Take Me Home

By the time Zayn returned to the UK, I had gotten over his accusations about John and I. At least that was what I made him believe. The days that passed ever since the call, he began to “kiss major ass” as John would say. John also made the decision to try and limit our contact for the sake of Zayn’s sanity. Zayn wasn’t too happy about John knowing that I was pregnant before he did, and he wasn’t too thrilled that he also knew the sex of the baby first. An idea I should have thought of first. However, it was rather difficult when I was occasionally bored at home in bed (doctor’s orders), having nothing else to do but give him a ring and have a proper chat.

Although I was supposed to be obeying what Mr Stubbs recommended, I continued to pack for the weekend away with Zayn. Me being me, I left the packing for the last minute and was forced to figure out what to wear and what to bring the night before we were scheduled to leave.

I laughed to myself as I thought back on how he tried to defuse the phone call situation by bribing me with a weekend trip. Walking in cautiously with his hands behind his back.

“How are you feeling?” Zayn code for “are you still mad at me?”

“Alright.” I vaguely answered as I studied my nails. I had stopped the silent treatment and moved on to the single worded responses. That drove him mad every time.

He let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, what do you think about a much needed holiday away from everyone? You know, just the two of us.”

I looked away from my nails and stared at him. He definitely caught my attention the moment he used the world “holiday” but I wasn’t ready to cave in just yet.

"I talked to Mr Stubbs and he said it was safe. Just make sure that you drink plenty of water and walk up and down the aisles during the flight.” He looked rather proud that he retrieved the information on his own.

"Where is this holiday going to take place?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." He smiled as he waved the tickets, finally getting an actual reply from me. He stopped, knowing he didn't want to push it when he noticed that I wasn't smiling back.

"I don't know if I want to go anywhere." I stated. Some truth to it, but mostly I didn’t want him to think he wasn’t on thin ice.

"Come on, you'll love it. And the hotel suite is big enough so that you won't have to see my face most of the time."

"Really? I'll think about it then."

He gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me I wouldn't regret it. “The country is definitely a warm one, so dress accordingly.” He turned to leave and stopped. “Or not, whatever you want.”

As I pulled out the tags from the pregnancy swimsuit, I shook my head at how odd my tan would look. I refused to be one of those pregnant women who insisted on wearing two-piece swimsuits with their massive bellies protruding. To me, bare pregnant stomachs were odd looking and cuter when it was covered. I did miss wearing two-pieces and I wouldn’t say that I had a stomach flatter than a wall prior to the pregnancy, but I was comfortable with my soft one.

I pushed down the neat stack of clothes to make room for anything else I'd end up forgetting and rested awkwardly on top of the open luggage. I felt the soles of my feet tingle the moment I lifted them off the floor and onto the bed.

I could hear Kayla finally coming home, humming a tune from Aladdin if I wasn’t mistaken. I picked up my head as she approached my slightly closed door and poked her head inside. I stuck my tongue out at her and smiled, sitting up so that she could tell me how everything went with Patrick.

She had met an extremely intelligent lad the same time I found out I was pregnant. She went on countless dates with him after that. Apparently he was looking for the same things that Kayla did and was incredibly charming.

“I couldn’t believe that he was single when I met him. He’s too perfect!” She beamed whilst absentmindedly pulling on a string that had gone free from the hem of her jumper.

“I bet that’s what he thought about you.” I poked her until she couldn’t help herself from blushing.

“But I won’t have a beautiful tan like you’ll have when you get back.”

“Oh yeah,” I reached for the swimsuit that I had just packed, and showed her the back strings which made an X shape. “A beautiful tan.”

“You’re glowing already, leave tans for the rest of us!”

I chuckled as I rubbed my stomach. “It’s more of a pale glow. I need a tan!”

"Yeah, yeah. What are you going to wear when you leave tomorrow?"

"Shit, I think I packed it." I groaned, not wanting to forage through the clothes inside the overstuffed luggage.

"Of course you did."

I got up and searched around my room for a back-up shirt and shorts. "Do you think it's appropriate for a pregnant woman to wear shorts?"

She looked at me as if I had said something ridiculous. “You don't want to end up with a heat stroke while you're over there."

