One Step At A Time

Liam could tell from the way Jo hugged him that something was wrong, because it was her desperate ‘don’t-let-go-off-me’-hug.
“You okay there?”, he asked.

“Just my mother…”

“You know, Josephine, we should lock both our mothers in one completely empty room for a week and leave them to themselves and see who of them is going to kill the other one first”, Alfie said dryly. “We could install a camera and watch them like real-life TV, would be really entertaining. Oh, and of course the room is soundproof, so we don’t hear their annoying nagging. It would be incredibly peaceful having those two locked away…”

Liam had to chuckle but Jo wasn’t sure if it was only a joke or if Alfie was in fact serious, you could never tell with him.

“I’m all for it.” Liam grinned, but quickly cleared his throat when he saw Jo’s raised eyebrows.

“That’s still my mother, Liam…”

“I actually did that once when I was younger and still lived at home”, Alfie said. “My mother couldn’t shut up and got so much on my nerves that I locked her up.”

“You what?” Liam and Jo looked surprised at him, although Jo seemed a little more shocked while her husband seemed very interested about that idea of locking up annoying mother-in-laws.

Alfie shrugged his shoulders. “Was just for a couple of hours until one of the maids found her. Anyway, I had a quiet afternoon that day, and if the maid wouldn’t have found her, I would have had a quiet night as well. It’s not like my father would have looked for her or anything.”

Jo still looked shocked while Liam had a hard time holding back a grin. Oh man, sometimes he was very tempted to lock Elizabeth into a room. Of course he would make sure that she got enough to eat and drink, he didn’t want to torture her, just lock away…That would be nice…

“Liam…” Jo looked warningly at him. “I can tell what you’re thinking right now.”

“What?”, he looked innocently at her.

“Don’t even think about it.” Her eyes wandered from her husband to Alfie. “And you better don’t put stupid ideas in his head.”

The older boy smiled cynically. “That would never cross my mind. Right, little man?”

Liam nodded. “That’s true, Jo, all we talk about is politics and economy.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure you are”, she replied teasingly.

Liam noticed that Alfie didn’t look at Jo’s stomach, which was a nice change for once, since people constantly stared at her stomach as if they had never seen a pregnant woman before. He also noticed that he barely looked at Ricky but that had probably to do with the fact that Ricky was constantly surrounded by one of his parents, and Liam doubted that Ricky had told them about…certain things. However, what he did notice was Alfie looking into Graham’s direction, and before Liam could say something the other boy was already half turned away from them.

“What are you doing?”, Liam asked.

“I’ll just have a normal conversation with your father, Liam.”

“Your definition of ‘normal’ is a bit different than mine.”

Alfie chuckled. “Relax, little man, I won’t say anything inappropriate in front of daddy. By the way…” He turned to Jo. “Nice played today.” Then he turned away and headed towards Graham.

“What was that?” Jo looked confused.

“That was a compliment on your piano playing today.”

“A compliment? From Alfie?” She raised her eyebrows. “Was that meant to be sarcastic?”

“Nope.”

“Wow…that is…weird.”

“Well, he’s right, you did a good job today.” Liam kissed her cheek, but kept an eye on Alfie to make sure he really didn’t hit on his father. “By the way, don’t you like the idea of locking your mother up? Just for one day?”

Jo rolled her eyes. “No I think she would be worse afterwards, but I won’t stop you from imagining it.”

Liam grinned and kissed her again. “How do you feel? You look tired.”

Jo smiled, but leaned her head against him. “I’m okay, just as you say a little tired.”

Liam tightened his arms around her. “I want you to sit down, and not at the piano.”

Jo smiled. “Liam I’m the hostess.”

“And in your fifth month of pregnancy, no one will mind if you sit down. I am no really asking you to sit down, I’m telling you.” Liam looked worried at his wife. “Fine!” Liam managed to swoop her off her feet and carried her in the living room where he sat her on the couch. “Sit. I’ll get you something to drink.”

Jo smiled at Liam.

“So how do you feel Jo?” Ellen sat down next to her. Jo leaned her head against the older woman’s shoulder.

“Tired but okay. Have you seen my mother?”

“Yes Lorelai is with her.”

“Yeah she is good with her. I wish we had more fruit, I would love to have some.”

“Pregnancy cravings you gotta love them.” Ellen wrapped her arm around Jo’s shoulder. “But everything else is okay?”

“Yes everything else is okay. Oh and the big delivery is coming in three days including the keeper.”

“Did you tell Liam yet about this?”

“No, he is not so into animals and he will not see the point to have them.”

“Sneaky little girl.”

Jo grinned. “Just a little.”

Liam returned with something to drink for Jo and found her sitting next to Ellen. He was glad they had Ellen, she was a great help, especially in comforting and supporting Jo throughout her pregnancy. It was good that Jo had both Ellen and Lorelai she could turn to if she had questions, and they would calm her down if she worried something was wrong with the baby.
“Here.” Liam handed Jo her glass and turned to Ellen. “Can I get you something?”

“No need for that, you just came back.”

“That’s no problem, I’m standing anyway.”

“I’m okay”, Ellen replied with a smile.

“I’ll get you something anyway, I’m one of the hosts, after all.” Liam didn’t give her a chance to argue, he smiled and turned away to get a drink for Ellen. On his way he almost walked into Ricky who had Henry on his arm.

“Hey, you two”, Liam said friendly.

“Henry just told me that he secretly collects caterpillars in his room, and mommy and daddy don’t know about it.” Ricky looked at the little boy on his arm who grinned cheeky.

“Really? How come you understand what he says? Everytime Henry says something all I hear is baby babble, I just don’t understand what he says.”

Ricky chuckled. “Oh, you’ll learn to understand toddlers, don’t worry about it.”

“Hopefully”, Liam mumbled. “I wish babies were born with the ability to talk, oh, and with the ability to write, to use the bathroom on their own, and to solve really hard math problems.”

“I hate to tell you this, but there is no such baby”, Ricky said, grinning. “And not even you will be able to ‘invent’ a baby like that.”

“Ah, let’s wait and see, maybe I come up with something.” Liam looked at Henry who started babbling again, and he really didn’t get what the toddler said, but Ricky really knew what to do. “How come you know so much about children?”

“What? Me?” Ricky shook his head. “I don’t know much about them, I just love spending time with them. I just like seeing how carefree and happy they are, how they look at the world and how they love others, so completely unconditionally.”

Liam wasn’t sure if he only imagined it, but there was something in Ricky’s eyes that revealed a hidden sadness. Liam felt bad, because he was becoming a father and knew that he would absolutely suck in that, whereas Ricky would have been such an amazing dad who really wanted it, unlike Liam who didn’t really like thinking of himself as dad.

