Thanks for all the nice comments guys! I've been taking more pictures lately while I've been playing, so hopefully the picture drought will end soon, lol. This one, has very few pics though. The next chapter should have more. Promise!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6Kat stretched as she slid out of bed. Throwing a glance at Henry, who was still asleep, she instantly thought fondly,
That's my
husband. He had been her husband for a while, but she couldn't help but think it whenever she woke.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. A phrase flashed in her mind:
morning sickness. But what was that? It was right on the edge of her memory... Hm. No, she could not recall. It probably wasn't important anyway.
Heading to the kitchen (kitchen!), she filled a bowl with cereal and topped it off with milk. As the milk poured, another wave of nausea took her, but she managed to shake it off enough to eat. After she dressed, though, it was back in full force. She ran to the toilet, just barely making it in time before she lost her breakfast.
"Ech." Kat turned her head away from the toilet and flushed. She knew she would have to clean that up before Henry woke; it was the only toilet in the house.
"You okay?" She turned and Henry was standing in the doorway, looking concerned.
"I think I'm sick," Kat said, clutching her stomach. Her mind flashed back to those two words.
Morning sickness. Was it a virus of some sort?
"Maybe you should lie down then. I'll clean up the mess and bring you some food," Henry offered kindly.
Kat nodded, even though the thought of food made her stomach churn even more.
"I have to go to work after that, though. I could call in sick if you need me around?"
"No," Kat said, standing up slowly, "you should go. I'll be fine." She forced herself to hold her stomach to prove her point. Henry nodded, still looking unsure, and led her to bed.
Throughout the rest of the day, Kat managed not to throw up. She did feel queasy every now and again, but she didn't really feel ill. What an odd virus morning sickness was.
...
Those two words were nagging her, chasing her in every corner of her mind.
Morning sickness, morning sickness. There was something she needed to know about it, but what?
Then one morning, looking down at a surprisingly swollen stomach, she realized she wasn't sick. She was pregnant.
"Henry!" Kat called. He was in the kitchen flipping pancakes for the both of them.
"What's up?" he asked, flicking his gaze to her and then back to the breakfast.
"I'm not sick, I don't think," she said softly, almost apologetically.
"That's great!" he exclaimed. Then, he caught her gaze and he looked uncertain. "Right?"
"Well... I'm not sick, but I am pregnant." She waited, careful to keep her face blank in case she didn't receive the reaction she wanted.
"Wait." He removed the pan from the burner. "This coming from the woman who didn't know what simoleons were just a little while ago? How can you be sure?"
"That's different," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Some things I just
know."
Henry's face broke into a wide grin. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter how you know. This is fantastic news!" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "You have no idea how happy I am."
Kat leaned into him. "Me too." And she was. She was happy.
...
Once the morning sickness left her, pregnancy was pretty easy for Kat. Sure, she was tired and often hungry for the strangest things (onions and jell-o anyone?), but she could still function. Henry started doing more housework when he was home, offering to do dishes and cook meals. He even suggested Kat take a leave from work. Tempting as it was, Kat couldn't bring herself to do it. With a little one on the way, money was a necessity. The house needed to grow to fit another family member. And with a new car, getting to work was easier.
After work, Kat managed to shove some of Henry's turkey down her throat before collapsing onto the bed. Her feet felt like they were about to fall off. No, she
wished they would fall off. Maybe then she wouldn't feel them anymore.
So, admittedly, working while pregnant wasn't quite a cup of tea. It was hard to stand, and in her profession, sitting wasn't an option half the time. Henry was being so helpful, cleaning and making meals. Kat was sure he would make a great father.
...
It was late and dark. The streetlights were lit, but they hardly made a dent in the suffocating darkness. Kat's eyes skipped over the buildings and stores that were closed and to a pair of men standing side by side against a building. Their faces were shadowed, but they seemed to be watching her. Only her..."Get them away from me!"
Henry's eyes shot wide open. "Stay away!" came another scream. He turned abruptly to find Kat in the fetal position, rocking back and forth on the bed. Her eyes were wide open, but staring, looking elsewhere. She was sobbing, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Kat? What's wrong?" She didn't look at him, just kept rocking. "Kat? Kat!" No response.
Finally he put his hands on either sides of her face and turned her toward him. "Kat, look at me!" She froze and the crying stopped.
"Henry?" She glanced around the room. "Henry?" she said again, looking confused.
Henry pulled her closer to him and brushed her hair soothingly with his hand. "You're fine, you're fine. You had a nightmare."
After a few minutes of Henry soothing Kat, he asked, "What did you dream?"
"I...I don't remember," she whimpered.
"You were pretty hysterical."
"I don't remember," she repeated.
~