Faithfully

“Thank you so much, Mr. Freeman, have a good day,” I handed him a few euros that James handed me before I got out of the car and turned to leave the quaint store that felt like home.

“Tell James and Annette I said hello, would you dear?” Freeman waved kindly as I got to the door.

“Yes sir,” I waved back and ran to the car before it was beginning to rain pretty hard.

“What did you get?” James eyed the plastic bag suspiciously.

“I think I should wait to show you when we get home, it’s a surprise,” I tried to reason with him but James can be pretty impatient at times and right then, he was extremely impatient. He snagged the bag out of my hands after a long look, weighing his options on whether he should or not. When he opened it, his face drained of color and then turned bright red. I started to slightly panic when he turned to look at me.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked quietly, his voice soft and worried.

“I think so but that’s what I’m going to find out with these,” I answered with a soft smile and took the bag back gently.

“How do you know?” he asked, I noticed he was getting some natural color back to his cheeks but he still looked scared to move.

“I haven’t had a period since arriving for our wedding, I crave foods that I don’t usually like, I’ve had morning sickness for the past week and I just have a feeling that I am,” I shrugged at the end and looked up to meet his eyes. “Do you not want a baby?”

“No I do!” he burst out, laughing hysterically as he reached for my face with both hands. “It hasn’t sunk in yet.”

“Let’s just get home and see if you’re going to be a daddy,” I told him softly with a peck to his lips. Half way up the hill he started speeding, when I gave him a questioning look he muttered under his breath that it had sunk in.

Within a whirl wind of ten minutes I had James, Annette, a soaking wet Betty and just as soaked Colin all crammed into our bathroom and we were all staring at the four sticks that had been lined up on the counter. It was the funniest experience, Betty handed me the sticks one by one to pee on while Annette took them (with a gloved hand) to the sink, we had an assembly line. James was standing by the sink, Annette beside him; Betty and I were sitting on the edge of the tub while Colin stood by the door. “Has it been five minutes?” James asked his mother impatiently, he reminded me of a little boy how he asked his mommy the same question every ten seconds like clockwork all the while knowing good and well it hadn’t been anywhere near five minutes.

“Not quite yet dear, be patient. This is an extraordinary moment,” Annette scolded him with her hands pressed together like she was praying, looking away only for a minute to give him a disgruntled look and then she turned back to the tests.

“I know that mother,” he rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms; he walked over to me and sat down on the other side. “If you are- if it’s a boy, could we name him after my father, Jonathan Alexander?”

“Of course,” I nodded and gave him a kiss on the lips.

“That’s touching, James,” Annette held a hand over her heart and gave her son a look of pride, she glanced down twice and I swear, the former queen Annette squealed. “Lines, there’s lines!”

“Good lines, bad lines?” Betty bounced up quickly.

“Depends on who interprets them,” Colin commented as we all squeezed in closer to get a look at the lines she was talking about.

“Good lines,” Annette smacked Colin across the chest with the back of her hand. “Grace, sweetheart, you’re pregnant.”

“I’m pregnant?” I smiled looking between Annette, James and Betty. “I’m having a baby?”

“Congrats mommy,” Betty swung her arms around my neck and squeezed the life out of me.

XxXxXxXxX

It’s been a wonderful four months since I found out I was pregnant, I’m five months and two weeks along and I’m as round as a basketball. I love it though, most women say they had pains and sickness and genuinely just didn’t feel well during their first couple months but so far, I only had morning sickness for a week and all I do is crave fried pickles.

Tonight I have to meet Prime Ministers, Queens and Presidents from other countries at a party Annette is throwing in celebration of an heir being conceived, which is weird when you really think about it, but she’s been weird since we found out I’m carrying a boy.

“Put it on, Grace,” Betty’s dark eyes were threatening as she held up the gold laced and white satin ball gown that Annette was making me wear. I didn’t want to wear it because the material made me itch but Annette ordered Betty to make me wear it, or else. I don’t know what or else means in her case but it kind of scared me.

“No,” I backed away, worried that I wouldn’t put it past Betty to jump me and dress me against my will.

“Grace, it’s only for a few hours,” Betty tried to sweet talk me with a calm tone.

“No, it’s a horrible dress that makes me itch and I’m not wearing it-“I screamed soon after when she ran at me.

I soon came down the staircase with Betty holding the extra length that dragged the floor. I was not happy because I was already itching like crazy. “Smile, you’re the damn Queen,” Betty scolded me with a smile on her own face.

“If you had this dress on Elizabeth, you wouldn’t want to smile either,” I snapped reaching the last step, I looked around for James and sighed, knowing it would be difficult to find my social butterfly of a husband; I’d just have to let him find me. "So shut up and go away."