#Craving Peaches during Pregnancy Boy or Girl

[ladywellcare111]

Is It Safe To Eat Peaches During Pregnancy?

Eating peaches during pregnancy can be a beneficial addition to a woman’s diet. They offer a natural source of essential nutrients that can support the health of both the mother and the developing baby. Peaches contain crucial minerals like potassium, which aid in maintaining proper fluid balance and help healthy blood pressure levels. What is Peach? Peach is a fruit that belongs to the genus…

[amymel86]

Inspired by this post

A while ago I made @vivilove-jonsa​ a promise - that I wouldn’t post anything new (bar my drabble event entries) until I’d finished Redamancy. I could work on new things - but not post.

So here’s my chance to sort of cheat (Ssshhh! No one tell Vivi!)

This is a kind of modern post-apocalyptic ish au (and is currently untitled) - basically a couple of decades after a global pandemic, the majority of the world’s female population is left infertile and the government are providing incentives and schemes to try and boost the efforts to repopulate.

Guess which girl is left fertile?? (I know, I know, predictable, right? I don’t even care - I’m having fun) 

You’ll see this is very rough - there’s notes in there for myself where I’ve not made up my mind about stuff - even stuff that’s already there may well get changed. 

But I’d like to share some of what I have already if you guys don’t mind (and Vivi doesn’t kill me)...

I’d also like to invite other authors to share some of their WIP!

“They’re offering money now,” Anya’s plummy whisper carried through from the kitchen. Sansa paused. She’d been getting ready for hers and Harry’s night out - one of many, but she loved them. She adored the heady buzz of her dirty margaritas and the belly-warming glow she felt when Harry would keep her close, proud to have her on his arm. Sansa found that she craved distractions and her well-to-do boyfriend certainly was that. “There’s a whole package of incentives, Harry, you really should consider it.”

With fingers rolling the cut jet beads of her long-looped necklace, Sansa hovers between seconds, waiting to hear Harry’s answer. She’d asked him before; about having a baby. The new normal is not having to worry about all that – or worrying far too much.

Just over a decade ago, the highly contagious disease, [[NAME DISEASE]] spread its vicious reach throughout the population of Westeros; a disease that the infected had a coin’s toss chance of surviving, but left a staggering amount of surviving women barren. Left in the virus’s wake, there were also women like Sansa – anomalies. With seemingly no medical explanation, the [[disease name]] allowed them to keep hold of both their lives, and their ability to reproduce.  

Sansa had thought, what with her having the rare ability to give Harry children, he would have been enthused by the idea when she’d broached the subject. Instead, he’d brushed it aside, seemingly uninterested.

And now his mother is getting involved. Anya Waynwood; a greying woman whose age has left her no less formidable both on a personable level and on a business one. Sansa knows this since she works directly under her at Waynwood’s Estates and Lettings.

“Think of it,” Anya whispers, filling the silence, “a baby of your own, with beautiful sandy hair and chubby cheeks. Just like you. You were such a happy babe.”

“Mother,” Harry starts. Sansa can hear him place his beer bottle down on the polished marble kitchen island. She begins to worry her lip as she listens. “Just because Sansa’s a peach, it doesn’t mean we’re going to have a baby.” She winced at that. ‘A peach’ – it’s not quite a derogatory term for a woman like her – a fertile, but it’s not considered polite either. Still, it’s better than when creeps find out what she is and start to tell her she’s ‘ripe for the plucking’... she supposes. She’s a novelty to them – her and women like her. They’re the kind of guys that search that subsection of illegal porn dedicated to the genre of ‘peaches’ for filthy connoisseurs with a breeding kink.

Harry’s not like that. He’s always been careful when they were intimate... well... he’s always finished in a way that would be biologically impossible to result in a pregnancy anyway. And... he cares for her... doesn’t he?

The thing is, Sansa really would like to have a child. The gods allowed her that ability for some reason, surely? Having a child might bring a sorely missed smile to her mother’s face – a smile that hasn’t really appeared since the virus took father and Robb away. They could bundle up their precious babe and take a trip up north to Winterfell and-

“I don’t even like children,” Harry continued, making Sansa frown. “I can’t even remember the last time I saw anyone under the age of... I don’t know... sixteen? I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby.”

“Well, that’s what Sansa’s for.”

Sansa rolled her eyes so hard they hurt. She’s tempted to go out there and show her face so that this conversation can peter off into the silence that that particular comment deserves. She could picture Anya’s expression perfectly during her next words; brows raised in expectancy, a devious twinkle in her eye and her coral pink painted lips twitching upward in a smirk.

“The government are offering a 15k incentive for the first baby, and all medical bills taken care of. There’s even talk of a new housing development especially for breeders. Now doesn’t that sound like it’s worth considering?”

Urgh. ‘Breeders’. Sansa hates that one too. There’s been rumours of these ‘repopulation incentive packages’, but she hadn’t realised they’d be so... generous. If-... if Harry’s convinced then she could send some extra money up to her mother for Bran’s chair – might even be able to get some to Arya wherever she is, off backpacking, living from youth hostel to youth hostel.

“Mum,” Harry lowers his voice, the deep timbre of it only just making it to Sansa’s ears. She moves closer to the bedroom door, tilting her head as if that would help her hear better. “I... I can’t.”

“Nonsense, of course-“

“No, Mum. I can’t. I can’t have children. I’ve been tested.”

Sansa’s heart thumpity-thumped against her ribs. She’s not meant to be hearing this... and yet at the same time, she feels like she should be hearing this.

Anya sounded aghast. “What do you mean? Of course you can have children!”

“You remember Cissy and Saffron?”

Harry’s exes. But he’d said that Sansa was his first girlfriend who was also a fertile so why-

“Your other peaches? Yes.”

Oh.... Oh no.

“Well it wasn’t like I was careful with them. It never happened because it can’t. I can’t... It just... never happened and so I got tested and I’m... I’m okay with never having kids.”

Sansa’s gut started to roll.

Where was that damned dirty margarita?

***

“And what’s your marital status, dear?” the older woman asked over her wire-rimmed glasses.

Sansa swallowed. “Single.” It hadn’t taken long for her to come to the conclusion that Harry was no different than all the others. She, as ‘his peach’ was purely a status symbol to hang on his arm. Oh, she could kick herself now for all the times she enjoyed his attentions and how he loved to show her off. Why hadn’t she seen it sooner? Harry didn’t care about her. He didn’t see a future with her. All he cared about was his own significance and status. But, of course, as soon as she’d broken things off with her darling son, Anya had made her working life a living hell. Sansa needed more options but she knows Anya is loathed to give her a good job reference and she’s hardly qualified for anything above partying her life away to distract herself and minimum wage. She can’t afford to stop sending her mum money for her medication, and Bran needed his physiotherapy sessions and a new chair. All the equations point towards sticking it out at Waynwood Estates but -

“A pretty thing like you? That is surprising!” the woman – a Mrs S Mordane as per the name plate on her desk – says with a small smile.

Sansa shrugs, not wanting to get into the nitty-gritty of the failings of her love-life – and especially not with a stranger in a little cubicle at The Vale Council Offices. She clears her throat. “I-I heard there was some sort of matching service?”

The woman’s eyes light up behind her spectacles. “Oh, yes. Is that something you’re interested in?”

Well, she needed to do something.

“I... I don’t know. Can you tell me more?”

A bundle of leaflets were handed over to Sansa before Mrs Mordane tap-tapped on her computer to print out even more information for her. “We have a whole host of potentially lucky fellas for you to choose from. They’ve all been extensively quizzed and along with the answers from your questionnaire –“ she paused, nodding her head towards the handful of papers now in Sansa’s grasp, “ – we’ll be able to narrow down who might be best suited for you.”

Sansa’s eyes fell to the leaflet on top. There was a photograph of a smiling, gummy baby. “A-and then what?”

***

“That fucking dipshit crook! I’m gonna fucking kill him the next time he’s at Hobb’s I’ll-“

Jon opened his trailer door with a creak and a slam to see what all the racket was about. It was Mance, of course. No one else ‘round here for miles anyhow. He squints his one good eye at the sun reflecting off the sandy dirt that led up to Mance’s farmhouse.

“I’ll kill ‘im, Jon! I will!” the man exclaimed when he’d caught sight of him, right before he kicked up some of the dust beneath his tattered leather boots.

Leaning his shoulder against the door frame, Jon smirked as his sight adjusted to the blinding sun. “Who you killin’ this time old man?”

“That damn bastard Slynt, that’s who!”

Jon straightened. Slynt owned a chain of used car lots in the area. His branches in the two nearest towns always sent cars for fixing straight to him and Mance. It was a slow but steady influx of work and meant that Mance could afford to keep his property and his land from falling into the hands of the tax man – which also meant Jon could continue to live there too; in his trailer parked up beside the farmhouse.

They really needed those cars to fix.

“Shit.”

“Yeah. ‘Shit’ is ‘bout right, boy.”

