Love Was Easy When We Didn't Make It So Hard

"Riley, I think someone stuffed something up your shirt." David murmured to me as he leaned down to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I glared at him through the dark lenses of my sunglasses as he sat down beside me in the box seat. I didn't feel like hauling my ass up and down the stairs for the first game of the season, so Eric had made sure to get a box for my family along with Blake and Kara who were able to fly in to see the game with baby Maddi.

"You are a lousy fucker and I hate you right now." I hissed at him before glancing cautiously down to my five month bulge that dominated the lower half of my body. Jamie sat next to me, yapping on his blackberry as we all waited for a new Bears season to kick off. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the phone from Jamie, pressing end before handing it back to him. "Stop it."

"I liked you better when Decker didn't impregnate you."

"And I liked you better with your mouth shut." I snapped back at him.

Lately, I had been very irritable and very crabby when it came to people. I hated going out and would much rather sit in the apartment and flip through channels, even as Eric tried to lure me out of the apartment with promises of food and baby shopping. But I just didn't want to. I was lazy and feeling too fat and insecure to go anywhere. Of course Eric was amazing, telling me I was beautiful, but it was his fault I was in this condition, therefore he had to tell me that. After all, he was my husband.

I shifted around in my seat as Kara sat on the other side of me, bouncing Maddi lightly and looking down on the field. Blake watched over his two ladies like he couldn't bare to let them out of his sight.

"You look uncomfortable." Kara pointed out as I puffed my cheeks out, wrinkling my nose.

"I'm fat." I told her blankly, watching Eric trot onto the field. He looked so sexy dressed in all his gear, helmet off and skin tanned from running outside all summer and fall. He looked incredible while my body got closer to hell with each passing day.

"I feel you, babe." Kara nodded in understanding. I just looked at her over the top of my sunglasses.

"Shut up."

"Riley, stop being so cranky." My mom yelled down to me. I glanced over my right shoulder at her, rolling my eyes before shifting back around in my seat. I folded my arms over my large chest, frowning down at the tenderness I felt. I was sick of hurting and aching and not being able to move. It sucked that the worst of my problems was just beginning. Maddi started to gurgle next to me as Kara sat her up, letting her look out at Solider Field. I smiled at the baby Decker jersey she was wearing. The orange number seven stood out against the navy blue fabric, the material so small under the tips of my fingers as I brushed my hand over her small back.

"This is cute." I smiled at Kara who nodded, grabbing her Coach purse from beneath her chair. She handed Maddi to her father before digging around in her purse.

"I thought it was cute as well. That's why I thought I'd get baby boy his father's jersey." She grinned as she pulled out an identical jersey to Maddi's, Decker and the number seven adorning the back. I gave her a wide grin, taking the small shirt from Kara's hands and spreading it out across my baby bump.

"That is adorable!" My mom exclaimed, looking at us over the railing. I smiled up at her, nodding in agreement as I ran my fingers carefully over the fabric. This was going to look great on our son when he entered the world. He most likely wouldn't be able to wear it this season, but for sure next year. I sighed happily at the thought, relieved to know that I would always have someone to watch the games with.

The Bears ran onto the field to begin their game as the talking in the box subsided, everyone taking their seat. My mom and Eric's mom, Sue, sat next to each other and began to discuss the upcoming arrival of their grandson. This would be Sue's first and she was looking for suggestions as to how she could spoil the hell out of him. I just shook my head at them, knowing I wouldn't be able to stop it anyway. I sighed quietly and looked over at Jamie who was watching the game intently, elbows on his knees.

"What's new?" I asked him as the second quarter began. He looked over at me, giving me a small smile.

"You told me to keep my mouth shut, and now you want to know what I've been up to?" He asked me with an amused tone. I rolled my eyes and socked his shoulder.

"Just talk to me, I don't have the patience to watch this game." I huffed to him, running a hand through my hair and then resting both of my hands on my baby bump. My son was moving about below my hands and his jersey, making me smile as Jamie began to talk.

"Well, Megan is talking about moving in." He murmured, speaking of his girlfriend of six months. "But I don't know if I'm ready for that."

"Jamie, you love her." I stated, giving him a look.

"No I don't."

"You're in denial." I insisted.

"The point is, I'm not sure if I'm ready to be around her that much." He shrugged his shoulders, leaning back.

