Like You Did Before
68: Where Did That Come From?
“I can’t pretend that I am not disappointed”
Matilda rolled her eyes amusedly, hearing the playfulness in Naomi’s voice. It was a last minute call. Until the notification had popped up onto her phone, Matilda had completely forgotten that she and Naomi had plans to get together for lunch, and that those plans clashed with her midwife appointment that afternoon, but she knew that she had to make the call, even if it did mean telling a couple of little lies. The appointment she had made with her midwife fell in the one time slot that both Iker and Matilda had available and she couldn’t move it, not when Iker was so excited about them being able to see the baby for the first time.
He was excited about everything. With their relationship being massively different from what it had been when Matilda had fallen pregnant with Lola, it had allowed Iker to be more excited than he had been first time around, and Matilda loved it. He couldn’t stop himself from fussing. Whether it was making sure that Matilda was taking care of herself, or touching and kissing her stomach tenderly, he couldn’t seem to help it, and Matilda adored how different things felt. She was happy that they were both happier and more relaxed than they had been the first time.
“I’m sorry” Matilda said as she leant back in her desk chair, trying to get more comfortable “I would have called earlier, but I’ve been in meetings all morning, so I haven’t had the chance” she added.
“I’m glad you called instead of just standing me up” Naomi quipped “Is everything OK?” she asked.
Matilda’s fingertips settled on her stomach, a soft smile brightening her features. It was still a secret, and it would be for a little while longer, but already Matilda was planning on how she would share the news. Unlike the first time, when she had been anxious about how those around her would react, she knew that they would be happy.
“Everything’s fine” Matilda said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice “I just have to head home during my lunch break. Maria’s got an appointment and Iker can’t get back to be with Lola, so I need to be there. Can we rearrange for later in the week?” she asked.
“Can you do tomorrow?” Naomi asked.
Matilda’s soft smile widened when she saw Iker slipping into her office. “I am free tomorrow” she confirmed “But I need to go right now. I’ll see you, Mimi” she added.
“I’ll see you then” Naomi replied before she hung up the phone, allowing Matilda to place hers down onto the desk before she stood up, padding towards Iker.
Iker watched her move towards him, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, before he shook his head,. “I didn’t mean to interrupt” he said “I spoke to the receptionist, and she said that you were free. Are you ready to go?” he added.
Matilda pushed herself up onto her toes, stealing a quick kiss, before she nodded her head. “I just need to grab my bag” she answered, already padding back towards her desk.
“Did you and Mimi have plans?” Iker asked.
“We had lunch plans” Matilda replied “We made them a little while ago, and I forgot about them, so, if she asks, Maria had an appointment and you weren’t available to be at home with Lola, alright?” she added.
Iker laughed gently. “Alright” he said “But she probably won’t ask, and if she does, I think you’ll probably just admit what’s really going on. Once we know that the baby’s doing OK, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep it in any longer” he added.
“Because you’ve been so subtle” Matilda teased.
Iker shrugged, his hands falling to her waist as he steered her out of the office door. “I’m excited” he quipped, pressing a quick kiss against her shoulder “I’m not going to apologise for it. Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“Not even a little bit” Matilda replied softly.
~#~
“Is this your first?”
Matilda, who’d been nervously fidgeting with the bottom of her blouse, blinked a couple of times before she glanced up at the woman who stood over her, taking in the comforting smile that she wore. The nerves had crept up on her. Until she and Iker had stepped foot into the maternity unit, she had just been excited about the prospect of seeing the baby for the first time, but once they’d settled in an examination room, she had started to grow worried, something she knew wouldn’t pass until she was faced with a picture of their baby, and the comforting thump of his or her heart.
“Sorry?” Matilda asked.
“Is this your first baby?” Louisa, the midwife, repeated.
Matilda shook her head, watching as Louisa started to run the scanner over her stomach. “We’ve already got a little girl” she said.
“Is papa hoping for a boy this time, then?” Louisa asked, throwing a warm smile at Iker who was stood beside Matilda, his expression equally nervous.
Iker shrugged, smiling bashfully. “I haven’t really thought about it” he replied “I’m just excited that we’re doing this again” he added.
Louisa nodded, focussing on running the scanner over Matilda’s stomach for moment before she reached up, redirecting the screen towards Iker and Matilda who immediately lit up when they saw it. “You’re about as far along as we expected you to be, Matilda” she explained “So that’s about nine or ten weeks, maybe eleven. I can be a little more specific a little later. But I can say that things are looking really good. If you give me a second...” she trailed off as she pressed a button on the screen.
Matilda’s expression flooded with relief when a soft thumping filled the air. Letting out a happy sigh, she gently tugged Iker’s hand towards her lips, allowing her to press a soft kiss against the back of it. Iker smiled at the contact before he leant over, kissing the crown of her head. “Thank you” he whispered softly.
Matilda frowned up at him. “What for?” she asked.
“Not giving up on us” Iker replied “For fighting to figure this out with me so that we can be here now, having this moment. It’s amazing, Mattie” he gushed with a slightly watery smile.
Matilda blinked, her own eyes growing watery as she held his stare. “Where’d that come from?” she spluttered.
Iker just pressed a kiss against her forehead, smiling against her skin. He was happy, happier than he had been in a long time, and it felt like that moment had made everything else they had been through worth it. He knew he would have done it all again if he could have that moment and the smile that had lit up Matilda’s face when she had heard the baby’s heartbeat.
