I had my last major hot water soak today.
My stomach has DOUBLED in size once more.
I am officially so ungainly that I can hardly bend over to pick up Jordan.
The good part is that there's only about three more weeks until we get to meet this little kiddo....I'm SO excited. Basically any fear I had of anything going wrong has dissipated, and now I'm just impatient to meet him or her. We haven't even talked about names yet....maybe we should sometime soon..!
Anyway, I was trying to get accustomed to my HUGE midsection when Tangled Fan breezed through the room, setting a couple of boxes on her bed before running back out of her room. I heard the vacuum click on, so she wouldn't be back for a little while.
By now, I knew what THIS meant: More dolls.
Eugene noticed, too, and immediately turned to me. "Absolutely not."
I bounced Jordan in my arms a few times, making her giggle. "Why not?"
He snorted, shaking his head and chuckling. "You're two-thirds of the way through your term. You probably shouldn't be walking the entire way across the room all that much!"
"Ohh, I'll be fine. Now, how'd you feel if you were thrown somewhere new and left in your box for hours?"
His face contorted as he considered this.
"I actually WAS. I wasn't able to get out of the plastic things they put around my wrists, and do you really think that Punzie and that bunch would come help?"
My eyes widened. "Oh, geez, Eugene....well...do you want THEM to have the same experience?"
He stared at me, and I could tell he was thinking...and thinking....and thinking that one over.
Finally, he huffed. "Why do I have such problems saying no to you?"
"Because I'm your wife and you love me?" I asked teasingly, and he laughed through his nose.
"Yeah...well, you can go get Zelia to watch the girls, because I'm going with you, and if you get the slightest bit pale or sick, I'm carrying you back."
I tsked my tongue. "Do you really think that me walking across the room will make me have the baby too soon?"
"A lot of walking sometimes induces labor for people..."
"But we're not people!" I said, standing on tiptoe and reaching to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before I went to get Zelia, still carrying Jordan.
After we got Zelia to watch Casey, Audrey, and Jordan, Eugene and I left for Tangled Fan's bed, accompanied by Belle and Ray. Ray didn't necessarily want to go along, but my paranoid husband asked him to, in case he'd need help carrying me back or something. It was slightly embarrassing, but...oh well.
When we FINALLY got to Tangled Fan's bed, (that climb up was harsh...) we found a 2014 Ariel doll and a -- you guessed it -- 2014 Rapunzel. We all worked to get them out of their boxes, and after a good bit of work, they finally wormed out of their plastic prisons.
The Rapunzel, who said her nickname could be Zarina, was very shy, and kept her hair down in her eyes, watching everyone warily; while Ariel was bubbly, happy, and generally a positive doll. I hoped that I could befriend both of them - someday. Someday when I didn't have mood swings.
But anyway, we left the bed, slipping from the bed to the trunk, then finally to a box by the trunk and then on the ground --that immediately brought us about halfway across the room.
Only there was a liiitle problem.
The mermaid pointed to her flippers, giggling nervously.
"I can't walk. I can't even shuffle, because this tail is so tight."
Oh boy. If we would've left her in her box, we could have dragged her over to the table. Since we OBVIOUSLY couldn't slip her back in the box, I looked around helplessly.
Ariel looked over towards Eugene with a coquettish smile, and my poor husband made quick work of slipping further behind me. When she looked towards Ray, he looked away, face blazing red as he mumbled "No way," just loud enough that Eugene heard him.
I flashed him a LOOK, but he conveniently didn't catch THAT, either.
"Please don't leave me alone here," she said. She knew everyone was unsettled both by her lack of clothing AND the fact that someone would have to carry her.
"We won't," I said, attempting to bend so I could put a hand on her cool, bare shoulder. I shot another glance towards Ray, but he walked off. Eugene sucked in a deep breath.
"C'mon...it's only halfway across the room," he said -- half to himself. I gave him a surprised glance. What if he hurt his hip joints, carrying her THAT far? Not to mention her...lack of clothes. That didn't make me feel exactly comfortable, but maybe it's just me being too protective of my husband.