***

It didn’t take too long for Mance to come and find him later that day. Normally, unless they’re working on a vehicle together, Mance leaves him well enough alone until dinner time which suits Jon just fine. But here he is peering into the old barn, finding Jon working on the project he has going for himself. The old man had told him not to purchase it – the broken down compact utility tractor – but they’d been visiting a farm closure auction for possible parts and Jon fancied himself to be able to fix up the piece of machinery and sell it on. Turns out, it needs more parts replacing to get it going than he’d originally anticipated, but Jon was nothing but determined to make this baby purr into life again. Jon straightened, wiping his oily hands in an old rag while his one good eye followed Mance as he approached.

“I been thinkin’.”

Jon snorted quietly.

Mance ignored him. “With what we got in the bank, those council folk will be sniffin’ ‘round here, comin’ to take my land from me in little more than 4 months – 6 tops.”

Fuck. OK, he knew they’d needed Slynt’s cars but he hadn’t known it was this dyer. He felt his tongue roll around his mouth as though he could find a solution between his teeth. “We need more cars to fix.” Mance pierced him with a ‘no shit, dumbass’ kind of look making Jon sigh. “We can go into town, post flyers, fix folk’s cars up ready for their M.O.Ts, fuckin’ clean and polish ‘em too if it comes to that.”

“[[INSERT NAME OF TOWN]] has a population of about 200, 202 if yer countin’ us. And half of ‘em are either poor as dirt or just as handy with a wrench as you an’ me. Ain’t nobody keepin’ us afloat from that town, boy.”

Jon’s gaze drifted around the dusty old barn. “We could go further afield, to [[INSERT TOWN]] or [[INSERT TOWN]], even go as far as [[INSERT TO----]]

“It’s not gonna work, Snow.”

“Well we gotta try somethin’!” Jon hollered, slamming the rusted hood of his tractor down with a loud clang. He paced away, dirty hand running through dirty hair. “What about the land?” he asked, staring at the ancient farming equipment abandoned in the corner of the barn, left unused for a few decades a least. “Your family used to farm the land. We could too.” He turned to look at Mance. Sure, they’d have to clear at least one field of decaying vehicle carcasses and other miscellaneous rusted objects, and the rest is currently being strangled by a carpet of brambles. But they could do it, couldn’t they? The Rayder’s used to be grain farmers before the land was handed down to Mance and he, already a mechanic by trade had had no love nor want to carry on the tradition.

Mance blinked at him, his lips twisting in consideration. “That would take a long time to get going, Snow. Longer than we can afford.”

Jon felt a prickle up his spine. The words ‘well have you got any smart ideas, then wise-ass?!’ right on the tip of his tongue when Mance interrupts.

“I’ve been on the phone with a woman. A woman at the council.”

Jon flung his arms into the air, giving his back to Mance while he shook his head in dismay. Great. Now they know we’re in trouble. They’ll be sniffin’ ‘round here sooner.

“She was talkin’ ‘bout a scheme,” the old man continued

“Financial aid?”

“Not exactly. You sign up for the scheme an’ if yer selected they... well, they go easy on yer for taxes an’ they give yer some money too.”

Jon turned to face him again, a furrow to his brow. “That don’t sound right. Why would they go easy on taxes and give us money? They ain’t gonna do that, old man.”

“They will if there’s gonna be a wee baby on the property.”

What?!

[hopeless-lovex0]

I HAVE A DREAM (PART 8)

Kim Hongjoong Fanfic

Warning: Angst. Cheating. Heartbreak. Cursing. Fluff.

Hello fellow atiny and kpop stans 👋🏼 I am back with part 8 of I Have A Dream as promised. If any of you guys missed the last update or didn’t read the top part, from now on I will be updating every Friday so please look forwards to that 😃 Now I present to you guys I Have A Dream Part 8 😊

Y/N had never regretted anything more in her life then in that situation she was in that moment, the constant walking up and down the isles of clothing causing her already throbbing feet to swell in her white flowered sandals. In her hands, she carried multiple varieties of colored dresses and shirts.

A couple feet in front of her stood Mrs. Park with her hands also full, the excitement in her eyes causing them to glint in the sunlight. Never in her entire life had Y/N meet someone with such a deep passion for shopping, as if that person thrived off of just swiping their credit card left and right with multiple bags to accompany that action.

She really regretted calling Mrs. Park to hang for the day but as she giggled at her crazy squealing and constant fawning over the brand new collection of maternity dresses, she honestly couldn't ask for a better person to have in her life.

“ Y/N come over here! You need to try on the dresses I picked out.” Mrs. Park calls out and all y/n can do is sigh in defeat, knowing that she won't let her get away from her little fashion show.

Dragging her tired feet towards the dressing rooms she watches as Mrs. Park shoves multiple dresses in one of the small stalls, then turn towards her. “ Okay sweety, now just try on the dresses and show them to me! I'll love to see how you look in the bright colors!” Mrs. Park exclaims clapping her hands with an excited look on her face.

“ You know fall is just around the corner? Why am I trying out dresses?” Y/N says and all she gets in return is a blank stare. “ You can wear leggings under your dresses and plus once you get bigger all you'll be able to fit in are dresses. You'll thank me later baby girl so don't worry your pretty little head off.” Mrs. Park says as she pats her on the head.

“ Can we at least take a break after this? I'm hungry and my feet are killing me” Y/N says and Mrs. Park winces when she mentions her feet, remembering the days when she would limp from how swollen her feet we're during her pregnancy. Nodding her head, Mrs. Park shoos Y/N back into the dressing room telling her to try at least 3 out of all the dresses in the big pile.

Turning towards the pile, she picks two soft peach-colored dresses and a soft mustard colored knit dress. The softness of the dresses already convincing her that the three are the ones she'll purchase but she still decides to try them on for the sake of pleasing the older lady waiting for her outside the dressing room.

Tugging the dark blue curtain back, Y/N walks out the dressing room in the mustard dress and before she can say anything Mrs. Park starts fawning over her attracting the attention of the other customers in the store. “ Look at you honey!!” she squeals and Y/N can feel her face start flushing red from embarrassment.

“ Thanks, Mrs. Park” Y/N mumbles out causing Mrs. Park to reach forwards and pinch Y/N’s arm. “ What did I say y/n-sie~~~ Call me auntie” she whines out and all Y/N does is chuckle out, causing Mrs. Park to let out an almost childish like huff.

“ Can we go eat now? We can get back to dressing up later but right now I need some food in my system and it seems like I'm not the only one.” Y/N says as she rubs her stomach causing Mrs. Park to let out a gasp. “ Oh my goodness! Yes, of course! I can't let my two babies starve now can I?! Your brother would kill me if I somehow forgot to feed you two.” She says and with that she forces Y/N back into the dressing room, telling her to change back into her original dress.

Y/N doesn't need to be told twice because as soon as those words get out of Mrs. Park's mouth she books it back to the small room and changes back. Making sure that all her belongings are still in her purse and that she has the three dresses tucked under her arm, she quickly exits the dressing room and passes the other dresses to Mrs.Park to put them back. Walking towards the register, she takes out her wallet and waits for the cashier to ring her up.

Swaying on the heels of her feet, she waits for the cashier to tell her the total before the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise. The feeling of being watched again causing her to let out a shaky breath, the goosebumps that raise on her skin causing her to rub her arms up and down.

All throughout her day out with Mrs. Park, she had been feeling as if someone had a constant eye on her. The feeling of someone watching and following her every move scaring her beyond belief. She didn't tell Mrs. Park as she thought that maybe she was being paranoid, maybe it was Kyung Mi playing a prank on her, or maybe the little boy Jinyoung wanting to say hi to her again.

She honestly had no idea, but she was trying to keep the positive feeling in the air, knowing that freaking out and causing Mrs. Park to freak out as well would only ruin the day. Either way, if being followed and constantly being watched is what she felt then she knew she could hold out her own. The pink small taser and pepper spray shoved in the bottom of her purse reassuring her that she would be okay at least for a pregnant woman.

Paying for her dresses, she quickly shoved her credit card in her wallet and tucked it in her purse. Bidding the cashier a good day and a quick goodbye, she walked towards the exit where Mrs. Park (or in her case auntie) was standing and together they walked out the maternity clothing store.

Standing there for a couple of seconds, they start debating whether they should head towards the village's popular restaurant or towards the various food stalls lined just a block away. Knowing how packed the restaurant can get from working just across the place, they finally decide to head towards the crowded but not packed food stalls.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Mingi had never been one for conflict, always deciding to let things cool out before actually fixing the issue. From the looks of it, it seems as if Hongjoong and San were going to be fighting for a while and even though Mingi blamed no one but Hongjoong he really wished that everything would be resolved right away.

After the argument that broke out in the kitchen that morning the guys had spread around the big house wanting to escape the heavy tension that lingered on San. Wooyoung seemed to have gone to his room as well as San was sitting alone in the living room, staring blankly at the tv. Knowing that San would only drive himself insane with how quiet and how deep he was in his thoughts, Mingi decided that the least he could do was distract him for a couple of hours.

“ San, let's go out to the town square. I don't know were thing 2 is but he's obviously not going to help so let me be the one to comfort you for once.” Mingi says, breaking San from his train of thought.

“ I'll like to go... But what if we bump into y/n?.. I don't want her to think that we followed her and cause her to leave again.” San says as he rubs the skin between his eyes, letting Mingi know that whatever he was thinking about was causing him a headache.