"She already stays at your place at least four nights a week. That is enough time to be considered living together. Plus, you work three nights a week on average. Just let her move in. You might find that you like the company more than you planned." I shrugged.

"I know, but-"

Jamie's response was cut off by a large intake of breath beside me, coming from Kara. I snapped my head to the field, eyes locking on the Bear's player that laid on the ground, looking up at the sky and not moving. I tried to see the number, panic beginning to pound through my body. I could feel my chest tightening uncomfortably as I pressed my palms against my unborn child for some sort of comfort.

"Is that..." I couldn't even choke his name out. Kara grabbed my hand, giving is a squeeze as I turned to look at the TV in the back of the suite. I could see Eric moving around on the ground, rotating back and forth as the trainer bent down by him, holding something under his nose. I squeaked at that, knowing the salts meant he had passed out. I pushed myself up from the seat and moved past Jamie, walking to stand in front of the TV, listening to the announcers talk. They began to replay the video of Eric getting hit, making me gasp and reach for Jake who was standing right next to me.

"He's fine. Don't worry. He wouldn't want you to worry." Jake murmured, kissing the side of my head and bringing me a chair to sit in. I waved him off, but he gently eased me down by my shoulders. "You need to relax." He began to massage my shoulders, rubbing the tense muscles, but it wasn't working. My eyes eagerly watched as they carted Eric off the field, a towel hung over his head as he was driven off on the yellow cart.

"I need to see him." I insisted, standing up and pushing Jake's hands off of me.

"No. He probably needs to go through tests. He'll come to you." Jake murmured, pushing me down again.

I began to cry, my chest heaving as the paranoia rose to an uncomfortable level. I just wanted to go be with Eric and have him wrap his arms around me. I wanted him to tell me he was alright and that the hit was much worse than it looked. I had been watching him take hits like that since he was in high school, but it never got easier. And now that I was pregnant with his child, I couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him- for him to leave me alone to raise our child. It was unlikely, but it wasn't completely impossible.

"Riley, he's okay." Jake murmured to me, grabbing another chair to sit down next to me. I clung to my brother as his hands ran over my back. My fingers gripped his shirt tightly like babies do to feel secure in the arms of whoever is holding them. "If it's bad someone will come and get you." He leaned down to place a kiss against the top of my head as my mom came and stood next to us.

"Jake is right, honey. He's fine. He was awake when they took him off the field and he could move his neck and all of his limbs."

"That doesn't mean something bad couldn't have happened since they took him away!" I screeched. My chest felt like a truck had backed over it and I was having a hard time seeing straight. I was having a panic attack and I knew I needed to stop it.

"Take deep breaths." Jake instructed, patting my back gently.

I nodded to him, picking a focal point on floor to stare at while I attempted to calm down. It took me five minutes before I was no longer feeling dizzy and my vision wasn't dancing before my eyes. By that time, everyone in the box was looking at me with concern. I slumped back into Jake and looked up at the TV hoping for some sort of update on his condition. A knock was heard on the door just as the second half started before Mitch, Eric's new agent, stepped into the room. He looked at me, giving me a small smile before he came to stand next to me.

"Eric wanted me to come up and tell you he is alright." Mitch murmured, patting my shoulder lightly. I looked into his soft hazel eyes, biting my lip and then looking at Jake.

"Is he coming back into the game?" I asked.

"He wants to." Mitch told me, sighing quietly.

"What do the trainers say?" I pressed.

"They are advising him not to go back out, but he is trying to fight it. The trainer I spoke to said that Eric probably has a concussion due to the fact that he blacked out, and they don't want to send him back out because of how serious the injury could get if he got hit again. But Eric is making it difficult."

"Oh really?" I questioned, feeling the anger bubble up into my chest. "Maybe he needs a reminder of his pregnant wife and unborn child." I snapped, pushing myself up into a standing position as the people in the box chuckled quietly.

"You go tell him Riley." Sue told me, nodding as I grabbed Mitch and started tugging him out the door.

"You know you are really not supposed to go down there and see him." Mitch told me was we waited in the elevator.

"If you saw a crazy pregnant woman marching down the hall, would you try to stop her?" I asked him, cocking an eyebrow. He let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head and running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

"Probably not."

