#abyers

“Colby, keep your sock on,” Liz said with a smile as she slipped the red sock back onto the baby’s foot. “Your daddy is going to love this.” She laughed as she picked up her son. He was wearing a red onesie that was decorated to look like Santa’s Christmas suit. The red and green socks he wore had golden jingle bells on the top, and Colby was adorable. It was the child’s first Christmas, and it was way too easy for Liz to go overboard.

She walked into the living room where the tree was set up and walked over to Alton who was sitting on the couch. “Merry Christmas!” Liz said with a smile. “Did you get enough sleep last night?”

Elizabeth was never one to focus on the small things, choosing instead to look at the bigger picture. However, as the afternoon wore on, she became more focused on those particulars. The flowers in the vase weren’t straight. She’d folded the napkins wrong and they looked more like snakes than dragons. The pernil wasn’t right, and now that she was looking at it...the plantains for the tostones were too green. However, Elizabeth didn’t have time to worry about these things, because in an hour, her best friend would finally be meeting her boyfriend.

She’d been friends with Rob for about four years now, and her and Alton had been going steady for a couple months. Ever since her parents let it be known that she wasn’t welcome back home, she’d been focused on making her own version of a family. Right now, that family included Alton and Rob. That’s why Elizabeth was so focused on making this dinner so perfect, because if the food was at least good, then nothing else mattered. If it turned out the two men hated each other, at least she could put some quesitos in front of them and shut them up with food. 

Liz was peeling plantains when she heard a knock at the door. She set the half undone fruit on the cutting board before going to the door. After a bit of a struggle (the door had a tendency to stick), Liz pulled it open. She didn’t know who to be more afraid to see-- Rob or Alton.She had many good reasons to be anxious for both of them, but mainly she was relieved to see Rob standing outside of her apartment.

“Oh, thank god. You can help me with the tostones.” Liz pushed her door all the way open to let him in. “Thank you for doing this again. It means the world to me.”

song: x

Elizabeth had always loved Alton. From the first time they met, she was head over heels for him. He came to Ilvermorny her seventh year and told the students about Black Mountain Dragon Sanctuary, and even though Liz had always been terrified of dragons, she stayed front and center the entire time. Her class was before lunch, so she offered to show the older man to the Great Hall (don’t worry, she turned 18 in September). Nothing ever came of it, and Liz never thought she’d see that beautiful dragon handling man again. 

But she did. Fate brought them back together during Elizabeth’s first season announcing Quidditch. She still hadn’t mastered getting out of the box, down to the concessions stand, getting her things, and getting back to the box in time. The day she saw Alton again, she’d forgotten her purse upstairs. She didn’t have time to go back, and he, being chivalrous as always, offered to pay for her butterbeer. The only way Liz would agree is if she could share it in her box with Alton.

It seemed like every single day she fell more and more in love with Alton, even though it felt like she could never love him more. He was her entire world, and she his. That’s why when Elizabeth learned she was pregnant, everything changed. Her heart must have grown to fit all the love she had for her unborn child along with her adoration of Alton. 

Liz held her husband’s hand as she sat in the examination chair, waiting anxiously for the doctor to show up. It was their first ultrasound appointment and she just wanted to know if she would have a happy, healthy baby. It took a few minutes, but finally, the doctor was in the room. Liz pulled up her shirt when she asked. She winced at the cold when he put the gel on her stomach. 

It took a while, but eventually, the doctor pointed to the screen. “There’s your baby.” She smiled at Liz and Alton.

Liz looked up at Alton with a huge smile and tugged on his hand. “Alton, we have a baby.” She used her other hand to point at the screen. 

The truth was, Liz had been feeling like shit for the last few weeks. However, the festival was something Liz had been looking forward to since the year before. So she powered through it, enjoying the music and booths with her husband. Liz could put aside whatever was bothering her so that she could enjoy Alton’s company at a beautiful event. When it finally came time to wind down that night, Liz finally let the outside world start to pick at her previously neatly tucked in edges. 

She sat alone outside of their tent and pulled out her phone, only now noticing the date. It was the twentieth. She was late. For fifteen years, Liz’s cycle had been on a set schedule. She would always start her period on the twelfth of each month. Liz unlocked her phone, anxiety immediately devouring every single inch of her body. She went onto Google and tried to search why her period might’ve been late, pregnancy such an abstract concept that it wasn’t even the first thing she thought of. In fact, it was the last thing she would even guess. But it was the only thing that made sense on Google. Late period? Check. Mood swings? Check. Everything else on the stupid list? Check.

But she couldn’t get her hopes up. Not too much. Liz had to act rationally, because she could hurt herself-- or worse, Alton, if she jumped into this too soon. Of course, it was impossible to act rationally when her and Alton had been trying to have a baby for years. With a sharp snap!, Liz had apparated just outside of a no-maj gas station that she’d seen on their way there. Within a couple minutes, she was inside. Another minute and she’d purchased a test. Liz couldn’t even consider that as an option without some sort of confirmation. A wave, a door chime, and a short walk later, Liz was a safe distance for apparation. And then she was back in front of the tent where Alton was hopefully asleep, the box secure in her purse. 

Elizabeth snuck into their tent and into the bathroom, careful not to make too much noise. She quickly skimmed over the directions on the box, absolutely not wanting to fuck this up. It was self explanatory-- pee on the stick, wait two minutes, then she’ll know if she’s finally pregnant. Just...fuck. Her hands were shaking. Liz wanted Alton there, she didn’t want to do this alone. But she also didn’t want to tell him until she knew. Which is why she had to do this, because she could tell him. 

She did it. And now all she had to do was wait, even though she’d never really been good at waiting. Liz set a timer on her phone before setting it on the counter. While she was in here, she might as well get something done. Careful not to splash water on the pregnancy test, she washed her hands. She filed her nails, she picked at split ends, and she even flossed. For the second time that night. And then finally, after what seemed like hours, her phone beeped. It had been two minutes. 

She peeked at the test, her heart pounding in her chest. But then it all came to a screeching halt when she saw the results. Liz clamped a hand over her mouth when the small scream managed to slip away. “Oh my god.” With shaky hands, Liz pushed the bathroom door open. She felt like she was floating as she damn near bolted to the bed, launching herself onto the mattress. Alton was reading peacefully before she so rudely interrupted. “Alton.” Liz snatched his book away, setting it down on the bedside table. “Alton.” She already had his attention. She had it from the moment she walked through the bedroom door. But Liz was so....just...She was still shaking with joy. And she had to tell him.