"Right," I nodded as I searched through my drawer of shorts. "Now I need more details about the date. Where did he take you?"

"So he made reservations to this fancy restaurant I can't remember the name. Dee, you’d love it, they have your favourite meal that you always order at the Ivy."

I crinkled my nose, remembering just how nauseous I felt the second the scent of my food reached my nostrils. I couldn’t believe my favourite meal had so rapidly changed to being my enemy.

“He was so charming, funny, and could hold a conversation.”

I picked up a shirt and sniffed the armpit. "Smell this." I threw my shirt at Kayla, knowing she wouldn't.

"I'm not gonna smell your shirt." She threw it back in disgust.

"Do you want a stye on your eye? I bet Patrick wouldn’t fancy you then." I teased.

* * *

Zayn arrived at my flat early in the morning -- way too early if you asked me -- and softly knocked on my bedroom door.

“It’s open.” I stated, with my back toward him, as I made sure I had everything I needed with a mental checklist. When I turned to face him he looked apologetic.

“I wish I didn’t have to tell you this but the lads and I have to go to America for a couple of days... We’re leaving today.”

“Are you--” I could feel my blood boiling and I sucked in as much air that I possibly could. He was going to get an earful. I was ready to call him countless names, positioning myself in order to haul the luggage at his face.

“I’m just kidding, Dee.” He laughed as if what he said was actually funny.

I was certainly not amused and brushed past him. He was lucky that the tickets were already purchased or else I would have stayed. I went round the corner, smiled at Zayn’s driver and slid into the car. It was as if the baby could sense my emotions and made various movements to distract me. A grin began to stretch across my face as I happily stroked my belly.

I hugged her and whispered, “Your father is a muppet.”

I waited in the warm car until Zayn appeared with my luggage and what seemed to be the book I was reading.

When he sat down, he handed me the book. “You forgot this.”

“Thanks.” I replied as I checked to make sure my little bookmark was where I left it.

He hesitated but gave in and placed a kiss on my lips, causing me to melt on the seat. “I’m sorry about the joke. I realise now that it wasn’t funny at all.”

“It’s alright. Just don’t ever do that again.” I smiled and returned the kiss before the driver took us to the airport.

The airport process wasn’t as hectic and soon enough we were boarded in the aeroplane, ready to take off in a few minutes. I placed a hand on my stomach, suddenly feeling unsure of how safe traveling whilst pregnant really was.

I guess Zayn could sense my nervousness when he looked at me. “It’ll be fine, Dee, just remember to stay hydrated and to keep blood circulating through your legs.”

I nodded and he grabbed my hand, settling it on the armrest that separated us. The flight attendants filled the aisles and demonstrated what to do in case of an emergency as the pilot narrated it on the overhead speaker. I wondered how incredibly boring it was for them to constantly have to do the same routine every flight, all the while keeping false smiles throughout the entire travel.

I looked up at Zayn excitedly when the pilot mentioned the country we were heading to. “Costa Rica? You were actually listening to me when I said I wanted to go there?”

He let out the cutest laugh with his famous tongue smile. “I booked the flight and hotel that same day.”

“You pretended that you weren’t paying attention just so that I wouldn’t have guessed.” I whacked his arm as I finally solved the mystery. I thanked him and rested my head on his shoulder in content. Everything that I had been previously upset about flew out the window. Suddenly my eyes opened wide.

“How long is this flight actually going to be?” I remained on his shoulder, afraid of the answer.

“Eleven hours?”

“Zayn!”

He looked around, my voice sounding louder than usual in the quiet area. “I thought you knew. You were talking about it so bloody often that I assumed you knew the travel time.”

I caught him roll his eyes and I squinted up at him. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I didn’t know.”

“Well just so you know, there aren’t any nonstop flights so we’re getting off at Miami to then go to Costa Rica.”

“Eleven hours?” I whispered, still in shock. Maybe I heard him wrong. I was rubbish at geography, so I was clueless at the distance between the UK and Costa Rica. I didn’t even know where exactly it was located on the map.

Zayn got up from his seat, leaving me alone to ponder with this new information. How many times would I have to get up from my seat to walk around for bloody circulation? How many cups of water would I end up having to wee out? I made a note to self for future reference to always check the flight information the next time I wanted to go places.

