Disarm

Chapter 32: I Caught you Dancing

**Jade**

I watch on the monitor as Billie gently dances around the nursery with Chase as she hums an unfamiliar tune trying to calm him down from the small meltdown he had after bath-time.

"You okay now?" I hear her ask on the monitor.

"Yeah." He says sniffling.

"Okay, let's go apologize to mommy and tell her good night, yeah?"

"Yeah." He says nodding slowly as he rests his head on her shoulder and wraps pieces of her hair around his fingertips.

I hear soft knock on the door as Billie pokes her head in, "Can we come in?"

"Yeah." I say setting my laptop aside and adjusting myself on the bed, good lord my ankles are swollen...

"Go on." Billie says setting Chase down as he walks over to me as he looks at the floor.

"I'm sorry, mommy." He says looking up at me.

"What are we sorry for?" Billie asks crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hurting your feelings."

"I forgive you, baby." I say putting my hands on both of his cheeks as I kiss his forehead. "But, when mommy says 'Stop' we need to listen next time, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you." I say looking him in the eyes.

"I love you back" he says reaching up to hug me. I look up at Billie who is smiling as she takes in the interaction between me and Chase.

"Okay dude, time for bed." She says extending her arm out to Chase.

"Okay." He says taking her hand, "Good night, mommy."

"Good night baby." I say as I watch Billie scoop him up and carry him out of the bedroom. I watch them come back into frame on the monitor and Billie takes a seat in the glider, like so many nights she's done recently. I don't know what I'm going to do if she decides to leave again... it'll emotionally kill me.

"He's finally asleep..." Billie says walking to the room, shutting the door gently behind her. "How are you feeling?" She asks sitting on the bed next to my legs.

"I feel like one of those bloated whale carcasses floating in the middle of the ocean." I say rubbing the large mound that is my stomach as I take a deep breath while Daphne uses my cervix as her personal punching bag.

"You don't look like a carcass." She says rubbing my calf applying just the right amount of pressure.

"Thanks..."

"Would you be okay if my parents, Claudia, and Fin came down for Thanksgiving? I know Aunt Sherri and Uncle Frank will be here but..."

"Yeah, that's fine. Your family is more than welcome to come here for Thanksgiving."

"Great." She says smiling, "my mom makes the best mashed potatoes and gravy."

"Well, I'm out of commission so Aunt Sherri and your mom will be doing all the cooking."

"You cooked dinner last night."

"Grilled cheese sandwiches and buttered noodles is hardly dinner." I scoff.

"You turned a burner on... So, it's cooking." She says raising her eyebrows.

"Fine." I know I'm not going to win this argument.

"You're about 2 centimeters dilated, and baby's head is in position." Dr. Mullins says removing her gloves as Billie helps me slowly sit up.