This Story's Going Somewhere

Chapter 17 - Patrick

 The weeks began moving faster and faster once we'd seen our baby for the first time. It was like time sped up the second I'd laid eyes on the little bun. Nora's stomach seemed to be growing bigger every day, and right now, as I laid in the back of the van with her, I couldn't keep my hands off that little bump. It was visible now beneath her shirt, a clear reminder every day that we had a baby on the way. We were currently waiting on the guys, who were in a music store that we happened across on our way to Boston, Massachusetts. I had declined to go in, a first for me, simply because Nora and I rarely get moments alone outside of our hotel stays. We were laying in the very back of the van, after making room for any new instruments that they guys might buy while in the store. Nora was on her back, her eyes closed, and I was on my side next to her with one hand moving in slow circles on her belly.

She was absolutely glowing. For the first time, I was looking at her now as a mother, and I could tell she was going to be a great one. She was just over twelve weeks along now, barely into the second trimester. I'd noticed a change in her eating habits already, though the morning sickness has subsided significantly. Interestingly, she's started eating with Andy, telling us that even the smell of fast food was turning her stomach. I'd made attempts to take her out to eat more often when we had the time, and she was always more than thankful for it. At the same time, however, she'd sent Pete and I on a grocery store run three times in the last week to buy her salt and vinegar chips, which seemed to be her number one craving. I was determined to do all I could for her, and I only hoped it was enough.

Nora opened her eyes and looked up at me, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. I smirked back at her, and her hand moved to rest over mine, stopping the circular motion of it on her belly. "What are you thinking about?" She asked, rolling slightly onto her side to be closer to me. I moved my hand to her waist and moved my head nearer to hers.

"You," I said honestly, "and the little bun."

Nora blushed slightly, a light rose color dusting her cheeks. "What about us?" She asked shyly, her hand moving to my chest. I was wearing a button down blue shirt, buttoned most of the way up my chest, but as she played absently with the buttons, she began to undo them, one at a time.

"I was thinking about what an amazing mother you already are," I whispered, nudging my nose gently against hers. She lifted her eyes from the buttons on my shirt to meet my gaze, and I grinned. "And I was reminding myself that we need to find another grocery store before we get to Boston, so we can stock up on more chips for you."

Nora giggled and playfully pushed at my chest. "I still have a whole bag," she laughed, to which I simply rolled my eyes and pulled her closer.

"And we both know that'll be gone by tomorrow morning," I told her, and she pouted at me. "Don't give me that look," I laughed, "You know I'm right."

"I know," she giggled. She gazed at me a moment, then looked back down to finish off the buttons on my shirt. I let her, watching curiously as her fingers moved slowly down my abdomen. When she was done, she moved my shirt out of the way to expose the white undershirt beneath, running the palms of her hands slowly over my chest, down to my stomach. I took in a deep breath as she did, closing my eyes to the warmth of her hands through my shirt.

Since getting back together, we've been trying our best to move as slowly as we could with our relationship. Usually, we did pretty good, but it was moments like these when I craved the feeling of her hands against my skin and knotting in my hair like they had the night we'd met. When her lips suddenly pressed against the edge of my jaw, I froze, unsure of where this was going. I certainly wasn't going to do this in the back of a van; That would be far too degrading for her. She continued to kiss me and I kept my eyes screwed firmly shut. Her lips travelled slowly over neck before making their way back up to my jaw. With one hand on my cheek, she gently pulled my head back down to her. I opened my eyes briefly to glance at her before she was kissing my lips and my eyes fell closed once more.