#thread: complicated

Ava sat on the examination table, her hands folded comfortably in her lap as her mind ran a mile a minute about Siena and the case they were forming against Jessie.

Naomi stood before Ava, gazing at her friend with soft eyes. She couldn’t believe Ava had been dealing with so much on top of being pregnant. She looked at Samuel and squinted at him.

Natasha stood beside Naomi, looking at Ava before she looked at Samuel. “This is too much stress,” she said to him before she looked at Ava, with a frown on her face.

Samuel sat among the catty women, talking among groups and chatting it up was never his thing. He didn’t like people in his business and his wife’s friends were her own, they weren’t his. He was cordial but anything more fell at the wayside as he was addressed by one of the women, he looked at her. “I am aware,” he said in short as he looked to his wife.

Ava lifted her head, looking at her friends with a deep sigh. “I am fine,” she told her friends before she looked at her husband knowingly. “Y’all need to get back to work,” she said lovingly to her friends. “Please, give us some privacy.”

Naomi squinted even harder at Samuel. She was fond of the man, but she couldn’t believe he was letting Ava stress herself like she was doing trying to hold a case. She understood the situation of course, but it was a lot for Ava right now. At her friend's words, she sighed. “Come on ‘Tasha,” she looked at her watch. “I have a in a few surgery.”

“Mmmm,” Natasha said with a hum before she looked at Ava and she frowned deeper. “Alright, I’ll talk to you later Ava,” she said as she took Naomi’s arm and the two walked out.

Samuel looked away from his wife as she spoke to her friends, someone had a complex about him, and he could give a fuck. As they left the room, not too pleased with the response they received from his wife. He watched them go and rolled his eyes away from the door, resting his hands in his lap he sat quietly as they waited for their doctor essentially.

As her friends left, Ava looked to her husband and she sighed. “I’m sorry about them,” she said softly, reaching out for her husband to take her hand, she rested her other on her stomach gently. “I’m not stressing,” she told him. “I’m fine.”

Ava apologized to him, and Samuel said nothing to her in response. As she took his hand and explained how she wasn’t stressing and that she was fine; neither were true, this he knew however, he didn’t fight her on it. “They find me inadequate… your health isn’t their first concern,” Samuel said lowly. He blinked slowly before he sat up in his chair and turned his attention to something else as he rolled his jaw agitatedly. “I didn’t ask you to take any of this on by yourself. Dumb and dumber should know that,” he said his eyes fixed on a diagram on the wall.

Ava frowned at her husband. “I don’t care what they think,” she told him gently. “I’ll set them straight later.” Pulling him closer, she gently tugged on him, trying to get him to stand, knowing he was irritated. “I’m not taking on anything by myself,” she whispered. “I have you,” she said lovingly. “I know you’re by my side baby.”

Samuel looked to Ava again, “hmph,” left his tightly lined lips. He didn’t bother people; he found no need from them to bother him. Poking and prodding at a quiet beast, unknowingly. As she tugged him towards her a little he didn’t budge, he supposed it wasn’t her fault her friends were dumb, but Samuel wasn’t in the mood for the lovey-dovey bullshit and the overly understanding manner of which he handled everything with his wife and children. “Hmph,” he said again, a chuckle leaving his lips as he turned his head slouching in his chair, they were stupid, especially if his wife had gone back and talked any shit about him to them.

Frowning as her husband didn’t get up, Ava gently tugged him once more. “Baby,” she just about whined softly before there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said loud enough, lacing her fingers with her husbands.

Dr. Rand moved into the room slowly, looking over Ava’s chart with a frown. “Good morning Ava,” she said looking at the woman before she looked at Samuel. “Good morning Samuel,” she said greeting him as well before she took a seat and sighed. “Ava,” she began out-right. “Your blood pressure is through the roof,” she said straight-up, not beating around the bush.

Samuel looked to his wife before he looked to the door and he nodded at the woman. “Morning” he said back to their doctor. At her words he looked to his wife and then back to the doctor. Of course, it was, because the woman that thought she had it all together did not.

Ava looked at Dr. Rand and she sighed, dropping her husband’s hand, resting it in her lap. “How high?” she asked sadly. High blood pressure was not a good sign at all. With her age, weight, and twins, it was extremely dangerous for her and the babies.