Matilda rolled her eyes amusedly, hearing the playfulness in Naomi’s voice. It was a last minute call. Until the notification had popped up onto her phone, Matilda had completely forgotten that she and Naomi had plans to get together for lunch, and that those plans clashed with her midwife appointment that afternoon, but she knew that she had to make the call, even if it did mean telling a couple of little lies. The appointment she had made with her midwife fell in the one time slot that both Iker and Matilda had available and she couldn’t move it, not when Iker was so excited about them being able to see the baby for the first time.
He was excited about everything. With their relationship being massively different from what it had been when Matilda had fallen pregnant with Lola, it had allowed Iker to be more excited than he had been first time around, and Matilda loved it. He couldn’t stop himself from fussing. Whether it was making sure that Matilda was taking care of herself, or touching and kissing her stomach tenderly, he couldn’t seem to help it, and Matilda adored how different things felt. She was happy that they were both happier and more relaxed than they had been the first time.
“I’m sorry” Matilda said as she leant back in her desk chair, trying to get more comfortable “I would have called earlier, but I’ve been in meetings all morning, so I haven’t had the chance” she added.
“I’m glad you called instead of just standing me up” Naomi quipped “Is everything OK?” she asked.
Matilda’s fingertips settled on her stomach, a soft smile brightening her features. It was still a secret, and it would be for a little while longer, but already Matilda was planning on how she would share the news. Unlike the first time, when she had been anxious about how those around her would react, she knew that they would be happy.
“Everything’s fine” Matilda said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice “I just have to head home during my lunch break. Maria’s got an appointment and Iker can’t get back to be with Lola, so I need to be there. Can we rearrange for later in the week?” she asked.
“Can you do tomorrow?” Naomi asked.
Matilda’s soft smile widened when she saw Iker slipping into her office. “I am free tomorrow” she confirmed “But I need to go right now. I’ll see you, Mimi” she added.
“I’ll see you then” Naomi replied before she hung up the phone, allowing Matilda to place hers down onto the desk before she stood up, padding towards Iker.
Iker watched her move towards him, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, before he shook his head,. “I didn’t mean to interrupt” he said “I spoke to the receptionist, and she said that you were free. Are you ready to go?” he added.
Matilda pushed herself up onto her toes, stealing a quick kiss, before she nodded her head. “I just need to grab my bag” she answered, already padding back towards her desk.
“Did you and Mimi have plans?” Iker asked.
“We had lunch plans” Matilda replied “We made them a little while ago, and I forgot about them, so, if she asks, Maria had an appointment and you weren’t available to be at home with Lola, alright?” she added.
Iker laughed gently. “Alright” he said “But she probably won’t ask, and if she does, I think you’ll probably just admit what’s really going on. Once we know that the baby’s doing OK, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep it in any longer” he added.
“Because you’ve been so subtle” Matilda teased.
Iker shrugged, his hands falling to her waist as he steered her out of the office door. “I’m excited” he quipped, pressing a quick kiss against her shoulder “I’m not going to apologise for it. Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“Not even a little bit” Matilda replied softly.
~#~
“Is this your first?”
Matilda, who’d been nervously fidgeting with the bottom of her blouse, blinked a couple of times before she glanced up at the woman who stood over her, taking in the comforting smile that she wore. The nerves had crept up on her. Until she and Iker had stepped foot into the maternity unit, she had just been excited about the prospect of seeing the baby for the first time, but once they’d settled in an examination room, she had started to grow worried, something she knew wouldn’t pass until she was faced with a picture of their baby, and the comforting thump of his or her heart.
“Sorry?” Matilda asked.
“Is this your first baby?” Louisa, the midwife, repeated.
Matilda shook her head, watching as Louisa started to run the scanner over her stomach. “We’ve already got a little girl” she said.
“Is papa hoping for a boy this time, then?” Louisa asked, throwing a warm smile at Iker who was stood beside Matilda, his expression equally nervous.
Iker shrugged, smiling bashfully. “I haven’t really thought about it” he replied “I’m just excited that we’re doing this again” he added.
Louisa nodded, focussing on running the scanner over Matilda’s stomach for moment before she reached up, redirecting the screen towards Iker and Matilda who immediately lit up when they saw it. “You’re about as far along as we expected you to be, Matilda” she explained “So that’s about nine or ten weeks, maybe eleven. I can be a little more specific a little later. But I can say that things are looking really good. If you give me a second...” she trailed off as she pressed a button on the screen.
Matilda’s expression flooded with relief when a soft thumping filled the air. Letting out a happy sigh, she gently tugged Iker’s hand towards her lips, allowing her to press a soft kiss against the back of it. Iker smiled at the contact before he leant over, kissing the crown of her head. “Thank you” he whispered softly.
Matilda frowned up at him. “What for?” she asked.
“Not giving up on us” Iker replied “For fighting to figure this out with me so that we can be here now, having this moment. It’s amazing, Mattie” he gushed with a slightly watery smile.
Matilda blinked, her own eyes growing watery as she held his stare. “Where’d that come from?” she spluttered.
Iker just pressed a kiss against her forehead, smiling against her skin. He was happy, happier than he had been in a long time, and it felt like that moment had made everything else they had been through worth it. He knew he would have done it all again if he could have that moment and the smile that had lit up Matilda’s face when she had heard the baby’s heartbeat.