"Exactly. Plus, Eric needs to listen to someone, and you can bet he'll listen to me." I huffed as the doors opened. I waited for Mitch to head the direction we needed to go since I hadn't been down to the locker room before. The family lounge was to the left while the locker room was to the right. Mitch showed his pass to the guard who looked me up and down, wondering who I was.

"Who is she?" The guard asked. I narrowed my eyes at him, my lip curling into a sneer as the big ogre just stood there.

"She's Decker's wife."

"Aren't they all."

"Move." I hissed at him. He did but only because Mitch advised him that he didn't want to face the repercussions of Eric finding out that he had stood in the way. We came to the locker room with a big Bear logo on it. I rolled my eyes as Mitch told me to wait here, slipping his pass over his head just in case anyone saw me standing in the hallway. I stood there for less than a minute, but as the seconds passed, I just got more aggravated. When Mitch's blonde head appeared again, he ushered me in.

"He's back there and to the left." He told me, an amused smile on his face. "He is so excited to see you." Mitch chuckled, implying that Eric was probably already cowering on the table in the trainer's room.

"I'm sure." I gave him a smile before heading in the direction I was told.

When I entered the trainer's room, Eric was laying on the table, his forearm covering his eyes while the trainer, Time, sat at his desk, writing on a clip board. Tim looked up at me, smiling and standing.

"Hi Riley. Wow, you're getting big." He gave me a small smile as I gave him a grin.

"Yep. Baby Decker gets bigger everyday and so do I." We both chuckled at that before our gaze shifted to Eric who still hadn't moved or acknowledged me. Mitch stood in the door jam, watching the scene with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. Needless to say, he found me very amusing unlike Eric's old agent who would probably be pushing me from the room by now.

"Well, baby Decker's dad is doing fine now. He passed out after the hit, but we got him up on the field. Sadly, no funny stories to tell." He paused as we all laughed except for Eric. "But we came in here and I checked his eyes. His pupils dilated fine with is a good sign, but he was having trouble concentrating when we did the finger test. I've already diagnosed him with a concussion, but we'll have him take his Impact test tomorrow to see how significant it is, and then work on a recovery plan. Eric told me he has had concussions before so I'm sure both of you know how this works. Even though Eric wants to go back out and play, it's not worth his future health."

"I agree. We have a baby on the way and he needs to be 100% to take care of him." I smiled before walking to the table and placing a hand on Eric's chest.

"Absolutely. Plus, the Bears don't need him that much and coach agrees that it would be best if Eric sat out until he is back to 100%."

"I feel fine." Eric groaned from under his arm. I glanced down at him, swatting his chest hard.

"Shut up. You can't stand the light with your eyes closed. You're not fine." I was spewing venom at him as I watched him move cringe at my slap.

"If I'm injured why are you hitting me."

"Because I'm your wife and I have a right to abuse you when you're being an idiot." I told him, leaning my hip into the table and bracing my other hand on my back to support my baby weight.

"Right." Eric mumbled, throwing his arm off of his eyes and squinting up at me. I could see how dull his eyes are, making me bite my lip in concern. He really didn't look very well. He was pale and he looked exhausted. He sat up slowly, holding his head with his hands as he looked up at Mitch. "You're supposed to protect me from spitfire's like her." Eric told him, narrowing his eyes in pain at the light.

"I can protect you from the fan girls, I can't protect you from your wife."

"Mitch, have I told you how much I love you yet today?" I asked him. We both smiled at each other and I felt a sense of relief. Mitch was like a breath of fresh air after Tom and I was so glad Eric, Jamie, and I picked him after the long interview process. He was the only one who didn't cower under my questions and glare. He is a keeper.

"Not today, but the day is young. Except for Eric, he needs to get home and rest." Mitch told him, pointing at his star receiver. Eric rolled his eyes and flopped back down on the table.

"Wake me when my concussion is over."
***

"Eric!" I screamed down the hallway to him when I heard the springs of the bed creaking from my spot shoving towels into the linen closet. "You better keep your butt cheeks on that bed!" I stuffed the last of the white, plush towels in the closet before shutting the door and hobbling down to the bedroom.

