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giftedphotographyca · 4 months

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Website: https://www.4giftedphotography.com

Address: Victorville, California 92392

Gifted Photography specializes in capturing significant life moments, offering services in Southern California and beyond. Founded in memory of Ajani (AJ) Wilson, the business emphasizes preserving memories through photography. Services include weddings, events, family portraits, maternity, newborn, and professional headshots, available both in-studio and on location.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069438993293

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4giftedphotography

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-wilson-984872234/

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harleyrrojar · 16 days

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Bradley Beach Maternity Photos

Inspiration for NJ beach maternity photos. This session was captured on Bradley Beach in New Jersey on a warm summer day.

#Maternity-Photos

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jlunnposh · 3 months

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: The Nines by Hatch Pink Floral V-Neck Smocked Back Midi Dress Maternity XS S M L.

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rnphotographycalgary1100 · 5 months

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Capturing the Essence of Motherhood: Maternity Photoshoots in Chestermere

In the picturesque town of Chestermere, expecting mothers are embracing the beauty of their journey into motherhood through the lens of maternity photoshoots. A Maternity Photoshoot Chestermere isn't just a session to document a growing belly; it's a celebration of the profound connection between a mother and her unborn child, set against the stunning backdrop of this charming Canadian town.

Chestermere's natural beauty provides a perfect canvas for maternity photography. From the tranquil shores of Chestermere Lake to the vibrant parks and lush greenery, photographers have a plethora of enchanting locations to choose from. The town's unique blend of urban and natural landscapes allows for diverse and visually striking maternity photos that capture the essence of this special moment in a mother's life.

One of the key factors that make maternity photoshoots in Chestermere so special is the personalized touch that photographers bring to each session. Local photographers understand the significance of this momentous occasion and work closely with expectant mothers to create a meaningful and personalized experience. From choosing the perfect location to selecting wardrobe options that complement the surroundings, every detail is carefully considered to ensure that the final images truly reflect the expecting mother's individual style and personality.

Chestermere Lake, with its calm waters and scenic views, serves as an idyllic setting for Maternity Photoshoot Calgary Photographers often capture the serenity of the lake as a backdrop, symbolizing the peace and anticipation that come with awaiting the arrival of a new life. The changing seasons in Chestermere also add a dynamic element to these photoshoots, with spring blossoms, summer sunshine, and fall foliage providing a natural and evolving backdrop for maternity sessions.

In addition to outdoor locations, Chestermere's quaint urban spaces also offer unique opportunities for maternity photography. The town's charming streets, parks, and architectural elements provide a contrast to the natural landscapes, allowing photographers to create a diverse portfolio of images that tell the story of pregnancy in Chestermere.

The emotional connection between the photographer and the expecting mother is another crucial element that sets Chestermere's maternity photoshoots apart. Photographers strive to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, encouraging genuine moments and authentic expressions. This connection results in images that go beyond mere documentation, capturing the love, excitement, and tenderness that define the journey to motherhood.

Maternity photoshoots in Chestermere also play a role in building a sense of community among expectant mothers. Sharing these beautifully captured moments on social media and within local networks creates a supportive environment where mothers can connect, share experiences, and celebrate this transformative period in their lives.

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caseyandhercamera · 3 years

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Cool Creek Maternity Session | Indianapolis Maternity Photographer

How is it possible that little ones grow up so quickly? It doesn’t feel like it’s been two years since I shot a maternity session for their first little one, and now it’s almost time to meet their second! Torey and Kyle have since moved since we last worked together, so their Cool Creek maternity session was my first time venturing out to Cool Creek Park. It was supposed to be my second time…

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#baby to be #big sister #bump photos #cool creek park #cool creek park family session #Expecting Mom Photos #Family of Four #family photography #indianapolis maternity photographer #Indianapolis Photographers #Maternity Photos #pregnant #summer pregnancy

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theblankslatephotographer · 2 years

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Why

Well, here I am...blogging.

Never have I thought I would do this, nor did I think that I would want to. But that is life, it throws some curve balls at us and we then decide how to make the first move.

Who am I?

Just a girl who wanted to stay home with her babies and also have a purpose, outside of my family. SAHM is a hard job. Lonely, demanding, rewarding, giving, and so much more. It is like riding a rollercoaster sometimes and also, sometimes like what you see in the movies minus the big house, in ground pool and cold cocktails flowing.

My background is hospitality. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Recreation. Basically, because it was the closest thing the college had with one or two classes regarding hospitality. I picked based on the college because I went to two other colleges before, moved to this college town and met amazing people. I decided I didn't want to move again, I didn't want to start over.

Fast forward, with stories for another time, I live in another state and dabbing into photography.

I had booked an amazing local photographer for my maternity session for baby #2. We instantly connected, which she usually does with her clients. I had received an email regarding her year filling up later that summer and realized I wanted to book another session for my baby's first birthday. We booked our date and she offered me a "very part time" gig. She knew my background (wedding planning) and remembered that I had offered "if you ever need any help, please keep me in mind." So, we set up a coffee date to discuss!

THREE hours later, I was giddy!

I flew home excited to tell my husband what the conversation was about and WHY it took so long to get back.

My "very part time" job/side gig was a few hours a week assisting with inquiries and social media captions. We did some training on the business websites and BOOM...I hit the ground running as the new assistant.

Everything happens for a reason. I love when things just feel right or is flowing in the right direction. I was starting a better healthier version of myself, reading more (I think the most I have read in my adult life) and drinking more water when an unexpected response for a first birthday photography session came into my inbox.

I did have and still do, some insecurities.

1. I know I cannot write but here was this amazing artist who spoke to your soul in writing, hiring me to assist with captions. Sometimes, I wonder if I even understand the english language! Cheers to trying because I am!

2. I have no clue about photography but do take a lot of photos on my iPhone. I do own a Canon Rebel but haven't really ever used it.

3. Where am I going to find the passion in something that I never really thought about or know anything about.

4. What if I am not good enough?

So, that is where I am going to leave it for tonight. I wanted to start this blog to capture my growth on this new adventure...in addition to future photos. We all start something at the bottom, right?