It almost seemed as if Ricky had just read his thoughts. “I know you don’t see it yet because Jo’s pregnancy came as an unexpected surprise to you and I understand that you’re not ready to be a dad yet, but you have no idea that you’re about to get the most valuable gift there is”, he said calmly. “You’ll have a son or a daughter soon, and I promise you, the moment you’ll see him or her for the first time, you’ll know what kind of precious gift that is.”

Liam was very quiet for a moment. “I’m still freaked out…”

“That’s fine, I would be surprised if you weren’t.” Ricky smiled at him, then he tousled Henry’s hair who played with Ricky’s tie. “But trust me, you’ll learn to love him or her. I’m pretty sure you already do…”

Liam tried to avoid looking at Ricky and Henry. Truth was; he didn’t want to love the baby, not in a way that could bring any harm to the baby. The other truth was; Ricky was right.
He cleared his throat. “Ehm…anyway, I’ll have to get a drink…” He smiled briefly at the other boy, then he quickly turned away, got a drink for Ellen and walked back to the two ladies on the couch. He handed Ellen her drink and sat down next to Jo, his hand reaching for hers. He didn’t look at her, nor at her stomach, but when he touched the ring on Jo’s finger with which he proposed, his mother’s ring, he slowly looked up, into his wife’s brown eyes.
“You okay?”, she asked.

“Sure.” He shot her a brief smile, and in that moment he realized that it was their last Christmas together, just the two of them. Next year at the same time it would be them…and a child.

Jo leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’ll love you.”

Liam looked at Jo. “Are you okay?”

“Yes just tired and enjoying Christmas and being pregnant. It finally feels good. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m tired. It looks like everyone is having a good time.” Jo mumbled, her eyes were slowly dropping.

“Yes everyone does. Hey Jo I think you should go to bed. I know the party is still going but you look exhausted.” Liam wrapped his arm around his wife.

“Jo Liam is right you look tired and it is nearly midnight.” Ellen said gently to the young girl.

Jo sighed. “Yes soon, in a little bit.”

“Come on let’s say goodnight and Merry Christmas to everyone.” Liam go up and helped Jo up, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Don’t worry about the guests I will take care of them.” Ellen got up and hugged Jo. “Merry Christmas girly.”

Jo hugged her back, said to all guest goodnight and went with her husband upstairs.

Christmas beautiful and relaxing, they went to Lorelai’s and also to the William’s house. Elizabeth was rather quiet during the visit she was still shocked how Liam had spoken to her. But now it was all over, all the magical time of Christmas was over. It was just after lunch and Liam was in his lab when the truck arrived. Jo saw it run down the driveway and she quickly went outside.

“Mrs O’Doherty?”

“Yes that is me. The stables are just over there so please don’t unload the animals here.” Jo smiled excited at him.

“Sure would you like to ride along it’s a rather long way in your condition. May I help you?” The driver offered his hand to help her up into the passenger’s seat.

“Thanks. Have you heard of the keeper?” Jo asked while she sat down on the seat.

“Yes he is about to arrive within the next hour.”

The driver drove the truck the little way down to the stables. He helped Jo off the truck and then went to unload the animals.

“Each stable is labelled so that the animals have a proper place to be.” Jo was excited that her petting zoo finally arrived. Pigmy goats, miniature pigs, alpacas, a several sheep, a couple of donkeys, land turtles (Greek tortoise), guinea pigs and also some rabbits and a few cats to keep the stable mice free. All together 20 animals and place them in the small horse stable. The driver was uploading all the animals and bringing them in their box.
Jo was standing outside overseeing the man work and playing with one of the mini pigs.

“Excuse me Mrs Josephine O’Doherty? I’m Matt your new zookeeper.” A well middle aged man got out of his car offing Jo his hand, while he was clearly checking her out.

“Hello nice to meet you.” Jo shook his hand and smiled, she knew Liam wouldn’t like the thought of having a zoo on their grounds but Jo knew that animals are a huge help as friends for the students that would arrive in two weeks, well the boarding students would arrive in two weeks while the day students arrive on the first day of school in three weeks.

It was sometime in the afternoon when Liam finally left his lab and went looking for Jo, who just came in from outside.

“Hey, where have you been?” He pulled her into a hug and immediately noticed that she smelled…strange. It was a smell he couldn’t quite relate to anything, but it was definitely not her usual vanilla smell. She smelled more like…outside. But not like fresh grass, more like hay.

“Ehm…Liam, there’s something I have to show you…”

“And what’s that?”

“You’ll see.” She took his hand shyly and led him outside, where a truck with an older man was waiting. Jo walked to the truck and asked the man if he could drive them to the stables again. Liam raised his eyebrows. What stables? Was she talking about Lorelai’s horse stables? Oh, please no stables, he was allergic to that damn hay!

“Eh…Jo, where are we going? What stables?”

“I’m sorry, I know you shouldn’t be too close to hay, and I’ll make sure you won’t have to go right into the stables, but you should at least have a look at…it.”

“It?”

“You’ll see.” She smiled and got into the truck. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he got into the truck as well. They didn’t drive far, they were still on the Waterfall Downs property, and then they stopped in front of some stables. Before Liam got out of the truck he already saw a few animals, and he slowly started to get what was going on. They got out of the truck and Jo held his hand tightly.
“I know you don’t like animals, and I swear you will never have to set a foot into the stables if you don’t want to, but I decided to get a little petting zoo for the kids.”

“A what?” Liam looked from his wife to the stables.

“We have about twenty different animals, and they are all very easy to handle and harmless. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you anything about it, but since you won’t notice it anyway I thought it’s okay. I mean, you have absolutely nothing to do with it, we have a zoo keeper who will take care of everything, so you don’t have to worry about it at all.” Jo smiled innocently at him.

“You bought a zoo…?”

“The kids will love it.”

“You bought a zoo?!”

“Liam, please don’t be mad…”

“I’m not mad, I’m just…I….eh…” He paused for a moment. “You have to tell me those things, Jo. I’m your husband, I should have a saying in this too, you know?”

“You would have said no.”

“Well…maybe. I just don’t see the point in having a zoo.”

Jo sighed. “It makes me happy, Liam. I like being with animals, and I already accepted your wish of not having any in the house except Teddy, so please let me have at least some outside. And like I said, you will never get involved in this.”

Liam was quiet for a moment, then he took a deep breath. “Okay, keep your animals, I won’t say anything…” His eyes wandered back to the stables. “What the fuck is that?”

“What?”

“That white, fluffy thing.”