She slipped her arms around his neck a little too comfortably, and he picked her up with ease. She smiled from ear to ear, and we started walking back. I hung back, trying to keep out of Ariel's eyesight. I'm pretty sure I was seething -- she knew he was married, didn't she? Did she think she would win him over? A sharp thought occurred to me: She probably could, and with ease. I haven't exactly been the most laid-back over the past six weeks, between worrying and mood swings -- and she was a lot prettier to boot.
I glanced down at my tummy and put a hand over it as I felt the baby jostle around. Of course, he wouldn't be able to break off our marriage...but I didn't want to see it fall apart, either. I couldn't stand the thought of him being miserable in our marriage, and vice versa...let alone what it'd do to the girls and our unborn child! I felt an awful pang just thinking about what it would do to the kids.
I heard a satiny laugh, and looked up to see Ariel had her head thrown back, laughing at some joke Eugene had just made. I did notice that he was a lot more comfortable with her already than what he normally was with other newcomers...
I sighed a bit too loudly, and Belle slowed to walk beside me.
"What is the matter? Is the baby active?" she glanced down at the hand I still had across my belly.
"Yeah," I nodded, trying to keep my jealousy from showing.
Oh, yeah right.
"There's something else though...is it Ariel?" she whispered.
I nodded. "It's stupid, I know, but...I can't help but feel a little upset over how cozy she is with my husband. It's terrible of me, I know...but Eugene seems pretty okay with it, and he's NEVER this way."
Belle shook her head. "You have nothing to fear -- Eugene would never do anything to hurt you,"
I shrugged. "Can't blame him if he would -- I've been a real jerk lately."
"Well, you cannot help it! He should understand that," she said a little too loudly, and Ray swung around to look. Ray did...not Eugene. I swallowed hard.
I cleared my throat, but Ray dropped back to listen in. "Thank you, Belle...you're a good friend. I'm sure he's just..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"What?" Ray asked.
"Eugene. Doesn't he seem a little...comfortable...with Ariel? And vice versa?" I asked, my face getting extremely red.
He started to blow me off in a manner that only Ray could, but then he hesitated. "Well...I don't know. Zelia's told me that he was a lot more shy before he met you."
I nodded. "But...it's different. Maybe I'm just overreacting."
"Maybe," he agreed, which didn't make me feel any better. I wanted a strong 'yes, you're overreacting' or a 'no, you're not overreacting', not a 'maybe you are and maybe you aren't'!
Belle shook her head and repeated herself. "He would never do anything to hurt you!"
"I apologize. I should have taken her, but..your sister...I was worried that she'd see from the table." he cleared his throat.
I nodded quietly, and Belle noticed my uneasiness about the topic, so she gave me a quick side-hug before giving me some space, nodding at Ray to do the same.
When we got back to the bins, Eugene deposited Ariel -- who gave him a longing expression before squirming around on her bottom to catch the attention of Belle and I -- and then he and Ray walked away to give us some privacy. I lost track of Zarina at that point.
I reached to climb into the bin to retrieve a dress for the redhead, but Belle put a hand on my arm, shaking her head. "I'll get it! You go sit." I let her climb into the bin, but I didn't go sit. I just wanted to get this over with quickly. I didn't know what I would do if Ariel spoke to me!
Of course, she did.
"I'm so grateful for you for taking the time to help me out with clothes," she said...but I couldn't help but notice the glance she cast towards my HUSBAND, instead of directing it towards me and Belle. When her happy gaze returned to me, it promptly dropped to my belly. "A-are you...expectant? I thought us Ariel dolls were the only ones who could..."
"Yes, I am...it's a rare blessing," I said, giving a tight smile. And the father is the man you're basically flirting with...."Oh! Congratulations, but isn't it...dangerous? I heard that the only non-Ariel Disney doll to have a baby ended up...meeting an untimely demise, as did the baby," she cleared her throat.
