***

The next night we were sitting around the kitchen table, picking at fruit and listening to Bree recap on a story of some crazy person she'd run into downtown while she was with Konrad. Chase laughed out loud and asked Bree if she'd given the dancing homeless person money when I felt something weird. My entire body froze and I glanced down to my stomach.

“Are you kidding? Of course we did! That lady was hilarious, there was no way we weren't giving her money.” Bree got out of her chair and tried to recreate the dance for us.

Chase laughed and again that weird feeling happened. I froze again, and glanced down before taking quick glances at everyone else. I don't know why I'd think they would be aware of whatever was going on inside me, but no one was looking my way. I was staring at my rounding stomach and only partially paying attention to what Robert was saying. As soon as Chase started talking, there were two somethings and I gasped, reaching out for Chase.

“You okay?” They all said at once.

“Say something Chase.” I whispered, eyes still glued to my shirt.

He leaned close, trying to look at my face, “Sweetie, what's wrong?”

I sucked in a deep breath and started laughing, “He's kicking! He's kicking whenever you talk!”

Chase fell out of his chair and to his knees, his hands covering my stomach. He leaned close to my belly and started talking slowly to him. I felt another kick just as Chase's head shot back, his eyes wide, “Oh my God!” His face instantly went back to my stomach and he continued to talk and laugh whenever he felt the nudge.

Everyone took their turns with their hands on my stomach, and by the time Chase went back to having his hands on me, there was only one more kick. “I think he rolled over.” I don't know why I was whispering, but Chase had been the only one talking, and his voice had been so low it felt weird to break that silence. “That was incredible!” I laughed as Chase stood up to kiss me long and slow.

“My thoughts exactly.” He whispered and went back to kissing me.

When we told Dr. Lowdry about that the next morning, she raised her eyebrow. “Wait, you're saying everyone else felt it too?”

“Yes.” We said together, still smiling.

“I'm sorry, I guess I just hadn't realized that at first. Harper, normally moms feel the baby move around fifteen weeks, but for first time mothers it's normal not to feel anything until you're twenty weeks. Which is how far along you are, correct?” I nodded and she continued, “So you're right on track with that, but normally no one else can feel it for another two and a half weeks, at the earliest.”

“Huh.” I glanced to Chase, then back to her, “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, no. Definitely not bad, it's just a little early is all. Let's have an ultrasound and get the measurements.” When we were in the room she took the measurements, then took them again, “Your baby is about nineteen centimeters, well closer to twenty.”

“Okay?” I had no idea if that was normal or not.

“Usually he would only be around eighteen right now, so it looks like he's developing pretty quickly. Almost two weeks ahead of where he should be.” Dr. Lowdry went to her computer and checked some things, “He was right where he should have been at your last visit.” She said mostly to herself.

“I'm not trying to be rude,” Chase was gripping my hand, “but you're kind of scaring me. Is it a bad thing that he's developing quicker than most babies?”

“No, I don't want you to think that. He's perfectly healthy, all this means is there's a possibility that Harper won't make it to her due date. I'm not worried about her delivering too early, but we'll just continue to monitor his growth. At most, I'll have to put her on bedrest in a couple months or she'll go into labor a few weeks early, which also wouldn't be bad, as long as he's fully developed. At least, she'll make it to her due date and have a big baby. Either way, there's nothing to be worried about.”

We both breathed sighs of relief, thanked her and took our new pictures back to Mom and Dad's. We looked at the baby names book for a little bit, but decided to close it. We still had ten names that we liked, but Chase said he wanted to wait until he was born to decide on the names. I watched a movie in his arms until Chase had to go into the shop, so I left to go pick up dinner for everyone. Chase wasn't expected home until two or so in the morning, so after dinner I hung out with Bree, Mom and Dad for a while and fell asleep well before Chase even got off work.

12

Graduation was this Sunday, so as a good bye to everyone, the guys were throwing one last huge party at Chase's house Friday night. Chase told me he'd stay at his parent's house with me since I wasn't planning on going, but I practically kicked him out, telling him it was the last time to really be with all the guys before everyone moved back home. Bree had been a little easier to get out, since she was planning on spending the entire weekend with Konrad before he moved back to Oregon, but still whined when I refused to go with them. Thankfully, Mom completely understood why I wanted to stay away, and supported my decision to make them go. I mean, it's a little trashy for a five and a half month pregnant teenager to go to a party where everyone was wasted and playing drinking games. I knew if I had gone, Chase and Bree would constantly be at my side to make sure I was fine, and I wanted them to enjoy this. Once they were all gone, Mom, Dad and I ordered Mexican food and piled onto the couch to watch movies and feel my gummy bear dance around and kick the crap out of me. Normally we couldn't make him move unless Chase was talking to my swollen belly, and even then he mostly just rolled now. But Mexican food was the sure way to make my boy dance. Over the last two weeks, the kicks had become stronger, and there were only a few times when other people couldn't feel him too. The second movie had just ended when Bree texted me.