Talk soon,

TBSP

#photography #newadventures #photoblog #quotes #student #new chapter #mentorshipmatters #coach #mentor #challenges #commitment #successful #coaching

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Us, January 25

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles and Jason Sudeikis

Page 2: Red Carpet -- drop sleeve romance -- Cynthia Erivo, Margaret Qualley, Aja Naomi King, Eiza Gonzalez

Page 3: Chloe Bennet, Keri Russell, Isla Fisher, Idina Menzel, Kaia Gerber

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Gigi Hadid vs. Khloe Kardashian, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley vs. Haley Lu Richardson

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Rowan Atkinson on cancel culture, Chrissy Teigen on why she gave up drinking, Busy Philipps on getting used to her 12-year-old child Birdie’s they/them pronouns, Joy Behar resuming her feud with fellow View cohost Meghan McCain who recently returned from maternity leave, Arnold Schwarzenegger on mistaking Chris Pratt for Chris Evans on an Instagram telethon

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: Hot Pics -- Angelina Jolie enjoyed a bit of retail therapy in L.A.

Page 11: Justin Bieber took an electric bike out for a spin while on vacation in Hawaii, Gavin Rossdale holding his beloved dog during an outing in Studio City, Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn wore pink during a photoshoot in Bel Air

Page 12: Olivia Munn, Tori Spelling got a smooch from her and husband Dean McDermott’s pups in L.A., Emilio Vitolo Jr. and Katie Holmes walked arm-in-arm during a romantic stroll in NYC

Page 13: Emma Slater and Sasha Farber stepped out for some fresh air with their dogs Ruby and Grinch in L.A., Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid spent their days soaking up the sun while on vacation in Tulum, Mexico

Page 16: Matt Damon was spotted without his wedding ring while visiting BFF Ben Affleck one month after celebrating his 15th anniversary with wife Luciana Barroso in L.A., Sutton Foster filming Younger with Nico Tortorella and Debi Mazar in NYC, during an outing Lisa Rinna took her dance moves to the streets in L.A.

Page 17: Diplo spent the day exploring the ocean during a scuba diving session in Tulum, Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo couldn’t keep their hands off each other while playing in the ocean in Tulum

Page 18: Jennifer Lopez works her monochrome magic

Page 20: Winter Wonderland -- ‘tis the season to bundle up -- Kellan Lutz sipping on hot drinks with pregnant wife Brittany in NYC, Irina Shayk posed with a snowman she built in NYC, Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi kept warm and cozy in fashionable outerwear, Bella Hadid made a snow angel following a storm in NYC

Page 21: Martha Stewart in her snow plow in Bedford in New York, Rebel Wilson hitting the slopes in Aspen, Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma played with their daughter Banks outside in North Reading in Massachusetts, Ciara skiing for the first time during a trip with Vanessa Bryant, Laura Prepon building a snowman

Page 22: Stars They’re Just Like Us -- Wells Adams broke a sweat during an afternoon jog in L.A., Gabrielle Union donated items to her favorite organizations through the Amazon Smile Charity Lists in L.A., Jenny McCarthy checked taking out the trash off her to-do list in Chicago

Page 23: Ellen DeGeneres pedaled to lunch in Santa Barbara, between carrying a huge basket and walking his dog Kuma Justin Theroux has his hands full while out and about in NYC

Page 24: Love Lives -- Emma Stone baby on board

Page 25: Chrissy Metz and boyfriend Bradley Collins met on the dating app Bumble, after spending months in Australia Zac Efron has no plans to return to Hollywood because he’s loving life with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares

Page 26: Hollywood Moms -- Melissa Joan Hart on her three sons Mason and Braydon and Tucker

Page 27: Amber Rose’s sons Sebastian and Slash may be six years apart but she says they have the sweetest bond, Rachel Bilson’s daughter Briar has no idea that dad Hayden Christensen played Darth Vader, Melissa Rycroft has ruled out baby No. 4

Page 28: Hot Hollywood -- Duchess Kate Middleton’s family made her recent birthday very special despite the pandemic -- during her low-key celebration at Anmer Hall she felt the love from Prince William and their kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and they gave her a bouquet from the kids and diamond and sapphire earrings from William which she loves -- she even received a card and gifts from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which was a nice surprise and she may get to thank them in person as Harry and Meghan will reportedly return to the UK in June

Page 29: After months of dating speculation Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey finally confirmed their relationship via Instagram when Michael and Steve Harvey’s adopted daughter posted loved-up photos of each other on their accounts

* Nearly 17 years after the Sex and the City series finale aired stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis are reprising their roles for a revival called And Just Like That...Noticeably absent from the group is Kim Cattrall who’s had an ongoing feud with Sarah Jessica for years and has been vocal about her decision to never return to the show

* Keeping Up With Us -- Gwen Stefani’s annulment from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale has finally been granted by the Vatican which was a huge relief for Gwen who wants her marriage to Blake Shelton to be recognized by the Catholic Church, Meghan Markle’s estranged dad Thomas Markle says that he’s very pleased with daughter Samantha Markle’s upcoming tell-all book, The Grammys has been delayed to March 14 over coronavirus concerns, Shia LaBeouf and Margaret Qualley have called it quits on their weeks-long whirlwind romance, Dr. Dre said he’s doing great after being hospitalized for a brain aneurysm, Stassi Schroeder and fiance Beau Clark welcomed daughter Hartford Charlie Rose

Page 30: A Day in the Life -- Catherine Lowe

Page 31: Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson has a lot to look forward in 2021 -- not only is she releasing a new book this summer which is a historical fiction novel titled Her Heart For a Compass but the Duchess of York is also preparing to become a first-time grandmother to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s child -- though the little one’s arrival is still weeks away Fergie’s already started passing down her motherly wisdom to her 30-year-old daughter whom she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew -- as for what she’s hoping to be called by her grandchild she says lots of her friends call her Duch so she thinks it will end up being Duchee

Page 32: Cover Story -- Olivia Wilde’s love triangle -- Olivia’s ex Jason Sudeikis is devastated as her new romance with Harry Styles heats up

Page 36: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West behind closed doors -- as rumors of impending divorce swirl what’s really happening inside Kim and Kanye’s six-year marriage -- it was extremely draining to keep pretending that their marriage was OK when the whole world could tell it blatantly wasn’t and things between them have gotten so toxic they have no choice but to live apart

Page 38: One for the Ages -- it’s nothing but a number -- these couples don’t mind a May to December romance -- Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, George Clooney and Amal Clooney, Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles

Page 39: Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone, Jay-Z and Beyonce, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson

Page 40: Natalie Portman’s lip service with Dior’s wildly popular Rouge Dior Couture lipstick -- she stuns in a series of images that evoke the splendor of Paris and peep the behind-the-scenes moments

Page 42: Entertainment -- The Bachelor Matt James teases what’s to come

Page 43: Dean Hashim of 90 Day Fiance on having a daughter with girlfriend Rigin Bado

Page 46: Fashion Police -- when bad clothes happen to good people -- Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, Alia Shawkat

Page 47: A$AP Rocky, Kate Flannery, Tessa Thompson

Page 48: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me -- Tim Allen

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maknaesdancersrappers · 4 years

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july 21

hello. july 21 is a special day for me and you dont have to read this because its just me venting out my thoughts and emotions as long as i can without word/character limits on any platform.

july 21 is my maternal grandmother’s birthday. when i was born, my mom went abroad often and my dad had the regular 9 to 5 job plus extra hours for commute. so growing up with my sisters who are 5 and 7 years older, our grandparents and aunts took care of us.

im also more fond of my maternal grandmother since my paternal grandmother lived far away and we rarely ever get to see her (usually only during summers and once she stayed with us for awhile) until she passed away from Alzheimer's.

during the long hiatus i took early this year (late december to mid-march?), a lot has happened in my life. my health was put at risk because of the ash fall brought by the volcano eruption (january 12); i had allergies for weeks - i couldnt breathe properly, let alone sleep because of it. it was about to be the second year after graduating college and i have yet to get a job; the pressure from my family - and myself - was so unbearable that i caught myself slipping back to my very, very, very dark thoughts. and the worst thing that happened in those three months: my grandmother passed away. in filipino, grandmother is lola (loh-lah) and i’d like to use that for the rest of this post.

if you ask anyone in their neighborhood, any of our family friends, and relatives, everyone will tell you that her death was sudden. because everyone knows her as the sometimes-funny-sometimes-cranky old lady that owns the convenience store at the corner of the street. she was 96. she was 96 but she refused to get a wheelchair or use a walking stick even though her knees started to hurt after a few steps. she was 96 but didn’t need glasses to read most of the time. she was 96 but didn’t have any maintenance medication. ever since she reached her 90′s, she had gone to the town clinic at least twice because she fell over (from loss of balance) and busted her head. yet she would walk the next day like she doesnt have stitches on her scalp. she hated going to the doctor, she’d always claim that nothing hurts and the only thing she wanted the doctor to fix was her hearing (its as weak as how her eyesight is clear)

i wasnt the only one in the family that got severely affected by the ash fall. my lola also had trouble breathing because of it. she also went to the doctor for it and they only prescribed her antibiotics. please remember this info. this should be around early february

she got a little better but her voice was very hoarse from the phlegm. even before this, lola had little to no appetite and would only eat when someone else is eating (usually if it’s us, her granddaughters). and by little to no appetite, i mean her whole meal would be three spoonfuls of rice and one piece/chunk of whatever the main dish/ulam is. whenever we ask if she had eaten (even though we know she hadnt) she’d always claim that she already has (this eventually became a little joke in our family.) we took this sign as her dementia getting worse (although she was never really diagnosed with it, we had naturally assumed it because she would always repeatedly tell us stories that she insists happened even though some have been debunked and there were times she forgets our names if we havent visited in a while.)

after she gets better from the cough (idk the real diagnosis of it), her legs started to swell and because her routine had been reduced to being bedridden for most of the day, my aunts thought it was just poor circulation. it took two weeks before they brought her back to the town clinic and again, they just prescribed her with some medicine. everything after this is blurry to me until feb 21

my mom, being the eldest, made the decision to bring lola to the hospital. she’s, rightfully, unsatisfied with the town doctor’s diagnosis and prescriptions because lola is in so much pain and her legs were still swollen and its been weeks. i was with her in the emergency room while my mom and aunt did the paper work and the staff ran tests on lola. i’m contacting my sister who was in singapore and we’d video call to entertain lola since she was very adamant - and vocal - that she did not want to be admitted to the hospital bc she was “fine.” goSh she made so many hospital staff laugh because she would always announce whenever she had to fart. after like 2 hours, we move her into a ward and my mom tells me that i’ll have to stay overnight to watch over her. i was very apprehensive of this idea. i honestly did not want to. seeing her in pain was bad enough, but the fact we were in a room with other people and she was crying out loud made me really anxious but it was final. my mom, aunt, and uncle all went back home just to have dinner and they’ll come back since lola’s doctor would be coming by to give the results and for that hour they were gone? i lost it.

lola started talking/praying out loud, asking god why she was in so much pain, asking what she had done to deserve this; and i didn’t know what to do but hold her hand and kiss her head. i couldn’t even show her i was crying. when my mom got back, i told her i cant do it and she eventually convinced my other sister to join me, who cancelled her plans for the next day. that night, i did not and could not fall asleep. after a few hours, her doctor finally came by and dropped a bomb on us. he was kind enough to talk to my mom and aunt behind the curtains in the softest voice ever while i helped the nurse with lola, but i could hear him crystal clear.

cancer of the liver.

they even momentarily walked back to lola to touch her stomach and stepped back out. i almost thought i misheard, but my mom and aunt’s expressions were too grim that it basically confirmed it. later on, my mom finally told me and explained that the antibiotics she had been taking weeks ago were too strong for her because of her lifestyle and diet. there were tumors in her liver and surgery wouldn’t do anything. i dont remember what i did aside from sketching on the journal i brought, but until i got home at 10am the next day, i did not sleep a wink.

feb 22. when i woke up at 2PM, i was told that they had lola discharged from the hospital. there was nothing we could do but try to ease the pain to the best of our abilities and wait. starting that day, i went over to lola’s house to help out with feeding her, giving her medicine, and just trying to keep her happy by randomly smiling at her when i see her looking around or dancing to no music.

feb 24. these were the early weeks of covid - ph hadn’t had a case yet, i believe, but travel restrictions were being implemented. my sister in singapore was doing everything to make sure she could come home because we don’t know when, but we know lola was leaving soon. of all the things our mom told her not to do, she cried at the entrance of the embassy and by the grace of god, someone took pity and listened to her (bc she was denied entry since she had a small cough) and she was able book a flight at midnight and be home in 4 hours. that afternoon, when i arrived at lola’s house, that was the very first time i stood at the doorway to greet her like i usually did and she didn’t smile. not even the corners of her lips moved. she was in that much pain that she couldn’t even greet me back like she always did, which was to smile and nod her head. that night, we all decided to sleepover there (with the exception of my dad since he had to feed our dogs at home). i take my usual seat in the living room and i notice a white dress that i remember (from photos) being lola’s 50th anniversary wedding gown and without being told, i know it was what she was going to wear for the very last time.

