for Will (set to early September)

[notsocommon]

Helen had just about reached the point of pregnancy where things were less novel and more uncomfortable and this evening's discomfort took place in the form of a lovely round of indigestion coupled with Gregory squirming around. In hindsight, it had possibly been a bad idea to go back for thirds on dessert and yet she found she couldn't help herself; pregnancy had been a free rein to eat things she normally never would, which included sweets.

She was a little restless in bed, trying to get him to settle, and she shifted from her back to her side. Sleeping on her side had proven to be much easier these days than anything else and at least it afforded her the luxury of having Will curl up behind her.

"Baby won't settle," she whispered into the dark by way of explanation. "I think I ate entirely too much earlier and now I'm suffering for it."

Comments

[inabmovie]

"Yeah," Will says quietly. "I can't wait to meet you." He's still rubbing his thumb over the spot where he feels the baby move now and then, but he's quiet, because he really doesn't know what to say. Nothing seems good enough for the first thing he's saying to his kid, even if there's a good chance the kid can't really even hear or understand him.

[notsocommon]

"When I was pregnant with Ashley," Helen said softly, her hands still toying lightly with Will's hair, "I longed for this. I wanted her to have a father so badly but, selfishly, I wanted a partner. I wanted someone to take care of me when things got difficult, someone to tell me I was lovely and rub my feet. I'm so grateful for you, Will. You're better than I ever could have imagined."

[inabmovie]

Will doesn't think he's doing anything special; it doesn't occur to him when he does these things that he's doing something out of the ordinary. He just does these things because he's a decent guy (he thinks) and because he loves her.

He presses a kiss to her belly in the spot where he's been feeling Gregory, who seems to be calming down a little, and tilts his head to look at Magnus without dislodging her hand in his hair. "I'm grateful for you, too, Helen," he says. "It's been... amazing. And still is."

[notsocommon]

"We can do anything together," Helen said warmly. "I have full faith in that. This is just the first step in a grand new adventure, as trite as that sounds, and we'll go hand in hand."

There was nobody else she'd rather have for a partner than Will and she trusted that in this, too, they would be an admirable team.