Generation 1 - Snow: Chapter 5

Bibiane
I could hardly wait to leave the house. Standing on the lawn, I looked up at our bedroom window where I could see my new husband dropping off our suitcases.
"Come on, Branny! We're going to be late!"

I was so excited to reunite with Snow and show her all the wedding pictures that I didnt' even go inside after the taxi dropped us off from the airport. There was so much to tell her! So much to tell Bran...
I had spent days debating whether or not I should break the news in private or surrounded by our close friends.
After all, you only find out that you're pregnant with your first baby once.
I can still remember the coolness of the bathroom's tile beneath my feet as I stood in front of the counter and gawked at the little plus sign in front of me.

A baby. Bran and I were going to be parents. Maybe it was wrong of me to keep it a secret during the entire wedding/honeymoon, but I just wanted to wait until the right time. Sitting with Snow and Logan and going over the past two weeks, filled with excitement and laughter and love...what could be a better time than that?

"All right, let's go," Bran said as he came out of the house and we headed for the car. He glanced at the laptop I carried with a smile before looking at me. "I know those pictures are burning a hole in your hard drive."

~···~

"You looked so beautiful," Snow said with a sigh. I clicked through the last two pictures and placed the laptop at my feet to clear the space.
  

"Thank you...but it was Bran who stole the show. Did you see how handsome he was in that tux?"

He rolled his eyes at this, but there was no denying the smile on his face. 

"You two both looked incredible. I hope my wedding can be as beautiful as that."
Snow looked at Logan as she said this, and the two of them stared at each other before bursting into nervous laughter.

I stared at them in confusion. "Is something funny?"

Snow pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, no. It's just...well, something happened while you and Bran were away."

"Really? Like what?"

She took a deep breath and smiled. "We got engaged."

I squealed and and jumped out of my seat. "OMB that's so amazing! Congratulations, you two!"
I hopped up to give them both congratulatory hugs before settling back into my seat.

"I guess this is a good time for me to share my news then."
We all settled back down into our seats and everyone watched me.

"What news?" Bran asked.

"Well, I don't know how else to say this so I'm just going to blurt it right out...I'm pregnant."

"Bibi that's fantastic!" Now Snow was the one jumping up. I laughed as she pulled me into her arms. 

The others stood while we embraced, and I managed to get a glimpse of the boys over her shoulder.

At first I was nervous, especially about Bran since he hadn't said a word. But when I caught sight of them, I let out a sigh of relief. They both looked pretty excited.

"This is the best news in the world. You're going to be an amazing mama," Snow said, holding me at arms length. "I'm so happy for you and Bran. Congratulations."

"I should say the same to you, Mrs. Loganberry."

"Hey, why don't we go down to the beach and continue the celebration," Bran suggested. He carefully kept his eyes focused on the door. "Snow, Logan, you guys can start up the fire-pit. Bibiane and I will be there in a minute."

Uh-oh. Maybe he wasn't so excited after all. I tried to keep calm and nodded to Logan and Snow with a smile, but the look faded as soon as they were gone.

Bran walked over to the door, and I followed. I stood there, unsure of what to do or say. He said that he wanted to start a family. I knew it wasn't really planned, but it wasn't like we weren't ready.

"Branny, I -- "

He turned and cupped my face in his hands. "Bibiane, I love you so much."

"I love you too. I'm guessing this means you're not mad?"

He laughed and kissed my nose. "Why would I be mad? We're going to be parents! This is wonderful. I couldn't be happier!"

 

~···~

Over the next few weeks, my body really started to change. Every morning I woke up and ran straight for the bathroom. 

Bran was such a sweetheart though. Every night he would hold me in his arms and tell me how thankful he was for me. He refused to let me lift a finger. He cooked, he cleaned, and when he wasn't with me, he was hard at work over the computer to earn money for our growing family.

I found myself in awe at the changes overwhelming my body. It seemed like just yesterday I was waltzing down the beach in my favorite polka dot bikini. Now I had a little round belly that couldn't be missed.

I was happy though. I knew that as I got bigger, so did the baby. Every week passed put me one step closer to holding our precious newborn in my arms. I couldn't wait to meet him or her - Bran and I decided to wait until the delivery to find out the gender. He said it was one of life's only great surprises. I found it nearly impossible to not find out.

"I just know it's a girl," Snow said one night. We were having a slumber party while Bran, Logan and a few other guys hit the town. 

 "Because...I just do, okay?"

We laughed and I patted my tummy. The baby gave a sleepy kick in response

"I can't believe how fast things have changed. You're getting married in a few weeks, I'm going to be a mommy..." I could feel tears prick my eyes. Curse those pregnancy hormones. 

"Aw, don't be sad, Bibi. This is a good thing!"

"I know, I know. These are happy tears," I smiled.

We sat down on the bed and faced one another. I had just given Snow a deep conditioning treatment, so her hair was wrapped in one of my favorite hot pink towels. She was also wearing one of my tops and shorts, after I insisted her all white PJ ensemble was too plain for a sleepover. 

"So what do you want to do? We can rent a movie, or  order pizza."

"Another one?"

She laughed and shrugged. "You're pregnant, it's okay to over indulge."

"Yeah, and what's your excuse?"

"I just love food." she said with a giggle as she ran out of the room to fetch the menu from the kitchen.

I stretched out and rested my hands on my stomach.
In just a few months, the bump I'd come to associate with my child would be gone and I'd have the real thing to hold. It was a crazy thought. I could almost remember being a baby myself. I mean, it didn't seem that long ago. Now I was going to have my own. I was going to be responsible for someone's life. How could I be sure that I wasn't going to mess up?

~···~

There wasn't as much time as I'd hoped to think about that question. Nearly a month and a half before I was due, I went into labor.

Bran had gone to a meeting, and I was home by myself. I'd decided to use my vacation time at the gallery during the last stretch of my pregnancy, and boy was I glad I was off that day. I couldn't help but screech during the first few contractions. Berry they were rough. All the pregnancy books in the world couldn't have prepared me for them.

The only person I could think to call was Snow, and before I even finished talking she told me she was on her way.

We made it to the hospital and she called Bran. He came rushing in, eyes wide and asked if he'd missed it.

I'd gotten some pain medication so was able to laugh in response. "Relax, sweetie. I'm fine. We still have a little while."

My doctor was worried about the baby arriving so soon, but Snow and Bran were great and kept telling me that everything would be fine. I had to believe them. I couldn't think about the alternative - not in my state, and not in that hospital.

When it came time to push, a lot of the medication had worn off and I was really feeling the brunt of the contractions. It wasn't easy, and there were times that I was ready to give up, but Bran and Snow held my hands and got me through it.

After experiencing the worst pain of my life, little Pomegranate Bran Muffin was born. Perfectly healthy, perfectly happy and perfectly ours.