FIVE MONTHS LATER
MID-APRIL 2025

Molly swallowed and steadied herself against the edge of the vanity. She'd hoped the nausea would have subsided a bit more by now than it had. Her hand slid across her abdomen and she looked at herself in the mirror.

You can't even tell, really. It looks like you put on the tiniest bit of weight. Or even that you just had a really big meal.

The positive pregnancy test had been a surprise the previous month. They hadn't actively been trying, but it wasn't like they hadn't planned it. It had been a month since her doctor had confirmed she was six weeks along. Four anxiety-ridden, nausea-filled, secret-laden weeks that she'd hidden this secret, hoping that this time would be different, this time she'd get further. She was exactly as far along as she'd been the last time when she'd miscarried.

She hadn't told Andrew the news yet. It seemed unfair to drop that bomb on him whilst he was busy with the tour, especially since he would probably insist on canceling all the remaining shows to be with her. No, it was better that she had waited. Just in case. They'd both been so heartbroken the last time when things ended. She didn't want to get his hopes up before she was sure.

He came in an hour. She'd tell him then, over dinner. The only shows left were the last four in Dublin, but they'd been rescheduled for two months down the line due to emergency repairs to the venue.  They'd have a couple months to reconnect before he had to get back on stage again.

The nausea subsided and Molly left the bedroom and went to the kitchen, Clementine hot on her heels. The smell of something burning met her nose and she cursed, running over to the stove.

"Shitballs!" she exclaimed, fervently dumping a pot of mashed potatoes into a bowl, avoiding the burnt bits from the bottom. She'd gotten them just in time.

The chicken came out of the oven and she checked the time. Thirty minutes before Andrew arrived. She hastily turned the oven off and gathered utensils and napkins to set the table. She wanted everything to be perfect when she told him. This time had to be better than last. He'd texted her that he had left the gear warehouse where everything was being stored and was on his way back home.

In a flurry of activity, she rushed back upstairs to change into a different outfit - one that didn't have food stains along the front. She heard a notification from her phone signaling the gate opening. After a quick dusting of blush across her cheeks, she hurried back down to the kitchen to greet Andrew when he came in.

When the door opened, Clementine jumped to her feet and ran toward Andrew, wagging her tail happily. Andrew exclaimed and struggled to put his suitcase down in the hallway. His guitar case banged against the coat hooks and brought down several heavy winter coats that hadn't made their way into storage for the summer just yet. They topped down on top of him as he fell to the floor with a loud curse and a burst of laughter.

Molly exclaimed and rushed over to him, pulling Clementine off of him by her collar. "Clemmie, no!" she ordered.

Andrew pushed the coats off of him with some effort and stood, filling the small space with his full height. He took her in, like an oasis in the desert. She helped him hang up the coats again and grabbed his guitar case from him.

"Hey honey," he grinned, leaning forward for a kiss.

She all but melted into a puddle on the floor. He looked slightly exhausted, his beard needed a trim, and he probably should shower, but he was a sight for sore eyes. A jolt of electricity went from the ends of her hair to the tips of her toes as his lips met hers briefly.

"Hi," she murmured. "Is this everything?" she asked, gesturing to the lone suitcase behind him.

"Ah, no. There's one more in the driveway. I just had the driver drop it off so he could get home," he answered. "I'll go get it."

Molly waited while he dashed back outside. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the seconds seemed to take years to pass. Andrew reappeared with a large duffel bag slung across his shoulder and shut the door behind himself.

"Are you cooking something?" he asked, slipping his sneakers off.

"Oh - yeah. I made dinner," she replied. "I thought you might want something home-cooked for your first night back home."

In truth, her cooking repertoire still hadn't grown much beyond roasted chicken and vegetables, but at least it was better than road food.

He kissed her temple. "It smells delicious. I'm starving. Can we eat now?"

"Sure," she answered with a smile.

He walked into the kitchen and paused when he saw the table fully set. "This is quite the homecoming," he chuckled.

"Sit, before it gets cold," she said, walking past him and sitting in her usual chair. He took the chair at the head of the table. "Did you want any wine? I got your favorite."

"Mol, this is lovely. You didn't have to go to all this trouble," he smiled as she slid the chicken toward him.

"I did. Its a special occasion," she said. "The tour is basically over. You're home for a while."

He appraised her as she poured the wine into his glass. "You're not having any?" he asked.

"Not tonight," she shook her head.

"Got court in the morning or something?" he asked, slicing into the chicken.

She shook her head again and smiled at him. "Not tomorrow."

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't stop moving. "Alright, whatever you want."