“It’s bad,” Dr. Rand said as she eyed Ava’s chart. “You’re at a very high risk for preeclampsia and gestational diabetes,” she informed the couple. “I don’t know what’s going on but Ava if you want to have a healthy pregnancy, you have got to relax,” she said honestly. “I would suggest, working less, maybe only a few times a month and start doing some light exercises like walking or yoga,” she said looking at Samuel, who she knew would keep Ava in check and accountable. “You need to cut back on the salt, sugar, and fried foods, and introduce more fruits and vegetables, raw or lightly cooked,” she said with a knowing squint at Ava.

As the doctor went on to explain the danger of his wife’s current health issue, Samuel raised a brow at the woman and then Ava. Of course, who didn’t know stress was dangerous it led to a multitude of things he knew and they both did as well. Samuel looked to the doctor nodding his head at the woman. “No problem, she will do all of that” he said looking to his wife with a serious expression.

Nodding slowly at her colleague and friend, Ava sighed. She had known. She had been dizzy and lightheaded and just hadn’t said anything because she didn’t want to worry her husband or their children. “I understand,” she said looking at her husband as he spoke. She gazed at him; her eyes soft as she nodded.

Dr. Rand nodded at Samuel before she looked back at Ava and she said, “outside of your blood pressure, the rest of your vitals look fine.” Sitting the chart aside, Dr. Rand finally asked, “how have you been feeling? Morning sickness, cravings, you know…” She looked at Samuel once more, knowing he would tell her the truth and the whole truth.

Samuel looked to his wife as she spoke, a non-protest, was that a knowingness in her voice and subconscious? He was going to kill his wife once they left here because he couldn’t believe her. Looking at the doctor he said, “morning sickness?” questionably, “it’s all day sickness, 24 hours a day, she doesn’t stop throwing up. She should be down like 20 pounds,” he told their doctor.

As Samuel spoke up, telling the doctor that her morning sickness was bad, Ava nodded along. “Yes, I’ve had horrible morning sickness,” she admitted. “I throw up at the least 4-6 time a day, rather I’ve eaten or not,” she admitted. “No cravings just aversions,” Ava told Dorothy. “I’ve had the occasional headache every now and again,” she whispered truthfully.

Dr. Rand jotted down the information before she said, “well with twins, it’s common to throw up more due to the excessive hormones.” Shifting in her chair, looking to Ava. “Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition that also happens while pregnant, usually with twins. It’s excessive morning sickness, usually start before normal morning sickness at about 3 or 4 weeks and typically last longer than regular morning sickness but studies have shown that it’s not really harmful,” she said looking between the couple, “however, if you experience brownish vomit or blood in it, fainting, rapid heart rate, or confusion after throwing up you need to see a doctor immediately,” she said sternly as she continued to write in Ava’s chart. “As you know aversions are typical and so are headaches with pregnancy, but Ava you know if it persists, come on in and get checked out,” she instructed before she sat the chart aside and moved to prep the ultrasound machine.

As the woman spoke clarifying that his wife wasn’t experiencing something that wasn’t normal Samuel nodded his head. Well that was a good thing in his opinion, yes it sucked that she had to go through it but if no one was harmed by it that was good news. Samuel looked between the two of them as they spoke of her other symptoms and he nodded his head feeling that she was still very normal even with those things. “Okay,” he breathed simply, she just needed to rest, he got that. What was new?

Ava wasn’t an OB, so there were some things that she didn’t know, however, hyperemesis gravidarum was one of the things that she did. She thought about it every single time she found herself leaned over a toilet or a trashcan and she knew it wasn’t harmful, just annoying. Nodding along, she slowly began to lay back, unbuttoning her blouse, and opening it wide as she laid back on the examination table. She was nervous and excited to see their children again. It still baffled her that she was 43, going on 44, and pregnant.

Rand got the machine all set up and ready before she turned to Ava and rolled it over. She grabbed the gel and carefully squirted some into Ava’s stomach before she grabbed the probe and gently rested it against her. She rolled the probe around, spreading the gel and searching for the babies until she found the pair. She smiled, looking back at the couple briefly before she began to examine the screen.