“ Then I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for her. C’mon you need fresh air and food. We can go get some food if you want.” Mingi walks towards San and lifts him up by the back of his shirt, causing San to let out a startled woah and stumble from the way Mingi was dragging him towards the door.

Knowing that Mingi won't take no for an answer, San takes his pair of brown boots and shoves them into his feet. Nodding towards Mingi, they both grab their wallets and phones exiting the big home and walking towards the town square.

Mingi knows that San just wants peace and quiet, the constant fighting with Hongjoong seeming to wear him down little by little due to his appearance. He wants San to let everything out, to finally be the same happy and giggly San but he knows that something like that won't be accomplished easily. The constant fighting not only affecting San and Hongjoong but all of them, all Mingi can do is pray that by the end of the month they can all return on good terms.

San expected Mingi to interrogate him the minute they walked out the door, but instead they both walked in silence. He exhales in relief mentally thanking Mingi that he didn't mention anything, the quiet chirping of the birds around them and the cool breeze dancing around them causing his shoulder to drop from their tense position.

Quickly arriving at the town square, they both decide to head towards the food stalls craving some spicy tteokbokki. They don't seems to make it far into the bustling food stalls before Mingi quickly grabs ahold of San’s sweatshirt and drags him behind a wall.

“ What happened?!? Why did you drag me over here?” exclaims San as he looks at Mingi and all Mingi does is tell him to be quiet and point towards the direction they were heading.

A couple of feet in front of them stood Y/N with Mrs. Park, the both of them giggling to each other while eating portions of glass noodles. They watch as the older one shoves more food towards Y/N telling her something before patting the younger ones swollen belly.

San stares at her in awe, the first time he saw her seemed like a blur and he didn't remember much but now he can clearly see her and watch as she freely throws her head back in amusement to something the older lady in front of her said.

He lets a small smile invade his face as he watches in adoration, the sight of her being happy and healthy causing his heart to beat rapidly. Beside him, Mingi stares at Y/N in wonder. The sight of the woman he once knew as somewhat quiet and reserved fully enjoying herself at the moment.

This was the first time he has seen her since she left and finally looking at her completely all he could do is smile warmly at the sight of her baby bump. The way she would pat her stomach or the way the older lady would lean forwards and talk to Y/N’s stomach causing him to let out a small childlike giggle. Turning towards San, he saw the look of pure love and adoration said man had for the woman just a couple feet away from him.

In that moment, Mingi knew that no matter what happened between the three currently involved in the recent events he hoped and prayed that San was the one who would get picked in the end.

Turning back around to look at the duo they were currently hiding from, they watched as they finished up their food and got up to head towards the shops. They decided to keep an eye on them in case they walked towards them and then finally eat but as they watched them walk away from the table, Mingi let's out a barely audible gasp causing San to turn towards him.

“ What happened? Did she see you?!?” San asked in a panic, getting ready to book it out of there if they were discovered but all Mingi did was grab San by the neck turning him towards where Y/N was standing.

It took San a couple of seconds to figure out what he was supposed to be looking for before his eyes finally set on her.

There a couple of feet away from Y/N stood Ji Woo. Taking slow almost cautious steps towards Y/N and the older lady with her.

Mingi watched as San’s eyes turned hard and icy, his scary glare set on the girl quickly approaching Y/N. Before San could jump up and run towards the obvious interaction that was about to occur, Mingi quickly wrapped his arms around San and told him to stay in place.

All San could do was watch helplessly as Ji Woo called out Y/N’s name, watching as the smile on her face dropped just like his heart did the minute he saw her happiness slip away like sand between his fingers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“ Wow... I honestly never in my life had such amazing glass noodles as this one's.” Y/N said as she patted her stomach letting out huff from how full she is. Mrs. Parks lets out a small laugh then leans down so that she's staring at Y/N’s belly. “ You were quite hungry weren't you little man.” She says and Y/N raises and eyebrow at her question.

“ Little man huh? Youngjo said that it was going to be a girl.” She says as she starts to clean up the mess around them, causing Mrs. Park to quickly jump towards her and clean up instead. “ Your brother is a dummy, take my advice instead okay? Throughout my pregnancy, I knew I was having a boy and I was correct. So take it from me, it's going to be a strong, healthy boy.” Mrs. Park rants on and all Y/N does is smile at her, appreciating all the little tips and advice she has been giving her in her three months living there.

Finishing up, the both start heading towards the shops on the opposite part of the street away from the food stalls. As they walk towards the direction of a clothing store Mrs. Park desperately wanted to visit, the feeling of being watched again causes Y/N’s heart to start thumping in her chest.

Choosing to ignore it, she continues to walk with Mrs. Park before the call of her name brings her to a complete stop. She feels her entire body freeze in disbelief, the person who called her taking that as a sign to continue calling her name.

Slowly turning around, she holds her breath and prays to God that whoever it was that called her isn't who she thinks it is. Her prayers seems to fail, because standing just in front of her is Ji Woo.

“ Y/N... How.. How are you?” Ji woo stutters out and all Y/N does is stare blankly at her, at loss for words. “ You left so suddenly, I didn't get the chance to talk to you.” she mutters out causing Y/N to grip onto her blue dress in order to calm herself.

Mrs. Park seems to sense her distress because she immediately stands in front of Y/N, hiding her from Ji Woo’s view. “ Can we help you, young lady?” She asks as she carefully observes Ji woo, getting ready to stop her if she decides to walk any closer.

“ Oh please call me Ji Woo, I'm Y/N’s best friend.... I came to talk to her.” Ji woo babbles on trying to get as much as she can out there in case she gets dismissed by the older lady.

Mrs. Park immediately tenses up once Ji Woo gives out her name, the name of the person she desperately wanted to curse when Y/N told her the reason she moved into their small homely village.

Clearing her throat, Mrs. Park rolls her shoulders and gives Ji Woo the best fake smile she can pull off. “ Nice to meet you Ji Woo, but me and my friend here have to go so if you'll please excuse us.” Mrs. Park tells her, quickly turning around and taking now Y/N’s trembling hands.

Walking right behind Y/N in case Ji Woo decides to grab her, Mrs. Park start to speed walk towards the direction of her house before Ji Woo’s scratchy and nasally voice stops them in their tracks.

“ Y/N, please... Please don't leave again. I want to apologize for what I did. I want to make it up to you.” she begs, following closely behind the pair. Y/N rapidly shakes her head, and tugs at Mrs. Park wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Ji Woo seems to be growing impatient as the volume of her voice increases the more they walk away from her. “ Y/N CAN YOU PLEASE JUST LOOK AT ME, YOU CAN’T JUST DROP YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP OVER SOMETHING SO DUMB.” she screams out, attracting the attention of people around the area.

“ STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS Y/N! HOW ABOUT YOU FACE ME LIKE A REAL WOMAN HUH? CAN YOU DO THAT FOR A MINUTE! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO BE A GOOD MOTHER IF YOU CAN’T EVEN FACE ME RIGHT NOW!” Ji Woo yells out causing the duo to stop in their tracks and the chatter around them falls down to just whispering.

Y/N lets out a small sob, the shaking of her hands now having consumed her whole body causing random people around them to whine out in sympathy. She slowly turns around to look at Ji Woo but instead makes eye contact with Mrs. Park. She lets out a small gasp from how mad she looks, the soft look that she would always have in her eyes completely gone instead replaces with the sharp look of anger.

Ji Woo seems to still be yelling out towards them, attracting more attention to them, “ LOOK I’M SORRY I SLEPT WITH HONGJOONG BUT IT MEANT NOTHING TO ME! IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOU WEREN’T A GOOD GIRLFRIEND TO HIM.” she continues to scream, and her last statement seems to shake the crowd around them looking at Ji Woo in disbelief and disgust.

Before Y/N can stop her, Mrs Park swiftly turns around and marches straight towards Ji Woo. The look on Mrs. Park's face seems to shut Ji Woo up as she watches her stomp towards her in a menacing way. Nobody seems to stop her as Mrs. Park lifts up her hand and strikes Ji Woo across the face, the loud sound that resonates from the harsh slap causing everybody to let out a gasp. A couple of feet away from the scene stand two guys leaning against the wall watching the turn of events, one of them gaping at the slap in shock and the other one smirking and mentally cheering for the older lady.

“ I've never in my life raised my hand at someone, much less thought about hitting someone... But you.. You deserved this and so much more.” Mrs Park spits out, rubbing her throbbing hand from how much force she used to smack Ji Woo.

Ji Woo carefully lifts her shaking hand towards her already bruising cheek, the bottom lip split and bleeding. She watches as various people crowd around Y/N to comfort her and multiple other people stand behind Mrs. Park to come to her defense.

“ Now you listen to me very closely, I may not know you well but I know just enough to figure out that you're the good for nothing ”best friend” that slept with y/n’s boyfriend. Of course he's as much of a low life as you and even though I don't like the idea of hitting someone I'll gladly do it to him as well.” Mrs Park says as she watches Ji Woo tear up.

“ I expect you to leave this village and never come back. The police in this place may not be that bright, so if it comes down to it I'll personally drag you out of here myself. Do I make myself clear?” she says and the people around her yell out in agreement, the small crowd around Y/N who are currently comforting her nodding their heads along as well.