feb 25. being notoriously a late sleeper, i was about to go to sleep at 2AM when i hear lola groaning and whining out loud. when i checked her, her stubborn lil ass was trying to get out of bed alone!!! so i obviously panic and try to wake up anyone by exclaiming that lola had to go to the bathroom - she’s been wearing adult diapers for weeks now but refuses to go in them and is adamant about bringing her to the bathroom so she could relieve herself - so me, and the same aunt and uncle from the hospital, assisted her into this modified chair so she could pee and the only thing i could do was hold her hand, like always. after that, my uncle said he’d watch over her and lie down beside her on the bed so in case she needs to go again, he can take care of it himself. after falling asleep, i heard a few hours later that my sister from SG arrived. when i woke up later on, my sisters and i presented ourselves to lola bc its been so long since she last saw us complete, and this time she was able to give us a small nod of acknowledgement. i realized that none of my uncles and aunts went to work that day, thinking it was just so we could be complete since my sister was home. but then i overhear them making plans to have a priest come over for the sacrament of anointing of the sick - which based on my last and only experience (my grandfather/lolo), this must be the day. during the session, a few of my aunts and an uncle cried. my sisters cried, too, but i forced myself not to. when the priest left, i don’t know how long, but suddenly, she was gone. i didn’t know how to react. this was the second time i’ve seen someone pass away before my very eyes. everyone was crying out for forgiveness, kissing lola’s head, but i couldn’t move one bit. i was finally crying, but i couldn’t move at all.

3 days. from learning about the real problem with lola, it only took 3 days for it to take her away from us. not even a week, or a month. the only bright side to this was that she’s finally relieved of all the pain that’s been causing her suffering. 3 days of knowing her time was very, very short, but it was still a shock when she finally left.

for the longest time, lola’s goal was to reach the age of 100 because apparently our government will reward her with 100,000 pesos (like 2k usd) for doing so. she wanted to reach 100 because she wanted to leave us with some inheritance haha. and everyone believed she could do it. no one doubted her. until this happened. maybe its just me, but i feel foolish... completely stupid and ignorant for knowing deep down in my heart that she would reach 100 that losing her 3 years prior her goal hurt me more than ever.

it’s been 5 months but remembering her death still makes me cry. i have dreams (and you all know im a lucid dreamer) where she’s still alive and we’re talking about how she beat cancer at 96 in just a few months, but then i’ll remember that she didn’t and the dream in front of me just shatters and i’ll wake up empty and crying. i have never felt so much regret after she passed bc all she wanted was to see me graduate and it was up to me to show her that i got my first job and give her a portion of my first salary, but i couldn’t even do that. i waited too long and now its too late. her ideal type for me was a rich atenean boy who could drive 😂 and i still couldn’t give her that bc im so anti-men. there was a time i was so scared to go back to lola’s house bc she called me out during dinner - “baket ka malungkot/why are you sad?” - when all i was doing was browsing through my phone, scarily enough going through another “episode”, and the last person i’d ever want to know about my possible depression was her. of all my suicidal episodes, i’ve always resolved them by thinking of her - that i will continue living because i wanted to see her smile. because i wanted to see her happy.

i miss her so much. i wish i had been a better granddaughter to her. the small things i’ve done for her were never enough. in the past 5 months, i’ve only dreamt about her twice (actually being with her) and both times made the day so hard to function. i havent moved on and i dont know if im the only one. i dont know if i’ll ever move on. she would have been 97 today. whenever she forgets my name, i’ll tell her i have the same birthday as her and she’ll remember me. she’ll say “ahhh rosean! july 10!”

if someone read through this, im sorry you had to go through that mess. but thank you for hearing me out. no, i’ll thank you the way my lola would thank people, verbatim:

thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

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allie1804-fan · 4 years

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New Beginnings (Chapter 10)

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New Beginnings Baby Drabble

New Beginnings Baby Drabble No2

Warnings: Mentions of babyloss

Emily sat at an outside table at the Jinya Ramen bar, waiting for Keanu to join her for lunch. Afterwards they would have an appointment with the counsellor. She stretched her legs out, resting her hand on her large bump - she was now 33 weeks along.

She sipped on a mineral water and sighed, reflecting on the last 4 months, wondering how it had come to pass that this appointment felt like it was going to be more geared to relationship counselling than to helping them cope with the trauma of their difficult journey to and through pregnancy.

She had felt so happy after the 12 week scan. After they’d made love again for the first time since finding out they were pregnant, their sex life had got back to pretty much normal though he was always that bit more gentle with her than before. He had seemed more relaxed and confident too. He’d come to the first appointment with the midwife where they were able to hear the heartbeat - he was as thrilled as her to hear the rapid sound, kind of like a galloping horse, through the doppler machine.

For the next few weeks after that, at the weekly check in he’d try to be there but if he couldn’t, she would ring him or record the sound if he couldn’t break out from what he was doing. They had both felt so tempted to buy a doppler machine to monitor the heartbeat at home but decided that might mean she’d just be wired up to it 24/7 and the midwife cautioned against it since finding the heartbeat could sometimes be tricky and that would only cause unwarranted anxiety.

Not long after that was when the press had found out - was that when things had started to change she mused? By 16 weeks, so few of her clothes still fit that she had decided to go on a shopping trip with Chloe as she didn’t want to order everything online and she loved clothes shopping with Chloe.

They weren’t trying to be conspicuous but they’d gone somewhere quite fancy for lunch and a paparazzo had seen them there and followed them to a store afterwards, taking long range shots of them through the window in the maternity section of one store. With her growing bump on show there was no hiding now and the news got out. They themselves hadn’t participated particularly – Cheryl had just released a brief statement confirming the pregnancy and “the following summer” as the due date. Her Fellow writers from the show she was working on had congratulated her at work and her and Keanu’s phones were constantly bleeping for a few days with congratulations messages. Cheryl fended off numerous interview requests as neither of them felt ready nor that it should really be public business.

Each subsequent milestone had passed without a problem for the next 3 months. At 20 weeks the baby was healthy and on track developmentally. They decided to wait until it was born to find out the sex. Why spoil one of life’s only remaining surprises just because you could?