“Oh, that’s an alpaca.”

“Oh, Jesus!”

Jo chuckled. “Do you want to see the rest?”

“No.”

Jo rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“And who the hell is that?” He just spotted a well-built man in his mid-thirties. “Did you buy that guy too?”

“No, silly, that’s the zoo keeper, Matt.”

“That’s the zoo keeper?” Liam raised his eyebrows. “He looks like you picked him up from some night club and pulled some flannel shirt over his head to make him look more rustic.”

Jo giggled. “I love it when you’re jealous.”

Liam crossed his arms. “I’m not jealous.”

Jo tiptoed and kissed Liam. “I know you are not. And I promise you that you don’t have to take care of the animals at all. But it will be really good for the children.”

Matt walked over to them. “Hello you must be Mr O’Doherty, nice to meet you. Your wife talks a lot about you. It is an honour to work for you.”

Matt shook Liam’s hand, Jo turned around to bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. She so could read Liam’s face. He was so jealous.

“Matt I told you that Liam will not be involved in any way with the animals. The only one he is taking care of is me and the baby.”

“I totally see why he would do that.” Matt grinned at Jo.

“I can totally take care of myself.” Jo mumbled.

Liam pulled Jo closer into his arm.

“Mr O’Doherty there are many studies that show that animals are helpful for the development of children. Don’t worry I will take good care of everything.” Matt’s eyes were wandering up and down Jo’s body before his view was resting on her boobs.

“Oh I know Matt you will, that’s what your references said. Liam he is the best for the job, don’t you think so?”

Liam didn’t even pay attention to what anyone just said, all he noticed was this Matt guy checking out Jo, and no, Liam was not reading too much into this, that guy really checked her out. He didn’t like that smirk on the older guy’s face, and he especially didn’t like the fact that his eyes rested on Jo’s boobs. Her boobs, out of all things! Of course Liam was aware that men sometimes looked at her boobs, after all, he looked at boobs of other women as well, but he couldn’t stop this feeling of jealousy inside of him when he realized that Matt- who was not unattractive at all- checked her out right in front of him, as if he didn’t exist.

“Liam?”

“Hm?” He finally stopped staring at the other guy and paid attention to Jo.

“You still with me?”

“Yepp.” His eyes wandered back to Matt. “I’m always with you, Jo. I’m your husband, remember?” He put an intentional emphasis on the word ‘husband’, just to make sure Matt would get the message.

“Anyway, I’ll better continue working so the stables will get completely ready for the animals”, Matt said. "Nice meeting you two.”

“Same here.” Jo smiled, but Liam didn’t respond, he just eyed the zoo keeper suspiciously.

After they go back to the house Jo decided to take a shower because she had been in the stables for a while and needed to get the smell off from her. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, only dressed in her bathrobe, she almost stumbled into Liam who had also gotten changed because he felt like he smelt like animals and stables as well, although he hadn’t even been inside the stables.

“You know, it might not hurt if you tried to be a bit nicer to Matt”, Jo said while she was rubbing her wet hair with a towel. “He didn’t do anything to offend you, and you were quite…well, not particularly charming.”

“Well, sorry, but I do in fact feel offended if someone is checking you out in front of my eyes as if the fact that we’re married doesn’t matter.”

“He did not…”

“Yes, he did!” Liam crossed his arms. “And I feel like guys who are older than me never take me seriously at all. I probably have to grow a beard or something and –“

“Don’t you dare, or the next thing you’ll see from me are divorce papers.” Jo smiled, walked to her husband and put her arms around him, not realizing the effect that had on him. She was barely dressed and smelled very good after the shower, and when Liam felt her body he also felt how much he wanted her. He kissed her on the lips first, but his kisses wandered quickly down her neck and at the same time his hands were opening her bathrobe, but she backed away from him.

“I told you I can’t…” She looked uncomfortably at the floor while she closed her bathrobe again. “I’m sorry.”

Liam tried not to look pissed, but it was really hard to pretend that he was okay with it. However, he also knew he shouldn’t pressure her, even though it drove him crazy, and knowing that there were still a few more months to go didn’t make it any better.
“You don’t have to apologize, it’s okay”, he mumbled while he shoved his hands into his pockets and already half turned away from her. “Anyway, I’ll work in the lab for a little while longer. You should get some rest, we have some busy days ahead of us.” He looked briefly at her, then left the room and went downstairs.

Jo sighed she hated that she was so sensitive. The few days until the teachers arrive passed by quickly, it was not even six yet when Jo opened her eyes. She started kissing Liam, her kisses were wandering further down his neck. Liam moaned opened his eyes and pulled her up. “Good morning, you are up early.”

Jo grinned and pushed her hand further down his torso into his boxer shorts.

“Jo what are you doing?” Liam didn’t want to stop her but it was easier for him when he stopped her and it wasn’t her stopping him again.

“I am about to give my husband a handjob and maybe when he is nice to me I let him touch my boobs and give him a blowjob.” Jo grinned and kissed him, while she pushed his hand up her naked body. “Whoa when did you take off your clothes?”

“Just my shirt.” Jo blushed.

“That is something.” Liam kissed Jo passionately. And he got the reward and not just the small but the big one. Jo’s head was resting on his chest. “Are you happy? I mean feeling better?” Jo wasn’t ready to look at him again, it was not her favourite thing to give her husband a blowjob. It was kind of gross but she loved Liam and that’s what she will do to make him feel how much she loves him.

In about three hours, well now more two hours would the teacher arrive for the welcome breakfast. In the kitchen the cook was most likely already working on the food.

Good question; was he feeling better? Hell yes! Jo had no idea how much better she made him feel. At least in those moments it gave him the chance to forget that he wasn’t allowed to sleep with her for the next couple of months.
“Thanks a lot, you make me really happy indeed.” His hand wandered to her head and stroked her hair gently. “So, you’re ready to be the boss of people who are older than you?”

“I’m not so sure, to be honest…”

“That doesn’t surprise me, you’re hardly any bossy at all. I wish you were a bit bossier. That’s kind of hot, you know?”

“I don’t want to be ‘hot’ for other teachers, Liam.”

“Hell no, that’s not what I meant! When you’re with the other teachers you have to let them know that they have to listen to you and have to take you seriously, and that only works if you raise your opinion once in a while and don’t play the shy, polite girl, because they won’t respect you if you’re like that”, Liam said. “Well, and when we’re alone, just you and me, then it wouldn’t hurt if you showed a bit more of a different bossy side. I just don’t want you to be like a lifeless doll who doesn’t have anything to say…”

Jo looked up. “Am I a lifeless doll for you?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just…I want to make sure you won’t let other people take advantage of you, whether it’s professionally in your job, or more personal when you’re with me. I just want you to be happy as well, okay?”