Knowing that the older lady in front of her won't hesitate to do as she says, Ji Woo gives one final look at Y/N holding eye contact for a couple of seconds before finally turning around and running away towards her car.

Mrs. Park watches her to make sure that she leaves and once she sees Ji Woo’s car speed away from the area she quickly turns around and pulls Y/N into her arms. Thanking the people around her for taking care of the girl she considers family.

Shushing the crying girl in her arms, she covers her with a black floral cardigan and carefully begins to lead her towards her house. The group around her clear a path for them, giving out words of comfort to the pregnant woman, letting her know that if she ever needs help they'll happily help her telling her that she's apart of the village family.

Making it to Mrs. Park's bright yellow house, they both enter the warm and spacious living room. Leading her towards the soft beige L shaped couch, she sits Y/N in the middle of it taking notice of her quiet sniffing.

Carefully peeling the cardigan off of her, she takes Y/N’s face into her hands and wipes away the tears falling from her eyes. “ You're okay now sweety, she's gone now. I won't let her near you again you hear me.” she firmly states causing Y/N to throw herself onto Mrs. Park’s arms, wanting desperately to be held by someone.

“ I don't want to be that sad ever again. I don't want to cry the moment someone mentions what happened... I want to be happy for me and my baby. I want to finally forget everything and live in peace.” Y/N says as she weeps into Mrs. Parks arms, hiding her face in the older woman's shoulder.

“ I won't let you be that sad ever again baby... You'll have a happy life, you'll live in peace. You and your baby and whether you decide to open up your heart again maybe even a boyfriend or husband, you'll be happy I know it. You want to know how I know this? Because I'll make sure of it.” Mrs. Park whispers to the crying girl in her arms, lifting her hands and rubbing her back.

“ I'll take care of you two... You won't ever have to feel alone again sweety. Auntie will take care of you and your baby.” she says as she caresses Y/N’s stomach, the girl in her arms slowly calming down.

They sit there a couple of seconds before Y/N's broken whisper breaks the silence.

“ Thank you... Thank you so much for everything... I love you auntie.”

Mrs. Park feels her eyes water at the nickname, having been the first time that Y/N actually used it. Pulling the pregnant girl closer, she places a tender kiss to her head.

“ I'll take care of both of you... You don't have to worry about a thing... Not a single thing my sweet girl.”

[spookysanta]

Baby Brownie. (g.d.)

Summary: In which baby GiGi misses her Daddy, even though they’re in the same house.

Pairing: Grayson DolanxReader

WARNINGS: like, 2 swears

i had like three panic attacks today, and nothing is helping. so i’m writing shit that probably sucks to take my mind off of things i’m not in control of. :)

UNEDITED

**

“Mama.” Gigi patted my arm as we sat on the couch. “Mama.”

“Yes, love?” I continued typing on my phone as she watched The Wiggles on our television.

“Daddy?”

“What about Daddy?”

“Wan’ him.” She crawled into my lap and laid her head on my chest, sticking her thumb into her mouth.

“Daddy’s working, I think.”

She sat up with a dramatic frown on her face. “I no like Daddy’s work.”

“And why’s that?” I pushed her hair away from her face, brushing her unruly mane behind her ears. “You don’t like Daddy’s work with Uncle E?”

“No.” She grumbled. “Daddy works.. and—and ‘den, he doesn’t play wit’ me, Mama!”

“Well, you can play with me, cookie.”

“Nooooo.” She whined. “Daddy play.”

I hummed, tapping my index finger against my chin. “How about this?” I thought. “Let’s go see what they’re up to, and if he’s not busy, maybe you can ask him to play.”

“Kay!” She exclaimed, wriggling out of my lap and off the couch, running toward the boys’ recording room. “C’mon, Mama!”

I pushed myself off the couch and walked up behind her, picking her up and walking delightfully down the hall.

“Now, listen.” I told her as we approached the closed door. “If Daddy and Uncle E can’t play, I don’t want any tears from you, okay?”

“Okay, Mama. I big girl.” She grinned.

I knocked on the door, and a loud “come in” was heard from the other side. I attempted to open the door the best I could while holding a kid horizontally, but I made it work and got the door open. “Hey, baby.”

“Daddy! Daddy! Down, Mama! Down please.” She chanted until I finally put her down so she could run to her Daddy. He picked her up and plopped her on his lap, a bright smile on his face. “Hi, Daddy!”

“Hello, my sweet girl.” He kissed her forehead.

“Missed you.”

“You missed me?” He repeated with a chuckle. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

“No, Daddy. Missed you all day long.” She cuddled into his body, putting her thumb back in her mouth.

His thumb reached to her face and caressed her soft and chubby cheeks. “‘M sorry, cookie. Uncle E and I are takin’ a break right now, how about we go have a brownie?”

She sat up quickly. That was their thing— sweets. The entire time before I’d gotten pregnant, Grayson was very minimal with his intake of sweets. But during my pregnancy, my cravings were crazy— and they were always sweets, candy, ice cream, cake.. etcetera.

It seems to me that my craving for sweets sparked his.

“Yes, Daddy! I want one! Can we have some milk wit’ it?” She asked, poking his cheek.

“Yes, honey, you can have milk.”

“Almond milk.” I reminded him.

Because milk is gross.

“I was gonna give her fuckin’ almond milk, (Y/N).” He mumbled, looking in my direction.

Ethan looked up from his phone, noticing Gigi and I were in the room. “Hey guys.” He said as if he didn’t just hear the three of us talking. “What’s up?”

“Hi Uncle E,” Gigi waved at Ethan.

“Hey, peach! How are you today?”

“Fine.” She yawned. “Daddy, we have “bownie” now?”

He stood up from the couch with her in his arms and the three of us walked into the kitchen, where the pan of brownies I’d made sat on the counter.

“Mmmmmm.” Gia hummed in delight, licking her lips. “I want dat one, Daddy.” She sunk her little index finger into one of the brownies.

“Hey! Get your little baby germs off the brownies.” He perched her up on the counter, as he reached next to him and grabbed the serving spatula from next to the brownie pan, picking up the piece she wanted and setting it on a paper towel. “Here, bunny.”

“Tanks, Daddy.” She said with a smile, her mouth already stuffed with chocolate.

“Muffin, you want one?” He looked to me before grabbing a brownie (the biggest piece in the pan) for himself and took a bite.

“Nah, I’m alright.” I shook my head, breaking a piece of my husband’s brownie and putting it in my mouth. “Thank you, though.”

He sighed dramatically. “I know you didn’t just do that.”

“I did.” I smiled. “Listen, I pushed out the baby that you put in me, so now you’re forever indebted to me.”

He chuckled dryly, “Is there ever a day where you don’t remind me that?”

“Nope.” I picked up GiGi from the counter and walked her into the couch to watch our cartoons.

[jiemba]

Sanvers Week Day 5 - Domestic

Cw: hospitals/illness, mentions of police brutality, homophobia

The first time Maggie felt him move, she’d woken Alex so frantically she thought someone had died. But when her wife took her hands and pressed them to her belly, beaming and insistent (“There, right there, do you feel it?”), Alex could only shake her head. That was always her greatest fear, in the beginning. That he wouldn’t feel like hers right away. That he’d never feel like hers at all.   She remembered the pain of having Kara stand before her dressed in black, snarling that they didn’t share blood, and imagined her son spitting the same thing at her, mid-argument, in fifteen years. It had been drilled into her from day one, every time someone would congratulate Maggie but not her, or a stranger would ask how far along her friend was. Every time Eliza would make a shotgun subtle suggestion about ensuring that he had enough male influences in his life. When she would try to visit Maggie during her check-ups and the nurse would ask her, cautiously, if she was a family member. When she would do 3am runs to the grocery store for ginger beer and the cashier would ask how far along she was, only to say “Oh I’m sorry, I just assumed you were the mom”. Now, she couldn’t be more grateful for that distance. It was the only thing keeping her from screaming. She clenched Maggie’s hand on the way out of the doctor’s office, feeling the tremble of her wife’s skin, stopping to take her ashen face in her hands. “It’s gonna be fine,” she found herself saying, only because that’s what you said at times like this, even when the words were hollow in your throat. “We’ll figure this out.” Still in shock, Maggie could only shake her head, glazed eyes drifting somewhere over Alex’s chest, repeating the only thing she’d been able to say since they were told. “We haven’t even named him yet.”