Samuel looked at his wife as she laid back on the table and he shifted to stand up moving beside her as she unbuttoned her shirt. As their doctor being the exam, he watched on looking as the children appeared, gratefully, and gently rested a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Ava slowly looked up at Samuel as he stood beside her, her lips pursed slightly, however she said nothing. She slowly looked back to Dorothy, then the screen as their children appeared. She gently placed her hand over her husbands on her shoulder, a small smile pulling at her lips.

Dr. Rand looked the babies over on the screen, rolling the probe around and around before she said, “Baby A appears to be a tad bit smaller than baby b, however, that’s common,” She looked back at the couple, “especially this early in stages,” she explained. “Ava you’re nine weeks exactly today and I’m seeing two beautiful little heartbeats,” she said pointing to the screen, pointing out the heartbeats. “I’m seeing two very healthy twins,” she said to the couple. “Ava, if we want to keep up with this, keeping both you and the babies healthy, I would honestly suggest trying to lose at least 10 to 15 lbs. I know I said before that you didn’t need to but considering now the high blood pressure, it would be best for all three of you.” Looking back at the screen, she examined more. “Yok sacks look good; I’m seeing healthy levels of amniotic fluids…”

Samuel looked to the screen and took their children in, watching as the doctor moved about. She pointed out their heartbeats and he smiled at that, they were having babies, two babies, he still couldn’t believe it often. He caressed her shoulder gently as she placed her hand on his. As their doctor mentioned his wife needing to lose weight, he licked his lips slowly and looked down at her. He didn’t remember when the last time his wife lost weight, she stayed pretty consistent and had been since Luca. She had always carried a little of his baby weight with her and he didn’t mind it but who was to say how many she’d gain from the pregnancy in the first place.

Ava nodded slowly, gazing at Dorothy as she told her that she needed to lose weight. Sighing out, Ava looked at her husband. She went to the gym twice a week and ate fairly healthy, her body was honestly just comfortable at its current weight, however, she would try. “I’ve been at this weight for the last 10 years,” she stated honestly. “However, I will try to drop a few pounds,” she said looking back at her husband, her bottom lip tucked into her mouth. Slowly she looked back at the screen and she nodded, smiling at their babies heartbeats.

“I understand,” Dorothy said to Ava easily before she began snapping photos for the couple. “Ava after this I’m going to have you go down for a blood test, we’re going to test for sickle cell, thalassemia, and antibodies,” she explained. “Should be quick and painless.” Handing Ava some tissues, she rolled the ultrasound machine back into the corner. “Now Ava,” she said gently, knowing this was sensitive. “I know you didn’t get A CVS or an amniocentesis done previously with all your other children,” she began, “but you’re older now and with Luca, I think it would be best to have one of the two done,” she said looking at Samuel now. “The CVS is the Chorionic Villus Sampling, along with the amniocentesis. It’s how we test rather your babies will have any type of chromosome abnormalities. The processes is very helpful in learning about your children however, they carry a risk of pregnancy loss of between 0.5 and 1 percent,” she said honestly.

Samuel looked to his wife and she promised to try and lose a little weight for their children's sake. He would try to help her as best he could, he went to the gym often he knew how the process of losing weight went. As she went on to explain these procedures, he looked at his wife this was all foreign to him and he was sure she knew far more.

Ava looked at her friend nodding slowly. A blood test was easy-peasy. However, when Dorothy began talking about getting a CVS or amnio, she frowned her face as she began to squeeze her husband’s hand tightly in her own as she listened to Dorothy explain it to Samuel. She swallowed hard, shifting slightly, clutching the napkins in her other hand. “D-Do I have to get it done?” she stammered out nervously. The thought of an amnio scared her half to death and a CVS was no better. She looked up at her husband, her eyes filling with tears at the idea of it.

Samuel watched his wife and he pulled the napkins from her hands as she pressed the test with their doctor. He wiped her stomach gently, clearly, she didn’t want them done he could tell by the sounds of her voice. Once he cleaned her stomach off with the napkins and balled them in his hand and stayed quiet.

Dorothy placed the ultrasound back before she moved to wash her hands and she looked back at Ava. “No, you don’t have to get it done but I would highly suggest it,” she said truthfully. “Ava, you know it’s important however, it’s not mandatory. You have a few weeks before we can do it, so sit on it and just think about it,” she said as she dried her hands, looking between the couple. “Any questions?” she asked them, wanting to know before they she left the room to get their pictures and updated informational packets, along with a breakdown of their visit for the day.

