Prior Rings

Chapter 53: Tobias - Complicated

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie!

WARNING: If you are pregnant, particularly if you're in your last trimester, do NOT read this chapter until after you have your nice, normal, safe delivery. Trust me on this.

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Chapter 53: Tobias – Complicated

(Tris is 30, Tobias is almost 33, Abigail is 4 3/4, and Emily is 3 1/2)

"Have you been watching your sugar intake?" Dr. Martinez asks, her expression somewhat sour.

"Yes," Tris answers immediately, and I confirm it more roughly than is probably necessary. I can't quite help it – the doctor looks like she doesn't believe us.

"Well, I don't know how to account for the baby's growth, then." She returns to looking at the ultrasound. "But there's no question that he's big. A lot bigger than Abigail was at this point."

It's certainly not surprising, given how much larger Tris' abdomen has been this time around. She's been doing everything right – watching what she eats and exercising regularly – but she just keeps growing, and so does our son. It's obvious by this point that she's miserably uncomfortable, and there's still a month to go.

"We'll need to keep a close eye on his measurements," Dr. Martinez finally says with a sigh. "It's too soon to say for certain, but if he keeps going at this rate, we're looking at either needing to deliver him early, or surgically. But it depends on his head circumference and his shoulder width, so we'll watch those two for now."

"And in the meantime," she adds, her voice reprimanding, "you need to stick to the diet. Gestational diabetes is no joke."

"I have been," Tris snarls. But it's still obvious that the doctor doesn't believe us, and we're all disgruntled as we part ways until the next appointment.

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"All I'm saying is that I would have been thrilled to have a c-section," Christina tells Tris with a shrug. "No labor pains, and no pushing. You just get your baby handed to you." She gives me a significant look before adding, "It would almost be like being a dad."

I roll my eyes, but Tris frowns at her best friend. "Except that the recovery time is longer, and the delivery is riskier, and I'll be left with scars. I'd rather just do it the way I did with Abigail."

Christina gives her a somewhat more sympathetic pat on the arm. "Yeah, that's not really a choice this time, is it? So, you might as well enjoy the good side of it."

Realistically, she's right. With two weeks to go, Eli has officially grown over the threshold for a vaginal birth, even if they induced today. So, we're scheduled for surgery on his due date, with the provision of having it sooner if labor begins. It's not what we wanted to hear.

Tris gives a long sigh. "Well, at least this way there's an end in sight. It was starting to seem like I'd be pregnant forever."

"I can definitely relate to that," Christina agrees, and I know it's time for me to give them some privacy. I can put up with a lot, but I'd really rather not listen to my wife and her best friend discuss all of the aches and pains and rashes and nausea and various other symptoms of their pregnancies. There are some things it's better not to know.

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Eli shows no sign of budging on his own, so we make our way to the hospital at the scheduled time so they can make him emerge.