ninety-nine.

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n i n e t y - n i n e .

Alexis

Today is Mum's due date. She doesn't think the baby is going to come today, so Mum told me we could go to Regents Park. This could be our last time coming to Regents Park for awhile so she really wants us to go. It is November so there isn't any ducks around, but I'll take a trip to Regents Park anytime.

Mum and I have been watching a lot of documentaries, lately. She's been rather okay with lying down, watching films, and cuddling the cats and I lately and nobody's complaining. She's taking an actual break because her body is telling her she needs one. This past month has been really nice and relaxing, mostly. While the girls in my class at school have been doing nothing but fighting and bickering, Mum and I love watching documentaries, reading books, and going for walks. My home life has been therapeutic for my chaotic school life.

Dougie drives us to the park and even though it's started to rain, I still love going to the park. There's something about Regents Park that even while it's raining, it's still so gorgeous.

I watch out the window like a sad puppy dog, even though I'm quite the opposite of sad, I'm more at peace. Although I'm nervous about the baby, I know that Mum and Dougie are absolutely floored about it. I just feel as though my quality time with Mum will be over as soon as the baby comes. I'm thankful that I'm old enough to understand, and that I won't have to share as I'm really just into my science experiments and reading.

My mind jumps back to Regents Park and I realize we're not going to have time to go to the park. We're going to have a million other things first before we can even think about coming back here. I would be surprised if we will come in the spring and summer unless I say something now. So I say something.

"Mum?" I ask and she gives me a small 'mmhm' in reply, acknowledging the fact that I've called her name. "When the baby comes, in the spring can we take it here lots? I wanna show the baby the ducks."

"I'm sure in the spring we can come back, I don't know how often, but we can definitely show the baby the ducks. Do you still have all those duck facts engrained in your brain, love?" Mum asks and I beam.

"Ya! Like how all male ducks are called drakes, and—" Mum cuts me off.

"There are more than forty breeds of ducks, ducks are omnivorous, ducks are precocial, ducks—" it's my turn to cut off Mum.

"Mum! Those are my facts about ducks." I pout.

"How about we just save the facts for the baby. You can go on for as long as you like with the baby." Dougie barters and it's a good enough trade.

"Okay, because I have more facts than that. I could go on for hours if I wanted to." I stick my tongue out at Mum and she shakes her head.

I remain the rest of the drive in silence. Only piping up when I see Regents Park in sight.

"Oh, Mum! Can we go to the playground, please?" I ask and Mum nods, getting out of the vehicle and bringing out her umbrella, I get out of the vehicle at the same time but I just pull my hood over my head. I pay no attention to the rain as I see it so often. Mum and Dougie hold hands and watch as I play in puddles and run straight for the pond. I see no ducks and although I'm upset, I pay no extra mind, I knew there wouldn't be any ducks. I sit on the bench and wait for Mum and Dougie to join me. Mum is waddling so it's taking a little bit longer than normal.

Once Mum and Dougie catch up, we head off to the playground. There's only two other kids there so there's no hassle. Mum and Dougie watch me closely as I play. The rain lets up and I play on the swing set freely, without a care in the world.

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Once I get bored, I jump off the swing and head back towards Mum and Dougie. We head back to the car, but not without going to my favourite pond once more. It's so serene, even without the ducks, just looking at the pond is one of my favourite things to do.

The day passes, and the baby still isn't here. Mum is annoyed, she knew this was going to happen. She had predicted the baby would be early and now it's the opposite, the baby is already proving to do the opposite that Mum wants, she doesn't take too kindly to that.

"Mum, how much longer until you think the baby will show up?" I ask. We're all watching a new documentary Mum wanted to watch and it's really good so far.

"The baby isn't considered late for another thirteen days. So I bet the baby will come in twelve and a half days." Mum sighs. Mum has found the wait excruciating, considering I came early. "If it's any longer they will have to induce me."

"You're being unreasonable, Ells. The midwife said a few more days." Dougie tries to calm Mum down but at this point, it's not advised to even try.

"You haven't been carrying a child in your stomach for forty weeks, I know this child wants to be late, it wants to make me wait." Mum huffs.

"Won't the wait just make it more worth it?" I ask and Mum laughs.

"Oh, love. Whether the baby is early or late, the first moment is always magical. The only thing we really get out of it is extra sleep while it lasts, because as soon as the baby comes, we're going to be exhausted." Mum shrugs her shoulders as if she's just stating the truth, she brushes off the fact that she's not going to be sleeping much because with her career she doesn't sleep much anyways.

"Are you scared at all?" I ask and Mum sits up a little bit so she can see my facial expression. I'm genuinely pondering.