Samuel tossed the napkins in the trash and he shook his head at the woman. “Nope,” he said for himself before he looked to his wife. Who knows what she would choose for the both of them, but considering he was so uneducated on the topics, he’d leave it to her and not command her to do anything.

Ava bit her lip hard. She knew that she needed to get it done, it would be for the best, but she was scared, one wrong move and one of her babies, or truthfully, both of her babies, could be gone. The thought made her face flush white and she looked at her husband, shaking her head at the question from Dorothy. “No questions,” she said softly, watching Dorothy leave before she looked at her husband, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Either procedure is a risk,” she said her bottom lip trembling.

Samuel looked to her. “Baby I am here to support you fully,” he said, “whatever you want to do I will side with you,” he reasoned. Samuel moved closer towards her, resting between her thighs as he hugged her to his chest. “It will be okay; I just need us to surface again, right now I feel like at every turn we are drowning baby. It’s such a rough patch…” he said hugging her tightly to him.

Big brown eyes blinked slowly, and a tear fell down Ava’s cheek as she gazed at her husband. She nodded slowly; her bottom lip poked out slightly. “I know,” she whispered sadly. They really just had far too much going on. She was pregnant, they were dealing with Siena’s situation, they were looking for a new school for their children, Samuel was jobless. It was a lot. She was emotional one-hundred and ten perfect of the time. “We just need to prioritize,” she said gently, sniffling a little as she hugged him close. She got very quiet before she said, “we can do the amnio…”

Samuel caressed his wife’s back gently with his large hand, as she cried a little into him. Crying had become her new outlook on everything these days, big or small, it was cute. He nodded his head at her before she responded with what she felt they needed to do. “Only if you want to,” he reassured her.

Nodding into his chest, Ava sniffled patting her face dry. “It’s for the best,” she said quietly as she gazed up at him. “I’ll power through it with you by my side,” she whispered before there was a knock on the door.

Rand slowly poked her head into the room with a smile. She sat the documents down on the counter before she closed the door, not wanting to interrupt the couple.

Samuel pulled away from his wife and he dried her tears gently before he nodded. “Okay,” he told her. She had made the decision and now they needed to move forward with it. He began to fix her top for her, buttoning it one at a time before he said. “You can’t work on that case for Siena, Ava. So, I will do it, alone,” he told her, “and don’t fight me on this,” he added sternly. “It is too much for you to deal with,” he said.

Ava smiled softly at Dorothy as she sat the papers on the countertop before disappearing once more. Looking to her husband, she nodded slowly before she opened her mouth to protest as he told her that she couldn’t work Siena’s case. “Sam…” she trailed off quickly at his stern words. She gazed up at him, her bottom lip poked out as he buttoned her shirt for her. She smoothed her hands down her pencil skirt and nodded, “okay…” she said softly. “You’re right…” she admitted. “I’m stressing and I don’t need to be.”

“Right,” Samuel said to her before he said, “and I will get a job.” She hadn’t mentioned it but lately he felt like people were throwing jabs at him for it. Making him feel less than. “I am more than capable of providing for my family,” he said, “and I am not stupid,” he told her as well. “A job will come,” he sighed as he finished the last button and pulled away from her.

Ava nodded slowly, reaching up to gently stroke his beard with her nails. “I know baby,” she said softly. “I haven’t brought it up because I didn’t want to pressure you,” she admitted softly. “I know you are baby, and I believe in you,” she told him lovingly before he pulled away from her. “Have you thought about starting your own company?” she asked him tenderly as she slid down the examination table, resting on her feet in her flats.

As she spoke, Samuel sighed to himself, outside of her friends how many more people around them considered him to be shit. He was trying, people just didn’t see it and all his hard work. “I have but it’s too much money needed to start it up,” he shrugged. “I think Maya is going to help me with a job…” Samuel told his wife.

Ava sighed at her husband's words. “We could get a small business loan,” she said thoughtfully before he mentioned Maya. She bit her lip gently and said, “oh…” she moved to grab her purse and grabbed the documents off the counter swiftly as she moved out of the room. “What kind of job?” she asked now.