Clementine was sat on the floor nearby, waiting for Andrew to toss her a piece of chicken. He gave her a piece before putting a bit on Molly's plate, then his own.

"Mol, I honestly would have been happy with a sandwich," he chuckled, picking up his fork.

"I know," she replied with a smirk. "What's the plan for the Dublin shows, then?"

He sighed. "Ehm, I don't really know. Caroline told me that the venue needed to do these repairs, but they don't really know how long it will take so they don't want to rebook talent until they know for sure." He took a bite. "She said we're the first act they're rebooking. So as soon as its finalized, they'll let us know. Tentatively, Caroline said it'll probably be in July."

Molly relaxed slightly. That was one question answered. She watched him eat for several seconds, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to calculate the best time to tell him. He filled the air with stories from the tour and she found herself relaxing a bit more as the evening went on. By the time he was on his third glass of wine, she figured it was now or wait until he was sober enough in the morning.

"So I kind of thought we'd make the guest room into the nursery for the baby," she said simply.

Andrew set his wine glass down. "I guess it makes sense. We'd want it to be close to us, right?"

"Yeah. It'll make night time feeds a lot easier," she replied simply.

He blinked. "Yeah, but we don't have to worry about that for a while, right?"

"Well, I figured the first few months it'll sleep in our room," she said. "After that, we can move it into its own room."

"If you want," he said. "We can talk about that later though, when you're actually pregnant," he chuckled.

"Or we could talk about it now," she said, tilting her head and looking directly at him.

He lifted his chin from his hand and stared at her intently for a moment. "Molly..."

She shifted and got out of her chair. The ultrasound picture was still in her work bag. She didn't dare take it out in case Jon or Raine saw it on one of their visits.

"What's going on?" Andrew asked, his eyes following her across the kitchen.

She turned, keeping the image hidden behind her back. It hadn't taken him as long as she thought to figure it out.

"Wait, is that...Are you..." he stammered, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

She revealed the small square picture, black with a grainy white image on it. He sat back in shock as she held it out to him. He took the image with shaking fingers and looked down at it. Her heart was lodged in her throat as he looked at the image. His face was nearly impossible to read and several seconds passed in heavy silence.

"I'm ten weeks," she whispered. "I know its not what we planned."

"Why didn't you tell me when you found out?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I didn't want to tell you until you were back home. I thought if I told you, you'd cancel everything and rush back here to be with me," she explained, sitting on the chair next to his. "I wanted to make sure it was worth telling you. I didn't want to say something and then...I didn't want to give you something else to think about out there."

He put the photo on the table in front of him. "Ten weeks?" he asked. "So that would have been..."

"Poland, in February," she answered.

He face changed as the memory flitted across his mind. "Are you...I mean, ehm, are you feeling OK? Is everything going OK?" he asked.

She nodded and stood up, suddenly feeling like a cornered animal. He didn't seem happy. "You're angry," she said simply.

He broke into a grin. "Not at all, love. I just...I'm exhausted and I've got no brain matter left. I'm operating on a handicap here, honey," he chuckled, running his hands over his face. "I am so...I'm so happy, Mol. I am. I swear."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I know you missed out on stuff. Again," she added guiltily.

"I'm a little disappointed, sure," he admitted. "But I'm more worried about you and making sure you're OK now." He took her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm fine, really. The morning sickness hasn't been too bad," she assured him. He raised an eyebrow. "I promise."

"Does anyone else know?" he asked, picking up the scan again.

Molly shook her head. "I've had a hell of a time keeping it secret, let me tell you," she chuckled. "I'm pretty sure your mum might already know."

"You mean your evil twin doesn't know?" he joked with mock surprise.

She rolled her eyes. "No. Oscar doesn't know. You're the first person I've told."

He smiled and bit his thumb nail as he considered the scan. "When is your next scan?" he asked.

"Two weeks," she said with a slight scowl. "I asked if they'd do one sooner, but they were too busy."

"Everything will be fine, honey. Don't worry," he told her, taking her hand in his again and pulling her closer. "Let's take it one day at a time." He rested his forehead against her abdomen, thinking about the life growing there.

"You don't know it'll be fine. I was this far along before -," she started.

"Molly, it won't be like last time, OK? I promise," he assured her softly. "I mean it." He kissed her gently. "I'll make a few calls and see what I can do to get you a scan sooner."

"Andrew, don't," she insisted.

"If there was ever a time to pull strings, its now, Mol," he replied. "What's the point in being the most well-known person in Ireland if I can't use it to my advantage once in a while?" he teased, sticking his tongue out.