Eric was plopped up on the bed, arms crossed tightly over his chest- biceps bulging, frowning and staring at the TV where his team was in Denver playing without him on Monday Night Football. It had been a week to the day since Eric was officially diagnosed with a concussion, and he had been as crabby as ever. Of course when his cranky attitude collided with my pregnancy hormones there was a lot of yelling and crying (only on my part). It was getting to the point where the tension was making me have a constant headache. He just wouldn't listen to me when I told him to rest, stay in bed, and drink a lot of water. It was like he thought he knew better than his trainers and his doctors.

"They are playing like shit." Eric puffed out, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he watched Cutler get intercepted. The Broncos player charged down the field for a touchdown, pushing Denver's lead to 17.

"It is fine. You can't do anything about it so let it go." I insisted, holding the basket of towels I just grabbed from the bathroom against my hip.

"Put that down." Eric instructed me, a hard edge to his look. This whole week I had been doing things Eric usually did for me, causing the two of us to banter back and forth about doing too much than what we were capable of. "Now." He insisted, "or I'm getting off the bed and taking it from you. That is too heavy for you, and you know it."

"How am I supposed to get the towels from here to the laundry room then?" I asked him, hands on my hip and my baby bump jutting out.

"I'll bring them there for you. My weight restriction is much higher." He winked, standing up slowly and walking across the room. He leaned down, kissing the baby bump, before carrying the basket down the hall to the laundry room. I smiled at him when he walked back in, looking tired just by doing something so simple. "You know, I might be more inclined to stay in bed if I had an incentive." He murmured, wrapping his arms around my hips and very slowly walking me back to the bed.

"Are you seriously trying to sex me up right now?" I asked him, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Gabby get off the bed." Eric told her, grabbing her pink collar and giving it a soft tug so she knew to get down. She did begrudgingly, ducking out of the room as well, and Eric made sure to close the door behind her. "To answer your question, I would try to, but I know you will tell me no, so I try not to get my hopes up."

"I don't want to have sex when I'm this fat. I don't care how crazy my hormones are, I just can't do it." I insisted. It was true, Eric and I had been having this argument for weeks. Sex just wasn't going to happen for us while I was pregnant. He insisted it wasn't fair and that there was no reason not to, and I made sure to smack him hard upside the head and tell him to start being more sensitive to how his pregnant wife felt. Sometimes it seemed as if he just didn't sympathize with me, and that he didn't really understand what I was going through. It was frustrating.

"And I've already told you how beautiful you are, and how seeing you pregnant is incredibly sexy." He murmured, calloused fingers trailing over the baby where he had pushed my shirt up. Our son pressed up against Eric's open palm, making the already proud papa beam down at my stomach. He pounced on it, all thoughts of sex completely forgotten as he snuggled his nose into my belly button. "Hello buddy. How are you? Sorry I haven't been around much; mommy keeps making me sleep." He chuckled against my skin while I rolled my eyes, shifting to get comfortable on the bed.

I grabbed the remote from the bedside table, switching the channel off the terrible display of football going on, and to the food network where I could drool over the tummy desserts being made. Eric continued to talk to the baby while I watched a few episodes of Ace of Cakes. By the time I was bored with the TV, Eric was asleep on top of my chest, his face turn downward to look over the baby- hands still poised on the soft skin of my tummy. I frowned at the red stretch marks scarring my skin, hating that being pregnant meant so many changes.

I gently combed my fingers through Eric's hair as he slept, looking down at his precious face. The only time he had looked relaxed in the past week was when he was asleep. He was frustrated with his lack of progress and all he really wanted was to get back on the field. He also wanted to stop feeling foggy, dizzy, and like his head was going to blow off. But these things took time, something that irritated Eric who was so impatient.

I smiled at the feel of the baby moving about under Eric's hands, knowing that the feeling would most likely wake Eric. It did just that as he perked up slowly, pressing his palms deeper into my skin before lifting his head up to look at me. I smiled softly and opened my arms for him to snuggle up against me. He shook his head though and tugged me into him instead. We curled up into each other, the baby safely cradled between us.

"I love you." Eric murmured softly, brushing my hair back from my face as his brown orbs looked into my green ones.

"I love you too." I whispered, stretching to kiss his nose softly.

Eric snuggled into his pillow, stroking our child as he fell back into a deep sleep. I followed soon after thinking that Eric could take a few more days to recover if it meant I got to snuggle him all day everyday. What a life.