There Was You

Shyly brushing her hand over the front of her dress, Riley frowned a little, feeling how tight the dress felt across her stomach. She had been trying to find something to wear for a while, with her birthday having arrived and Iker having insisted that they follow her usual routine, she had been camped in their bedroom for almost an hour trying to get ready, but she was struggling. Her bump, which had really started to show in the few weeks that had passed since she and Iker had gotten married, was making finding something to wear more difficult than usual. She knew that she had nothing to be self-conscious about, with her pregnancy being common knowledge, she knew that there was no need to make an attempt to disguise her bump, but she hadn’t anticipated that it would appear so quickly.

Gently pinching the material, she attempted to pull it away from her stomach before she let it go, allowing it to settle back against her bump. Letting out a quiet huff, she reached a hand over her shoulder, feeling for the dress’s zip before she felt it being gently pulled down her back, something which caused her to shake her head, her eyes catching sight of Iker in the mirror ahead of her. “You didn’t have to do that” she murmured gently.

Iker, who’d taken a step back to sit down on the end of the bed, smiled. “I thought I’d give you a hand” he quipped “You never know, it might help us get out of here and to the restaurant whilst it is still your birthday” he teased.

Riley, who’d moved to shrug the dress off of her shoulders, scoffed. “I wouldn’t be counting on it” she muttered “I’ve tried on almost every dress I own, and each one of them makes me look huge. At this rate, I am probably going to give up and just go to bed” she added, stepping out of the dress before she bent down to pick it up.

Iker watched her with a soft frown. “The bump?” he asked quietly.

Riley, who’d been hanging the dress back up again, sighed, but didn’t turn back to look at him, instead opting to idly flick through the clothes ahead of her. “I know it’s silly” she said quietly “I mean, everyone important to us already knows that I am pregnant, so seeing me with a bump isn’t going to surprise anyone, but still...I don’t know. I guess...I guess I didn’t expect to feel this big this early on” she added, sparing a slightly shy look over her shoulder.

“Riley...”

“I know what you’re going to say” Riley interrupted softly, turning back towards the cupboard “That I am pregnant, and that being pregnant means my body changing for baby, but I just...I can’t explain it. If I feel this weird now, what I am going to feel like when I am eight or nine months gone?” she asked quietly.

Iker stared at her back for a few long seconds, trying to think of something to say to her, before he pushed himself up. Hesitating for a split second, he closed the distance between them before he wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand tentatively cupping the bump of her stomach. Riley jumped, not having heard him move, before she glanced down at his hand, shaking her head slightly. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?” she asked.

“You know how you feel” Iker replied “And if you’re feeling like you don’t want to go out tonight, then we won’t. I’ll give Marisol a call and we can just stay here. As for this, though” he mumbled, his fingertips lightly brushing against her skin.

Riley felt her stomach flip as his fingertips brushed against her bare skin, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink.

“I know that you’re not crazy about it” Iker noted “But I am. I know you’re not comfortable with it, I mean, it seems to have come along all of a sudden and I get that you’re conscious of it, but it’s amazing to me, Ry” he added.

Riley shifted her feet a little, her eyes on the floor. “You’re just saying that” she muttered.

Iker leant forwards, kissing the back of her neck gently. “It’s baby” he muttered “It’s a sign of him or her getting bigger, stronger, and that’s amazing, Riley, it’s beautiful. I wish you could feel the little buzz in my stomach I get when your shirt rides up or you start getting changed, because I love this bump, Riley, and I love seeing you with it” he fussed.

Riley chewed on her lip quietly, allowing his words to settle in for a few seconds, before she slowly turned around, her tearful grey eyes meeting his darker ones.

Iker’s eyes widened. “Why are you crying?” he spluttered.

Riley shrugged her shoulders, a feeble smile pulling the corner of her mouth upwards. “I am not sure” she breathed out “It could be pregnancy hormones, or you being just so sweet, or it could be a combination of the two. It’s probably the last one. Sorry” she babbled, wiping her eyes gently.

Iker shook his head, his thumb capturing a loose tear which had started to roll down her cheek.

Riley giggled a little beneath his touch, her cheeks glowing a sheepish shade of pink. “You’re really going to have your work cut out for the next few months” she noted “I mean, I am this bad now, imagine what I am going to be like when I am getting near my due date, or if I am overdue. I don’t quite know how you’re going to cope” she added.

Iker’s lips quirked upwards slightly. “We’re going to have a baby, Riley” he noted “That’s going to make the next few months worth it, no matter what you throw at me. In a little under six months’ time, we’re going to have a little boy or a little girl, and these few months are just going to be memory, because we’ll have him or her and that’ll be worth it” he insisted, tucking her hair back off of her face.

Riley closed her eyes, relishing his touch for a few long seconds, before she exhaled softly. “Her” she murmured.

Iker laughed. “You think we’re having a girl?” he asked.

Riley shrugged lazily. “I don’t think anything” she replied “But I would like a daughter” she added.

Iker nodded his head. “We could always find out” he noted “I mean, we have that appointment with Alma coming up and if we asked...” he trailed off, shrugging with an impish grin.

Riley shook her head. “We’ve already had this conversation” she replied “Not until the birth” she added.

“You’re not even a little bit curious?” Iker prodded.

“Not even a little bit” Riley replied.

Iker offered her a playful pleading look, something which made Riley shake her head, laughing softly. “That’s not going to work” she noted.

“It was worth a shot” Iker replied “Now, do you want me to go and call Marisol?” he asked, his voice growing a little softer.

Riley hesitated for a beat before she nodded, something which made Iker nod in return before he leant up, kissing the top of her head. “Put your pajamas on” he mumbled into her hair “I’ll find something in freezer to cook and we can fall asleep in front of a film” he added.

Riley smiled tenderly, wordlessly noting that nothing sounded better to her in that moment.