"Right, but I don't want you kicking a pregnant woman off the list just for me," she answered with a grin. "I'm sure the press will love that one. They'll make you out to be a dick."

"You're pregnant with my child," he said. "I'm allowed to be a little bit of a dick."

A slight shiver ran down her spine as she heard his words. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes and she started sobbing.

"What?!" he asked, jumping up. "What's wrong?"

"I just...its nice to have you home," she sniffled. "I've been keeping this to myself for weeks and its just nice to finally have someone else to talk about it. I'm sorry."

He smiled and pulled her against his chest, wrapping her in his arms. "Honey," he laughed. "Its okay. I'm...I'm so incredibly happy. I promise. I'm only upset that I couldn't be here for you before now."

He rested his chin on the top of her head and her sobs slowed. It felt as though a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. If they could get through the next two weeks without anything happening, they could start to tell others and it wouldn't feel like such a burden any longer.

TWO WEEKS LATER

FIRST WEEK OF MAY, 2025

Andrew yawned and rolled over in bed, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the daylight. The bed next to him was empty, but it didn't surprise him; Molly had court early that morning and he'd stayed up late into the evening reading. Re-entry into normal life was a challenge after a tour. His internal clock was all out of sorts and it took time for his days and nights to get back to normal.

Molly seemed to have carved out quite a busy life for herself in his absence. In addition to her positions with DORAS, ISPCC, Pavee Point, and the Legal Aid Board, she'd taken on a guest lecture series at Trinity about international human rights law. He spent the first few nights just lying awake, watching her sleep and enjoying the heat of her body next to his in their bed. When sleep eluded him, he would take Clementine down to his study and read or go out for walks along the darkened streets of their neighborhood.

No matter how many times he returned from tour, it was always a shock to his system how quiet it was there. On tour there was constant noise and activity. Coming back to the silence and stagnation was always a jolt to his system. He'd discovered that reading was a great way for his mind to relax, but this time his books of choice were more focused on pregnancy and parenthood than poetry or fiction.

Molly's news had stopped his in his tracks, but he was just as excited for it. Once he got over the initial shock, his attention turned to ensuring there wasn't a repeat of her first pregnancy. She worked more than he would have liked, but he figured she knew her body best. Not to mention that trying to stop her from doing anything she had her mind set on was as pointless as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic after it struck the iceberg - he'd learned that years ago.

Dinner with his parents upon his return had been a slightly tense affair; Jon was engaged to an English professor from UCD and Andrew got the feeling that his mother felt they were moving too fast. It took all of his energy not to blurt out their own news. They had another meal planned that evening and Molly decided that if the ultrasound that afternoon looked good, they'd tell them.

He stretched his arms over his head and sat up. Clementine stared at him from the doorway, whining slightly.

"Yeah, alright. Give me a second," he muttered to the dog as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

He busied himself making a cup of tea as Clementine ran around the courtyard chasing a squirrel. The hot liquid warmed his throat as he sipped, watching the dog bark at a tree. The clock on the oven told him it was mid-morning. He had to meet Molly at two. A walk would do him good. And the dog. 

He set off down the driveway at a good clip, the dog trotting at his side. As he walked, his mind drifted back to the night beforehand, after dinner. Things had gotten heated between him and Molly, but the build-up hadn't led to what he was hoping for. She gave incredible blow jobs, but it wasn't her mouth his mind was fixated on. The growing curves of her body were torturous to look at when he couldn't really touch them. She'd imposed a strict no-sex rule until after the ultrasound. The evening couldn't come soon enough.

He made a left and headed toward the beach. Schools were still in session, so it was mostly empty save for a few older couples and bird watchers. He let Clementine off the lead and threw a ball for her, watching as she dashed off down the sand after it. Summer was taking its sweet time arriving as Spring still clung on. The late April air was crisp and the winds off the ocean were biting, whipping his hair around the edge of his beanie. He tugged it down further on his forehead as Clementine trotted back with the tennis ball.

He grinned at the thought of showing his child to do this. In a couple years' time, they could come down as a family and throw the dog a ball on walks on weekend mornings. He picked up the soggy ball and tossed it again. The idea that he was becoming a father hadn't quite hit him yet. There wasn't really any evidence of it, so it was hard for him to process it. Molly was still mostly as thin as she normally was. He had only seen an ultrasound photo. That afternoon, he'd probably feel differently, though. That's what the books said, at least. 

"C'mon, Clem!" he called as a particularly rough wind blew across the beach. "Let's go home!"