Everybody told them, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a girl or a boy, as long as it’s healthy.” But nothing had prepared them for the news that they were having a son. Alex could only relate it to the same joyous freefall of Maggie telling her they were finally pregnant, reeling from nerves, euphoria, disbelief. She’d felt the world in that minute. Maggie immediately switched to calling him mijo, Alex kissing her wife’s belly at night and whispering how she couldn’t wait to meet him. They couldn’t stop imagining him. Any concerns that arose mostly came from other people - the sceptical glances and unsure comments when people first heard, the way they’d look at Alex like she had nothing to teach him. They were sipping M’gann’s virgin peach mojitos one night at the bar when Maggie had to tug her out of an argument with a hand around her elbow.  “Alex, forget about that guy. You don’t have to listen to some idiot who doesn’t think you can kick a ball. Hell, between the two of us, our kid’s gonna be the most badass, grenade-obsessed, surfing, soccer-playing, crime-fighting science genius in the world. Or he won’t. Maybe he won’t be like us at all and he’ll be a funky arts student or something. It doesn’t matter. Whatever he is, he’ll be beautiful. He’ll be ours. OK?” Alex let her wife tuck some hair behind her ear, finding it impossible not to smile at the possibilities, vast as the sea. “OK,” she murmured, kissing her. “But no grenades until he’s at least five.” Maggie’s head tilted with the laugh, and she wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck. “You’re right, we don’t want him choking on the small parts.” Their own fears came later - faster for Maggie than for Alex. She remembered her brother’s bloodied face against the hood of a cop car at 17, his screams sounding hollow in that empty Nebraska field. She could picture her son at 7 or 8, too scared to wear hoodies outside the house, too scared to run in the mall, hiding under his bed when he heard sirens blocks away. Imagined herself passing on the safety speech her parents had given her and Eduardo, about where to put your hands, what to say, how to make it home alive. Throughout her pregnancy, she and Alex kept attending every Black Lives Matter march they could make it to, Maggie clenching her wife’s hand for the parts when she couldn’t chant, when she couldn’t speak, when she could barely breathe. Alex would stop in the street and kiss her soundly, cradling her wife’s growing belly in her hands, and say, “Listen, beautiful boy. Listen to all these people fighting for you.” After they got home from a march, around five months in, they were making a truckload of brigadeiros and Pão de Queijo (which Maggie would inevitably eat, disgustingly, in the same mouthful) when she stopped, took a deep breath. “Since he’s getting your last name, I think… I want to give him a name that reminds him of his heritage. Eddy and I – we were always so embarrassed of ours, and I just… I want him to be proud of his name, his skin, his language. Not how I grew up, you know?” “Of course.” Alex came behind her to kiss her shoulder, wrap her arms around her belly. “We could name him after your Tia maybe? A boy version?” “Actually, I was going to ask her for suggestions. Maybe she can help us name him? It could be a really nice gesture…” Alex smiled against her wife’s skin. “That sounds perfect.” The initial phone call, in the end, didn’t go as well as expected. Alex tried her best to stay in the shower and give Maggie some privacy, but it was impossible not to hear snaps of English between the Portuguese and Spanish, the yelling of no, absolutely not, you’re not telling them anything about this, they gave up the right to know anything about my life twenty years ago, they don’t get to hear his name, they don’t get to know he exists, you’ll always be his Vovó and that’s all that matters…

Afterwards, Alex found her wife sobbing on the kitchen floor, all hormones and bad memories, and scooped her into her arms. “Darling….” “I don’t get it, Alex,” she cried. “I haven’t even met him, but I feel so much. I love him, so much. Just… how? How could my mom have felt these things for me and still let my dad…?” All Alex could do was sigh, trying to quell her own fears of turning into her mother, and press kisses into her shaking wife’s hair. “I don’t know, beautiful. I don’t know.”

Everybody told them, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a girl or boy, as long as it’s healthy.” But they’d never truly considered the prospect that he wouldn’t be healthy. The doctors discovered it late. Alex and Maggie could sense the edge in their voices as they invited them in for more tests, telling them not to worry until there was cause to be worried. But when Alex heard the words “aortic valve stenosis”, she’d been the one to implode first, leaving to throw up before the doctors could explain to Maggie what the words meant. Back home, if Alex was a whimper, Maggie was a howl. Every day that week, she covered her mouth and screamed in the shower. Alex always heard, held her as she broke, let herself break with her, but nothing she said could convince Maggie that she had done all the right things, eaten all the right foods, that there was nothing they could have done. Their mornings had lost all light. Maggie would find herself holding her breath, unable to get out of bed until she felt him move. “Come on, mijo, wake up for me? Please? Just let me know you’re OK.” Often, Alex’s singing was the only thing that roused him, and she’d kiss Maggie’s belly after, assure him that he was doing a good job, that he was being so brave, that she loved him. Their friends did everything they could. Winn and James brought food, helped Alex with her paperwork so she could clock off early most days. Kara always commented on his heartbeat changing at the sound of someone’s voice, J’onn confirming that he could tell they were there. Alex pulled him aside, tears in her eyes. “Tell me the truth. Is he in pain?” J’onn could only sigh, bringing the closest person he had to a living daughter into his arms. “No, Alex. He’s just very tired. Keep singing to him. He likes it.” She did. For weeks, it was the only sound in their home that was beautiful. “You know what my mom would say if she were here?” Maggie muttered as she sat at the kitchen table one night, unable to stomach even her most desperate cravings. There was a bottle of wine in the pantry they’d bought when they first fell pregnant, saving it for the night they brought him home. They both seemed to feel its presence, just feet away – torn between wanting to swallow it down or smash it to pieces.   “What?” “That this is my punishment. For the life I chose.” Alex shook her head a little, staring only at the table. But deep down, she knew if anyone was being punished, it was her. She had too much blood on her hands after all these years for it to be anything else. “Do you believe that?” Maggie’s lip trembled. “I don’t know.” It occurred to Alex then, almost out of nowhere, that they’d already painted his room, the back wall all spaceships and stars. She hoped it hadn’t been a mistake.

The doctors took no chances. Scans twice a week, bed rest for Maggie. Alex couldn’t always be there. She worked as much as she could, trying to save money for all the time she’d need off, and she was in uniform, overseeing evidence collection fresh after a raid, when she got the call. “Alex, you need to come here.” “Sure, I can drive over -” “No, Alex, you need to get here now. They’re taking him out.” Kara flew her straight away, Alex sprinting straight into the hospital leaving no explanation for why Supergirl had just dropped her at the front door. Maggie was in pieces, refusing to settle enough for the c-section, because what if he dies, Alex, what if he’s not ready, what if he dies and he never knows that we loved him… Alex grasped her hand as they prepped her stomach, drew a curtain across her lower half, got Alex a chair. This was happening. Dear God, it was happening. “We’re not gonna talk like this,” Alex told her firmly, tears spilling out of her eyes. “Not today. You remember when I was drowning? I was drowning, and you told me I didn’t get to act like it was the end. Because we were gonna have a lifetime of firsts together. You remember?” Maggie could only sob in response, the doctor announcing that they were going to start cutting. “No, please, not yet -” “Maggie, babe, don’t look at her. Look at me,” Alex told her, clinging to her wife’s hand as tight as she could. “Listen to me, OK? You told me we were going to have a lifetime of firsts. And we did, beautiful. Our first Valentine’s Day, first Chanukkah, first Christmas. Our first anniversary, at the beach house, remember? We had our first vacation, and I met your Tia for the first time, on the first trips to  home towns. And today we’re having our first baby. Our beautiful boy.” “Alex,” she choked, wincing at the dulled sensations of being stretched apart, but Alex soothed her, brushed a hand over her covered hair. “Just breathe, beautiful. We’re meeting our son today. We’re meeting him so soon, darling. And he’s gonna have a lifetime of firsts too. A year from today we’ll be having his first birthday. He’s gonna walk, and ride bikes, and go to school, and bring someone home to meet us, and he’s gonna be so happy, Maggie. I promise, darling, we’ll make sure he’s so happy…” “I’m scared,” Maggie whispered, hiccupping on her tears as she felt reaching, pulling. “I’m scared too,” Alex breathed, wiping her eyes. “But we just started this. And it’s not gonna end today. OK?” “OK.” She wept, and she closed her eyes, and let Alex’s forehead rest against hers. But they couldn’t help but notice that when their son was taken to a table by the wall, they were the only ones in the room who were crying.

Two weeks from her son’s first breath, eleven days from his first open heart surgery, Alex found herself running. Running because the doctors had just told them of his first infection. Possibly his last infection. Updated his condition from stable to serious. Not yet critical. But maybe soon. Because of course the universe wanted to smack her down from being happy. Of course she didn’t deserve him. Of course motherhood was just another thing for her to fail at. She couldn’t run home. The place was too full of gifts people brought before it all went to hell, the useless baby clothes that were all too big for him, that he might never grow into. The fridge full of cooked dinners people had dropped by, the letterbox full of sympathy cards, the answering machine flashing red. God knows what they were going to do with it all, when this was over. She ran to the only place she knew held people she could trust. James was the first to see her at the door, half-dressed in his Guardian suit, mask off. He pulled her into a hug. “Alex, how are you doing? How’s our little guy?” “The same,” she lied. “I need to speak to J’onn.” But J’onn already knew. He called her up to his office, having heard her screaming mind from down the block. It wasn’t until he shut the door that her knees buckled as she sat, as her vision went dizzy. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, taking in everything she was thinking. “Breathe, Alex.” She couldn’t cry. Not even with a storm raging in her chest, not even with her world collapsing. It wasn’t real. She wouldn’t let it be real. After a while, J’onn said, “Maggie called, hoping to find you here. She needs you, Alex.” But Alex shook her head hard, letting it fall forward into her hands. “I can’t. I can’t be there if he…” “Alex,” he exhaled, his own mind screaming along with hers now. “As someone who’s lost children…” A sob escaped Alex’s chest and splattered against the window. “It was the most painful thing to hear my daughters scream as they were dragged to the furnace. But it’s my greatest regret that I wasn’t there at the end. Even if it meant burning with them.” He closed his eyes, body shaking from the shuddering woman under his arm, from the wound of his own memory. “He can’t do this without you. Maggie can’t do this without you. If it happens, it will hurt like nothing you’ve ever felt before. But if it happens and you’re not there…” Alex choked, wiped her face. “I should be stronger than this. Maggie should be falling apart, but I… He’s not even mine, not really…” “No, Alex. He’s yours. Before he even existed, when he was just an idea, he was yours.” “J’onn’s right, Alex,” Kara said, slipping through the door and kneeling before her grieving sister. “You and Maggie dreamt him up together, made him together, brought him into the world together. And you’re going to get through this next part together.” “I’m scared,” Alex choked. “I know,” Kara wept, holding her hands. “Maggie called me, she told me he was worse. She needs you there, Alex. Luca needs you there. And I know you need them too. So I’m gonna fly you over, OK? He needs his mom for this.” Once Alex caught her breath, she agreed to go, but only if Kara flew her to the desert first. Out there in the dust, she let herself collapse to the ground, let her sister hold her, let herself scream like she could burn the world down.