Probably the biggest thrill so far was when she’d felt the baby move for the first time – it was at around At 22 weeks and had felt like flutters of a butterfly’s wings or bubbles of gas in her tummy. A couple of weeks later it was what they had termed “somersault city” when at last he could feel it too. The weird feeling of the baby turning inside was so dramatic it had woken her up in the early hours and she’d woken him to share it, certain that it could be felt by him now too. His favourite thing after that was to sit on a chair when she had a bath and watch her belly wriggle as she lay in the warm water. And throughout the pregnancy, even during these recent rockier times, he’d continued to talk to the baby every day, loving how he got a reaction each time.

She first remembered Keanu seeming a little down and distracted at around 28 weeks. They had made a trip to a store to look at furniture and equipment for the nursery. She’d been contented to browse different styles of crib, nursing chairs and changing stations but he’d wanted to make quick decisions. She didn’t know if it was because he’d been recognised a couple of times outside in the mall or something else. Then once they’d made decisions, they’d almost had a row in the shop when the store assistant had asked for delivery details. She assumed it could all be delivered now while he said it could wait till when the baby had arrived or if not that long, could be stored at his mother’s home. She’d given in to the latter plan, determined to try and get on with setting up the nursery before too long - she wanted things ready well in advance of delivery.

At 30 weeks, childbirth classes had started - there were some nice couples there who Emily thought might even become friends but Keanu was standoffish. If she didn’t know him, she’d have said he was being stuck up! Again she gave him the benefit of the doubt – maybe he was shy or nervous of them because they might be weird given his ‘celebrity’ status.

The next thing that had made her start to think about seeing the counsellor again had happened just the week before. Keanu was due to do some press for a new film being released and Cheryl had come over to the house to talk to them together. They needed to decide whether to talk about the baby at all and if he did what to say. He’d very quickly cut off the conversation saying that he wanted Cheryl to inform all press that he only wanted to talk about the project or Arch. Emily had looked at him questioningly

“I just can’t” he’d said getting up and walking away out onto the patio.

Emily’s eyes had filled with tears. Cheryl saw and tried to reassure her

“I guess he knows he might get tongue tied or emotional and he’s on safe ground with the movie - and he wants the story to be the movie I guess”

Later that same week Keanu had met Autumn (an old friend and an old flame) for coffee and a photo of him hugging her and kissing her on the cheek had been posted on an online gossip site along with snide comments about him cheating - Chloe shared it with Emily, feeling she shouldn’t be kept in the dark even if it was probably all nonsense. When Emily showed him, he said he’d just run into Autumn by chance when stopping for a coffee and that she should know better than to read anything on such shitty websites.

Em had burst into tears at his harsh outburst. It was the last straw building on his recent sullen mood, his unwillingness to bring home the things for the baby’s room and reluctance to talk about it and her to the press.

“I’m sorry baby” he said putting his arm around her. I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just ……….. “

“Just what?” she sniffed

At his continuing silence, she made a decision

“Please can we go back to see the counsellor?, I feel like we’re drifting apart just when we should be the closest we’ve ever been”

Keanu’s shoulders slumped and he nodded. “OK I’ll set it up”

Emily looked up from her musings as Keanu greeted her, arriving from another press interview about the new film release

“Did it go OK?” she asked.

“Yup, it was fine. There seems to be positive buzz around it so fingers crossed. You OK?, you looked a million miles away when I arrived!”

“Did I?” she sighed “just thinking over the past few months, thinking about what the counsellor is going to ask”

He nodded, taking hold of her hand and leaning in to give her a kiss “you know I love you don’t you?”

Emily blushed hoping they weren’t drawing unwelcome attention with his public display of affection. It was unlike him to do something like that and it gave her a little reassurance.

“and how’s the munchkin?”

“Bit quieter today. It’s getting kind of tight for space in there I think”

She caught the trace of a shadow crossing Keanu’s face but then she yelped in surprise

“you OK?” he asked immediately

She burst out laughing

“Yes, I just got kicked right up here” she pointed quite high up by her rib-cage “I think they want to make their presence felt”

His grin was wide

“that’s my boy ……. or girl” he said happily “let’s eat”

Their meal was relaxed and Keanu seemed happier than he had in a few weeks.

At the counselling session she asked what had prompted the need to come back.

Emily was wondering where to begin when Keanu took a deep breath and spoke.

“It’s my fault” he began. “Even after everything we discussed before, about communicating our feelings and not believing that being positive can only lead to disaster, I’ve fallen back to my old ways”

“How so exactly?” she probed and he went onto explain directing his words to Emily more than the counsellor.

“I guess as things have gone on, instead of being more confident, I’m back to being shit scared ALL the time Em and I mean ALL the time and you’ve been so happy and excited, I didn’t want to spoil that with my dark thoughts. That’s why I didn’t want to bring home stuff for the nursery or talk to the press or make friends with other couples at the birthing class. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration with himself roughing it up as usual but his shoulders relaxed and it looked like a great weight had lifted off them now that he’d acknowledged his fears. Em reached out for his hand.

“I didn’t know what was bothering you and I didn’t ask either, I’m so sorry, this must be so hard on you after Ava”

“Have you talked to Emily about what happened with Ava Keanu?”

“Not really” he admitted “how would sharing that horror help?”

“Because then she can better understand why you feel the way you do. Talking about it won’t make it happen to this baby, remember. Denial and bottling up are not good coping mechanisms. Talking and being open are”

Later that night, as agreed in the session, they sat together on the sofa and Keanu had shared the details of the loss of Ava, starting with the frantic phone call to him on the set of “The Watcher” in New York after Jen had been told there was no heartbeat.

“God, she was just screaming and wailing down the phone, begging me to come home”

“God” was all Emily could say, the horror of it sinking in just a little.

“So I flew home straight away and on fucking Christmas Eve she had to deliver the baby naturally. You could hear the cries of other babies being born down the corridor but when Ava came out, all warm and beautiful it was just deafening silence”

“come ‘ere” Em said pulling him down so he could lean his head in her lap and let the tears out, great wracking sobs shaking his chest.