"No, I'm not. You turned out more than fine, this baby will turn out fine too." Mum smiles and motions for me to come over to her, so I do so. "I've been so blessed to have you in my life, Alexis. Don't forget it." Mum whispers in my ear and I nod and give her a hug. She's constantly been telling me how much she loves me and how much I mean to her and I know it's because she's worried how I'm going to react to the baby. I know it would mean a lot to Mum if I just went with it and liked my sibling, so I have every intention of biting my tongue if I don't like the baby. I just have to make myself like the baby because Mum would appreciate it if I did so.

As another day passes, Mum is just being smug at how she's going to prove Dougie wrong and the baby is going to be another eleven days late. She doesn't want it to happen, but she says it's going to happen. I'm thinking she's trying reverse psychology because it worked the first time. She wanted the baby to be early and now it's late.

It's just a regular Sunday for us. Mum and I were watching more documentaries, and I could tell she was getting impatient. She tried small, short, and not strenuous workouts that would be safe. It was lots of stretching, not a lot of lifting, and walking. Mum had tried her best to be as fit and healthy as she could be, but she also took this to be a time when she didn't necessarily have to be as keen about working out as normal. She had watched a lot more documentaries, read a lot more books, and cuddled with me more in a month span than she ever had. Mum got off the couch to start preparing dinner, Dougie and stayed in the living room, engrossed in the program.

I was nervous because tomorrow was Monday and I had to go back to school, if the baby decided to come while I was at school I wouldn't know until Dougie would come to pick me up. I would be a ball of nerves every day, it would be convenient for the baby to come on a weekend.

"Oh! Oh my God!" Dougie and I both stop everything we're doing and rush to the kitchen. Our hearts are pounding, and we get into the kitchen to see Mum with a smug look on her face. "That's what it'll sound like when the baby decides to come." I breathe heavily as my heart continues beating and Dougie has regained colour in his face as he realizes it was a false alarm. "Lighten up you two, it's just a joke." A cruel joke at that.

Mum and Dougie have to drag me out of bed. I don't want to leave the house in case Mum goes into labour. I want to help her and Dougie more than anything, but school is calling and I need to go. Honestly, I don't think school is going to be near as chaotic as everything was sorted out last Thursday, so that really means I shouldn't have to go.

"I don't want to go!" I yell and Mum sighs. She knows how protective I can get over her and she doesn't fight it. Or I thought she wouldn't fight it.

"I'm going to make you breakfast, Alexandria. Get out of bed. You know you like school and you're going to be bored all day if you don't go." She's not wrong, but there's nothing wrong with being bored if it means I get to watch documentaries all day.

"But, Mum!"

"No, buts, get out of bed now. I'm not going to fight you on this." I pout and Dougie stops tugging on my legs as Mum takes the steering wheel and tells me what's going to happen.

"If anything happens can you please pick me up?" I half ask, half whine.

"Dougie will pick you up as soon as he can if anything happens, I promise that. But you still need to got to school. You want to be a doctor one day right?" Mum taunts.

"Grades don't matter until secondary school, and I want to be a paediatric surgeon, not just some general doctor." While Mum holds the reigns on most of this conversation, I know I've won this segment of the conversation. Regardless, I get out of bed and walk downstairs with Mum and Dougie, fully accepting the loss I am taking, and the nerves I will face.

Tuesday morning goes better, as I know I have no choice in going to school. But, all I can think about is Mum and I start to feel anxious about when the baby plans on making it's debut. We're hoping it's anytime, Mum is just cranky now- which is the main reason I've gotten up without her having to ask or argue. She wants the baby out.

I walk downstairs and breakfast is made, and as I know this could be one of our last meals as three I am as happy as ever.

It used to be just Mum, and then it was Mum and I, and then it was Mum, Dougie, and I, and any day or any time it will be Mum, Dougie, the baby and I. It's a little bittersweet, but to think of how much our family has grown in the past decade is heartwarming. Mum used to be alone, and now she's the furthest thing from alone, and is incredibly loved. I haven't been the only one to show Mum how loved she is either, Dougie takes half of the credit. Mum has been the happiest she's ever been with Dougie, and he's also been the best dad I could've ever asked for. Dougie deserves more appreciation.

As Dougie and Mum drive me to school, I look out the window and sigh. Mum notices and looks back. She doesn't realize I'm contemplating and probably thinks I'm still miffed about school.

"What's wrong, love? Are you upset about going to school?" She asks and I shake my head. She's too easy to understand.

"No, I'm okay." I smile and she nods and smiles back.

I contemplate for only a little longer as Dougie parks at my school and I'm forced to get out.

"I love you, Mum!" She smiles and nods once more and I look to Dougie, "I love you, Dad!" Both of their faces open in shock and I act oblivious as I wave goodbye. I know I've made both of their days.

Ceaselessly // Ellie GouldingWhere stories live. Discover now