Maggie left the NICU as soon as she saw them coming. She’d never wanted to fight in front of him. It made Alex long for the start of their relationship. It was a simpler time then, when they could argue about vacations and dishwashers. Not where they would bury their son next week, if they had to. Not picking out coffins the size of fucking shoeboxes. “Nice of you to show up, Alex.” She felt all the bite in the words. Absorbed it. “I’m sorry I left. I had to speak to J’onn.” Maggie trembled noticeably at the mention, knowing exactly what they would have discussed. She shook her head to clear it, twisted her wedding ring around, around. “He’s been OK today. They say if he starts breathing on his own again within the next 24 hours that’s good progress.” Alex didn’t ask what would happen if he didn’t.   On the other side of the glass, they could hear Kara speaking softly to Luca. When you get bigger we’re gonna have the best time together. I’ll take you flying wherever you want, little one. I promise. Alex sighed, stepped a little closer to her wife. “I’m sorry I ran. I was just losing it, I needed -” “I know. I get that. But you didn’t even tell me where you were going. I was scared,” Maggie told her, dissolving in Alex’s grasp. “I know since we found out he was sick you’ve been distancing yourself. You barely felt him kick, you threw yourself into your work. But I couldn’t run. I felt him, every second of every day. Now, not being able to hold him… I feel like someone’s cut off my hand, Alex. I can’t do this without my wife.” “You don’t have to,” Alex whimpered, pulling her into her arms. “I just needed to go and breathe. But I’m here. I’ll always be here. For all of it. All our firsts.” Maggie sniffled, wiped her eyes. “I just hope they’re good ones.” They scrubbed in, suited up, covered their hair, saying goodbye to Kara as she left to give them space. But Alex still had to fight not to break apart seeing him there, his chest bruised, carved straight down the middle. Wires. Tubes. Her son. “He’s OK,” Maggie murmured, her hand rubbing Alex’s back and guiding her closer. “Come sit down.” The first thing Alex did was reach out her hand to take his. Even barely conscious, he knew she was there, his body seeming to release a wave of tension. “I missed you so much, beautiful boy,” Alex wept. “I’m so sorry. I’m back now, I promise. I’m right here.” He shifted in his daze, as if trying to edge closer to her hand, and she held on. Maggie leaned her head against her wife’s shoulder, wiping her eyes. “Looks like he missed you too.”

There was a sign on his capsule. It had hippos on it. “Hi, my name is: Luca Jon Danvers My parents are: Magdalena Sawyer and Alexandra Danvers I like: sleeping with my moms’ t-shirts and soft music   I don’t like: loud talking I’m resting after major surgery. Please visit the washing station and cover your clothes in a sanitised gown before you hold my hand. Do not try to pick me up. Tell a nurse immediately if I turn blue.” They sat in silence for a long while, Alex reading the sign a thousand times over, still not able to absorb that this boy carried her family’s name. Beside her, her wife was praying for the first time in twenty years. Hail Mary, full of grace, she remembered, but after that, her mind was entirely dark. “He looks so much like you,” Alex whispered. And he did – the skin darker than hers, almost black hair on his head. Even his eyelashes, his lips. His eyes, on the few occasions she’d seen them. “He’s so beautiful.” “He is. Can you believe we did this? That we made him?” Alex shook her head “It was all you anyway.” “No. It was us. It’s always been us.” “I just…I feel like after all the things I’ve done, the people I’ve killed… Maybe that’s why. Maybe I don’t deserve him, Maggie -” “No,” Maggie insisted, grasping her hand hard. “We do deserve him. We deserve a real, full, happy life, remember?” Squeezing back, Alex kissed her wife’s forehead. “I want you to know,” she started, but her voice cracked. She swallowed. “I want you to know that I love you. And I’m proud of us for doing this. Whatever happens.” “I love you too, Alex,” Maggie replied, kissing her softly. “And when we get through this, we’re going to have the most beautiful lifetime of firsts, with this perfect little boy that we made. OK?” Alex nodded against her forehead, fighting not to sob. They sat for a few more hours. They took turns eating. Alex sang his favourite, the red robin song, over and over. It was about 9pm, when he started choking. The world spun. Doctors and nurses crowded him, Alex clinging to her wife, telling her that this was good, this was what they needed, that he was fighting his tubes. “Breathe, baby boy,” she found herself saying anyway. “Breathe. Please.” When his lungs filled with air, their world filled back up with light. And as he screamed and screamed, his skin the healthiest red they’d ever seen it, legs kicking at anything he could reach, Maggie and Alex clung to each other, relishing in the sound that meant their son was here, was breathing, was alive. When the doctors finally confirmed that he was stable, removing many of his tubes and wires, they asked who wanted to be the first to hold him. “You should, Alex,” Maggie murmured. “I got to have him for 8 months, it’s your turn.” “No,” Alex replied, running a hand down Maggie’s back. “Together. Always.” The nurses wrapped him up for them, getting them to share a massive armchair as they laid him across their laps. In tears, in disbelief, they stared down at their sleeping beautiful boy, both their hands cradling his head, his body. “God, he’s so small,” Maggie whispered, laying a thumb across one of his tiny feet to compare. Alex smirked through tears, raised an eyebrow at her wife. “Wonder why.” Maggie’s hand left Luca just a moment to lightly smack her, and for the first time in weeks, they laughed. For the first time ever, their held their son, and stroked his hair, and kissed his hands, and their lifetime of firsts had never felt so bright.

[reapers-carino]

The baby headcannons were so cute! Could you do a similar ones with Gabriel, Jesse and Hanzo?

((Thank you! I already did Gabe, click on his name to check it out))

Jesse

Pregnant

This man tears up but then is hollering and hugging you and spinning you around and around ecstatically

You thought he was a touchy-feel cuddle but before but after finding out your pregnant, if you two are in the same room, you are cuddled against his chest with his hands on your stomach

He also can’t keep his hands off of you in the other sense

He started this game of balancing things on your belly, you humored him before the both of you became super into it

Cuts down on smoking a lot, a big reason being that the cigar smoke made you nauseous during your first trimester

Your confidence never wavers the entire pregnancy; Jesse is always telling you how beautiful you are with those lovable nicknames of his.

Sneaks off to have mid-day names with you because he knows you sleep better when he’s there

“Now what’re you doin’ outta bed, darlin’?”

You looked over your shoulder, eyes wide, your tongue mid-lick through a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread. McCree froze for a second before he began to laugh, his right arm wrapping around his middle before he started to make his way over to you. His arms wrapped around your middle, his hands sliding softly, affectionately against the round swell of your stomach. You couldn’t be upset at his laughing, it was 2 in the morning and you had woken up to empty your ever filling bladder before a craving for something chocolate kicked in. You had to have been quite the sight. He placed his chin against your shoulder, kissing the side of your neck sweetly before ghosting a kiss over your jaw and then placing one against your cheek.

“Had a hankerin for some chocolate I’m guessin”, he asked, earning an affirmative hum as you stuck the spoon the rest of the way into your mouth, licking it clean. He snorted softly against your skin, his hands moving in slow, relaxing circles against your covered belly, his body swaying left and right slightly with you.

You leaned back into him as you finished off your little snack, screwing the top back onto the spread. Moving your hands to his, you relaxed as your cowboy kissed your neck, your shoulder, your cheek and ghosted over your ear. You slapped his hand playfully, laughing breathily as he pressed another few kisses against the shell of your ears.

“C’mon now”, he murmured softly against your skin, pulling back only enough so you could turn and walk on your own. “Y’all two must be tuckered out.”

“Well… I could be more tired”, you teased, laughing at the man’s hand moved to your rear and gave a squeeze as he picked up the pace towards the room.