When he sat up he looked over at her, his expression wretched

“why? Why does it still hurt so much – it’s been fucking 21 years”

“it hurts because it was so awful and pain like that never goes away, you just cushion it and hide it I guess with the life and relationships that come after it”

“wow that’s deep

“what can I say?” she said smiling “I am a writer you know “I’m supposed to understand the human condition – just sorry I didn’t use those skills to see what was going on with you”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just didn’t want you to get scared of losing this little one” he said stroking her belly.

“You can’t stop me being scared hun, I am scared and maybe a little more each day as we get closer. It still feels like it could get taken away but every time they give me a kick or jump on my bladder and stop me sleeping then I feel OK. Maybe that makes it easier for me as well as the fact I didn’t go through what you did.”

He hugged her close and they went to bed feeling so much better for sharing their hopes and fears.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

New Beginnings Baby Drabble

New Beginnings Baby Drabble No2

#keanu #keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves fanfiction #having a baby #pregnancy #babyloss #romance #angst

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thatrosewoodwriter · 5 years

Text

𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓 / 𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘬.

☾ character/s: jamie volk

☾ warnings: swearing, mentions of reader being picked up

☾ notes: first time doing an alphabet yayy

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𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦.

jamie loves your eyes. he lives by ‘eyes are the windows to the soul’ religiously and very much enjoys looking into your eyes. he also likes your body because as much as he tries to downplay it, he’s probably a cuddler.

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 / 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺?

honestly, probably not. he’s not very maternal. he is capable of taking care of kids, but if he actually became a father, he’d be awkward as fuck. if you really wanted kids, he’d give in - eventually - but suggest adoption as a possibility cause he definitely wants to skip the toddler stage.

𝐂𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 / 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦.

as stated before, jamie is probably a cuddler, but he hides it. cuddle sessions won’t happen willingly unless you or jamie are feeling like absolute shit. other times, you have to beg him until he gets so annoyed he gives in. but when you do, he clings to you like you’ll die when he lets go. please love this boy.

𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.

uh, sorry, you don’t. most of the time, it’s just go to some secret place and pray lottie and ellie don’t find you. you’ll never escape binah, though. no one can. at the very least, she respects your privacy and lets you guys have your moment. it’s mostly just private hanging and relaxing.

𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥?

you don’t intend to do this, simply because you don’t want jamie to murder you in your sleep, but sometimes you treat him like your son in front of everyone and it makes him want to hide his face and die. mostly it’s making sure he gets his coffee, scolding him for skipping breakfast and demanding he get 8 hours sleep.

for you, though, jamie carries you bridal style in front of everyone. on purpose. because if you embarrass him, he returns the favour. he always does this right before meeting with the rosewood gang so they only see him carrying you to the meeting point.

𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

jamie hates the term ‘love at first sight’ with a burning passion. he smuggles weapons into school, he will shoot whoever suggests he fell in love with you upon the first meeting. jamie is oblivious to love, so he realised way after he started liking you. he realised when he saw you wearing the takeshin school uniform, but he started liking you when you joined lola and micky in shielding their cupcakes from him.

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄 / 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

surprisingly, yes. it’s very obvious that he favours you, though. if you volunteered to join lottie in her training, jamie would give you pointers before you try again. with lottie, he gives her the same, just harsher.

𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 / 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

jamie does not initiate pda a lot. he holds your hand when he’s paranoid that leviathan are near and will take you from him at any given moment. as for private moments, hand holding, cuddling and the occasional kiss.

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

he thought you were quite different, actually. he wasn’t around that many other people his age, so what he saw from the outside and in media that ellie forced him to watch, he thought you were strange. that quickly changed as he got closer to the rosewood gang.

𝐉𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑 / 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴?

jamie doesn’t prank. but in a game of truth or dare with raphael, he asked you to marry him with a completely straight face. that would 100% be bright red if he was an anime character. to his relief, you didn’t take it seriously.

𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 / 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴.

with jamie, he doesn’t like kisses all that much, so when you do kiss, they’re never pecks. but trust me when i say he would never make out. kisses with him usually last about 1 or 2 seconds. there are always wolf whistles or ‘awwww’s if it ever happens around the rosewood gang, which is almost never. but most of the time it’s a kiss on the temple, forehead or cheek depending on your height.

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

jamie absolutely loves it if you get really excited about an idea you had. you’ll kinda just keep going until you’ve expelled all of your concepts and ideas onto him. and then you’ll rave about the end product for the next few weeks. and he never forgets your ideas when you go back later and consider other things. he’ll help you refine it.

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄 / 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥?

see, there are 2 sides he could possibly be on. one side is no, he finds more value in being a couple without the bond by law. the other side wants to get married 11/10. if you didn’t get married, but you ended up life partners, there’d be a small celebration that basically says ‘we’re stuck together now. good luck.’

��𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐋 / 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

absolutely fucking not. jamie hates the concept of valentines day because he believes you should show your partner you love them every day and not the one time. and he also hates spoiled people because 9 times out of 10, they end up being trash people and he doesn’t want that for you.

𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.

lottie and ellie actually screamed their heads off the first time they say you kiss, simply because neither you nor jamie disclosed the fact you were dating. everyone else in the rosewood gang were happy for you, sometimes tease you guys, but other than that they’re chill.

sayuri saw it the moment the saw the two of you, so she was unsurprised. haru also saw it, so he was a bit cautious of what he said around jamie if you were also around. the rest of banshee didn’t really care.

ellie’s parents approve 101% no doubt about it.

𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

he doesn’t really give you any petnames. mostly he’ll just call you [nickname] or lightly bully you with dumbass or something like that.

𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.

it’s mostly what if questions late at night. hypotheticals and random scenarios. sometimes it’s depressing like ‘what if we never met?’ but other times it’s future related.

‘what do you think you’d be doing when you get out of school?’

‘[name], ellie would still demand i quit being a partizan, so defying her orders.’

𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 / 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺.

first kiss, guaranteed. you hadn’t actually had it until about a year into the relationship. you had made him some food since he forgot lunch and he was having a shit day already, and he went for it. ellie and lottie were and their phones and taking photos at the speed of lightning the moment they saw him lean in. the next year, lottie painted it as a gift for the both of you for christmas.

𝐒𝐀𝐃 / 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘱.

he will play the guitar for you and sing to calm you down and make you feel nice. he enjoys music, so he never finds it a bother, stop that thinking right now.

𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

the jaw-dropping moment where you reveal your ball dress or suit to him for the maravish summer ball. he was very much speechless and just stared for about a minute. you had to snap him out of it with a kiss. it was cute.

𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 / 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴.

jamie will wake up early for training, a run or some other errand, and you said no and you cling to him so he doesn’t leave you. it almost never works. but you try anyway.

𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

jamie gets worried when you get sucked in to something you’re doing to the point you neglect your own health. you don’t eat as much, you don’t drink as much either, you stay up really late as well. he doesn’t like it. and it annoys him when you don’t listen to his concerns.

𝐖𝐇𝐘 / 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

jamie loves you because you don't like him for his looks and you aren't scared of him. he also likes that you care for him when he forgets to do so himself.

𝐗𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨?

his song would probably be ur gonna wish you believed me by cavetown. it’s kind of depressing, i’m sorry. i also picture him singing this alone in his room crying.

𝐘𝐎𝐔 / 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

definitely bed sheets because he loves waking up to seeing you peaceful. he’s genuinely soft on the inside, i promise. sometimes he’ll come sneak into your dorm at night. professor devine actually doesn’t mind because she thinks it’s cute.

𝐙𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀 / 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘵?

nope. he does not. he’s already saddled with vampy because of you, he doesn’t want another.

#jamie volk #rwch #the rosewood chronicles #fluff alphabet #jamie volk x reader #rwch x reader

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isitgintimeyet · 5 years

Text

The Ties That Bind

AO3

Thank you all for reading. Hope you enjoy some more Lallybroch time... and a couple more family members.

thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge for the beta.

Chapter 12: A Highland Distillery

Whisky is liquid sunshine - George Bernard Shaw

Due to the unscheduled teenage makeout session, there was little time for refreshment or a guided tour before Brian and Murtagh were due to return home from the distillery.

“We havena time fer a bite afore dinner now.” Jamie complained to Claire as they headed downstairs, fresh from their uneventful showers. “I dare say Mrs Crook will have made a tasty dish fer dinner. She makes stews and the like while she’s here during the day and then Da and Murtagh jes’ have tae heat them through. I dinna ken what they’d do wi’out her.”

Jamie quickly showed Claire the rooms on the ground floor. The formal living room and dining room were both immaculately clean with a strong smell of lemon furniture polish thanks, no doubt, to the efforts of Mrs Crook and were beautifully decorated in tones of claret and forest green, but were obviously little used. The study cum library was clearly in regular use, as was the morning room with its large television and matching recliner chairs.

Back in the kitchen, Jamie headed straight for the fridge, emerging with a large chunk of cheese, two apples and some grapes.

“Ye want some?” He muttered through a mouthful of cheddar.

“No thanks, and I thought we didn’t have time for any refreshment before dinner.”

Jamie swallowed the cheese. “That’s right, we don’t. But this isna proper refreshment, Sassenach, this is just a wee amuse-bouche. As soon as Da and Murtagh get home, we’ll open up the bar.”

“You’re just an appetite on legs, James Fraser.”

“Aye, weel,” Jamie moved to put his arms around Claire, walking her backwards until she felt her bottom make contact with a granite countertop. “I have tae keep my strength up. I have an awfa demanding woman to service, ye ken. Always wanting my body...” He nuzzled into her neck, muffling his words. Claire laughed and drew his lips to hers.

“Och, sorry there. Are we interrupting? Shall we go out, knock and come in again?”

Embarrassed, Claire broke from the kiss and tried to extract herself from Jamie’s embrace. Jamie just smiled at the two men and pulled her even closer to him, one hand secretly snaking down her back to squeeze her bottom. Claire blushed a deeper shade of crimson.

“Da, Murtagh… this is Claire.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Claire finally escaped Jamie’s arms and shook the hand of the fiercer looking man, a large proportion of his face covered by a black, bushy beard and thick black eyebrows. The rest of the face looked serious with a ‘mess-with-me-and-you’re-in-for-it’ expression.

“Evenin’.” The face responded.

Turning to the other, kinder looking man, Claire was immediately wrapped in a huge hug.

“We dinna stand on ceremony here, lass. I’m Brian, Jamie’s Da and I’m verra happy tae meet ye.”

Even though Brian’s hair was black, shot through with silver, there was a strong resemblance between himself and his son. Jamie was a couple of inches taller and broader than his father, but they both projected the same air of leadership and benevolent authority. In centuries gone by, they would have been lairds or war chiefs, protecting and commanding.

With introductions made, and the casserole in the oven to heat through, Jamie poured four whiskies as they sat round the table. Conversation was mainly between Jamie, Brian and Claire, with the odd interjection from Murtagh. Jamie sat back in his chair watching as Claire explained her role as orthopaedic surgeon at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, making Brian laugh and even Murtagh smile at her anecdotes from the wards.

Nothing could be better than this, he thought to himself. The tantalising smell of Mrs Crook’s lamb casserole and baked potatoes; the taste of the whisky, smooth and warming on his tongue; the sound of good conversation; the sight of loved ones and the touch of Claire’s hand resting on his thigh under the table, her thumb lightly stroking, all made for a more perfect evening than he had expected. He had known that his father would like Claire, but to see them together, laughing and chatting with no awkwardness, well, it filled his heart.

As the men made the preparations for dinner, with a well-rehearsed choreography borne from years of similar meals, Claire asked “Do you need me to do anything? Set the table, perhaps?”

“Och, no Claire, Dinna fash. We’re all fine. Ye jes’ relax.”

Unsurprisingly, the casserole tasted as good as it smelt. Jamie had opened a bottle of red wine and all four sat round the kitchen table savouring the food and drink.

“Mrs Crook is a marvellous cook.” Claire commented contentedly.

“Aye, that she is. Murtagh and I would be lost wi’out her. She runs this house… er, has Jamie cooked ye dinner yet?”

A knowing smirk passed between Brian and Murtagh. Claire glanced at Jamie, his eyes fixed firmly on his plate.

“No, why?”

“Our Jamie may have many skills, but cookin’ isna one o’ them,” Brian began. “Remember when he thought he could make cheese sauce by grating cheese into a saucepan, melting it then adding milk… we had tae throw that pan away.”

“Or when he tried to roast a chicken in the oven,” Murtagh joined in. “But put it in a dish with plastic handles… we had to throw that away too.”

“Or when he thought a clove of garlic meant the whole bulb. That bolognaise wasna good.” Brian was now on a roll.

Jamie covered his face with his hands.

“Or when he came home drunk and...”

“Enough!” Jamie stood up. “I canna take this character assassination. I’m going fer a piss.”

