Status: one shot || complete
Pressing Flowers.
Like Roses,
"Hayley, are they ready today?" With the spring sun beating down on his tanned back, Oliver examined the flowers. They were more red than green now, their petals more open to the world. He heard Hayley's exasperated sigh from inside the small cottage they called their own.
Her round belly led her out of the door, one hand gently massaging the top of it. Oliver smiled as he saw her; he couldn't help himself. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop it though, she was moody today. "Here," he said, pointing at the bush. Hayley waddled over, eyeing the flowers expertly.
"You're right." She said, her voice short. "Can you please get the secateurs?" Oliver nodded, heading into the shed located down the side of the house. When he returned a few minutes later, with a few cobwebs on his hands, he found Hayley squatting somewhat uncomfortably with a permanent marker in her hand. He simply shook his head at her and her never ending pockets of mystery. He passed her the secateurs and she set to work, cutting off a few select flowers at her markings.
"Help me up," she requested, holding out a hand and looking across the garden at another plant. He assisted her in walking to the other side of the garden and cutting off a few of the branches. Giving the secateurs back to Oliver, she walked back inside, leaving him to finish weeding the garden.
Laying the flowers on the table, Hayley walked over to the bookshelf and slipped out an old, leather bound book. Smiling softly, her annoyance fading, she traced the cover, the title Great Expectations winking back at her in gold lettering. Opening the book at random, she laid it on the table, gently placing the flowers on the page. Closing the book and checking to make sure none of the petals were folded, she found the phone book and dropped it on top, before wiping her forehead and settling into a chair.
Hayley heard Oli's footsteps on the floorboards and smiled up at him. "Feeling better?" He asked, kissing her gently.
"Much," Hayley replied, standing to get a drink. She paused in her movements as she did so, feeling her heart flutter. Running down the inside of her leg was a wet substance. "Oli," she murmured, reaching back to grab his hand and squeezing his fingers tightly when he obliged.
"Yeah, Hayley?"
"Please take me to the hospital." She whispered.
The sun streamed in through the open window, the thin layer of dust shifting ever so slightly. The door creaked open, and a high voice muttering nonsense followed. "Oli! I'm home!" Hayley called, trying to keep her voice down, significantly thinner than she was a few days ago. Oli came thundering down the stairs, earning himself a sharp glance from Hayley.
"Scott's still sleeping." She scolded, playing with the baby's curls, so similar to his father's.
"Sorry, love. But I couldn't wait to see him."
"You saw him yesterday." She reminded him gently.
"So? I can still miss him." Oli placed a whiskery kiss on Scott's face, before turning and capturing Hayley's. "Your flowers are ready." He told her, leading her into the dining room where the flowers were. Hayley transferred Scott to his arms before removing the phone book and flipping open Great Expectations. The flat flowers made a grin spread across Hayley's face, and she turned to the frame Oli had bought the other day.
"Thanks," she murmured. Oliver didn't hear her however, he was too busy admiring the bundle in his arms.
Her round belly led her out of the door, one hand gently massaging the top of it. Oliver smiled as he saw her; he couldn't help himself. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop it though, she was moody today. "Here," he said, pointing at the bush. Hayley waddled over, eyeing the flowers expertly.
"You're right." She said, her voice short. "Can you please get the secateurs?" Oliver nodded, heading into the shed located down the side of the house. When he returned a few minutes later, with a few cobwebs on his hands, he found Hayley squatting somewhat uncomfortably with a permanent marker in her hand. He simply shook his head at her and her never ending pockets of mystery. He passed her the secateurs and she set to work, cutting off a few select flowers at her markings.
"Help me up," she requested, holding out a hand and looking across the garden at another plant. He assisted her in walking to the other side of the garden and cutting off a few of the branches. Giving the secateurs back to Oliver, she walked back inside, leaving him to finish weeding the garden.
Laying the flowers on the table, Hayley walked over to the bookshelf and slipped out an old, leather bound book. Smiling softly, her annoyance fading, she traced the cover, the title Great Expectations winking back at her in gold lettering. Opening the book at random, she laid it on the table, gently placing the flowers on the page. Closing the book and checking to make sure none of the petals were folded, she found the phone book and dropped it on top, before wiping her forehead and settling into a chair.
Hayley heard Oli's footsteps on the floorboards and smiled up at him. "Feeling better?" He asked, kissing her gently.
"Much," Hayley replied, standing to get a drink. She paused in her movements as she did so, feeling her heart flutter. Running down the inside of her leg was a wet substance. "Oli," she murmured, reaching back to grab his hand and squeezing his fingers tightly when he obliged.
"Yeah, Hayley?"
"Please take me to the hospital." She whispered.
The sun streamed in through the open window, the thin layer of dust shifting ever so slightly. The door creaked open, and a high voice muttering nonsense followed. "Oli! I'm home!" Hayley called, trying to keep her voice down, significantly thinner than she was a few days ago. Oli came thundering down the stairs, earning himself a sharp glance from Hayley.
"Scott's still sleeping." She scolded, playing with the baby's curls, so similar to his father's.
"Sorry, love. But I couldn't wait to see him."
"You saw him yesterday." She reminded him gently.
"So? I can still miss him." Oli placed a whiskery kiss on Scott's face, before turning and capturing Hayley's. "Your flowers are ready." He told her, leading her into the dining room where the flowers were. Hayley transferred Scott to his arms before removing the phone book and flipping open Great Expectations. The flat flowers made a grin spread across Hayley's face, and she turned to the frame Oli had bought the other day.
"Thanks," she murmured. Oliver didn't hear her however, he was too busy admiring the bundle in his arms.