“I am happy”, she said quietly.

“And I’m not sure if you really are.”

“I am, it’s just the whole pregnancy thing. It’s not easy…”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Jo sat up and pulled her shirt back over her head, and at the same moment she felt Liam’s hand on her stomach.
“I hope it’s not coming out with three heads and six feet…”

She chuckled. “Then I’ll blame you for your crappy genes!”

Liam was quiet for a moment, he almost seemed lost in thoughts. “I wonder how it looks like…”

Jo looked surprised at him. “You’re thinking about how the baby might look like?”

“Ehm…yeah…” He felt stupid, but he actually started to blush. “I mean, I know it will be bold, and tiny, and blue and red and not that pretty when it comes out…but I mean later, when it will actually start to look like a human person.”

A smile crossed Jo’s face, but before she had the chance to say something he got up. “Anyway, we have to get ready now, I don’t want to welcome the teachers in my boxershorts.”

Jo giggled. “Mh I would love to see you greet them just in boxershorts.”

“You wish.” Liam grinned and kissed Jo. “Come on, I won’t let you greet the new teacher in just your pyjamas.”

Jo hold on to Liam’s shirt. “I love you.”

“Mmh you taste good.” Liam played with a lock of Jo’s hair before he finished getting dressed. Jo got up and took her red dress she planned to wear. Luckily Lorelai was shopping with her for new underwear, but when she tried to zip her dress it didn’t work.

“Liam can you help me? Zip me up please.” Jo turned around so that Liam could zip the dress and he tried…

“Erm Jo, I can’t zip your dress.”

“Why?” Jo looked shocked at him.

“Because it is too small.” Liam looked at Jo.

“What?” Jo looked in the mirror and saw it herself, the zipper was not possible to close because of her visible baby bump. “Damn. I hate this. I’m a fat ugly cow.”

“Hey that’s my wife you are talking about say something nice.” Liam pulled Jo in a tight hug. “Only I am allowed to call you a fat cow.”

Jo sighed. “I don’t know what to wear, everything is too small. Or I look ugly in it.”

“That’s not true.” Liam still held his wife in his arms.

“Yeah I guess, I think I can wear the blue skirt and do you think the teacher mind if I wear a jumper instead of a blouse?”

“No I don’t think so.”

“Will you mind?”

“No, of course not”, he said. He didn’t say that he preferred his wife to be shield up from other peoples’ eyes anyway, because he didn’t like the fact that men saw her curves, and in a blouse they would definitely see more than in a jumper.
After they were ready they headed downstairs, but it was still early, so nobody was here yet except the cook who prepared the breakfast in the kitchen. Liam went to get the newspaper and they sat down in the living room where they had a little bit of quiet time before the teachers would come in, and soon the building would no longer be so empty but filled with students.

“I hope you’re aware that we totally lost it”, Liam said while he opened the newspaper.

“Why?”

“We’re opening a school while we’re basically still kids.”

“Oh, you think we can’t do it?”

“No, I think we can, but I also think that we’re crazy for doing it.” He looked up from the newspaper. “We will never have privacy again, never. Apart from the fact that the house will be filled up with students every single day we will also have a child on our own, so today is really the last day we had any privacy at all.”

Jo crossed her arms. “Anything else?”

“What?”

“You sure sound optimistic…”

He rolled his eyes. “I was just pointing out the truth. Won’t you miss the privacy we used to have?”

“We still have privacy, Liam, that’s why we have a whole, huge, separate flat to our own.”

“Which will be filled up with a kid very soon as well, so there goes our privacy again…”

“Your enthusiasm shocks me”, she said sarcastically.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we do this, I’m sure it will be a good thing, but I just…I feel like the two of us didn’t have enough time to really be together, not only as a couple, but a married couple. It just all went too fast…”

Jo grabbed his hand. “I know it did, but we really need to make the best out of it, don’t leave me hanging, okay?”

“No, of course not.” He was just about to kiss her when a young woman knocked on the door and walked in.

“Hi, I’m Frida Nilsen.” She smiled friendly. “Are you Mr and Mrs O’Doherty?”

That sounded so weirdly formal, but the two got up and nodded.
“Yes, that’s us.” They greeted the newcomer friendly, who was the new teacher for art and foreign languages. She was from Sweden herself, and Liam liked the fact that he was no longer the only one with an accent here.

“Hello.” Jo smiled and got up from the couch. “I’m Mrs O’Doherty it is very nice to have your here.”

“Oh my gosh you are pregnant and so young and so beautiful.” Frida took Jo’s hand and shook it. “May I?” Jo knew what Frida wanted and before she could say now Frida’s hand was on Jo’s stomach. Jo went pale, just as she did when Ricky’s mother did.

Liam cleared his throat and stepped behind Jo, putting an arm around Jo’s waist. Frida pulled her hand away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just very excited this is my first job and I totally love this school. I’m sorry I talk a lot.” Frida smiled.

“Mrs Jo? Here is a Mrs Evelyn Masterson. Oh…” The maid stopped and looked at Frida.

“Oh should I have let you announce me?” Frida looked from the young maid to Jo.

“No, no that is not necessary.” Jo said petting Frida’s hand. “Can you send Mrs Masterson inside, please?”

“Sure think Mrs Jo.” The maid smiled and went outside.

“That is cute they call you Mrs Jo, like in the novel. That is very sweet.” Frida smiled.

“Good morning.” The older woman looked at Jo, she and Jo had met before during the interview she had not like Frida that had her interview via the phone because she was still in Sweden.

“Good Morning Mrs Masterson.” Jo went to the older woman and shook her hand as well. “This is my husband Liam O’Doherty.”

“Oh Mrs Jo, please we agreed that it is nicer to be called by our first names. Mrs Evelyn. It is overdue to meet you Mr O’Doherty.” Evelyn shook Liam’s hand.

“Hello.” Liam was looking at her suspiciously as if he expected her to touch his wife as well.

“Mrs Jo you look wonderful, how do you feel?” Evelyn kept an appropriated distance from Jo and she didn’t intend to put her hand on Jo’s stomach.

“I’m feeling wonderful. Shall we go in the kitchen? I hope you don’t mind that we eat in the kitchen. Oh Ellen there you are, Ellen this are Mrs Evelyn Masterson and Miss Frida Nilsen.” Jo introduced everyone politely and would let the proper who does what talk for later at the breakfast. She was holding Liam’s hand tightly as she often did in situations that made her nervous. Jo kept looking at Frida, she was pretty hot and Jo felt jealous, crazily jealous! Like claw scratching her eyes out jealous.

