If You Love Me
Eighty Nine: Patience
Pulling her blonde hair up into a loose ponytail, Nora moved to sit down on the floor, her hands placing a few of her mother’s things into the cardboard box which sat ahead of her. It had been a while, after Maria had informed her of her intention to leave for New York, a couple of weeks had passed and with the day of her departure approaching quickly, Maria had enlisted the help of her daughters to pack up her house, wanting to ship things out ahead of time.
It was still a strange thought, the idea that her mother was leaving Barcelona was one which had yet to settle in with Nora, but she was happy for her, even if it would be strange not having her mother was close by as she was used to. She was happy that her mother was chasing after something that she wanted.
Collecting a few more items from the piles which sat around her, she moved to settle them into the box before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached her ears, causing her to lift her head, her blue eyes settling on Gerard who stood in the door way, a boyish smile on his face. “I thought you were meant to be taking it easy?” he posed.
Nora, who’d turned back to packing, shook her head. “This is all my madre and Emmy will let me do” she noted “Every time I leave this room, one of them escorts me back here and tells me to sit down and take it easy. Did you talk to them?” she posed, offering him a slightly curious look.
Gerard, who’d stepped a little further into the room, shook his head. “I didn’t” he noted “But they’re right. You’re carrying something pretty special, Nora, and whilst I know you want to help, you ought to take it easy” he added, sparing a small glance towards her stomach as he moved to sit down beside her.
Nora followed at the line of his stare, peeking down at her bump briefly before she reached her hand out, gently taking a hold of his before she settled it against her bump. “We have to be going soon, don’t we?” she posed, settling her hand atop his.
Gerard, who’d been watching their hands, nodded. “We do” he confirmed “Our appointment is in about an hour” he added, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Nora admired the smile he wore for a moment before she shook her head, returning it shyly. “You’re excited?” she posed, messing with his fingers shyly.
Gerard watched the shy movements of her fingers briefly before he turned his hand over, offering hers a light squeeze. “You have to ask that?” he quipped impishly.
Nora simply offered him a look, something which made him chuckle before he lifted her hand, pressing a soft kiss against it. “Of course I am excited, Nora” he noted “I mean, today is a pretty big deal” he added, his voice warm and enthusiastic.
It was something that he had been looking forwards to, after their previous scan, he had been counting down the days until the next one arrived, and he was excited. He knew that with every little milestone that passed, they got closer to the arrival of the baby, and he couldn’t wait for it. He was more than excited about the prospect of their family growing from three to four.
Nora smiled at the warmth in his voice before she nodded. “Have you thought about whether or not you want to find out the sex?” she posed.
Gerard shrugged. “Not really” he quipped “You?” he added.
Nora shrugged. “We’re not the most patient people” she quipped “And we did find out when I was pregnant with Alba, so I figured that we could find out this time too. Is that Ok?” she posed, her voice slightly soft.
Gerard noticed the softness in her voice before he offered her hand another soft squeeze. “I think that that sounds like a plan” he noted “And I think we need to get moving” he added before he pushed himself up to his feet.
Nora watched him for a moment before she reached her hands out towards him, something which made him playfully roll his eyes before he took a hold of them, helping her up to her feet. Nora followed his movements easily, quipping a teasing comment about him being her hero beneath her breath, before she stepped out of the room, Gerard eagerly following along behind her.
~#~
“I am pretty pleased with how you’re progressing, Nora”
Nora, who was shyly fiddling with the ends of her hair, startled slightly at the sound of her midwife’s voice before she lifted her head, offering her a small smile. “You are?” she posed.
“Your blood pressure is a little up from last time” the midwife explained “And I want to keep an eye on it, but it’s still pretty under control, and everything else seems to be looking good. You’re gaining weight, you’re about the size we would expect you to be at this stage in your pregnancy, and I am sure that your ultrasound will show that baby is making good progress too. Do you want to get started?” she asked.
Nora nodded her head before she got out of her chair, moving to take her seat on the examination bed.
“Are we looking to find out the sex today?” the midwife asked, lightly pushing Nora’s shirt away from her bump.
Gerard, who’d moved to sit beside Nora, quirked a small grin before he nodded. “We are” he enthused, knotting his fingers through Nora’s.
Nora smiled a little at the comforting squeeze of her hand before she lifted her head, sparing a soft glance towards the screen which sat away from her. Shifting a little, she felt the midwife run the scanner across her stomach, before she spotted the image that had appeared on the screen, something which caused her to squeeze Gerard’s hand gently, wordlessly fussing about the sight of their baby.
Gerard smiled at her reaction before he flicked his attention towards the midwife. “So?” he posed curiously.
The midwife, who’d been carefully scanning Nora’s stomach, smiled a little at the curiosity in his voice before she lifted her head. “You have a daughter, don’t you?” she posed.
Gerard nodded. “We do” he confirmed “Is it another girl?” he pressed.
The midwife shook her head. “It’s a little boy” she corrected.
Gerard blinked a couple of times before he turned his stare back towards Nora who looked up at him, a fond smile on her face. “A...A boy?” he spluttered “We’re going to have a boy?” he added.
Nora giggled before she nodded. “That’s what she said” she quipped “We’re going to have a boy” she added.