“Have you recovered?” He asked rhetorically, sitting back on his seat. “It won’t be too bad.”

I scoffed in response. He wasn’t the pregnant one.

Annoyingly, I had to get up to wee what felt like every hour or so, possibly irritating the passengers. They were all probably sick of my face after the third loo break. At least I was getting my blood circulating as well. As I slid past Zayns long legs and sat on my seat, I noticed another cup of water waiting for me on the little table.

“Are you trying to make me wee every second?” I joked, taking a sip.

“Hmm,” He responded with his eyes shut. Somehow it caused his eyelashes to look even longer as they rested on his cheeks, especially when it was viewed from my angle. “I just don’t want you to get dehydrated, babe.”

I rolled my eyes and went back to reading Flowers in the Attic.

“I don’t know how you can read that bloody book.”

I shushed him. “Don’t judge it until you read it.”

“A book about incest, no way.”

“You just don’t understand.” I said defensively towards one of my favourite books.

He shook his head before quickly falling into a deep sleep. That was one thing I resented, his ability to fall asleep in seconds whilst I was stuck wide eyed for an extra thirty minutes. I also woke up from the littlest of sounds. Zayn, however..

When we transferred to the other flight in Miami, it was my turn to sleep. I pushed my seat back to get more comfortable and let out a small groan.

“What’s wrong?”

“She keeps moving in there, I can’t sleep.” I complained, referring to our baby.

“Maybe she’s telling you that you need to stay active. When was the last time you got up for circulation?”

I squinted my eyes at him. “My feet hurt.”

He bent down to the level of my belly, pointed at it and mumbled. “Now listen here, let your mummy sleep or else it’ll be daddy’s head, okay?” She began to calm down as he rubbed circles all over my stomach, quietly singing a tune I’d be hearing loads of times later in the day.

“Keep doing that.” I whispered as I closed my eyes. He obliged and just what I hoped for, sleep came for me.

* * *

When we arrived, we were greeted by a massive sign that read “Welcome to Costa Rica!”

Zayn begged me to take a picture with it and, after a few rejections, I gave in and posed in front of the sign with a big smile. I knew he would post it somewhere for public view, so I thanked myself for putting on a sunhat and glasses.

“I can’t believe I’m here.” I stated when we finally exited the airport.

“I’m happy you’re here with me. I was afraid that if you said no, I would have to take one of the lads.”

“I’m happy I accepted.” I gave him a kiss and boarded the bus that would take us to our hotel.

As if the flight to Costa Rica wasn’t long enough, the bus ride to the hotel felt like an eternity. We were seated near a massive family who played music of their own and it was hard to refrain from laughing along with their jokes. Their happiness was contagious and I could only wish to have such a bright loving family like theirs.

Arriving to Riu Palace, I ran towards the nearest toilet. Zayn went to the front desk to receive our card keys for the doors and towels. A hotel worker smiled at me as I dried my hands, welcoming me to Riu when I smiled back.

I found Zayn standing with our luggage and raised the card keys when he noticed me. “Pura vida!” He exclaimed with a massive grin.

“What?” I chuckled as I pulled up the luggage bars, ready to go into our room for the weekend.

“Pura vida means pure life. That’s what they say here.”

I nodded and felt so joyous that we were experiencing something so new for the both of us, and spending time together.

“Pura vida!” We called out in unison as Zayn led the way to the elevators.

We made our way to our suite and my eyes lit up as I scoped the room.

“This place is beautiful.” I went over to the table that had towels in the shape of two swans kissing with rose petals around them and champagne.

Zayn walked around the suite, soaking in the room. “It’s better than the pictures.”

I set my eyes on the king size bed. “I could use a bed like that.”

“You would if you lived with me.”

I playfully rolled my eyes and felt the fabric of the neatly made sheets.

Nothing in that room was better than the view we had of the hotel. The bright sun illuminating the pool. The calm wind lightly blowing against the various green coloured trees. The smiles plastered on every visitor’s face mirroring my own. I couldn’t help but think about the song from the famous movie, Annie, called I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here.

As I inhaled the fresh Costa Rican air, I couldn’t help but think that I really was gonna like it here.