Baby

The serape is now a make shift baby sling, he pretty much goes EVERYWHERE with the kid if given the chance to

McCree absolutely loves his daughter to death, even her death grip on his hair and beard and chest hairs

This man spins some of the greatest stories known to man and tells it in a way that enthralls the infant

Works on teaching the child Spanglish and Spanish

He has the magic touch, naps happen effortlessly and you can usually find them both snuggled up somewhere, his hat somehow covering both of their faces

He’s a heavy sleeper so while you may wake up with the baby, he will stay up if need be

He plays a perfect horsey for her, knee bouncing as he whinnies , usually putting his hat on her head whenever he does this

He is the king of soft, heart aching lullabies in English and Spanish and your daughter can’t help but doze off when listening

“Where’d ya go sweetpea?”

Jesse teased Maria, tilting his hat carefully over his daughter’s face and completely hiding her father from sight. The little girl with ruddy cheeks and brown hair just as messy as her father’s just laughed as her chubby fists pushed the hat back up. Her big eyes lit up as she saw her father, the man placing a light kiss against her nose. Another fit of giggles bubbled from her lips, her arms flapping giddily in the air before they darted forward and grabbed Jesse’s beard to steady herself. Jesse’s hat fell from her head, the child suddenly not caring as she squished and pulled curiously at the soft hairs that made up McCree’s facial hair. You winced sympathetically, silently applauding Jess as he forced a strained laugh from his lips, the both of you working gingerly to release him from the strong infants hold.

“Let papa go sweetie”, you cooed softly, the child finally relenting before grasping at her father’s face and going to nom on his nose. You covered your mouth, going into a fit of laughter, Jesse trying not to laugh too hard.

“Yer bout as strong as an ox”, Jesse teased softly as he pulled his daughter back, leaning down and placing a kiss on each of her chubby cheeks. She babbled happily before giving him wet kiss on his chin, giving her another one on the forehead. “And as pretty as a peach,ain’tcha?”

Hanzo

Pregnant

As we know, Hanzo is a man with more subtle reactions he smiles and he pulls you into a tight hug when you tell him

He is scared/intimidated because, in his words, he has done so much wrong and he does not know if he is deserving of such an honor

He is the biggest worrywart with you; he doesn’t want you to strain yourself or hurt yourself or the baby

He coaxes you into meditating with him when you are up for it, he’ll lightly hold your hands in his when you do

He may not be as physically affectionate when in public but he always stands very close to you whenever you are out

In private he just wants to hold you, massage you, and take care of you

He also practices Japanese pregnancy traditions like taking you to the temple to pray for a healthy birth and to get you an obi for the obi iwai

(Fun noodle hc)

His two dragons are very affectionate and fiercely protective of you and the baby. They will hiss as people who come near you other than Hanzo or Genji.

The dragons are frequently with you when Hanzo is somewhere else on the base, whether on Hanzo order or their own need to watch you, you weren’t sure.

“Cold!”

You squeaked softly as Hanzo’s hands gently smoothed down the itchy, red skin of your stomach, massaging vitamin E cream affectionately into your skin. He held back his chuckle for you, but a good humored smile rested on his lips as he pampered you. You hummed contently as the nagging itching subsided, Hanzo’s calloused hands gently moving in slow round circles against your skin. Nibbling on your bottom lip you studied him as he stared intently at your belly, focused on the child growing within you. His smile drifted away before a small crease formed in his brow, his hands slowing before stopping. You had seen this look before.

“You’re going to be a wonderful dad, Han. I know you are.”

Hanzo’s eyes jumped to yours, a soft smile on your lips as you placed your hands over his. You rubbed the back of his palms in small circles, that confident look in your eyes not waning as he watched you. He was tempted to comment back but he had learned over the months that you wouldn’t back down from this belief. He gently took your hands in his and placing a kiss against your palm.

“I will take your word for it, my love.”

Baby

When Angela first put his son in his arms, he froze before giving a soft sob and hugging his child close

His has finally forgiven himself, with Genji, his S/O and his child’s help

He is openly affectionate with his child, he wants his child to never doubt that he is loved and adored

As laid back/serious he is typically, he is the absolute biggest dork with his son; making silly faces and sounds

He loves just relaxing with his son; reading books/poems with him, drinking tea, walking around, meditating. His son is either against his chest or his back

His teaching of Japanese is a bit more organized than his brother’s, but there’s not true pressure

((Noodle dragons!))

The dragons are like mischievous pets to the child; bringing him shiny things, playing with him, at times carrying the child wherever they might want to go

They are often found sleeping in the child’s crib in the morning although they definitely weren’t there the night before.

Hanzo laid in the middle of the floor, on a mat where all of Haruto’s toys were, holding the six-month old up in the air before slowly lowering him down and kissing his cheeks. Haruto giggled, wiggling as Hanzo held him steady, the archer smiling as he blew a soft stream of air into the child’s face. Haruto’s face scrunched up before he tried his hand at imitating his father, raining a loving, happy raspberry down on the man.

“Good job Haru-chan”, Hanzo said, a bit flatly, earning a babbling laugh from his son, lowering the child to sit on his chest as he wiped at his face.

“Are you blowing kisses at daddy”, you asked, giggling as Hanzo tilted his back and shot you a weak bemused look before the man chuckled softly. You bent over, kissing your husband then your son on the head affectionately, maneuvering so Hanzo’s head sat in your lap.

Hanzo scrunched up his nose before sticking his tongue out at the boy, Haruto’s chubby hands patting against his father’s chest in amusement. You watched as Hanzo made a fish face before carefully picking up his son and covering his chubby cheeks in light kisses. You laughed as you watched them, running your fingers through Hanzo’s loosed hair, your heart swelling happily.

[nogalski-nest]

Eloise's Birth Story

Evan and I actually took two negative pregnancy tests a few days apart before we got a positive. I was starting to get cramps and other normal period signs and finally accepted that this month just wasn’t our month. I could also tell I was getting sick, so I figured that whatever I had, probably prevented ovulation (yes, that does happen. God amazingly wired our bodies to be able to say, “Hey, I’m not at my healthiest right now. Probably not a good time to bring a baby on board.”) Bummer.

Ugh, my glands were swollen, my head hurt, and I was so, so tired. I would come home from work, take a two hour nap, and still be in bed by 9. Not to mention, the cramps I’d had for a week with still no sign of my period. Hmmm…

One day, when I could barely keep my eyes open at work, I texted Evan and told him I was going to stop by the store and grab one more test on my way home. That way, I could call my doctor to be seen the next day (at this point I was convinced I had mono) and she wouldn’t think I was crazy. This test was about a week after the first one we took and I had every indication I was going to get my period. It was going to be negative. BOTH of us were fully expecting it.

Evan came home and I took the test, handed it to him, and waited. Evan always read the tests so he could, for at least a few seconds, be the only one to know I was pregnant. Was it just me or was he staring at this test longer than normal?

Evan: “How long are we supposed to wait again?” Me: “This box says three minutes.” Three more minutes pass… Me: “Is anything showing up? Like is the negative line there?” Evan: “Well… here’s the thing… you could be pregnant.”

We stared at each other and the test for a few minutes. Complete. Shock. Honestly, I expected to be more excited. But I couldn’t be excited until I confirmed that this was not just a fluke. I grabbed my purse and put on my shoes to go buy three other brands of tests. While reaching for the door, I looked back at Evan, who had made his way to the couch and asked, “Are you coming?” to which he responded, “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Three positive tests later and I decided to call my doctor the next day.  I now understood that I, in fact, did NOT have mono, but a baby instead! They estimated I was about six weeks along based off my last period. (They were wrong, more on that in a minute.) They scheduled me for an ultrasound at nine and half weeks.  But wait. The cramping. One evening it got so bad that I felt like someone was grabbing each of my hips and ripping me apart like a wishbone on thanksgiving. And everyone knows cramping in pregnancy is bad. Right? Wrong again. I went in to see my doctor the next day. She did an exam and I had to get two blood draws done, 48 hours apart. The draws showed that my hormone levels were rising just as they should be. My doctor assured me that cramping is actually completely NORMAL because your body is stretching and growing at a crazy rate, even that early in pregnancy. Whew, crisis averted.

Despite the cramping and a few other minor complications that, thankfully, turned out to be nothing major, I felt pretty good! I made it to eight weeks with no morning sickness and even got to enjoy Evan’s bi-annual family vacation in North Carolina… until the day before we left. I braced myself for the FOURTEEN hour car ride back to Michigan, PRAYING that I could keep it together for one day. I had a relatively good handle on things until we all stopped at Chick-fil-A and everyone brought their breakfast in the car. That was the moment I lost it. Evan just threw up his hands and said, “Well, surprise! Val’s pregnant.” (For the record, Jim teared up.)

I spent the next few weeks feeling more like I was dying than growing life, and then we had our first ultrasound. I’ll never forget the moment the tech turned on the monitor and said, “Well, this is what’s making you sick.” There was our little bean. It even wiggled for us. It was too early to hear the heartbeat, but we could physically see the heart beating inside the little body on the screen, a healthy 166 bpm. We were both in complete awe, sucked in to that little bean on the screen. All of the sickness, canceled plans, and tears of exhaustion became worth it in that moment. We also found out at that ultrasound that I was not 9 weeks and 5 days. I was actually only 7 weeks and 6 days. My due date was officially confirmed at June 14th.