Belle, hurry UP!
"Yes, that's true," I said shortly. Was she HOPING that the baby and I would 'meet an untimely demise'? There wasn't an ounce of concern in those eyes.
I quickly averted my attention to my stomach once more, trying to hide the red that was creeping up along my neck. Could Belle go any slower?? Grab a dress, throw it at the redhead, and let's get going!! If I don't get away from this girl, I'm going to wring her neck...and if I leave before everyone else, I'll show that I'm being childish and bratty! Ugh.
FINALLY, Belle tossed a dress out, and Ariel caught it with surprising speed. "Thanks! It's gorgeous!"
Without another word, she started trying to shimmy out of her fabric tail, and I barely had time to turn my back before she lost anything else. Within moments, she loosed a giggle.
"It feels WONDERFUL to be on my feet! My legs were getting cramped." The joyful expression on her face immediately made me feel sorry for being so resentful towards her. She just needed a friend, and I was being weird and moody. She did a little jig before turning back to Belle and I, still staring down at her dress gleefully. It was almost exactly like the one I was wearing -- the plaid one -- but she wore it much, much better. "Where will I be staying?"
"You'll come with me, sweetheart --Ray and I, that is," Belle told her.
"Doesn't Eugene stay there, too?" she looked hopeful.
"No, we live on the other side of the table with our kids," I piped up. I felt stupid for saying we were just on the other side of the table, but whatever.
She nodded, her smile waning more than a little bit. "Okay. Well, I'm a little tired, so let's head up and meet everyone else, shall we?"
Belle nodded, waving to motion Ray over. He and Eugene were in a deep conversation, apparently, because they both snapped to attention and hurried over, looking slightly surprised. Zarina caught on, too, and appeared out of nowhere.
"Isn't this dress LOVELY?" Ariel immediately asked my husband...right in front of me.
He cleared his throat, nodding at her. "Yes, Belle chose a nice dress for you," he said. I glanced down at myself. Of course, my form was very.....plump now, compared to her skinny self. I bit back a sigh.
When we got back, Zelia stayed with us for the rest of the day and then helped to get the girls settled in for bed, which I greatly appreciated. I was bone-tired, and I hardly said a word to Eugene for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I was just afraid that I'd let some snarky comment loose. Well, when we headed to bed, Eugene tried to kiss me. I let him, but I didn't mean to show my displeasure. I didn't exactly feel like kissing him right now, no matter what his intentions with being friendly with Ariel were.
"Hey...what's wrong?" he gave me a concerned look, cupping my cheek in his hands. "Is the baby moving around a lot?"
"Yeah, that's it," I said crankily. How oblivious WAS he??
He gave me a pensive stare, but shrugged my comment off and crawled into bed. Instead of settling with his arm around my shoulders, I curled up on my side, facing away from him. I also willed the ever-active baby to quiet down. (Hmm, like that would happen -- it's been moving almost CONSTANTLY!)
A moment later, he loosed a frustrated sigh. "What's REALLY wrong? I know something is..."
I shook my head, and then he sat up.
"Come on....what's wrong? Please, honey...I'm worried. Are you feeling okay?"
I huffed with frustration, sitting up to look him in the eye. "I'm just a little irritated with how Ariel acted around you. And...you seemed pretty comfortable with her, too. I've never seen you so...so friendly around a newcomer."
He gave me a confused look, which quickly turned into surprise...and then horror. "Oh, you don't think I have a...a...THING for her, do you?"
I shrugged. "I know I haven't been exactly the easiest to get along with lately, and my wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired, for obvious reasons, and I'm not a skinny little thing either...so..."
Eugene reached for my face, but instead let his hands drop, realizing he needed to explain himself first.
