November 24th-27th, 2001
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Sherry=Sherry Stringfield, Laura=Laura Innes, Alexandra=Julianna's oldest sister, Rachel=Julianna's other sister
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Julianna stood in the blue bathroom with her bridesmaids: Sherry, Laura, Alexandra, and Rachel, all crowded in with her. Julianna pressed a hand to her nervous stomach.
"I can't do this." She said.
"Yes, you can." Alex assured her little sister.
"No, you guys, I can't marry him. He doesn't love me. I can't..I can't go through with this." Julianna said.
"He loves you!" Laura insisted.
"You're lying. God, I think I'm going to barf."
"You can't barf, you'll ruin your make-up and your dress." Rachel said matter-of-factly.
"Oh man, oh man, oh man." Julianna began repeating over and over.
"Jules..I have a question." Sherry said.
"What?" Julianna asked, trying to focus.
"Do you remember that time, for your birthday, when George made you that video?" Sherry asked. Julianna smiled.
"Yeah, I remember."
"And Ron got really pissed because George's gift was better." Sherry continued.
"Yeah.."
"And George went around gloating for like a week over it? Yeah, he loves you. And do you remember that time that you got sick and George sent you daises?" Sherry asked.
"He sent you daises when you got sick, too." Julianna reminded her.
"Only because I complained that I never got daises from him when I was sick. Next time I got sick, he sent them to me. But only because I said something. He sent them to you and nobody asked, or told him to."
"Awww.." Laura, Alex, and Rachel all murmured.
"And you know how jittery he used to be about marriage and kids. Now he's marrying you and going to raise your baby, which isn't even his. That's love." Sherry persisted.
"She's right." Alex said.
"Definitely." Laura replied. Rachel nodded her agreement.
"I don't know how I'll be able to stay with a man who doesn't love me." Julianna said. Sherry groaned.
"Did you not just hear anything I said?" She asked. Julianna smiled.
"I don't believe you, that's all." Julianna said.
"Well, you better believe her. The wedding starts in twelve minutes." Rachel said after checking her watch.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God. I'm going to be sick." Julianna began to panic.
"Why'd you have to go and say that?" Alex asked Rachel. Rachel smiled. "C'mon, honey. Let's get some air." Alex said and led her little sister into the empty master bedroom. She opened the window and let the cooler air flutter over Julianna. "Better?"
"A bit." Julianna said and touched a hand to her stomach. Okay, baby, are we ready for this? Are we ready to marry George? Forever?
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"It's time." Francesca said as she came into the room.
"Oh God, Mom. Don't make me go." Julianna said. Francesca smiled.
"You're beautiful, Julianna." She took her daughter's face into her hands and kissed each of Julianna's cheeks. "George will be bowled over. If you're so convinced he doesn't love you already, he'll love you after he sees you. I promise." Francesca said and pulled away, tears in her eyes. "My baby.." She trailed off. Julianna smiled and hugged her mother quickly.
"I love you, Mama." Julianna said.
"I love you too, baby. Now come on. Your father is waiting to escort you down the aisle."
"Tell Gary I'm sorry he couldn't walk me down too."
"I already did, twice." Francesca said. Julianna nodded and took a deep breath.
"Okay. Get me down there before I turn and jump out the window and fly away." Julianna said. They all smiled a bit but weren't exactly sure that she wasn't serious. They all lead her down the stairs and began the ceremony.
George stood at the end of the aisle, his hands clasped together in front of him. He itched to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants but then forgot everything as Julianna stepped onto the carpet leading to him. Everyone 'oohed' and 'aahed' as they caught sight of her but George and Julianna both had eyes only for each other. Julianna held tightly to her father's arm as a lifeline as the two of them walked down the aisle, toward George. George could barely breathe because she looked so beautiful and he couldn't swallow the lump in his throat. Finally Julianna and Paul reached the end of the aisle. Paul kissed her cheek.
"I love you, baby." He murmured. She smiled at him and nearly refused to let go. Then he handed her off to George. Julianna slipped her hands into George's and was relieved to find his hands as clammy as hers were.
"You look beautiful." He managed to whisper before the priest began.
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"You may kiss the bride." The priest finished and waited. George lifted his hands to her face and they both stared apprehensively into each other's eyes as he lowered his mouth to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed and she was surprised when he drew the kiss out, not giving her the quick kiss she had expected.
Heat spread throughout her and she nearly forgot where she was or who she now was. Then George pulled away and faced the guests. Everyone smiled, laughed, or took pictures as George led Julianna down the aisle.
"We'll see you at the reception." George said to their parents before he lead her around to the front of the house where a limo was waiting. They climbed in and the limo took off shortly after. Julianna leaned against the seat and closed her eyes.
"You okay?" He asked. She opened her eyes, straightened, and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said.
"Tired?"
"Exhausted." She said and her smile widened. He nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand.
"Things will be okay." He murmured.
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Julianna went through the reception as if her marriage was normal. She fed George cake, smashing it into his face as all the guests had expected. She threw her bouquet and laughed when Sherry caught it with a surprised look on her face. They both knew Sherry was thinking of the boyfriend she had recently broken up with.
And every now and then George would kiss her and send her heart into a whirlwind of dizziness. Finally Julianna found herself in his arms once again for their last dance before they left for the honeymoon. The one Julianna had been surprised to find she would be going on.
"So, how do you feel?" He asked. She smiled as they twirled around.
"Amazing." She said. He chuckled.
"Exhausted still?" He asked. She shrugged a bit.
"Not so much anymore." She said. He nodded. "I'm sorry if I acted horribly earlier, I.."
"No, that's okay. I know that I sort of pressured you into all of this." He said. She smiled.
"You just want what is best for the baby and I." She said. He nodded.
"Yes. But I don't want to hold you here with me if you don't want to be." Julianna laughed a bit.
"Shouldn't you have thought of that before we were married?" She asked, her eyes twinkling. He smiled.
"Probably, but what fun would that have been?" He asked. She smiled.
"In your book, none." She said and met his gaze, smiles spread over both of their lips. Then before she knew it, his lips were on hers and her body turned to mush. Then she heard various whistles and catcalls and she laughed, pulling her lips away and tucking her chin over his shoulder with a touch of shyness. He chuckled and spun her out of his arms to take a deep bow, pulling her with him. She laughed.
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"Why don't you get some sleep?" George asked from his first class seat on the airplane on the way to Hawaii. "We'll be there in about two hours but you could take a cat nap." He said. She nodded.
"I think I might." She said.
"Good. You and the baby need some rest." He said. She smiled.
"Alright. I'll lay my seat back." She did so. "And I'll try to sleep." He smiled at her and she closed her eyes. She was soon asleep. George turned to stare at her, unable to look anywhere else when she was lying there asleep and didn't know he was looking at her.
He studied the long eyelashes that rested against her cheeks. Her cheeks were slightly pink and formed together into her perfect nose. His gaze lowered to her lips which were just barely parted. He could see a tantalizing little bit into her mouth and he felt the desire for her growing.
He could only look away and hope that when they got to the hotel suite that she wouldn't refuse him.
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"Ahh.." Julianna moaned as the door closed behind the bellhop. "He about drove me nuts."
"He was starstruck. Apparently they don't get many beautiful woman coming to stay in this hotel." George said.
"Ha, George, you're funny." She said. He chuckled. "So, what do you want to do? Go to sleep or what?" She said, shuffling her feet nervously.
"Let me think." George said. "It's my wedding night. I just got married to a beautiful woman. Why don't we go see if they have a library around here somewhere." He joked. Under other circumstances Julianna would have laughed, but she was entirely too nervous.
"George.." She said. His smile faded a bit and he walked to her. He touched her cheek with his hand.
"I think you know very well what I want to do with you." He said. She shivered at the brush of his finger against her jaw. "But," He pulled his hand away, "I'm not going to push you into anything. And I want you to know that I'm going to be a faithful husband. I'd never dream of being anything else. So I'll wait for you to be ready, even if that's never. It will be up to you." He murmured and then stepped away from her. He turned his back and began walking to the kitchen to get something to drink.
"George." She murmured so quietly he probably would have missed it if he hadn't been listening closely. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. She began walking toward him slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. God, what was she doing? He told her that she didn't have to do this. But, oh, how she wanted him. She stopped in front of him and managed to get the words out of her sticky throat. "Thank you but I don't want any time." He simply waited, wanting her to make the first move. She hesitated before she placed her shaky hands on his chest and scooted closer to him. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her waist gently.
"Are you sure?" He murmured. She nodded and so he lowered his mouth to hers, keeping his eyes open and on hers. He nibbled slowly on the corner of her lips, barely touching. He flicked his tongue out and touched her lip. Her eyes whispered shut and he pressed his mouth against hers. She opened her lips in invitation and melted into his embrace.
His hands traveled over her and she arched into him. He slowly began to undress her, cherishing her as if she was a long-awaited present. Moments later he drew her softly onto the bed and tried to show her with his body that he loved her.
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George rolled over, taking Julianna with him. She curled into his chest and rested her head there. He tangled one of his hands in her thick mass of curls and curved his other arm over her back. He drew the covers up and over them to keep her warm and she sighed softly. She felt completely content lying there, his manhood nestled against her, and his hand rubbing soft, gentle circles over her back.
Just before she drift off to sleep she heard him whisper: "Now you're both mine." A small smile crossed her lips as she imagined the baby nestled between them, safe and sound.
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A month and a half later (julianna is 16 weeks along):
George lay beside Julianna on their bed, his head nestled on her gently rounded stomach.
"Anybody in there?" He asked and made her laugh. She ran her fingers through his hair as she watched him. He looked up at her. "Are you sure you haven't felt the baby move yet?" He asked again for the one hundredth time in the past week.
"I'm sure." She said. "And besides, I read in the pregnancy book that during sex, the contractions from the mother's orgasm rocks the baby to sleep. Do I have to remind you that we just put the baby to sleep?" She asked, a hint of laughter in her voice. He slid up her body and smiled down at her.
"You and that book of yours." His smile turned into a grin. "So, how about we wake that baby up!" He exclaimed. She laughed.
"Do I need to remind you what time it is and what time we are supposed to be at work?" He kissed her.
"You sure are doing a lot of reminding this morning. Besides, I can be quick." He said. She laughed as he assaulted her neck with wet kisses.
"As can I." She said and rolled over on top of him.
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"He's so strange. Where did we find him?" Carol asked Doug as the cameras rolled. Doug chuckled.
"Cut!" Yelled the director. "Print! Nice job." He said. Julianna and George smiled at him and walked a few feet away when Julianna suddenly stopped. When George realized she wasn't following him he turned to look at her. She had a slightly puzzled look on her face.
"You okay?" He asked and quickly walked back to her side.
"Wait." She murmured and held up a finger. He watched, growing worried. Suddenly a huge smile bloomed over her face. "Here. Give me your hand." She said. She lifted her shirt in the front and placed his hand on her stomach. His eyes widened as he realized what she was doing. "Can you feel that? It's barely there. It's just a flutter." She said, excitement growing in her voice.
"I don't feel it." He said. She laughed.
"It's really soft. You probably can't feel it." She smiled. "Wow."
"I want to feel." He whined. Everyone was now watching them, being quiet and still, as if that would help George feel it. Julianna smiled.
"He stopped." She said. George kept his hand on her stomach, refusing to believe it. She smiled at him, touched by his need to feel the baby. Finally George lowered his hand.
"If you feel the baby move anymore, you have you tell me! Okay?" He asked. She nodded.
"Alright." She said.
"Promise?" He asked. She smiled.
"I promise." She said. He grinned.
"Good." He kissed her gently, ignoring the catcalls and teasing of Tony and Noah.
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Two weeks later George stood in the kitchen, fixing some eggs for breakfast when he heard Julianna yell from upstairs!
"George! George, come quick!" She yelled. His heart fell to his feet and he turned, dashing through the living room. He met her at the top of the stairs.
"What, what is it?" He asked, worry spilling throughout him as he touched her everywhere, trying to figure out what was wrong. He didn't even notice the huge smile on her face.
"Stop, wait." Julianna dropped the towel she had around her to stand fully nude in front of him. She pulled his hand toward her stomach and placed it to the left of her belly button. "Can you feel it?" She asked. Awe filled his eyes as he felt the subtle movement of the baby against his hand.
"I do, I feel it." He said. She laughed. He looked at her, keeping his hand in place. "You're soaked." He said. She laughed, shaking some water from her hair onto him.
"I was just getting out of the shower when the baby got really active. I thought that you could probably feel it, so I hurried out." She said. He smiled, still feeling the baby under his hand. He dropped to his knees.
"Wow." He said and pressed his face to her naked belly. He felt the movement under his cheek and his hands and he laughed. "That's amazing." He said. "It's really in there." She laughed.
"It's always been in there." She said. He grinned.
"Yeah, but now I can see and feel it." He said, excitement growing. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair.
"I think he's done moving now. I don't feel anything else, do you?" She asked. He smiled.
"No, I don't." He said and picked up her towel as he stood. Then he wrapped it gently around her.
"Now go get dressed before I decide to be extremely late for work." He said. She laughed and kissed him quickly before she turned and went to get ready for work.
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A few weeks later (Julianna is now 25 weeks pregnant):
"George?" Julianna asked one evening as they sat, curled together on the couch, watching television.
"Hmm?" He asked and felt the baby move under his hands.
"I was wondering something." She said.
"What were you wondering?" He asked.
"Well, I know that when we got the ultrasound before, the doctor told us that she couldn't quite tell the baby's sex because he or she wasn't in the right position. But I have another appointment tomorrow, my check-up, and I was wondering if we wanted to know the baby's sex if Dr. Ryan can tell." Julianna said. George turned his body so he could look at her face.
"Do you want to know?" He asked.
"If you do." She said. He smiled.
"Well, I'd say it's about time we get to work on the baby's room and arguing over names. Also, if you're going to schedule a baby shower, you might want to know if you're having a girl or a boy. If we knew the name it might help us in all of those things. But if you want to be surprised, I'm all for it." He said. She smiled and touched her fingers to his cheek.
"You want to know, don't you?" She asked. He grinned.
"Maybe." He said. His grin widened. "Yes."
"Okay. We'll find out. If Junior cooperates." Julianna said. He smiled and kissed her neck, feeling a huge urge to tell her that he loved her. But once again he held back. Julianna cuddled close, willing him to say the words she so badly needed.
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"Okay, do you see this?" Dr. Ryan pointed to the screen. Julianna and George nodded, both of their eyes fixated on the monitor. "That is not a turtlehead." She said.
"So, it's a girl?" Julianna asked.
"Looks that way." Dr. Ryan said. George grinned. He had wanted a girl so badly. Not because he was scared a boy would act or be like Ron, but because he wanted a little girl who would grow up to be just like her mother.
"Did you hear that?" George asked Julianna. "A girl." He said and kissed her. She smiled and stared at the screen.
"You're sure?" She asked Dr. Ryan. The blonde woman smiled.
"You can never be totally sure with ultrasounds. But I'd bet on it. Unless you are having a tremendously shy little boy." She grinned. "I'd say there's a 95% chance that it's a girl."
"Good." George said and stared at the screen as he held Julianna's hands in his own. "Good." He murmured again, still smiling.
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"What are we going to name her?" George asked. Julianna laughed.
"Excited?" She asked. He smiled.
"Definitely. Do you have any ideas?" He asked. She smiled.
"I bet you do." She said.
"Actually, I do, sort of." He said.
"Shoot. I bet it's a good idea." She said. He chuckled.
"Well..Remember that one time you told me about how you were named?"
"After my grandmother?" Julianna said.
"Yeah. And then you told me when you were ten that she died." George said. Julianna nodded, tears filling her eyes. George smiled gently and tilted her head back up so she met his gaze. "I know how much you loved, love her." He corrected. "And so I thought we could name the baby after her."
"Brianna?" Julianna asked, her voice quivering a bit.
"Yeah. Or at least make that her middle name." George said. A tear slipped out of Julianna's eye and ran down her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed the wet trail away. She blinked and he watched another tear fall. He leaned forward and kissed it away also. "How does that sound?" He asked. Julianna wanted desperately to tell him that she loved him at the very moment, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she nodded. "Yeah?" He asked and smiled. Julianna threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.
"First name." Julianna murmured.
"Brianna as her first name. I love it." He said. "It's a beautiful name." Julianna pulled her face back and then she kissed him. He chuckled.
"I'll name all the kids Brianna." He said and had her laughing against his lips.
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I'm going to make a pretty big jump here. Julianna is now about...32 weeks along. About 7 1/2 months pregnant!:
George lay on the bed he shared with Julianna, reading over a shit script. As Julianna walked into the bedroom from the bathroom, he began talking.
"This script really bites. I'm definitely not going to do this crap." He said and then looked at her face. It was so pale he could nearly see through it. "What is it?" He asked and jumped up from the bed. He took her upper arms into his hands. "What's wrong?"
"I'm bleeding." She said.
"What?" He asked.
"Just a..a little bit. Just some spotting." She said.
"That's not supposed to happen." George said anxiously.
"I know, I.." She trailed off.
"Get dressed. I'm going to take you to the hospital." He said.
"George.." She said. He met her glassy stare. "I'm sorry, I.." He pulled her into his arms.
"Shh, baby. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. C'mon, let's get dressed now." He said.
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"Is there a heartbeat?" Julianna asked as soon as Dr. Ryan turned the ultrasound machine on.
"Hold on." Dr. Ryan said quietly, searching the screen with her eyes. Then she nodded.
"Right there." She said and pointed.
"Is she okay?" George asked quickly.
"Everything looks good." Dr. Ryan said. "Healthy. Sometimes this just happens." Dr. Ryan turned to look at them, but kept the picture of the baby on the screen. "But to be on the safe side, I think maybe you should refrain from having sexual intercourse and heavy exercise for the rest of your pregnancy." Dr. Ryan said. Julianna closed her eyes briefly. Then she reopened them and nodded.
"Thank you." George said. Dr. Ryan smiled and turned the machine off.
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Julianna was absolutely silent on the way home, her heart weighing heavily in her chest. George could tell she was upset with the news, but he didn't really know why. He pulled up to their house and into the garage. She got out of the car, one hand on her back to support her extra weight. George watched her go into the house and he sighed and stopped where he was. He leaned his head against the car for a moment before he straightened and followed her into the house. He didn't see her downstairs, so he climbed the stairs. He found their bathroom door shut and heard the shower running. He sighed and walked back to the bed to sit and wait for her.
Before long he heard a sound coming from the bathroom. His brows drew together and he went to the door. He leaned his ear against it and heard the soft sobs coming from the other side.
"Oh man." He murmured and leaned his forehead against the door, contemplating whether he should go on. He sighed and reached for the handle. He twisted it, to find that she had locked it. At least she had made the decision for him. He backed away from the door and began to pace around the room. Finally he stopped and looked at the bathroom door one more time before he turned and walked out of the room. He'd wait until she came to him.
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Nearly a half an hour later, she came down the stairs in her pajamas. He smiled at her.
"Feel better?" He asked. She tried to smile but both of them knew it was fake.
"A little." She said. He nodded and walked to her.
"Wanna talk about it?" He asked. She shrugged. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her gently, feeling the gentle movements of the baby against his abdomen. "Are you worried?" He asked. She nodded.
"Yeah." She murmured. He smiled and brushed his lips over her forehead.
"Dr. Ryan said everything is going to be just fine. There are only a few things we have to refrain from. But it's all going to be worth it for a healthy baby, right?" He asked. She just stared up at him. "Right?" He asked again. Finally she nodded.
"Right." She murmured.
"Good. So are you ready for bed?" He asked. She immediately became flustered.
"I..George, Dr. Ryan said..I.." George backed up a little bit and looked down at her.
"I wasn't going to try anything." He smiled. "Are you ready to go to bed and sleep?" He asked, rephrasing his question. She looked a bit confused.
"Together?" She asked.
"How else would we sleep?" He asked.
"Well, I..I just thought since..we couldn't...That you'd sleep somewhere else." She finished, stammering. He let go of her, a bit confused.
"Do you not want me to sleep with you? If that's what you want, I won't." He said.
"I.." Julianna wasn't sure how to tell him she wanted to sleep with him without telling him her feelings. And she didn't want to do that. She just looked at him. He nodded.
"Okay then. I'll let you have your space." He said. "I'll, uh, sleep on the couch." Julianna hung her head and nodded.
"Okay." She whispered.
"I'll just go upstairs and get my pillow." He said and headed for the stairs, entirely more hurt than he thought he should be. She followed him up to the room and watched him take his pillow.
"Goodnight." He said before he headed out of the room to get a blanket out of the hall closet. She listened to him go before she sat on the edge of the bed and buried her head in her hands.
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An hour later Julianna lay in bed, staring at the wall. She had finished crying and was contemplating whether she should just tell George that she had fallen in love with him and get it over with. If he rejected her, then, well...He'd said they could get a divorce. She'd wait and get it soon after the baby was born if he didn't feel the same.
Slowly she sat up in bed, lowering her feet to the floor. She got up and walked slowly down the stairs.
George heard her coming moments before she came into the living room. His entire body tensed and he watched the hall for her appearance. Seconds later she came into the room. Her gaze met his immediately through the moonlight. She walked slowly to the couch and stood in front of him before she lowered herself down onto the couch beside him. He shifted, giving her room. She lay her head beside his on the pillow and lowered her gaze for a moment. Then she looked back up at him.
"I'm sorry." She murmured. "I..I wanted you to sleep with me. I just didn't know how to tell you." She said. He sighed and reached out, touching her face. He stared at her for a moment before whispering.
"I love you." He said. Her eyes widened a bit in shock. She hadn't been expecting him to tell her before she could tell him.
"I love you too." She murmured. A smile split over his face and he leaned forward to press his lips to hers. He pulled away just enough so that their lips were apart, but he kept his forehead against hers. "I was so scared that you didn't love me and that you'd only want to sleep beside me if we could make love."
"I always want to sleep by you. I never want to sleep apart from you." He said. "I love you." He said again, just to be able to say it aloud. "God, you don't know how long I've wanted to tell you that. I loved you before we were married."
"You did?" She asked, surprised. He nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew at the time that you didn't love me." He paused. "Did you?" She shook her head.
"No..I..Not then. But only because I had just gotten over Ron. But I fell in love with you very quickly. I love the way you treat the baby as if it really is yours." Julianna said.
"That's because she will be. Brianna will be mine in every sense, except by blood. I've been there through your pregnancy, I'll be there when she is born. I'll raise her, support her, love her. I'll be her daddy." Julianna smiled and kissed him.
"I know you will be." She said and felt a good strong kick against her stomach. "Here." She murmured and took his hand, placing it on her stomach, exactly where the baby had kicked. He smiled.
"See. She knows it too." He said.
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Julianna is very close to her due date. She's nearly 40 weeks along.:
"God, George, look at this." Julianna said one morning as George stepped out of the bathroom. His gaze dropped to her stomach and he watched an elbow run over the front of it. He chuckled. "I thought it was cool to feel the baby moving in my stomach, but it's just weird to be able to see it." She said.
"Is she active this morning?" George asked.
"I think she's turning onto her side or something. I can feel everything." Julianna said. He chuckled and ran his hands over her belly before bending down to place a kiss there.
"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" He asked. She smiled.
"George, we went over this yesterday. And the day before." She said. He smiled.
"I know. I just don't want to miss anything." He said.
"I know. I don't want you to miss anything either. That's why I have your beeper number written down just in case in all the panic I forget it." She said, quoting him. He chuckled.
"Good. You're the only one with this number. If you beep me, I'll come straight home." He said. She gathered his face in her hands.
"I know, George. I know." He smiled.
"Alright, alright. I'll stop pestering you." He said and kissed her. She smiled and kissed him once more.
"Good."
"It's only because I love you, you know." He said. She laughed and pushed him away.
"Go to work, smartass." George grinned.
"Alright. I'm going." He bent over her and kissed her.
"I love you." He said softly, seriously. She smiled.
"I love you more." She said. He chuckled and kissed her quickly before heading toward the door.
"Doubt it." He said and flashed her a grin over his shoulder before he exited the room. She rolled her eyes and smiled, placing her hands on her stomach.
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Two hours later Julianna woke up again, needing to use the restroom. She sighed and sat up in bed.
"Jeez, darling, you really need to lay off my bladder." She said and got herself into standing position, despite the misplacement of the weight. She rubbed her lower back, wishing the dull ache she had felt since last night would just go away. "You're getting to heavy Brianna. Quit eating all my food." Julianna smiled at herself in the mirror before she sat on the toilet.
xxxx-o-xxxx
Julianna stood in the kitchen, making herself a small sandwich for lunch. She winced when she felt a sensation in her abdomen that felt like someone was tightening her muscles. She took a deep breath and waited it out. When it was finally over she contemplated calling George to tell him that it was time, but she knew these things could take hours. She didn't want to lay in a hospital bed any sooner than she had to. She took her sandwich to the table and sat, ready to enjoy her lunch.
xxxx-o-xxxx
"God damn." Julianna muttered under her breath. She stood halfway up the stairs, leaning against the wall as another contraction passed over her. When it was over she sighed and continued her way up the stairs. She picked up the telephone beside the bed and paged George. Then she walked to the closet and took out the bag she and George had gotten ready for her hospital visit. Then she made her way downstairs to wait for him. And knowing George, he'd be there within a flash.
xxxx-o-xxxx
George ran through the garage and bounded up the steps. He burst into the house.
"Jules!?" He yelled.
"In here." She said. He ran to the living room to find her on the couch, breathing through another contraction.
"Now?" He asked. She nodded. "How many so far?" He asked. She grit her teeth.
"Only three." She said.
"How far apart?" He asked.
"About fifteen minutes or so." She said and looked up at him as the contraction passed.
"Are you alright?" He asked, bending down in front of her. She nodded.
"I'm okay." She said and motioned toward the bag. "I'm ready." He smiled.
"Good thing. I'm not sure I'd have remembered to get it." She smiled back at him.
"Do I need to drive to?" She asked. He chuckled.
"And get us both killed? I don't think so." He said.
"Good." She said and he helped her stand.
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"Okay, Julianna. One more big push and it'll be over." Dr. Ryan said. Julianna bent her back, gritted her teeth, and squeezed her eyes shut. George watched in awe as he saw the baby, with a head full of dark hair, sliding from the birth canal. "Suction!" Dr. Ryan said and was immediately handed the tool. She quickly suctioned the baby's nose and mouth and then lifted her up, placing her on Julianna's stomach.
"Oh." Julianna gasped and reached for her wet, squalling daughter.
"Look at all that hair." George said, bending over them. "She looks just like you."
"She's so beautiful." Julianna said. "Oh God. Look at her." She murmured and kissed Brianna's face.
"Do you want to cut the cord?" Dr. Ryan asked George. He grinned.
"Yeah." He said. She instructed him on how to do it and he cut it with pride. Then he bent back over Julianna.
"I love you." He said. "Both of you." And then he kissed both of them.
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Later George stood in Julianna's room, watching his daughter feed hungrily from her mother's breast for the first time. Love was all he could see and feel that day. Not once did he ever remember that Brianna hadn't come from him, that's how powerful the love was. For both of them.
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