(no subject)

[trueloveskid]

Her days have started to look mostly the same. She's still on the morning shift at the diner (which is fine, she likes being home with Neal in the evening), but she doesn't even really need to set an alarm anymore. It never fails, 6am rolls around and she's running for the bathroom. It doesn't matter what she ate the night before; every morning, like clockwork, she's making friends with the toilet.

She's so tired all the time too, and she can't even have coffee to wake up. Her one consolation right now is that she can eat whatever she wants.

The first thing she does when she gets home after work is go to take a shower. There are so many food smells clinging to her clothes, and to her skin, and she needs to be rid of them. She puts on something more comfortable – stretchy pants and one of Neal's t-shirts – and plops on the couch to wait for him to get home. Her belly is starting to grow larger and she's going to need to go shopping for some maternity clothes soon. How are they going to afford that?

She closes her eyes while waiting for him to get home. She's not even halfway through yet. It's going to be a long six more months.

Comments

[trueloveskid]

"I'll look. I don't know what's out there, but I'll look." Now might be a better time, before she has no extra energy for anything. Before she'll need time off right away to have a baby.

"How are we going to afford new clothes?"

[alandwithoutmagic]

"I've been saving some money." Neal wasn't worried about it. Despite his tendencies he was very good at planning ahead and had some money set aside for Emma and the Baby.

"We'll probably have to check Goodwill."

[trueloveskid]

"Yeah. We can start there." Since that's what they can afford, and they can look for other places too, if they need more options.

"You take good care of me."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal switched foots but continued in his pampering. He's been doing this more lately and has gotten significantly better at it.

"That's what I'm here for." He kept his voice light and warm. "I'm not good at clothes shopping so you'll have to tell me what you like." Or face the fact that Neal will pick out all bland things.

[trueloveskid]

"You know that I'll be there for buying clothes, right? So I can pick out what I like?" That's what she had meant, anyway. She can still leave the house.

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Yeah." When he finished with her other foot he looked over at her with a smile.

"Ready to head out?" He slipped out from beneath her to find her socks and shoes for her.

[trueloveskid]

"In this?" She looks down at her sweatpants and his shirt. "At least let me change first."

[alandwithoutmagic]

He smiles and nods. "Need any help?" His tone suggests that it isn't because she can't change on her own but because he likes watching her change.

[trueloveskid]

She just gives him a look. "I'll be done a lot faster if you don't come with me."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal's head tilted to the side. "True."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before rising and stepping towards the kitchen. "I'll wait for you out here then." If he can't follow he'll quickly grab a drink to put something in his stomach before they head out.

[trueloveskid]

"I won't be long." She doesn't even bother changing her shirt. His is plenty comfortable, and this way she doesn't have to dig up a clean one. All she does is find the loosest pair of her pants that she can and slip into those instead.

"Okay. I'm ready to go."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal has a glass of water to his lips which he quickly chugs before placing it back on the counter. He turned in a sweeping motion, grabbing his coat and keys as he went. He pushed open the door and then stepped to the side to hold it open for Emma.

"After you." He'll then quickly lock up behind them before following her to the elevator. It's an old building but the heat works and it has a cute charm to it. Rent wasn't bad and Neal like the neighbors, all of whom have been more attentive since Emma got pregnant.

"Do you want to walk?" He didn't know how tired she was and while it was only a few blocks away, it was still a lengthy distance there and back total.

[trueloveskid]

"Walking is fine. I do need to get some exercise, you know." There are a lot of things she can't do for exercise, so she'll do what she can.

"You know that things aren't as bad as they're going to get, right?"

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Yeah but I might as well start now." Neal was expecting the worst if onyl to be ready for anything that might be thrown at them. Or, so he thinks. He really had no idea what this was going to be like.

He held out a hand before guiding Emma to the store.

[trueloveskid]

She doesn't know what to expect either. She's read some books from the library, but all they did was make her nervous. Luckily one of her coworkers at the diner has been through this a few times and is good at calming her down.

"It's going to be a long six more months for you."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"I got this." He probably didn't but he was going to keep trying. Besides, whatever she was going through was going to be worse.

"We got this."

[trueloveskid]

"I know." She squeezes his hand as they walk. "I couldn't do this without you."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"And you won't have too." Neal lead the way, keeping an eye out for goodwill. It's where he did most of his clothes shopping but considering how infrequently he bought clothes he was used to walking passed the store and he didn't want to miss it this time.

When they arrived he held open the door and then followed Emma inside, allowing her to take the lead and find what she needed.

[trueloveskid]

She heads for the section marked Maternity and then just stands for a moment, looking at the racks. Usually when she goes looking for clothes, it's more something more specific than 'clothes that will fit' and she's finding this a little overwhelming.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal stepped up behind her before picking up a light blue top. He thought she looked pretty in blue though he didn't remember ever telling her that before.

"What about this? Or would you rather look for pants first?" He figured pants might be easier to pick out and go through.

[trueloveskid]

"What?" She's almost forgotten why they're there when he speaks and she turns to look at what he's holding. "Yeah, sure. It's nice." She reaches out for the rack in front of her to start going through the clothes.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal laughed and began to do his duty as the holder of clothing, starting with the shirt.

"Want to try these things on?"

[trueloveskid]

"Yeah. I should do that." She takes a pair of pants off of the rack and squints at them. Does she even like clothes like this?

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Neal comes up behind her and lightly grabs her ass while whispering in her ear. Go on then."

[trueloveskid]

"Neal!" she hisses over her shoulder as she grabs his wrist. "We're in public." But she smiles at him a little anyway before grabbing the clothes out of his arms and heading for the changing room.