"I was just trying to make her feel comfortable. Everyone was being a little awkward, for obvious reasons, so I figured that since I was the one carrying her, I should try to break the ice a little bit, so I tried to joke around a little. Once I realized that she was trying to hit on me, it got really awkward really fast. I explained once more, and told her that I was happily married to the girl of my dreams, and when she asked who it was, I said it was you, and she just...blew that off. At that point, I kind of wanted to tell her off, but I knew I shouldn't. I'm sorry...if I knew it was upsetting you that much, I would've dropped her and left her sit there -- I had half a mind to, anyway." he dropped his head, but tilted his eyes up sheepishly at me.
I sighed. "I probably over-reacted, as usual-"
"Nahh...I can understand why you were upset. But did you seriously think I'd prefer her -- a lively, thin, young thing who can't understand the art of subtle hints, when I have you?"
"I don't know. I've been lazy, grumpy, and fat lately, so-"
"All of which is because you're expectant and due in three weeks," he said, "and you're carrying our child. By the way, she doesn't hold a candle to you, my dear."
"She's so animated and...and happy-go-lucky, though, I mean...I'm timid and easily upset."
"I never did like the over-lively type. Plus, what do you think I'd do? Abandon you, because we wouldn't be able to divorce -- taking a more logical approach."
I shrugged. "Probably just my...moodiness...talking."
He laughed, putting a gentle hand over the one I'd rested over my stomach. "Don't you ever wonder if I still love you, sweetie. You're not getting rid of me THAT easily."
I met his eyes with a smile. "I'm glad...I was worried there for a little bit."
My husband gave me a mushy little grin. "I'm glad to have that sorted out, then...mind if I kiss you, or...?"
I gave him a teasing grin, leaning towards him as much as my belly would allow me to, teasing him by pulling away a bit when he reached to meet my lips. "Oh, I don't know...maybe you can kiss me, and maybe you can't."
He laughed through his nose before putting a hand behind my head and giving me a warm, slow kiss that reassured me that he meant what he'd said. When our lips parted, he leaned his forehead up against mine a moment. I could feel his warm breath on my face, and it was somehow a comfort to me.
"If you ever....EVER...get upset with me over something again, don't hold it in, okay? Talk with me. I'm sorry...I should have made the point that I was married to you more clear, but I didn't know what would cross the line between adamant and rude."
"And like I said...it's fine!"
"I know, but...I shouldn't have even carried her over there. And I'm just really worried that you'll get too upset, and end up having the baby prematurely."
I nodded. "Well, someone needed to help her. It's nice of you that you stepped up to the plate...at least I know now that you weren't flirting with her."
"More like dying of horror," he said.
I giggled, swatting his chest playfully. "Oh...why did I ever even question you...you goof!"
He smiled, flopping backwards onto the bed, asking me to lie down beside him. I did, shutting my eyes for a moment, before I remembered something else.
"What were you and Ray so deep in conversation about?" I didn't move to look at him -- I was too comfortable where I was at.
"You and Zelia...sounds like he might be our brother in law sometime soon," he said...in an oh-so-nonchalant way.
I gasped. If I would've been able to, I would've flown upright within the second, twisted around and given him a surprised look -- but I just settled for squeaking, "He's going to propose?!"
"Maybe...he was talking about it, but he also said he was terrified she'd say no, and he doesn't want to mar their friendship. He says that she's the first one to befriend him and not be scared of him, despite his temper. And she's helped him get through his outbursts, so he doesn't have them nearly as often."
"Aww!" I squealed. "That's SO sweet!" I realized I needed to be quieter, and the baby gave a few kicks. I settled a hand down on my stomach and smiled. Okay, more like beamed.
He chuckled. "Don't tell her anything, though, okay?"
"Oh, I won't," I shook my head, "but that's just...whoa. I never thought I'd see the day where my grumpy old sis would get MARRIED!"
"Yup...now, hard as it will be, you need to rest up. You don't even know for certain if he WILL ask her!"
"But the baby's awake, so I'm awake, and my sister might be getting engaged soon!" I said, paraphrasing a quote from Frozen.
He laughed quietly. "Ohh...you're terrible."
"Well...you're the one who gave me the news." I threw back.
He chuckled through his nose. "Touche."
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