chesstotem | For dontthinkabout

“Of course,” he said before turning slightly to kiss her cheek. He started putting away his notebooks and generally tidying up his desk. “How are we breaking the news to them?”

"Hi Mom, I'm pregnant?" she asked with a little laugh.

"That's sound okay, I suppose." He turned to his laptop next and opened up Skype. "Have you taken your prenatal vitamins yet?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Yes," she said, running her fingers through his hair affectionately. "I took them before I left."

She checked her watch, then nodded at him to make the call.

He clicked around and initiated a video call to Ariadne’s parents. Arthur stood up from his desk chair and offered it to Ariadne. “Sit.”

She smiled and sat, giving his hand a squeeze. "Go get a chair for yourself, Arthur, geez."

Just then, Elizabeth and Grant popped up on the screen, and Ariadne gave them a little wave. "Hi Mom, hi Grant."

"Hey, honey," said her mother. "How are things out there?"

"Fine. How are you guys?" Ariadne asked them about their work, a paper Grant had published just a few weeks ago, and what her brother was up to before her mother finally gave her a mock-stern look. "I know you didn't do all this just to ask us how we're doing. What's really going on?"

Ariadne beamed, clutching Arthur's hand. "I'm pregnant, Mom."

Both their faces lit up with surprise. "Congratulations!" Grant said - her mother was still speechless for the moment.

Arthur did so quickly and pulled up a chair next to her. When her parents came up on the screen, he smiled pleasantly at both of them.

After Ariadne broke the news of her pregnancy, he gave her hand a squeeze. “She’s already eight months along,” he added.

"Eight weeks," she corrected with a laugh. "We've known for a few weeks, but I was kind of paranoid so we decided to wait to tell you until we were sure everything looked normal."

"How have you been feeling, honey?" her mother finally asked.

"Fine. A little morning sickness, but it hasn't been bad," Ariadne responded.

"And Arthur's taking good care of you?" Grant asked with mock sternness.

“Don’t worry Grant, I’m making sure she’s eating well and doesn’t overexert herself,” he replied with a smile.

"Like I can't take care of myself," she said, rolling her eyes fondly. "If Arthur had his way, I'd be bedridden for the next seven months."

“And for those next seven months, I’d wait on you hand and foot,” he added.

"You'll be doing that, no matter what," Ariadne said with a laugh, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Do you want us to come out there?" her mother asked, and Ariadne shook her head.

"For the birth, but there's no reason to make the trip now..."

He turned to look at Ariadne. “They could if they wanted to. We haven’t seen them in person in two months.”

Ariadne looked at Arthur rather adoringly for a moment. "Of course, you're always welcome to come out and stay with us. We can go to the beach before I start packing on the pounds."

"Before you thoroughly enter the glowing expectant mother stage, you mean," Grant corrected.

“What are you talking about? She’s already glowing,” he said with a laugh.

"And just imagine what she'll look like when she starts showing off her baby bump," Grant retorted with a grin.

"We could fly out next week, if that's all right with you?" Elizabeth suggested.

Ariadne leaned against Arthur a little. "That would be fine, Mom, just let us know when you get in so Arthur can pick you up at the airport."

He took out a notebook, a pocket-sized on, and jotted down some information. “That’d be no problem at all. We’re not working at the moment.”

"Just designing the nursery," Ariadne said with a smile. "We're thinking Winnie the Pooh."

"That would be darling," her mother said. "Are you going to find out the sex?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It's just more practical that way."

“We’re staying away from pink and blue, though,” he added.

Ariadne nodded in agreement. "We want to keep everything pretty gender neutral."

Grant smiled. "I think that's a great idea, but if I try to explain why, I'll spend the next three hours telling you all about my research into early development and socialization."

Arthur laughed. “I wouldn’t mind taking a look at your research, Grant.”

"It's pretty jargon-y, but I can bring it along with me when we come out there."

"Arthur is determined to be the best dad in the world," Ariadne said with a fond smile. "No matter how many times I tell him that it's already a given."

“You don’t know that,” he said a bit bashfully as he looked at her. “I’m pretty sure the baby’s going to know right away that this is the first time we’re doing this.”

"Do you think it'll write you negative performance reviews?" she asked, teasing.

“Raising our first child is basically an experiment, isn’t it?” He pointed out.

For dontthinkabout

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