The dog came back and stood still, panting, as he hooked her back onto her lead. The wind bit at his back as they walked back to the house. He made another cup of tea to warm himself up when he returned. For the next few hours, he busied himself puttering around and doing small tasks. He had tried to keep busy during the days, but it was becoming harder and harder. Though he enjoyed being back home and having peace and quiet, he often struggled with what to do with himself when the adrenaline rush stopped. 

Several hours later, he found himself in the waiting room at a doctor's office in downtown Bray. Downtown was a generous descriptor, but it made the most sense. He was bouncing his knee in an effort to channel his nervous energy while Molly read over a file for a case. 

"Molly Stanley?" a nurse called, standing at a door holding a clipboard. 

Andrew nudged Molly's knee with his and stood, picking up her bag for her. They followed the nurse down a hallway and into a small exam room. Molly seemed to move on autopilot, hopping up onto the exam table and laying back. He set her bag on one of the chairs and pulled the other over to sit at her side. 

"Hello, Molly," a nurse said as she breezed in. "Good to see you again. How are we feeling today?"

"Like I need a piss," Molly answered, making the nurse chuckle. "They told me to come with a full bladder."

"Good girl," the nurse said, settling onto a stool next to a machine. "We'll get this scan done quickly and then you can hop off to the toilet before you burst," she laughed. 

"Thank God," Molly answered with a heavy sigh. 

"You must be Andrew, the father," the nurse remarked, flipping a switch. "Molly told us you were away on tour. Its good to see you back."

He smiled politely. "Its good to be here," he replied with a light chuckle. 

She lifted up her shirt and the nurse squirted clear jelly on her abdomen as she powered up the machine. He was reminded of the last - and only - time he'd seen an ultrasound. He'd been nervous and terrified. This time, he was calm and collected. Of course, he was slightly worried that something could be wrong. But Molly had seemed normal in the last two weeks and she didn't seem too worried anymore. A little image appeared on the screen and his thoughts drifted away. 

"Here we can clearly see Baby in profile," the nurse said, pointing with her free hand at the screen as her other hand moved a wand across Molly's abdomen. "And there's a good, strong heart beat as well."

Andrew's heart stopped and he sighed in surprise. The heart beat was going strong and he felt Molly relax next to him. The little head was a big lump at one end, but he could clearly see a tiny bump where the nose would be, poking out. 

"And there are the legs," the nurse said, pointing to the two little stumps poking out at the bottom of the image. 

"Does...does everything look okay?" Molly asked, lifting her head to look at the screen better. 

"Yes, so far," the nurse assured her. "I need to take a few measurements, so just lay back and get comfortable." 

Andrew watched, rapt, as the image on the screen changed several times as the nurse moved the wand around, getting different angles. He rested his chin on Molly's shoulder in silence. After several more minutes, the nurse turned off the machine and handed Molly a couple tissues to clean herself up with. 

"Go have a wee and come back. We'll get your bloods done," the nurse added, typing several things into the nearby computer. 

Andrew sat in silence as he waited for Molly to return. The nurse printed out a long line of photos and handed them to him. He looked at them for a second before Molly came back in. The nurse made quick work of drawing blood and placed a bandage over the wound. 

"The doctor will be in shortly to discuss the scan," the nurse said. "It was lovely to see you again, Molly. And to meet you, Andrew," she added before leaving the room. 

Molly sat on the end of the exam table, her legs dangling toward the floor. He scooted his chair closer to her and showed her the scan images. 

"I was thinking we could use this one to tell my parents tonight?" he suggested, pointing to the first image of the baby in profile. "I think they'll like it."

She tilted her head and looked at the image. "I wasn't going to give them one," she answered. 

"Why not? We gave them one from the last time," he replied, before speaking. "S..sorry," he said quickly. 

"Its OK, Andrew," she said. "I just...I kind of want it to be us this time around. Like...I want us to have this experience for ourselves. Last time, your family sort of went a bit overboard. They were lovely, but it was a bit much for me. This time around," she paused and inhaled slowly. "This time I want us to enjoy it more. Together. Just you and me."

Before he could respond, the doctor came in. 

"This must be Dad," she said with a grin. "Lovely to meet you. I'm Christine Sherbourne." 

Andrew shook her hand. "Andy, please."

Dr. Sherbourne opened Molly's file on the computer and scrolled through the scan images. "Everything looks good at this point, Molly. Nothing's changed from two weeks ago, aside from Baby getting bigger, of course. Today is exactly twelve weeks, so your due date will be November seventh."

"Last scan you said the baby was measuring small," Molly asked. 