Samuel grabbed his keys and phone as he followed behind his wife. “She thinks she could get me into the cybersecurity department with her,” he said. “Federal Government development,” he said with a bit of excitement in his voice as he did. “She could really do me a solid,” he told his wife, “she’s such a good person, I couldn’t repay her enough even if I tried… I’d owe her my life,” he said as he walked behind Ava.

Ava moved down the hallway, the thought of Maya already irritating her. She knows that Samuel said she was a lesbian and they were just friends but something in her gut still didn’t sit right about the woman. As he spoke about the woman and owing his life, Ava stopped dead in her tracks, turning her head slowly to gaze at her husband, her face contorted. “Owe her your life?” She questioned exaggerating every word before she began stomping down the hallway. She couldn’t believe the nerve of him. She reached the front desk and quickly scheduled another appointment before she moved for the elevator, her arms folded of her chest as she held her purse, her eyes rolling as she tapped her foot. “Samuel…” she began with a huff, “I do not like her…” she said out-right.

Samuel looked down at Ava as she repeated his words to him, and he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Well yeah,” he said easily. As she moved to stomp her way around her looked to her crazily, she scheduled her next appointment and moved for the elevators in which he followed her to as well. “Don’t like her?” he said questioning her now. “Ava,” he breathed, “that is a good job, a good paying job. What is there not to like?” he asked her. “She’s trying to help where other people are not, she’s being a friend. A real friend,” he said jabbing at both her and the two other women from earlier.

Ava jabbed her finger into the button repeatedly now. “Do. Not. Like. Her.” She repeated punctuating every word. At his next set of statements Ava whipped her head around to look at him, curls bouncing. “Oh, okay,” she said with a huff as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the close door button before he could get on.

Samuel looked to his wife as she moved to climb on the elevator, she didn’t give him the chance to join her. Instead she closed the doors and he yelled, “Ava,” to her quickly double tapping the button on the elevator. “Ava!” he yelled again as his fist hit the metal doors loudly. “You have got to be kidding me,” he said as he moved for another elevator with a shake of his head.

Ava rode the elevator straight down without a hitch as she silently fumed to herself. Owe her my life, she said back to herself in her head rolling her eyes. “A crock a crap,” she mumbled to herself. Stepping off the elevator, she moved into the lobby and sat down in a chair by the door as she waited for her husband.

Samuel waited for an elevator and he sighed to himself heavily, he was so tired. Why didn’t anybody ever care to check on the head of the household sometimes too. He was just trying to do what he knew needed to be done and the main thing on his list was snagging an actual job.

Sitting there, Ava calmed herself down and started thinking rationally once more as she waited for her husband. He did need a job, no matter how he had to go about getting one and if Maya had a job for him, he should take it. As much as she loathed the idea.

Samuel finally climbed onto an elevator pressing the ground floor, and he road it unknowing where his wife was by now. He did know, however, if she left without him, he was going to have to kill her. He didn’t care how bothered she was by Maya, some things you just didn’t do. As he finally made it to the floor, he exited off of it and looked around, spotting his wife. He looked at her with a disappointed grimace as he moved for the exit.

Ava let out a sigh, picking at her skirt now as Samuel moved towards her and she stood slowly, moving behind him in silence now. She felt bad. She shouldn’t have left him like that. “I’m sorry baby,” she said sincerely as she placed her hand on his back, looking up at him as she walked beside him, trying to keep his pace.

“No, you aren’t Ava,” Samuel said shaking his head at her. “God,” he breathed agitatedly at her. He ran his hands through his long hair as he moved out of the entrance of the hospital and he moved for the parking spot they had gotten. “I am starting to think being home gives everyone the open window to shit on me every day all day,” he told her. “Fuck Sam,” he said with a headshake “I hope I find a job quick,” he mumbled under his breath as he pulled the keys out of his pocket.

Ava frowned at her husband and she moved silently as he now went off on his tangent as she had done just minutes before. She moved with him silently for the car, pushing some of her hair over her shoulder. As he pulled out the keys, she moved around to the passenger side, holding onto the handle waiting to get inside.

Samuel unlocked the door and climbed inside of the car, when he did, he leaned back resting his head on the seat. He was tired, he needed a nap and maybe even another vacation.