The Hardest Part of Today is a Hangover.

My mom left and weeks passed, moments came and went, my stomach got bigger and the days seemed longer. It was when they started getting longer that I realized Oli was about to go on tour for four months. He was going to be gone for four months!

Inside I was having a heart attack, and I knew that the stress wasn’t good for the baby, but I couldn’t help myself.

I was going to live with Erin and Adam while Caitlin and Christian got an apartment downtown together; Oli was going to be on a tour bus with about ten to twenty different girls every night—who didn’t look like whales! They’d be so much more attractive than I.
Oli would just fucking adore that to pieces.

That once scared feeling that I had turned into rage and I stomped through the front door of my house like I was on a mission to kill. I probably had steam flowing out of my ears and everything; I had worked myself up and my hormones just loved it.

“Oliver! Where the fuck are you?” I shouted, checking the living room and kitchen before making my way into our bedroom.

Caitlin and Christian were at work, so we had an entire house to throw shit around in.
Well, that was my plan anyways.

“I’m in here,” I heard Oli reply tiredly.

He was still sleeping!
What a lazy fucking bum he was!

“Oliver, I need to talk to you right this instant!” I continued to yell, even though I was standing in the doorway, looking at his semi asleep form crouched on the bed, face in the pillow and butt in the air.

He groaned. “Now?”

“Yes now.”

He groaned once more and sat up, looking at me under his freshly cut mop of hair. The pillows had rustled it around quite a bit and made him look like a homeless ex-college student with no family and no job, which was quite ironic because he was acting that way.

“Why would you fuck all those girls when you have me at home, Oliver? Am I not attractive enough? Is if this?” I asked, putting my hands on my stomach. “I know you’re going to do it! I’m not stupid!” I shouted, my hormones switching from furious to distraught in .05 seconds.

He look at me, shocked, and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Anna, I—“

“Don’t ‘Anna’ me!” I shouted, bawling. “You’re going to do it and…and—“

“Annabelle!”

I sucked in my breath quickly, taken aback by his abrupt shout.
I looked at him, my eyes wide, my cheeks on fire, and my heart scratching at my insides.
This was going to be the end for us, and look at me! I look like I swallowed a watermelon.

Oli stood up from the bed and staggered over to me, folding his longer fingers around mine and smiling at me.

“I know this is your hormones taking advantage of your overactive imagination, but Jesus, Annabelle! I would never cheat on you—especially if we have a child on the way. I love you far too much for that,” he said, kneeling down. “And I love Baby too much for that, too,” he continued, kissing my bare stomach.

I sighed.
“I’m sorry, Oliver. I didn’t mean to accuse you. I was just—I don’t know,” I sighed, rubbing my hands through his hair and smiling. “I love you too. So, so much.”

He smiled up at me, “I know, Anna. This is going to work out; trust me.”

I nodded and smiled halfheartedly.
“I do,” I confirmed.

And I really, really did.

[--]

“I heard you freaked out on Oli the other day,” Erin muttered from next to me, bouncing Casey on her knee.

I sucked in a deep breath and dropped the paperwork I had in my hands, looking at her, ashamed.
“Yeah,” I muttered, “I did.”

She laughed. “It’s completely understandable, Anna! You’re not the only pregnant woman to throw a fit about their boyfriend leaving for tour, I’m sure. It’s a big deal, and for you to be without him during this—this ordeal—is going to be hard.”

“Yeah,” I muttered again, “But I do feel kind of bad that I acted that way towards him.”

“Don’t,” she laughed.
“It’s completely understandable, Anna.”

I nodded, but I still felt bad.

“Hey ladies,” Oli said from the door.

I looked up to see him standing there, smiling and holding two milkshakes, some Starbucks, and a bottle for the baby.

“Hey Baby,” I replied, a tingle erupting through my body at the sight of him.

He gave me a kiss, then handed Erin and I our milkshakes, Casey her bottle, and kept his Starbucks to himself. I was feeling very envious that he got to drink my worst enemy and I couldn’t for the next few months; I was definitely thinking of ways to sneak some as he stood on the other side of the counter, looking at CDs.

“Suicide Silence has a new CD, eh?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Erin nodded. “Yeah, they sure do. It’s amazing!”

“I think I’ll buy this,” Oli muttered, placing it on the counter and smiling at me.
“Cashier, ring me up, please,” he ordered nicely.

This had turned into his favorite game lately, the little shit.

“Sure,” I replied with a mock smile.

He’s lucky I’m carrying his child.

“Thank you, Love! I’ll pick you up later!” he shouted, walking out of the store, blowing me a kiss.

The fucker took the Starbucks.

[--]

I sighed and looked at Oli, who squeezed my hand.

It was two days later and we were sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting to find out what gender the baby was going to be. Oli was hoping for a girl and I was hoping for a boy.

Funny how that works, I guess.

“I’m so fucking nervous,” Oli muttered in my ear, watching as all of the nurses walked in and out of the door, doing whatever they needed to do.
We were just sitting there, waiting our turn, sweating waterfalls, until a nurse finally called out my name; “Mr. and Mrs. Sykes?”

I looked at Oli, slightly confused, but shrugged and stood, “That’s us!”

The nurse smiled and showed us to our room, took my weight—which I wasn’t too proud of—my blood pressure, checked my throat and ears, then told me to sit down and wait until Dr. Hershe was ready to see me.

Oli and I waited it perfect silence until Dr. Hershe walked into the room.
I would see Oli stir in his seat next to me as I stayed reclined on the table, waiting impatiently.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Sykes—how are you two today?” Dr. Hershe started a smile on his face.

Oli fumbled with my hand and I laughed.
“We’re quite alright, Doc. Everything’s been good with the baby,” I boasted.

“That’s good! How far along are you, Mrs. Sykes?”

“Well, I’m about four months now. I’m kind of late on my appointment,” I mumbled, looking down at my stomach.

Dr. Hershe laughed.
“It’s perfectly fine, Anna—I may call you Anna, right?” he asked skeptically.

“Of course,” I laughed.

“Okay, good,” he said happily, then sat down next to me and grabbed the probe, rubbed some really cool jell across my stomach, and stuck the probe to me.
He moved it around a bit, which felt extremely odd, but then he stopped.
“Would you know like to know what you’re going to have?” he asked, not taking his eyes from the screen.

I looked at Oli quickly and he nodded.
“Yes, sir. We would,” I confirmed, nodding to myself.

“See right here?” he asked, pointing to the screen.

“Yeah,” Oli said, awestruck.

“That’s your baby,” Dr. Hershe said, “And that’s the baby’s genital region.”
He pointed to a small line on the screen and, as far as I’m concerned, girls aren’t supposed to have lines.

“We’re having a boy?” I shouted, squealing like a little girl.

“Yes you are. Congratulation,” Dr. Hershe confirmed, “And he seems to be extremely healthy, so I’ll leave you two alone and go print out some of these images, okay?”

“Sounds good,” I said happily, Oli wrapping me in a hug.

As soon as the door closed behind Dr. Hershe Oli swept me into a long, passionate kiss.
“I love you, Annabelle,” he whispered against my lips.

I licked at them and smiled, “I love you too, Oliver.”