So far everyone seemed nice, and Liam was glad that none of the ladies were crazily intimidating, although he was pretty sure that Evelyn could get strict, but sometimes it was necessary, especially if some of the students were like he was when he was a student. His teachers had been strict with him too, but never listened to any of them. Hopefully they wouldn’t have too many students who were like him. Frida seemed very nice, probably a bit too nice, a bit like Jo, so he hoped she would be able to handle a group of kids. She was also very pretty, but not in a way that made him stare at her like he usually did when he saw Lorelai. Of course he didn’t notice the way his wife glared at the other young woman, he would never notice anything like that.

“Is everyone here?”, Ellen asked as they walked into the kitchen.

“No, there’s still one more”, Jo said, and in the same moment the maid appeared behind him, announcing a Mr Albert Douglas.
They turned around and saw an older man with a tweed jacket entering the kitchen. It took him a moment to actually look at Jo and Liam, and when they all greeted him, he barely got a word out. He was definitely very British, and he raised an eyebrow when he heard Frida’s and Liam’s accent, since it wasn’t British enough for him.

“So, did you get here safely?”, Jo asked.

The man didn’t respond at first, he just stared at Jo’s stomach which made Liam immediately feel tense. It was one thing if women looked at her stomach and wanted to touch it, but it was another thing if men did it, especially if they looked as strangely as that old dude. Liam didn’t mind that much when Graham or Ricky wanted to touch Jo’s stomach, those were pretty much the only guys he was okay with, but that was about it. Well, Colin, of course, but she was her father anyway, so that was something different.

“Yes, I did”, the man answered without any facial expression.

Jo smiled friendly while she introduced everyone to him. “Oh, and we call each other by the first name. Is that okay with you?”

“As a matter of fact, no”, he said. “I do not want to be called by my first name, especially not from the children, otherwise they won’t learn respect towards their teachers.”

Everybody was quiet for a moment until Jo cleared her throat. “Well…yeah, but they will still respect us, they just don’t need to call us by our last name.”

“I still prefer to be called Mr Douglas”, he replied.

Liam raised his eyebrows. That guy seriously needed to lighten up a bit.

“Okay, no problem”, Jo finally said, turning slightly to Liam who watched the older man carefully. “So, looks like we’re complete then…”

The next couple of days were stressful with the boarding children arrived and just a couple of days later it was the first day of school. Liam kept asking Jo if she was okay and whenever he had a chance he made her sit down. Liam wouldn’t admit this out loud but he was glad that Teddy was watching Jo like a hawk as soon he couldn’t do it. But it was a bit weird that any time Liam came back in the room and took care of Jo, Teddy disappeared in the background waiting for the moment Liam had to leave Jo to keep an eye on her. Jo was just giving a few classes because of her pregnancy.

It was Thursday and the second time she was having her Victorian Literature class when she felt weird. Something wasn’t right. Since a few days she felt like she ate something really bad. When it suddenly hit her… She jumped off her chair she was sitting in –her classes were always in the library- and ran to Liam who was in the Astronomy class right now. Jo walked in the classroom, she was pale and slightly shivering when she took Liam’s hand who looked surprised at her.

“Jo are you okay?”

Jo didn’t reply and pushed his hand under her shirt and placed it on her belly, she looked scared but also a slightly happy at him. Waiting for his reply of what he felt.

Liam had just started a more precise description of the consistence of planets when his wife stormed into the classroom, looking pale, almost scared. He immediately knew that something was wrong with the baby, it must be. He could see it in her eyes, and he was suddenly feeling very scared to ask, but before he could ask what happened, she took his hand.
“Jo, are you okay?” He asked her instead of asking whether the baby was okay. There was something inside of him that didn’t want to know the answer.
But she didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed his hand under her shirt and placed it on her belly.
It felt different than usual.
Very different.
He felt something moving. The baby…it moved…it really moved.
Liam just stared at Jo’s stomach, unable to say anything while his hand still rested on her belly. He completely forgot about the students who were watching them, it was a very intimate moment between him and Jo, and he didn’t take notice of anything around them. A small smile played around Jo’s lips.

“It’s her…”, she whispered.

Liam was still quiet while he felt that tiny little foot kicking. The past months he still kept thinking of that midget as some little creature, not a human person, but the fact that it moved made it so much more real. It almost scared him. It almost scared him how much he cared…

“What is it, Mrs Jo?”, one of the young girls asked, and he heard some chatting among the students, but he didn’t really pay attention to them.

“She’s kicking”, she said quietly.

Liam didn’t know why he cared so much, he just knew that he cared way too much, and he just couldn’t stop it.
“That is…eh…” He cleared his throat. “Cool.” He slowly removed his hand, still looking at Jo’s stomach, but then he turned back to his class. “Anyway, let’s continue, I have a lot more to tell you about the planets…” He tried not to show that it kind of freaked him out, the baby, his baby that moved.

Jo looked at Liam who just continued with his class, and she put her hands on the same spot Liam’s hand just had been. Why was he so uninterested. She knew that he had troubles connecting with the baby but this?
Lenna sniffled back a few tears and left the room. She didn’t go back to her class but went upstairs into their flat. She curled up on the bed and hugged her belly.

“I’m sure he loves you. He is just scared to love you, because he is scared that he can lose you. I’m sure that is the reason peanut.”

Not much long Ellen came upstairs, one of Jo’s students had told her that Jo just left the class and didn’t come back.

“Jo are you alright?” Ellen sat down on the bed next to her.

“The baby is moving. I felt it.”

“Oh Jo that is wonderful.” But Ellen saw that the young girl wasn’t alright at all. “Jo what happened?” Ellen was rubbing her back.

“Liam hates the baby. I went into his class and he felt the baby kick and then he didn’t say anything and just continued his class. He hates the baby and he hates me for having the baby. I should have made sure that I never ever can get pregnant. He told me he doesn’t want kids and I thought he would grow into the idea but he hates the little peanut.”

“Jo no that is not true! He loves you so much that he is just scared, scared of losing you because of the baby. Listen I will be back okay but I gotta do something first you stay here.” Ellen kissed Jo’s cheek and went downstairs to Liam. He was in his office.

“What the hell do you think you are doing, being all tough? Your child moved the first time and you for the first time were able to feel your baby and you don’t show the slightest emotion. Jo is upstairs devastated. She thinks you hate her. How can you do this to her? Are you trying to pushing her away or are you just stupid? Do you know that you hurt her more than you could ever do? Liam this girl upstairs loves you so much she would do anything for you. Why do you hurt her so much?” Ellen didn’t mean to upset him but someone needed to shake him up. Someone needed to open his eyes.