"Yes, but that happens. Babies come in all sizes," the doctor chuckled. "Nothing to worry about. But its still early; Baby could easily grow to meet the average as the pregnancy progresses."

"But wouldn't the baby being small mean that the due date could be wrong?" Andrew asked. 

"No. Other organs are growing correctly. And the amount of hCG in Molly's blood indicates the length of the pregnancy, alongside the measurements of Baby's organs," the doctor explained. "Everything is in great shape. Now," she turned back to the computer. "Given your history, Molly, and the fact that Baby is on the smaller side, I'd like to book you in for another scan at sixteen weeks, just to ensure everything is continuing to go well. We'll check Baby's size again, too."

Molly relaxed considerably. "That sounds good." She turned to him. "We'll get to see it again," she said excitedly. 

He smiled up at her. Then a thought occurred to him. He cleared his throat. "So...ehm...would you say that things are...healthy enough for us to...ehem...resume normal...activities?" he asked haltingly. 

"Andrew!" Molly hissed in embarrassment. 

Dr. Sherbourne laughed. "Yes. Everything is fine. You're cleared for normal activities. But Molly, I don't want you to do anything extreme. And I'd really like you to consider reducing your workload a bit. Less stress means Baby is healthier."

Molly ducked her head as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I know."

"Good. If that's all, I'll leave you to it. We'll call when your bloodwork comes in if there's anything alarming. So don't worry if you haven't heard from us," Dr. Sherbourne said standing. 

"Thank you so much," Andrew said, shaking her hand and standing with her. He draped an arm around Molly's shoulders. 

"Lovely to meet you. We'll see you in about four weeks. Feel free to book the appointment with Sharon at reception," the older woman said before leaving. 

Andrew turned to look at Molly with a big grin. "I know what we're doing tonight," he said in a sing-song voice.

"For fuck's sake, Andrew," she laughed, shoving him away lightly. "C'mon. I need to get changed before dinner."

They made their next appointment and headed home. Andrew cooked dinner while Molly changed and finished documents for a case. Right on time, Clementine began barking as Raine's car came up the drive. They gathered around the kitchen table and ate, sharing stories of the goings-on in the previous two weeks. 

"So Molly, I hear you're quite busy these days," Raine said, regarding her across the table. "Andy told me that last week you finalized four refugee cases."

Molly blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah. It was a whole family. They're moving to Cork next week." 

"Well done," John remarked with a smile. "It sounds like you've been keeping very busy."

Andrew sighed and looked over at Molly. They'd gotten all the way through dinner without saying anything. She nodded and he cleared his throat. "So, ehm, does anyone want any tea?" he asked, standing up and clearing some plates. 

"Yes, I'd love one," his father remarked. His mother chimed in as well. 

He pulled the mugs from the shelf and put the kettle on. Molly looked at him from across the room and he winked at her behind his parents' backs as he waited for the water to boil. 

"Andy, this was absolutely delicious," his mother remarked, turning in her chair to face him.

"Well at leas tone of us can cook," Molly chuckled. "If it were up to me, we'd only ever have roast chicken."

The kettle whistled as Molly gathered the remaining plates and utensils and took them over to the sink. Andrew handed her his mother's cup and nodded for her to walk ahead of him. They delivered the drinks to their respective recipients and took their seats again. Andrew sipped from his own mug, sitting back in his chair and crossing his legs leisurely. 

"We got some new mugs yesterday. Molly likes them but I'm not too sure. What do you think?" he asked, gazing at his parents over the rim of his cup.

His mother took the porcelain from her lips and looked at the wording on the side. 

#1 Gran.

Her eyes went wide as she looked at her husband's mug as well.

#1 Granddad.

"You're...you're joking!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "You've only been back for two weeks, Andy!"

Molly burst into laughter. "I'm twelve weeks along," she said. 

"Oh my God, Molly!" Raine shouted. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I wanted to tell Andrew first," Molly explained. "In person," she added. 

"That's why you haven't been drinking," John remarked. "Makes sense now," he chuckled. 

"Twelve weeks," Raine sighed happily. "That means you're due in..."

"November," Andrew said. "We went earlier this afternoon for a scan. Everything looks good. The baby is a little small, but the doctor isn't worried."

"They booked us in for another scan at sixteen weeks," Molly said. 

"Well if there's anything you need, please let us know. We'll be glad to help," John said. 

"Absolutely, Molly," Raine urged. "Anything."

"Now I'm back, Mum, I think we'll be fine. But thanks for the offer all the same," Andrew said with a smile. "I don't plan on missing out on anything."