Better Days
Title: Better Days
Chapter 2- Moon River
A/N: Thank you everyone so much for all of the feedback! Same as last time, reviews=more chaps :) Enjoy!
Stacy slept from that afternoon until the next day. She even overslept, which wasn't something she typically did. She had a meeting at the WNTW studio in three hours, with call time an hour away. Her morning sickness was just beginning to hit, and Stacy was not a fan. It was rough not having anybody to hold her hair back, or comfort her, but she knew this was how it had to be. She had not told anyone about the pregnancy, especially not anyone at TLC. She wasn't scared, she was just too shocked with the idea herself.
As she got ready, she thought about how her life was going to play out from here on. Two babies on her own, an intense full-time job at What Not to Wear, multiple mini-jobs, and so much more. It was scary to think of doing it on her own. She knew that it was better to have the babies on her own and struggle to figure it all out, as opposed to raise them with Rick and risk their growing up in an abusive environment, but right then, it felt like one huge whirlwind of chaos.
She did a conference call with Helen and the other WNTW producers on her way to the studio to break the news. "This is Helen," She answered. "Helen, it's Stacy. I need to drop a bombshell." There was a moment of silence. "Stacy, is this something that should wait until you get here?" Stacy breathed heavily. She had to do it now, or she never would. "No, I need to tell you now. I have to make a stop before call time, so I can't have a meeting with you." "Okay, go on then." "I'm pregnant." "You have to be kidding." Stacy was taken aback at how Helen responded. "No, I am very serious. I just thought you should know before I tell anyone else. People have seen me in public and before rumors started I wanted to tell you." "Well, congratulations!" "Thank you... I am having twins." "Twins? That's awesome, Stace." "Rick left, though." "Stacy..." "It's okay. If he wasn't in the relationship for the long haul, then I don't want my children to grow up knowing the kind of role model he makes himself." "Stacy, if you need a thing, please, don't hesitate to let me know." "Thanks, Helen. I am very glad you understand."
Stacy stopped for an Italian soda before heading into the studio. It comforted her stomach and tasted good to her. She bumped into Clinton as they were entering and she nearly dropped her bags. "Stacy- How are you?" Stacy looked up and smiled. "Clinton, hey." He smiled. "You're looking fabulous. How was your season break?" She giggled almost foolishly. "It was eventful to say the least." "How is Rick?" "Rick left a few days ago. We, uh, hit a road bump." "Aw, Stace, I'm so sorry that happened to you." "No, it's fine. We weren't right for each other and I can't live the rest of my life in his shadow. You know?" "I do know." "So, how's Damon?" "Damon and I are all right. We just got a puppy." "Clinton, I might as well tell you. Rick left because I told him I was pregnant." Clinton blinked his clear blue eyes three times to process what she had just said. "Stace, congratulations." She smiled. "Thank you, I'm having twins and I'm due in July." Clinton hugged his co-host warmly. "I'm so happy for you, Stace. You're going to be a great mommy." "Clinton, you have no idea how much that means to me."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Three weeks later, Stacy went for her first official sonogram. As she drove there, her palms began to sweat with nervousness. She loathed doctors offices, and when she found out she was having twins, it was scary, too. She was excited to see her babies for the first time, but she was also freaking out not knowing what to expect. In all honesty, she really didn't want to go alone, but that too, she didn't have much of a choice. Her belly was beginning to show more and more with each day and for now, she loved it. As she drove, she placed one hand on her stomach and rubbed it. "Mommy gets to see you both for the first time, today sweeties. Mommy is so excited!" She felt goofy, but oh well.
At the doctor's office, Stacy felt like everyone was staring. She didn't blame them, though. Somehow, it still hadn't hit the newswaves that she was pregnant. Little girls were coming up to her and smiling and trying to play games with her. "Hi, honey; what's your name?" A little girl with curls and huge green eyes was sitting next to Stacy. "I'm Sydnee." "Hello, Sydnee. It is very nice to meet you." "You're pretty. I like your hair." Stacy smiled. This little girl was the cutest little thing. Just then, the nurse called Stacy's name. Stacy stood and followed the nurse down the hallway.
"So, Stacy, how have you been feeling?" "A lot more nauseous than in the first couple of weeks, but generally feeling pretty good." "That's what we like to hear. Have you felt any movement yet?" Stacy shook her head. "No, I guess not. Is that okay?" The nurse smiled warmly. "Of course it's fine. Very often with twins it is more difficult to feel the beginnings of their kicks. Perfectly normal at this stage." "Oh, all right." "So, I'm going to let you change and then when I come back in we can start the check up before the ultrasound, okay?" Stacy smiled nervously as she pulled back her dark hair into a pony tail. "Absolutely. Thank you."
The exam table was freezing, especially against Stacy's near-bare skin. Somebody knocked on the door. "All set!" She said, loud enough for the person knocking to hear. Nurse Lynn came in. "Sorry the table is so cold, Stacy. I'll try to crank the heat. "Nah, I'm fine; really. I just want to see these little munchkins." "Well, we have to do the other check-up things first, but I promise you that you will see these babies today." Stacy smiled widely. Lynn recorded Stacy's blood pressure and took a urine sample before measuring her stomach with a cloth measure. "Stacy, you are growing nicely, for sure. And your weight gain is right on spot for where you should be. You're a little larger than usual twin pregnancies, but I'm sure the reason for that is because your babies are just growing fast, which is also very typical." "Okay."
The ultrasound machine whirred on and Stacy's nerves began to peak. "Oh my god, I am so nervous!" "Don't be, just be excited!" "I am so excited, I just can't believe it's actually happening right now." "Okay, well, the gel is a little cold, so I'm sorry." "It's fine- I can handle this table, so I bet I can handle the gel." Stacy turned her head to look at the monitor. As she watched, she saw first just gray splotches and then forms. "Stacy, I need to tell you something right now." Stacy whipped her head toward Lynn. "Is everything okay?" "Absolutely, but two things, first, you're having four babies, not two." "Oh my God, seriously?" "I wouldn't lie to you, Stacy." "Wow. Is everything okay, though?" "Absolutely. It just leads me to the next thing; that I'm calculating your actual due date to be some time in early June or late May." "But, I just found out in December. I thought that was when I conceived?" "Based on each of the babies' development, you conceived in early October." "Oh my goodness. That leaves me even less time to get ready." "You will be fine. But look see, you can see each head and body." Tears sprung in Stacy's eyes. "I can't believe this is actually my life right now." "At your next appointment, we should be able to tell you what the sexes are." Stacy smiled, but inside, she was freaking out.