After Ellen paused for a moment, he just raised his eyebrows. “You done?”

“Excuse me?”

Liam scribbled a star constellation on a piece of paper. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that you women always think you have to defend each other, but honestly, it’s between my wife and me, and I’m tired of people constantly butting in and telling me how much she loves me and how much I hurt her.” He didn’t look up. “Lorelai basically stands in the corner watching me like a hawk, just waiting for the moment to kick my ass if I say something wrong to her precious cousin, and it seems that every other person around us does the same. You’re all on Jo’s side and-“

“Because you behave like an idiot, Liam. You married Jo, and that means that you have to support her, but ever she got pregnant you always keep a distance.” Ellen shook her head. “You have no idea how hurtful it is to be on your own with that baby while your husband ignores you.”

“I don’t ignore her.”

“But you don’t show her much support either.”

Liam kept staring at the sheet in front of him. “I know I don’t treat Jo right all the time, especially since that whole baby thing, but all of you always see her side only, she has everyone’s support and I’m…I just…” He was quiet for a moment. “It freaks me out too, you know? It’s not all about the woman who is pregnant, I’m just as freaked out as she is, probably even more, but nobody cares because everyone thinks it’s the woman who’s supposed to be freaked out, nobody thinks for a second that I might be equally scared of this whole…situation.”

Ellen watched the young father-to-be quietly. “Liam, you know that you can talk to me as well, I’m on nobody’s side, you can ask me-“

“That’s okay.” He got up and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Maybe that’s your problem”, Ellen said. “You think that everyone is on Jo’s side, but honestly, how can we understand your point of view when you never talk?”

Liam stopped at the door. “Thanks for helping Jo when I’m obviously a jerk. At least she can count on your support.” He was tired of discussing his and Jo’s personal life with other people, especially since he always ended up being the reason for everything bad that happened to Jo. He knew he was the reason, but he didn’t need other people to constantly point that out to him.
He went upstairs to their flat and found Jo lying on the bed, her hand rested on her belly, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Why do you always tell everyone that I hate you? You know that’s not true.”

She didn’t reply, she didn’t even look at him.

“Do you want me to write cheesy love letters every day and send you flowers so that you believe me that I don’t hate you?”

Jo sighed. “It’s not about hating me, it’s about hating the baby and me for having it.”

“I never said I hated the baby.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” She turned her head slightly towards him. “You don’t need to say anything at all, it’s so obvious…”

Liam closed his eyes for a brief moment. “I hate the fact that I want to listen to its heartbeat all the time, that I’m in class and instead of focusing on the students I keep thinking of the baby, and whether it’s a girl or a boy, and what kind of person he or she will grow up to be. I hate that every bloody night I lie awake, worrying that something might happen to it, and then I start wondering what will happen to us when something will happen to the baby. I hate that I worry about someone who I haven’t even met yet, and that this someone is constantly on my mind, almost every bloody second of the day, and that I get restless when I don’t hear that stupid heartbeat, and that I…I’m scared, and it’s freaking scary that you can care for someone so much without even having met them yet, and I’m not used to it, and I don’t want to care like this, but I do. “ He didn’t look at his wife. “There’s no way I could ever hate this kid, even if it turns into me and be an insensitive jerk and hurt so many people around it, half of its genes will always be yours, and I can’t hate someone who carries a part of my wife inside of them.”

Jo sat up, for a moment her gaze was on her journal and her mind went to what was in it. Maybe she had been wrong?

“Liam why did you never tell me this stuff?” She got up slowly and hugged Liam tightly, he was first stiff but relaxed quickly and hugged her bad.

“I just don’t think you want to know all this stuff. I look like an idiot if I said it.” Liam mumbled.

“No you don’t. You look like a human, the man I married. Liam I want to hear what you think, I need to know this stuff. Liam don’t you realize that it had been weeks that you told me that you love me. It doesn’t matter that I know that you love me it is like you knowing how my lips feel like and you still like to kiss me.”

Jo’s head was resting on his shoulder.

“I know you don’t hate me and I know you don’t hate the baby, but… Liam you know how it is to grow up without a father and sometimes I feel like you would prefer if she doesn’t know you. At least not as her dad. And it scares me. Because maybe you are right, maybe I would never be able to do what your mom did. I could never delete you out of my life like your mom did with Graham. I want you to be a part of this pregnancy as much as you want to. And I told you anytime you want you can listen to the baby’s heartbeat. You want to have a lunch break you do nothing but listen to her heartbeat? Sure I can nap while you do this. I mean, you are right I have to slow down a lot more. Because I am not a very strong person the pregnancy is taking a lot. I feel like sleeping 23 hours a day. So I do whatever you tell me to, that’s why my classes are me sitting in a big armchair in the library. But all this is not the point I want you to be a part of this pregnancy and but I can’t force you so you have to talk to me. Okay? That’s what I’m here for. To be your partner in life.” Jo calmed down her breathing slowed down, just by being close to Liam. She wished she could jump over her shadow and sleep with him, but the thought of Liam touching her skin freaked her out.

“You know what I would really love right now? Watermelon.” Jo looked with doe-eyes up at her husband.

“Eh…what?” Liam looked confused at his wife. He needed to get his ears fixed, because if he didn’t know it any better she just asked him if she could have…

“Watermelon”, Jo repeated. “I’m really, really craving it right now.”

“Watermelon?”

“Yes.”

“Watermelon?!”

She smiled innocently.

“It’s January, there is a snow storm outside, and you want watermelon?”

“Please, Liam…” She pulled at his jumper, looking with her doe-eyes at him. How could he say no to that?

He sighed and got up. “Fine, I’ll get you your watermelon.”

“Thank you!” She got up as well and kissed him, which only reminded him of what he was missing so much. He had a craving too, and it was certainly not watermelon, but unlike Jo he didn’t get what he was craving for. Unlike her he had to wait a couple more months to finally get it, and just the thought of waiting so long was awful. He was just glad he didn’t marry an African elephant, that would have meant he would have to wait between 630 and 722 days to get what he wanted. Geez…that would be horrible!

Liam left the house and asked Charles to drive him to the closest grocery store. Usually he never ordered Charles, he felt weird having a chauffeur driving him around, but it was too slippery on the road and Liam was not a good driver, so he knew it was probably wiser to get Charles. It took much longer than usually because of the snow, but when he came back he quickly hurried upstairs and found Jo still lying on bed, reading a book.

“It’s good that you’re resting”, he said. “I wish you would stay in bed more often.”

“I’m okay, Liam, I’m not running marathons.”

“Still…you should rest more.”

She smiled because he had one of his moments where she saw how caring he was.

“I got your watermelon. Don’t ask me how expensive it was, I probably never saw a stupid melon that expensive, but my wife so desperately wanted to have a watermelon in the middle of the winter.”

“I’m sorry.” She smiled apologetically. “Liam?”

“Hm?” He raised his eyebrows because he knew she wanted something.

“Any chance you could get the peanut butter from the kitchen?”

He just stared at her. “Seriously?”

“Please?”

“Seriously???”

“Did I mention that I’m pregnant?”

“I had no idea”, he replied dryly.

“Did I mention that I love you?”

“I think you did…once or twice.”

Jo got up and kissed Liam. “You are the best husband I can ever think of, and I and peanut want to show you something for you.” Jo pulled Liam to the bed and sat down. She took his hand and put it on her belly. And then she started humming, and then it happened. The baby was pushing itself against the belly. Liam felt his baby responding to his wife’s voice.

“I bet when you play to her on the guitar she will like it a lot.” Jo munched while she ate her watermelon slices with peanut butter, and she was drinking pure lemon juice.
Liam looked at his wife. “Is this lemon juice?”

“Yes, would you like some?” Jo offers him the glass.

“No thanks I’ll pass.”

Liam looked back at her belly. He didn’t say anything he just felt the tiny feet and hands pressing against his hand. Jo was holding his stethoscope in case he wanted to listen to the baby too.

“I think she likes it when you touch her.” Jo whispered.

It was freaky to feel the tiny feet pressing against his hand, and yet it felt nice. It was freaky just thinking of the fact that a tiny human being was inside of his wife, and that just in a few more months he would see it for the first time, his daughter or son. Jo kept saying ‘she’, as if she knew it was going to be a girl, but Liam had no idea what it would be, no intuitions whatsoever, he just hoped it would be healthy and like Jo, not like him. He was worried the child could become too much like him, he really didn’t want that. Its mum was such a great, wonderful person, it should become like her, not like its father who would never even be a real dad.
Liam took the stethoscope and listened to the heartbeat. He didn’t know why this sound made him so happy, he didn’t want it to make him happy like this, but it did. Something so ridiculously insignificant…and yet it was so great. So beautiful. There was no way he would tell Jo, he felt stupid to feel that way about the baby’s heartbeat.

“She can hear you, and she feels you.” Jo’s hand wandered to Liam’s that was still on her belly. “It seems like you’re almost too shy to speak to her.”

“What? No…” Liam shook his head.

“Do you think it’s stupid?”

“What?”

“Talking to her.”

“No.” Maybe Jo was right…maybe he was actually too shy to touch and talk to the baby. Because it was weird…weird how much he cared for midget. How much he wanted midget to listen to him, to respond to him. How much he wanted midget to be healthy and happy.
Liam took a deep breath, removed the stethoscope, got up and returned with his guitar. In the beginning he felt weird because he was playing to a stomach, but when he started humming, the baby started moving and Jo smiled.
“See, she can hear you. She wants to say hello to her daddy… “

Liam stopped playing and stared at the stomach.
Daddy.
This word freaked him out more than anything else. Just the thought of a tiny human being calling him daddy…
Liam quickly got up and put the guitar aside. “I really need to get back, I have another class.”

“Oh, okay…” Jo nodded slightly. “I guess I’ll just stay here then…”

“Sounds good. Do you need anything else besides watermelon and peanut butter?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m good.”

Liam quickly kissed her forehead and walked to the door, but before he left the room he turned around once more. “I hope she likes music”, he said, not realizing that he called the baby ‘she’ for the first time. “Maybe…well…if she wants to…she doesn’t have to, but maybe I could help her playing the guitar. Not that I will have much time for-“
Daddy stuff
“Eh…stuff like that, but still…only if she wants to…spend time with me, I’m not sure that she will, but in case…” Liam turned away and left the room. He needed to think of other things than the baby. He needed distractions, something that stopped him thinking of daddy stuff.

Jo sighed and put her head back down, but then she got up and took Liam’s guitar. She didn’t know how to play the guitar but she liked touching it. She pulled gently at the strings and whispered. “I think you would like that being taught by daddy how to play this guitar.”

Jo was sad that Liam was always distant at least she knew now why. She stayed in bed, well she planned to but she went down to the music room and started playing. She felt so ugly and knew that Liam wanted. She really wished she could give it to him.

Before his classes were out she went back upstairs and started dinner. Nothing special just pasta and sauce, well and peanut butter for her. Liam came upstairs having a large pile of papers on his arm. Jo looked at him and knew that he had to work on those long on those things. Jo sighed she got in the living room and turned on the TV. She was really upset. She just didn’t understand why he was caring so much but not showing. Liam was standing in the door frame watching his wife.

“Did you rest well this afternoon?”

Jo got up and looked at him. “Did I rest well? Liam I am I bloody hippo! I can’t rest anymore she always squeezes my organs and you no matter how much you care you don’t show it. I mean not even that you care for me. I love you so much and all you do is say ‘yeah erm… ‘ it is exhausting. I don’t know what you want. I am sorry I don’t want to sleep with you but I can give you a blowjob?”

Now there were two options; he would either have to talk with Jo about his feelings or…he could just accept her offer, which was very tempting, since he already felt an itch in his trousers. But…(yes, there was a ‘but’, dammit!)…He knew it would be wrong just by looking at Jo. She looked sad and tired, and it just wouldn’t be right, even if he kind of really wanted it. He sure as hell didn’t want to talk about his feelings, but she seemed to be really hurt because he was apparently distant towards her. He didn’t really realize it until she pointed it out. He was aware that the past weeks he had spent much more time in his lab than he usually did, and he even fell asleep there and stayed there overnight instead of going back upstairs to his wife. It wasn’t on purpose though, well…not because of Jo. Sometimes he just felt like he needed to get away from all that…baby stuff. He just needed to look at her and was immediately reminded of the baby and that everything would change soon and he would have to give her up to someone else whom she would love more than anything.
After a moment of silence he finally said something. “Well…eh…”

Jo sighed and walked to him, still looking unhappy. She was about to unzip his trousers when he stopped her.
“You don’t have to”, he said.

She didn’t look at him, she just stared at this chest. “But you want me to.”

He took both her hands and held them. “I want you to believe me that I don’t avoid you on purpose, and if I do it’s not because I want to, but because I don’t really notice it. I don’t feel like I’m distant to you.”

“But you are.”

“Okay, then I’m sorry, I really didn’t want you to think that I do this on purpose to avoid you.”

Jo looked up slowly. “I feel like you’re so distant because I’m no longer pretty enough for you. There are so many pretty girls here, like Frida for instance, and I’m…I’m a fat ugly hippo!”

“Jo, you’re not a fat ugly hippo”, Liam protested. “You’re seriously hot, and I would totally like looking at you with your clothes off, but you never take them off in front of me because you think I don’t like what I see, but I do.”

She still didn’t look convinced. “You like pretty women and looking at them, and I-“

“I like looking at my wife”, he said calmly. “If she would only allow me to look at her once in a while…”

Jo was shivering by the thought of being seen naked by Liam, but then she pushed herself away from him. “You really wanna see a fat naked ugly hippo?”

Before Liam could answer she turned around and disappeared in the bathroom. Not long after she walked out naked. “You really wanna see this?” Jo shrieked a little hysterical.

Liam opened his mouth to say something but he couldn’t say a word his pants though spoke clearly for him. His naked super hot pregnant wife aroused him insanely and if she wouldn't let him he would rip his own clothes from his body and have sex with her the entire night or until they are too exhausted to move. But Jo wouldn’t let him, he stepped a little closer he really wanted to touch her but Jo backed away and looked terrified at him.

“Yes I do wanna see this, and more but you won’t let me. So go get dressed again while I go and masturbate thinking about you.” Liam didn’t mean to sound annoyed but his tension in his pants made it difficult to keep his voice friendly.
Jo looked sad at the floor and tried to cover herself with her arms while Liam went into the bathroom.

The next day was Saturday and Lorelai picked up Jo to go shopping with her. Jo needed new clothes she was outgrowing her maternity clothes faster than a bacterium would reproduce.
Jo felt that Liam was right she couldn’t go and walk through town that easily. She needed lots of breaks and in the end of the day after Lorelai had taken her out for dinner her feet were killing her.

“Liam? Are you here I’m home.” Lorelai had dropped off Jo’s bags and the top of the stairs before she said goodbye to her little cousin. “Liam?” Jo shouted again.

Liam didn’t want to tell Jo, but he really needed a day away from students, teachers, and yes, all the baby stuff that was going on. For the past few weeks it had all been about the new school and the baby, and he really needed to get away from that –at least for one evening. The day when Lorelai took Jo shopping, Liam left a note because he knew how easily Jo freaked out when he wasn’t home, since she constantly worried he could leave her. So, of course, he met with one of the people he knew wouldn’t remind him of school or babies.
“Hey, little man”, Alfie greeted his friend. “Ready to get high?”

“Eh…what?”

“Just messing with you.” The older boy let him into his apartment.

“I’m not allowed to get too drunk though”, Liam said. “You know, everytime I’m with you I end up very drunk somehow, and Jo is not particularly happy about that.”

“Well, you’re the one with the crappy alcohol tolerance, which is kind of ironic, considering you’re the Irish”, Alfie replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, I know…” Liam sat down on the couch (he totally loved this couch, it was the most comfortable couch ever, no wonder he had passed out here before…). Alfie handed him a drink anyway, and Liam knew that protesting was pointless. Oh well, it was only one drink…
After they talked some time about various things not regarding the school or Jo’s pregnancy, Alfie just asked in his typical, very blunt way, “So, how’s the sex?”
Silence.
“Must be weird, with that…thing in the way and stuff. I actually don’t know anything about it since I never had a pregnant one- thank God- but I bet it sucks…”
Still silence.

“Well, it’s…eh…” Liam cleared his throat. “Pretty much…non-existent.”
Silence.
Alfie stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Jo and I aren’t…eh…”
Alfie kept staring at him as if he had never heard anything more absurd.
“Jo doesn’t feel comfortable at the moment.” Liam stared into his glass.

“But you want to?”

“Well, yeah…I mean, it’s kind of weird with the baby, but still…I mean, I get that she doesn’t feel comfortable right now, it’s okay if she doesn’t feel like it…I guess…”

“It’s okay?” Alfie raised an eyebrow. “Do you even realise the gravity of the situation here?”

“I’m not so sure what you mean…”

“I mean that you, my friend, have been emasculated because you let your wife become the boss of the household, and a man should never let a woman become the boss of him, you understand?”

“Jo is not the boss of me-“

“If she decides when to have sex, then she is.”

Liam was quiet for a moment. “But I’m not the boss either, we’re more on equal terms.”

“That’s sad”, Alfie replied dryly.

“I think I would rather have Jo next to me than looking down at her.”

“Well, if you see it that way it’s not my place to tell you to change that, but there’s one thing you can’t just simply accept, and that’s your wife deciding entirely over when to have sex. That’s not normal, Liam.”

“She’s pregnant…”

“So? You think pregnant women can’t fuck?”

“I know they can, but Jo doesn’t feel comfortable at all.”

Alfie rolled his eyes. “You’re her husband and you have needs. You either let her know that you’re the one who wears the pants or you’ll get a hooker, and no, that is not considered cheating.”

Liam sighed. “I can’t do that to her…” By now he had his second drink and was slightly dizzy, but not drunk.

“I can pay the hooker for you, I know some places where you get really good ones, like high-class, not that cheap stuff. You need some good quality, after all.”

Liam hesitated for a moment. He knew it was wrong to hesitate at all, but having no physical contact with his wife drove him crazy, he didn’t expect it to be that hard. But still, he would not cheat on her. “Thanks for the offer, but no…”

Alfie crossed his arms. “You sure?”

He nodded, though he sometimes had those moments when he was playing with the idea, but it only lasted a very brief moment, he just loved Jo too much and he knew it wouldn’t be right, not even after she had offered it to him as well.
Alfie took a deep breath. “I don’t know, man…Just make sure a girl doesn’t rule over you.”

“Yes, I make sure.”

By the time Liam got home, he felt even more dizzy, but fortunately not too drunk. He had planned to tell Jo the truth, that he really hated not sleeping with her and that they should at least try again, but when he came into the bedroom and saw her sleeping peacefully, her hand resting on her stomach- their baby-and he couldn’t say any of that. Instead, he lay down next to her and when she opened her eyes to check if he was okay, he smiled. It was not just a smile, it was this kind of cheeky yet very happy little boy smile.
“I love you.”

Jo held her breath. She so wasn’t used to him saying that.

“I really, really love you…so much…”

“Liam, are you okay?”

“I love your eyes, and your hair- especially when it’s short-, and your smile, and your hands, and your toes-“

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

He shook his head. “I really didn’t have too much, I’m just a bit tipsy.” He smiled innocently, then rested his head on her shoulder.