After that ultrasound, we had my parents over for dinner to celebrate my mom’s birthday. I told her we had a present for her, only it wasn’t ready yet. But we had a picture! I handed my mom the ultrasound picture and I couldn’t even count how long she stared at it. Finally, she said, “Is this what I think it is?” I asked, “Well, what do you think it is?” To which she replied, “It’s an ultrasound picture!” When we told them I was due in June, my dad’s first comment was, “Mary, you get a picture for your birthday but I get the real thing!” (God certainly has a sense of humor because, lo and behold, their first grand baby actually would be born on my dad’s birthday!)

At 12 weeks, we got to see our little peanut again. I could not believe how much he/she was moving! How was it possible that I wasn’t feeling this? Baby was moving around so much that I couldn’t help but laugh, which made him/her move around even MORE! Needless to say, we are overly thrilled and so thankful to have a healthy little baby on the way.

Right around 18 or 19 weeks, I began to feel some little flutters! At first, I honestly thought it was just gas but the kicks grew stronger and stronger and by 20 weeks they were unmistakable. Then, right before little babe turned 20 weeks, Evan decided he couldn’t wait any longer to find out the gender! So, we walked into our 20 week scan, ready to find out if we had a little girl or a little boy. The tech asked us if we had any feelings about the gender. Well, feelings were an understatement. I knew from the moment it sunk in that we were pregnant that this was a girl. There was no doubt in my mind. I just knew. Evan had been praying for a girl (not that we wouldn’t have been thrilled with a boy. I mean, a mini Evan walking around, come ON.) But this one… this was our little girl. In that moment though, I froze. I told the tech we had a feeling but I didn’t want to say it out loud in case I was wrong. Then Evan, being the straightforward guy that he is, stated blatantly, “We think it’s a girl.” The tech smiled and said, “Well… you were right.” She then proceeded to show us all of the intricate little parts of our baby: lungs, brain, kidneys, and all four chambers of the heart, all of them looking textbook perfect. At the end of our scan, the tech shared that if all babies looked the way ours did that her job would be easy!

The next step was to plan a gender reveal to share the news with our friends and family! Instead of using the traditional pink and blue, we decided to use peach and mint for the theme because they were our wedding colors! We made pins for everyone to wear their guess and confetti poppers for the reveal. When it was time, we got everyone in a big circle in Jim and Tracy’s basement and on the count of three, every popped their popper! The reactions were priceless to the pink confetti flying out all over the floor!

At 24 weeks, Evan finally got to feel our daughter move! Up until then, she would be dancing like crazy but the very moment he put his hand on my stomach, she would immediately stop. We had the theory that Evan truly was calming for her. We’ll see if it holds true when she’s born! I will always remember what a sweet moment it was when he felt that first tiny kick.

Over the next few months, we felt and watched baby girl move and grow. She even got the hiccups a few times! Sometimes she moved quite a bit, bee-bopping around like a little jumping bean!

At 36 weeks, Mommy and Daddy got to see baby girl on the ultrasound again. Linda, the tech, said that when she saw my belly she thought we were going to have a little baby. But this baby was 6lbs 7oz already, which was nice, healthy, and maybe even a tad on the bigger side! We watched her practice her breathing, her stomach moving in and out on the screen. Linda mentioned that she must get a lot of hiccups because she was practicing so vigorously!

As the last few weeks started to wrap up, we grew all the more anxious to meet our baby girl. I started eating six dates a day and drinking red raspberry leaf tea in an attempt to prepare for the big day. (Eating all those dates also completely curbed my cravings for anything sweet, haha!) It was a scramble to get the nursery together, hospital bags packed, getting mentally and physically prepared for labor and feeling the urgency of knowing that it could be any day now that we would finally get to meet our daughter. But even in the midst of all of the anticipation, some of my favorite moments were those where I stopped to look at Evan and thought about how none of this would be possible without him. There wouldn’t be the three of us if there hadn’t been the two of us first. I didn’t think I could love him anymore than I already did, but this brought a whole new level of love that I couldn’t have imagined before. God picked the perfect husband for me and the best daddy for our daughter.

On Saturday, June 10th, Evan and I went out for what we figured would be our last dinner date before we would start needing a babysitter. Little did we know exactly how true that would be. That evening, I noticed that baby girl seemed to be moving around a lot less than normal. I just had a feeling that something was different. I hadn’t felt the need to do any kick counts during my pregnancy because she was such a strong and regular mover, but that night after dinner we laid down in bed and did a kick count. Sure enough, I felt 10 movements within about a half hour (the standard for a kick count is 10 movements in 2 hours.) I felt a little better but I still had the sense that something was different. I made a comment to Evan about how ready I was for this baby to come, and Evan leaned down near my stomach and said, “Get out.” I laughed and rolled over to go to sleep… for about an hour.

At 1:00am on Sunday, June 11th, a contraction woke me up. I started to drift back to sleep since I’d had false labor contractions previously, until I noticed how wet I felt. What on earth? Had I peed myself? I put my hand down on the sheets and whoa… the sheets were wet. I stood up to go find Evan (he sometimes falls asleep on the couch watching TV) and I felt a gush of fluid. My pants were soaked. That’s when it sunk in. My water had broken.

Good thing I had finally persuaded Evan to help me finish packing and sorting our hospital bags the day before since, ya know, we were due to have a baby in three days. I am not a procrastinator and had been trying to tell Evan that our daughter might not be either. Sure enough, I was right because we were on the road to the hospital by 1:30am, three days early.

The drive there was nothing like I imagined. Despite what you see on TV, there’s only a small percentage of women who have their water break at the beginning of labor. I had imagined laboring at home first and being in agony on the way to the hospital, but my contractions were relatively light and weren’t coming in any kind of consistent pattern. Even though little gushes of fluid kept coming every few minutes, I was getting nervous that maybe I had just peed myself and the hospital staff would send me home. We arrived at the emergency entrance, which is where our hospital tour nurse had told us to go if I went into labor after hours. Evan went in to make someone aware of the situation and a security guard came out with a wheel chair. I told him that my contractions weren’t very strong yet and I was certain I could walk, but he made me get in the wheelchair anyway and a nurse wheeled me down to Labor & Delivery. Now I really felt like a goon because I, 100%, didn’t need this wheelchair.

When we got to triage, they hooked me up to the monitor and confirmed that baby girl was doing great and that I was, in fact, having contractions. The physician on duty came in to check me and confirmed that I was leaking amniotic fluid (not pee) and that I was already dilated six centimeters! They admitted me and by the time we were settled into our room, my contractions were coming consistently, every three minutes or so. Labor continued progressing pretty steadily from there. Thankfully, I was able to (kind of) sleep during the first part of labor, even if it wasn’t very deep because of the contractions. When transition came, I knew exactly what was happening because I had prepared myself with four different birthing books. Despite knowing about 30 different ways to manage pain during labor, my body instinctually went with the Bradley Method, which tells you the opposite of every other pain management technique, to relax through your contractions. By relaxing your body, you let the contractions work for you instead of fighting against them by clenching up. I’m convinced that letting those contractions work for me is what made my labor progress so quickly. I’ve never focused on anything so intensely in my life. My goal with every contraction was to get to the peak of it and then remember that it was going to drop back down and I would get a minute to whisper “Ice” to Evan, who would feed me an ice chip and then I would fall asleep (no I’m not kidding) for about 60 to 120 seconds before the next contraction started to build.

Finally, the Doctor came in and told me I was completely dilated and that it was time to push. In every birth story I’d heard, pushing was always the woman’s favorite part. I have to say that for me, pushing was the part where I questioned my decision not to get the epidural. Pushing is HARD WORK. I was exhausted and was truly afraid I wasn’t going to have the stamina to make it through. Praise the Lord, the Doctor let me sip on apple juice in between pushes and that little spike in my blood sugar gave me some energy to keep powering through. Then I heard the Doctor say, “I see hair!” I was so surprised! Hair? My baby girl has hair already? What color was it? Was there a lot? And then Even, “I see it, babe! It’s there!” We were so close to meeting her! Just a few pushes later and the Doctor started getting all of his surgical gear on, which he told me he waits until the last minute to do. This meant it was go time! A few more pushes and the Doctor asked me to get my hands ready because after this push I was going to have a baby in them.

Eloise Nicole Nogalski was born June 11th, 2017 at 10:35am. When I felt and saw her for the first time, the whole world stopped. She was even more beautiful than I imagined. This was her. This was the little bean we saw give us a wiggle on that very first ultrasound. This was the little soul that moved and kicked and hiccupped in my belly. This is what she looked like. And she did have so much hair! All I could do was laugh and say hello. Evan cut the cord and they took her and measured her. She weighed 8lbs even and measured 20 inches long. I had pushed for about 50 minutes and labored 9 hours total.

Eloise came out with a lot of fluid in her lungs and had a hard time regulating her oxygen. Her initial blood work was also showing signs of a possible infection, so she spent the first five days of her life in the critical care nursery. She was weaned off of her oxygen by the second day and was responding well to the antibiotics. Mommy and Daddy got to stay with her in the CCN all day and Mommy was able to feed her. Eloise was a champion breast feeder right from birth. The CCN nurses were amazing and took such great care of our baby girl when we couldn’t be by her side. She was a fighter and recovered quickly. On Friday, June 16th, we got to bring our sweet Eloise Nicole home. And so begins our story as a family of three…