Gerard stared down at her, trying to wrap his head around her words, before he let out a small awed laugh, something which made Nora giggle before she reached up, tugging him into a soft kiss. Gerard startled, not quite expecting the soft kiss, but he responded swiftly, kissing her happily for a couple of seconds before he leant back, pressing his forehead against hers. “A boy” he whispered softly “We’re having a boy” he added.
It was still a strange thought, the idea that her mother was leaving Barcelona was one which had yet to settle in with Nora, but she was happy for her, even if it would be strange not having her mother was close by as she was used to. She was happy that her mother was chasing after something that she wanted.
Collecting a few more items from the piles which sat around her, she moved to settle them into the box before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached her ears, causing her to lift her head, her blue eyes settling on Gerard who stood in the door way, a boyish smile on his face. “I thought you were meant to be taking it easy?” he posed.
Nora, who’d turned back to packing, shook her head. “This is all my madre and Emmy will let me do” she noted “Every time I leave this room, one of them escorts me back here and tells me to sit down and take it easy. Did you talk to them?” she posed, offering him a slightly curious look.
Gerard, who’d stepped a little further into the room, shook his head. “I didn’t” he noted “But they’re right. You’re carrying something pretty special, Nora, and whilst I know you want to help, you ought to take it easy” he added, sparing a small glance towards her stomach as he moved to sit down beside her.
Nora followed at the line of his stare, peeking down at her bump briefly before she reached her hand out, gently taking a hold of his before she settled it against her bump. “We have to be going soon, don’t we?” she posed, settling her hand atop his.
Gerard, who’d been watching their hands, nodded. “We do” he confirmed “Our appointment is in about an hour” he added, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Nora admired the smile he wore for a moment before she shook her head, returning it shyly. “You’re excited?” she posed, messing with his fingers shyly.
Gerard watched the shy movements of her fingers briefly before he turned his hand over, offering hers a light squeeze. “You have to ask that?” he quipped impishly.
Nora simply offered him a look, something which made him chuckle before he lifted her hand, pressing a soft kiss against it. “Of course I am excited, Nora” he noted “I mean, today is a pretty big deal” he added, his voice warm and enthusiastic.
It was something that he had been looking forwards to, after their previous scan, he had been counting down the days until the next one arrived, and he was excited. He knew that with every little milestone that passed, they got closer to the arrival of the baby, and he couldn’t wait for it. He was more than excited about the prospect of their family growing from three to four.
Nora smiled at the warmth in his voice before she nodded. “Have you thought about whether or not you want to find out the sex?” she posed.
Gerard shrugged. “Not really” he quipped “You?” he added.
Nora shrugged. “We’re not the most patient people” she quipped “And we did find out when I was pregnant with Alba, so I figured that we could find out this time too. Is that Ok?” she posed, her voice slightly soft.
Gerard noticed the softness in her voice before he offered her hand another soft squeeze. “I think that that sounds like a plan” he noted “And I think we need to get moving” he added before he pushed himself up to his feet.
Nora watched him for a moment before she reached her hands out towards him, something which made him playfully roll his eyes before he took a hold of them, helping her up to her feet. Nora followed his movements easily, quipping a teasing comment about him being her hero beneath her breath, before she stepped out of the room, Gerard eagerly following along behind her.
~#~
“I am pretty pleased with how you’re progressing, Nora”
Nora, who was shyly fiddling with the ends of her hair, startled slightly at the sound of her midwife’s voice before she lifted her head, offering her a small smile. “You are?” she posed.
“Your blood pressure is a little up from last time” the midwife explained “And I want to keep an eye on it, but it’s still pretty under control, and everything else seems to be looking good. You’re gaining weight, you’re about the size we would expect you to be at this stage in your pregnancy, and I am sure that your ultrasound will show that baby is making good progress too. Do you want to get started?” she asked.
Nora nodded her head before she got out of her chair, moving to take her seat on the examination bed.
“Are we looking to find out the sex today?” the midwife asked, lightly pushing Nora’s shirt away from her bump.
Gerard, who’d moved to sit beside Nora, quirked a small grin before he nodded. “We are” he enthused, knotting his fingers through Nora’s.
Nora smiled a little at the comforting squeeze of her hand before she lifted her head, sparing a soft glance towards the screen which sat away from her. Shifting a little, she felt the midwife run the scanner across her stomach, before she spotted the image that had appeared on the screen, something which caused her to squeeze Gerard’s hand gently, wordlessly fussing about the sight of their baby.
Gerard smiled at her reaction before he flicked his attention towards the midwife. “So?” he posed curiously.
The midwife, who’d been carefully scanning Nora’s stomach, smiled a little at the curiosity in his voice before she lifted her head. “You have a daughter, don’t you?” she posed.
Gerard nodded. “We do” he confirmed “Is it another girl?” he pressed.
The midwife shook her head. “It’s a little boy” she corrected.
Gerard blinked a couple of times before he turned his stare back towards Nora who looked up at him, a fond smile on her face. “A...A boy?” he spluttered “We’re going to have a boy?” he added.
Nora giggled before she nodded. “That’s what she said” she quipped “We’re going to have a boy” she added.
Gerard stared down at her, trying to wrap his head around her words, before he let out a small awed laugh, something which made Nora giggle before she reached up, tugging him into a soft kiss. Gerard startled, not quite expecting the soft kiss, but he responded swiftly, kissing her happily for a couple of seconds before he leant back, pressing his forehead against hers. “A boy” he whispered softly “We’re having a boy” he added.