke me up.  Stupid, right?" 
His face just dropped.  "I'm sorry...I didn't even notice it.  You could've gotten me up-"
I laughed quietly.  "Seriously, Eugene - I didn't want to wake you up over a silly storm." 
Sighing, he came to stand in front of me, trying to swallow a yawn.  "I'm sorry-"
"It's not your fault," I said, a tiny bit irritated.  That's just mood swings, though, I suppose -- fun, fun.  He reached to give me a quick hug, but then he actually scooped me up into his arms.  "What are you doing?!" 
"Carrying you," was Captain Obvious' response, to which I rolled my eyes playfully.  My hubby took me behind the cutout, plopping me down into bed before collapsing on the bed himself, trying to get me to laugh. 
It worked, and I giggled.  "Tired, huh?" 
"I'm not used to two-fifty-o'clock frantic wake-ups because I rolled over and reached for you, and you weren't there.  I bet you're tired, too, though," he teased. 
"Hmm...and yeah, I'm tired, too.  I'm not used to carrying a child twenty-four-seven, even though said child is still pretty teensy."  I threw back, and he chuckled. 
"I'm sure you are.  I'm glad I don't have that job-"
"Oh, yeah...thanks so much.  Just for saying that, you'll be the one to get up with the kids in the middle of the night when-" I started to half-tease, and he broke me off by reaching to tickle my side.  "Hey!  Stop it!"  I hissed, giggling. 
"Hey...I got what I wanted.  You've been too serious this week, you needed to laugh," he winked, and I rolled my eyes. 
"Next time, don't tickle me to make me laugh.  You can get me to laugh in ways other than tickling.  And how can you even be so...I don't know, impish...this early in the morning?!  It's three AM..." I reminded him, and he sighed in an over-dramatic manner. 
"The things we do for loved ones...and I know I can make you laugh, but tickling-"
"Is annoying," I finished for him, giggling, and he chuckled. 
"Fine...I don't agree, though." 
"Really?"  I asked.  I snaked my arm out, reaching for the spot on his side that I knew was VERY ticklish.  He almost fell out of bed in his hasty attempt to escape.
 He grabbed my arm, threatening to take me down with him if need be, and I hadn't planned on letting just that stop me, but then I felt the baby kick, and it surprised me just enough to pause my attempt to tickle him.
Giving me a triumphant expression, Eugene let go of my arm, scooting away from the edge of the bed.  I ignored his expression, which was obviously put on simply in an attempt to annoy me, and instead focused on my stomach, putting a hand over it as I felt another quick tap. 
"Is the baby moving?"  he asked quietly, and I glanced over to see his face had quickly changed to an expression of curiosity. 
"Yeah...I can't feel anything right now, though," I told him.  I couldn't help but smile, and for a second, I was super excited.  I wanted to meet our newest addition...right now!  But thinking about welcoming him or her into the world promptly made me think about all the risks, and I bit my lip, diving back into concern. 
"Hey.  Enough of that," he told me. 
"What?" 
"You're worrying - it's obvious.  Everything will be okay," he told me, tugging on my arm to hint at me to lie down.  I did so, and he promptly wrapped me up in his arms. 
"You can't be sure, though.  Something could very easily go wrong," I reminded him. 
"But nothing will!"  he reassured me. 

So this morning, I woke up very, very late...at least I didn't feel horribly sick, though.  As soon as I had myself dressed and my hair brushed, I wandered out from behind the cutout.  And almost as soon as I stepped foot out from behind the cutout, Eugene met me with a smile, grabbing me in a hug. 
"Hey...uh, good morning," I grinned at his enthusiasm. 
"Morning, gorgeous.  Want to go for a day out?  Zelia's here already, and the girls were very excited to learn that they might get to spend the day with their favorite aunt." 
"Eugene, I can't...what if I get sick?"  I asked. 
"You'll be fine," he told me. 
"But what if I'm not?  And plus, the girls just spent the day with Zelia earlier this week-"
"She offered to let them ride the pony," he said.
"Well...we can do that sometime, too!  I don't-"
"Then you can be the one to tell Audrey and Casey that they won't be riding today, or spending the day with their aunt," Eugene said. 
Oh, yeah, sure.  He  knew I wouldn't be able to tell the girls and face their disappointment. 
I sighed.  "Fine.  If you're sure that they're okay-"
"Momma!  Momma!  We get to go ride today!"  Audrey yelled, finally noticing I was up.  She came barreling over, and I managed to catch her in a hug, laughing at her excited antics. 
"I heard!  That's great, sweetie -- you and Casey will have to tell me all about it when you get back," I told her, and she nodded, grinning excitedly before squirming to get out of my arms.  I knelt to give Casey a hug, waved to Jordan - who was in Zelia's arms - and thanked Zelia before we headed out. 

"Where are we going?"  I asked when he didn't move after we landed on the floor. 
"Right up here on the bin," he said, reaching to pull me over.  "C'mere, I'll help you up." 
"Why on the bin?"  I asked.  Had he gone nuts? 
"Well, I figured we'd read.  To Kill a Mockingbird is already up there.  I thought that at least here, we could go back quickly if you started getting tired or sick.  I just wanted to get you doing something, so you weren't worrying so much." he told me, helping boost me up onto the bin before leaping up there himself. 
As soon as he had sat down beside me on the bin, I reached over to give him a quick kiss.  A day of reading sounded amazing.  "Thank you so much.  I'm sorry I was a little bull-headed up there,"
"That's fine - and understandable.  Now....let's start this book, shall we?"  he offered, and I promptly cuddled up against him, holding my edge of the book; he held his edge, and we read the day away.  Just like we always used to.  (: