Maternity Leave

Part I

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

“I’m going to need you to explain that again,” Ben said, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he gestured with the other for her to get on with it.

“I don’t need to go on maternity leave,” Charlie said, wondering why he was having such a difficult time understanding this.

“Why is that exactly?” Ben, her best friend, foster brother, and traitor, said as he dropped his hand away so that he could return to glaring down at her.

“Because I have everything that I need right here,” Charlie explained with a pointed look at the large bean bag that she was currently reclined on to the small coffee table next to her where she kept her drink, snacks, iPad, and her phone to make it easier to text Devin when she needed something.

“You’re eight and a half months pregnant,” Ben pointed out with a helpless gesture to the large swell of her belly that was starting to make it difficult to get up on her own.

“Which is why this is perfect,” Charlie pointed out before gesturing to the stack of pillows that she’d convinced the kids to sneak in here for her.

“I see,” Ben murmured, grabbing a pillow off the large stack only to sigh and grab a blanket when she pointedly cleared her throat. “And your husband…”

“Adores me,” Charlie reminded him as she shifted forward so that Ben could shove the pillow behind her.

“Is that why he sent me a text message demanding that I talk some sense into you?” Ben asked, tossing the blanket on her lap.

“Probably,” Charlie murmured absently as she reached over and grabbed the white bakery bag that he’d dropped by her side earlier.

“And the reason why he’s currently glaring?” Ben added.

“Glaring makes him happy,” Charlie pointed out, helping herself to a jelly donut before shifting her attention to the glass walls that separated the office from Bradford Creation’s workshop to find her husband standing in the middle of his shop, glaring at her, something that he’d been doing a lot since she’d decided that she didn’t need to go on maternity leave.

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable working at home?” Ben asked right around the time that Devin narrowed his eyes on her.

“But my desk is here,” Charlie said, gesturing across the office towards her desk.

“You mean the same desk that you haven’t been able to sit at for the past two months?” 

“Why are you doing this to me?” Charlie asked with a sad shake of her head and a heartfelt sigh as she glanced back towards the shop and-

Did Devin move closer? she found herself wondering as she began nibbling on the delicious jelly donut that she was really hoping would settle her stomach.

“Because you’re a pain in the ass,” Ben said as movement out of the corner of her eye had Charlie glancing to her right and found her husband standing outside their office, his large arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed on her, and-

“Does he seem angry to you?” Charlie asked, nibbling on her delicious jelly donut as she found her gaze flickering from her husband to the office door and wondered if she’d be able to lock it in time. Probably not, she thought, finishing off her donut and grabbing another one as she watched her husband head towards their office door.

“It probably has something to do with the fact that you promised him that you were going to start listening to the doctor,” Ben said as he reached down and plucked the blanket off her and tossed it aside.

“He said to stay off my feet and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” Charlie pointed out with a hopeful smile aimed at the large man walking towards her. When Devin only glared, she said, “I love you?” hoping that would be enough to save her.

It wasn’t.

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