Make It Back to Me

Evelyn knew that as perfect as everything had seemed in that moment as she and Ben held each other tightly in the guest room of Phoebe and Niklas’s apartment, that reality would soon come crashing down around them, and they’d have a lot to work through as a couple. A long talk (of their feelings, of their wishes, of their needs) would be imminent. It simply had to happen before they could move forward and forget the summer that they had spent apart.

But, in that moment, all she had cared about was Ben and how his hands gripped tightly at her sides, pulling her body flush against his. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she had stared up at him, tears in her eyes from the intense feeling of happiness that seemed to be tingling throughout her entire body. He had smiled down at her before pressing his forehead against hers, a small laugh escaping through his lips.

Evelyn had smiled, but stared up at Ben curiously. Ben shook his head, telling her it was nothing, but when she pinched at his side, making him squirm, he relented. Sighing, he had said, “I was going to ask you to come home with me, but it felt a little too… random hookup at a bar.” Evelyn had shaken her head and laughed, her hand sliding into Ben’s, staring up at him with a small smile.

“Take me home, Ben.”

The twenty four hours after their reunion had gone by in a flash. All of Evelyn’s things, some of which had been at Phoebe’s, some at Adam’s, and some still in her car had all been moved back into the apartment she had lived in with Ben before she left. She was physically and emotionally exhausted at the end of the day. Physically, from the grueling moving process that Evelyn decided she never wanted to repeat ever again, and emotionally from the overwhelming feelings that overtook her as she realized she was back in Chicago, back with her husband, and back where she belonged.

Sitting down for the first time all day, she let out a loud sigh as her body fell against the back of the couch. She pulled her feet up, setting them on the coffee table in front of her before shooting a tired smile at Ben. He grinned, immediately moving closer to her and placing one of his hands on her stomach. Evelyn laughed, “Your hands are going to be attached to my stomach for the next five months aren’t they?”

Ben frowned, “I can’t believe I missed the first three.”

Evelyn sighed, putting her hand on top of Ben’s, “You didn’t miss much, I promise. I’ve just started really showing a few weeks ago. The first month, I didn’t even know, and the second and third? Nothing but morning sickness that actually lasts all day and all night…” Ben laughed, his lips pressing against the side of her head. “Ben,” She sighed. “Should we talk now?”

He pulled away, nodding a bit, “I suppose we should, right?”

Evelyn laughed, nodding her head as she pulled herself up into a more straight-up sitting position. She turned to Ben, a small frown on her face, “This whole thing was my fault.” Ben shook his head and squeezed her hand in his, but Evelyn stopped him before he could talk. “I was selfish. I was only thinking about myself. It took a while for me to realize that, too, but it’s because I’m going to be a mother. I’m never allowed to think of just myself ever again.”

“I love you,” Ben smiled, again putting his hand on Evelyn’s stomach. “And I love this little guy.”

“What makes you so sure it’s going to be a boy, huh?”

Ben waved a hand in front of Evelyn’s face, “He has to be a boy, Lyn. He’s got to follow in his dad’s footsteps and be a hockey player.”

Evelyn laughed, putting her hands on the side of Ben’s face and bringing his lips down to hers. When she pulled away, she stared at him, her face void of any emotion, “It’s going to take us a while to get back to where we were, isn’t it?” Ben sighed, rubbing his palm against his temple, “Yeah, but Lyn, it’ll just happen, alright?” She smiled, nodding a bit before pressing her lips against his again.

- - -

With August almost nearing a close, Ben was getting ready for the Blackhawks’ training camp. He had been going to the gym every day while Evelyn stayed home and drove herself crazy. She had a serious case of cabin fever as day after day went by and she had nothing to do. The house was nearly spotless, the laundry was all done, and the bills had been paid.

She had nothing left to do but sit on the couch, eat snacks, and watch soap operas as she waited for Ben to come home. It was crazy to her, how easily she and Ben had fallen back into their old routine over the last couple of weeks, minus her having a job. Things were not entirely the same as they were before she left; there was tension in the air. It may have been only slight, but it was still there.

Her cell ringing pulled her from her thoughts. Smiling down at Ben’s name flashing on the screen, she picked up and told him she’d be right down. Grabbing her purse and sliding into her sandals, she locked the door behind her and made her way out to the front of their building. She spotted Ben’s mammoth SUV parked along the curb a few feet from the door, and she smiled as she made her way to it and climbed in.

“Hey beautiful,” Ben grinned, leaning over to press a kiss to her lips. Evelyn grinned and shoved him away from her with a laugh, shaking her head at him. He’d been saying things like that to her since she had moved back in, and while she loved it, she also knew it wasn’t him. Ben brushed her off, “I’m just happy to have you back. You ready for the doctor?”

Evelyn nodded her head excitedly, ready for her first doctor’s appointment in Chicago. She had had a doctor she loved in New York during her first trimester, but now that she was back in Chicago and almost done with the first month of her second trimester, she was nervous to have to move to a brand new doctor. Ben, of course, was nothing but excited to see his baby for the first time. Evelyn had seen the baby before during her ultrasounds in New York, and she had almost lost it in the office, not being able to grasp the fact that the tiny baby on the monitor was hers.

After they had made it to the office and checked in, the young couple sat down in the waiting room, Evelyn pulling out her cell phone to text Phoebe to tell her where she was. Evelyn knew that nearing the end of her forth month of pregnancy, if the baby was in the right position, finding out the sex was a possibility. Of course, she didn’t tell Ben this. She knew he’d pee himself in excitement at the possibility.

After Evelyn’s name was called by the nurse, she gripped Ben’s hand and pulled him into the office behind her. She decided she loved Doctor Collins as soon as she met him. He was a funny, joking man of about fifty years old, and he made Evelyn feel nothing but completely comfortable through out the entire appointment as he checked not only her health but the health of her baby. She had to wince when she was weighed, not wanting to look at the scale. Ben laughed from behind her and told her she was becoming even more beautiful as her stomach expanded.

“Looks like we have a real charmer on our hands, Mrs. Eager,” Doctor Collins laughed, motioning to the huge hockey player that sat in the corner of the exam room. “I have to say that when I saw the name ‘Eager’ I didn’t actually think I’d have a Blackhawk in my office.”

“Oh great,” Evelyn mumbled, rolling her eyes and laughing lightly as her gynecologist and her husband dove into conversation about hockey and about how the team would do in the upcoming season. Doctor Collins turned back to Evelyn, asking her to pull her shirt up so he could put the ultrasound jelly on it. She giggled as the coldness spread across her belly and Ben stared down at her bare stomach, wide eyed. He could barely take his eyes off of her stomach whenever he was around her, almost as if he could actually see it grow.

“Would you two like to know the baby’s sex?”

Evelyn bit her lip and glance at Ben, wanting to read his expression, but he gave her nothing. He looked deep in thought, as Doctor Collins moved the scanner across Evelyn’s belly. He widened his eyes as the images came onto the screen and he heard Evelyn gasp her breath in.

“Is that..?” Ben started, staring at Doctor Collins, who laughed and smiled.

“Haven’t you seen the baby before?” He asked.

Ben shook his head, frowning lightly, “No, Evelyn’s been in New York, and I… have not.”

Doctor Collins nodded, not adding anything else as a loud beat filled the room. Evelyn put a hand over her mouth, instantly knowing what the sound was, something that had been too faint to hear in previous ultrasound sessions. She couldn’t stop the tears that spilled from her eyes, as she stared at Ben and then at the monitor again, seeing the tiny baby inside of her move around.

“That,” Doctor Collins started. “Is the sound of a perfectly healthy and steady heartbeat.”

Ben squeezed Evelyn’s hand tighter as he stared at the monitor in amazement. He finally pulled his eyes away to look at Evelyn and press a kiss to her forehead. She smiled in response, looking up at her doctor, “Is the baby in a good position to learn the sex?” Doctor Collins nodded, a smile on his face, and Evelyn knew he already knew the sex. “Ben?”

“I want to know,” He said. “So we can stop at Babies R Us on the way home.”

Evelyn laughed, putting a hand on her forehead as Doctor Collins laughed and positioned the scanner low on Evelyn’s belly, the monitor showing an outline of the entire baby. He smiled and turned to the couple, “You’ll be having a boy.” Evelyn laughed as Ben let out a quiet “Yes!” before raising his fist into the air.

“Please tell me you did not just fist pump,” Evelyn told him, shaking her head as she kept her eyes on the monitor and the baby boy she couldn’t wait to meet. After the couple had stared at the monitor a little while longer, Doctor Collins wiped Evelyn’s belly clean before leading them out to the counter to get them checked out.

“Okay,” Ben said, helping Evelyn into the car. “Let’s go shopping!”