Week 38: Elizabeth & Palmer
(the news)
Elizabeth was incredibly nervous. While this wasn’t only about the fact that she and Palmer wanted to be mothers, that was the thing that had her the most nervous. The country had been waiting since their wedding day to find out that their Queen and her Consort were expecting a child, and since it wasn’t so easy for two women, it had taken a little time. People had been growing impatient, and that had weighed on their shoulders, but the most important thing to Elizabeth wasn’t providing her nation with an heir because they’d have those with her sister and brother-in-law having children of their own as well. It was the fact that she and Palmer were both as ready as any two people could be to become parents, and she wanted this more than anything, to be a mom alongside her amazing wife.
She’d watched Palmer from even just before they’d started dating, seeing the woman’s kindness and love with her much younger sister, Camilla, so she’d known Palmer would make an amazing mother. Elizabeth had had an amazing mother as well, and she could only hope to be half as good as her one day.
Of course, it was possible that that day was here, or would be very soon because she’d have to have the child first, but she’d been very secretive, hoping to find out before anyone else since so much of her life wasn’t really her own, and people often seemed to know things at the same time she discovered them or even before her. She’d had her secretary purchase tests for her online, using a secret credit card, and had them delivered to a neutral location. Another person picked them up for her and had them dropped off at the palace, placing them directly into Elizabeth’s hands.
She’d then gone into her bathroom while her wife was at work, and she took two tests at once, wanting to be sure in case she got a false positive. She’d heard those were rare these days, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She stared down at both of them, waiting for the results to appear, and when she’d seen them both showing the same result, she’d smiled. She’d also cried happy tears. Then, she’d gone in search of her wife, who was writing in her office.
“Palmer?”
“Hey, babe,” Palmer greeted, looking up from her computer and sitting up on the sofa she liked to lie down on when working on something.
“Do you have a moment?”
“For you? Always.”
Elizabeth sat down next to her, and Palmer moved her laptop to the table.
“Is everything okay?”
“We were going to go to the doctor tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” Palmer placed her arm over the back of the sofa.
“But I couldn’t wait. And I’ll need her to confirm, of course, but…” Elizabeth turned to face her wife and couldn’t hold her smile in any longer. “My love…”
Palmer’s face went from concerned to a combination of surprise and confusion before the confusion fell away and only happiness remained.
“Really?”
Elizabeth nodded rapidly, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again.
“I took two tests.”
Palmer looked down at Elizabeth’s stomach before ever so gently placing her hand there.
“We’re going to be moms?”
“Yes, my love.”
Palmer looked back up at her and said, “I love you.”
“I love you.”
“You’re…” Palmer looked back down again. “There’s a baby in there.”
“There is. And I didn’t want to find out at the doctor’s office. I wanted us to have this moment before anyone else finds out. I hope that’s all right.”
“Of course, it’s all right.” Palmer moved into Elizabeth and kissed her. “I can’t believe it. We’re having a baby. They’re going to be a little Princess or Prince.”
“They’ll be our child first and foremost - I’ll see to that - but, yes.” She kissed Palmer again. “And while I will be completely happy with a healthy child no matter the gender, I might be hoping for a little girl first. I like the idea of there being another Queen by birth in this family line.”
“Me too.” Palmer kissed her and laughed a little. “But we’re still hoping to have two, aren’t we?”
“We are. But let’s get this one on her way before we start worrying about that, shall we?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Palmer said in her teasing tone and moved until Elizabeth was underneath her. “Are you prepared for me to go into full-on protective mode, spoiling my pregnant wife, too? Because that’s about to happen.”
Elizabeth laughed and wrapped her arms around Palmer’s neck.
“Yes, Palmer. Do what you must.”
“I could start by showing you how happy I am.” Palmer kissed her forehead.
“We’re in your office,” Elizabeth replied.
“I can lock the door.”
Elizabeth laughed and said, “Yes, please do.”