When You Close Your Eyes

“How long does it say we need to wait?”

Isabelle, who was quietly settled at the foot of their bed, startled a little at the sound of Lionel’s voice before she lifted her head, her blue eyes watching as he quietly paced the room ahead of her.

The atmosphere in the room felt tense, after she had admitted that there was a possibility that she was pregnant for the second time, Lionel had barely uttered a sound, but Isabelle didn’t want to push him, even if she was slightly worried about his reaction to a positive test. She knew better than to push him into talking.

“The box said to wait four minutes” Isabelle replied gently.

Lionel offered her a stoic nod, something which made Isabelle shake her head softly before she carefully pushed herself up to her feet, moving to take his hand in hers in order to stop him pacing the floor. “You know that, even if this test is positive, we’re going to be OK, don’t you?” she posed softly, her fingers gently knotting with his.

She knew that he was nervous, from the moment she had revealed the chance of her being pregnant again, he had looked more than a little worried, but she wanted to offer him a little reassurance, even if it would take them some time to adapt to the idea of a second baby, she was confident that, between the two of them, they’d find a way to make it work.

Lionel spared a soft glance down towards their hands before he lifted his head, his dark eyes meeting hers. “I know that we’ll give it everything we have” he noted, his hand gently squeezing hers “But I just…I worry that that might not be enough. It is fast, Isa, Isla’s not even a year old yet, and I am worried. It’s a lot, Isabelle” he added gently.

He didn’t want to start a fight, for a while, things between him and Isabelle had been more than good, but he wanted to be honest with her, even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear. He wanted her to know that a part of him was worried about the idea of welcoming a second baby so soon after Isla.

Isabelle, who was quietly watching their hands, mulled his words over for a moment before she nodded her head. “It is a lot” she agreed softly “I mean, Isla’s not going to be one for another couple of months and we’ve only been married for a few months, but it is something that we wanted, and whilst the timing has come as a bit of a surprise…”

“That’s an understatement” Lionel interrupted, offering her a soft look.

Isabelle blinked a couple of times, not quite expecting him to interrupt, before she let out a soft sigh. “I know” she agreed softly “But it is something we wanted, Leo, something that we talked about and I am sure that we can figure it out. We’re in a pretty good place right now” she added, a slight smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

Lionel admired the smile she wore briefly before the sound of her phone vibrating against the end table snipped into his ears, something which made Isabelle carefully pull away from him, making her way towards the bathroom counter where the three pregnancy tests sat. Swallowing a little, she briefly perused the instructions on the side of the box before she flicked her attention towards the tests, studying the results.

“Well?” Lionel pressed, his voice more than a little anxious.

Isabelle, who was studying the results, lifted her head at the sound of his voice before she offered the tests out towards him, a small half smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Lionel offered her a slightly dubious look before he carefully moved to take the tests out of her hand, scanning the results before a soft sound fell out of his mouth. “Positive” he mused softly.

“Positive” Isabelle repeated softly “Leo, we’re going to have a baby” she added gently, a warm smile perched on her lips.

Lionel admired the warm smile she wore before he let out a soft sigh, moving to settle down at the foot of their bed. “Isabelle…”

“I know it is sudden” Isabelle interjected softly “I mean, I know that this has come out of nowhere, and if you need to take a couple of days to wrap your head around it, then that is fine” she added, her hand gently moving to take a hold of his. She could see that he was surprised, the expression he wore confided it, and she wanted to encourage him to take a little to think things through, even if she was excited about the idea of her second pregnancy, she knew that it had caught him more than a little off guard.

Lionel spared a soft look down towards their hands before he let out a soft sigh. “You’d not mind that?” he posed softly.

Isabelle shook her head. “Of course not” she mused softly “I know it is a surprise, Leo, and if you need time to wrap your head around it, then you ought to take it. I’ll call Grace, ask if Isla and I can spend a couple of days there, and we’ll talk in a couple of days, Ok?” she posed, her voice warm and encouraging.

Lionel allowed her words to hang around them for a couple of seconds before he stepped a little closer to her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist. “I know it isn’t what you want to hear” he mumbled softly “I mean, after last time, I am sure that this is the last thing you want to hear, and I am sorry. I just…I need some time, Isabelle” he mumbled, his nose gently nudging against her neck.

Isabelle, who’d been playing with the hair at the back of his neck, smiled a little at his words before she carefully ducked back, pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek. “You don’t have to say that” she mumbled softly “You should…you take your time and we’ll talk again in a couple of days” she added before she pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

Lionel startled a little, slightly surprised by the soft kiss, before he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close for a couple of seconds. He knew that it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, the look on her face confided it, but still he wanted to take a couple of days, wanting the opportunity to wrap his head around the idea that their little family was about to get bigger.