As Jamie left the kitchen, Brian turned to Claire. “‘Tis only teasin’ ye ken, Claire. Our Jamie is a fine man and he thinks the world o’ you. I can see it.” He placed his hand over hers and gently squeezed.

Jamie returned with another bottle of whisky and refilled the glasses. As Claire sipped, she realised this was what a home felt like. “Would you like me to do the washing up?” she asked Brian.

“Och no, lass. We have a dishwasher. He’s called Murtagh… only kiddin’, we do have a dishwasher, nae bother.”

“Please excuse me, I must just pop to the bathroom.”

Brian waited until Claire was out of the room, then spoke to his son. “It’s a grand lass ye have there. Much better that any o’ the others.”

Murtagh nodded vigorously in agreement. “Dinna do anything daft tae scare her away.”

“I wouldna… it’s only been a month, but it’s like I’ve known her forever… d’ye understand what I mean?”

Brian’s eyes moved to the wedding photo on the kitchen dresser. “Aye, lad, I do. I understand ye… totally.”

********

Brian and Murtagh had already left for the distillery by the time Jamie and Claire made it downstairs the following morning. The original plan had been to travel the ten miles together, but since there was no sign that Jamie and Claire were awake, Brian made the decision to leave them at home to join him later.

Jamie and Claire had, in fact, been very much awake but, since he was determined to work through a large number of fifteen year old Jamie’s fantasies, they were not ready to leave when Brian called his farewells. Eventually fifteen year old Jamie was sated enough for them to get ready and head for the distillery.

Driving towards Broch Tuarach, the road followed alongside a river. “That’s the River Glass,” Jamie explained. “That’s where we get the water fer our whisky.”

As they pulled into the car park, Claire was surprised to see a coach parked there, people chattering animatedly as they climbed out and congregated in the middle. A man with a distinctive navy Broch Tuarach sweatshirt herded them together.

“Are we joining that group?” Claire whispered as she deliberately pushed her full lower lip out in a (half) joking pout. She had been hoping for a more personal ‘behind the scenes’ tour. She was keen to see his office up here. She loved to imagine him at his desk, forehead screwed up in concentration, poring over ledgers, glasses perched on the end of his nose - even though in reality she knew he would be more likely to be poring over a computer screen and didn’t wear glasses.

“Nah, we’ll wait for that lot tae head through before I show ye the works. Mind, it’s good business, these tours. Many of the distilleries do them, especially ones like us wi’ a real history. There’s a full malt whisky trail on Speyside but we dinna do too bad wi’ visitors - a drive down Loch Ness, a wee keek at Urquhart Castle and then ontae us. And we do different tours too. There’s a general tour and specialist tasting events. Jenny’s husband Ian, he manages the marketing, events, PR and the like. Over there we’ve a wee shop and we’ve plans for a wee cafe to open in the summers.”

“Like a pop-up cafe?”

“Aye,” Jamie put his arms round Claire and pulled her close. “I’m verra fond of a pop-up myself, would ye no’ say?”

Jamie led Claire into one of the stone buildings surrounding the car park. As they walked down a corridor, Claire studied the portraits hanging on the walls, all images of sombre, dark-haired men, the only real difference being the gradual evolution of their attire. At the end of the corridor Claire recognised the portrait of Brian, not so dour as the others, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Are these all your great great, whatever grandfathers?” Claire asked.

“Aye, stretching all the way back tae Robert Fraser in the late eighteenth century.”

“And there’s always been a son to carry on?”

Jamie nodded. “There’s been a fair few daughters too, but aye, there’s always a son.”

“So your picture will be up here one day?”

“Perhaps,” Jamie shrugged. “Or mebbe Jenny’s will. She works for the company too, weel, she’s on maternity leave at the moment.”

“You’d stand out like a sore thumb!” Claire laughed, teasing him. “That red hair against all these brunettes.”

“My mam had red hair too, that’s the MacKenzie in me.”

******

After a cup of coffee in Jamie’s office (no ledgers, no leather bound volumes, no old fashioned desk lamp, just a large slightly battered wooden desk, immaculately tidy dominated by a computer screen), Claire felt slightly disappointed, even though she knew her imagination had leant more to Dickens than actual real life.

There were several photos dotted round the office, some obviously were the distillery team, all dressed in logoed sweatshirts but the majority featured the same faces. Claire recognised Jamie, Brian, Murtagh, Jenny and Wee Jamie. The others, she surmised, were Jenny’s husband, Ian and Jamie’s mother, Ellen.

Jamie didn’t talk much about his mother. Claire recognised that the wound ran deep and he tried to hide it, probably as a defence mechanism. She knew Ellen had died when Jamie was twelve and his sister was fourteen, but unlike her own, the loss of a parent had not halted a traditional, close-knit family life. He still had a parent, a sibling, cousins, aunts and uncles, and a nephew. Claire felt a sudden pang. Jamie had a family history, traditions, silly inside jokes and roots and she, much as she had loved Uncle Lamb, had none of those.

“Come on now,” Jamie broke her reverie. “The next guided tour begins in two minutes. Time fer a quick loo trip first, if ye need it, but I wouldna keep yer tour guide waiting. I hear he’s a wee bit of a tyrant.”

Walking through the various buildings of the distillery, Jamie explained to Claire the long process to turn grain and water into whisky -from the germination, malting, mashing, fermentation and distillations to storing the whisky in large barrels to age.

They ended up in a large warehouse with rows and rows of barrels on the floor and on huge wooden shelves. Claire looked around, fascinated. “So, if all distilleries use the same process, why don’t all whiskies taste the same?”

“Weel, if ye’ve a blended whisky, you’ve room tae do a bit o’ playing aboot. We only produce single malt here. Differences in taste can be due tae several reasons: the shape and material o’ the stills, the skill of the makers, the water from different rivers - or even the same river in different places - and the type of barrels we put the whisky in tae age. We mainly use sherry barrels, but those over there are rum barrels fer a special twenty year old limited edition.”

Jamie moved behind Claire, his chest pressed tightly against her back. He bent down to whisper in her ear. “Och, Sassenach, if there were no’ sae many people around, I reckon the barrels are jes’ the right height. I would have ye bending across one o’ these barrels, wi’ yer shirt undone and yer breasts wobbling free and then I’d pull down yer jeans and...” She could feel his hot breath on her neck as he gently nibbled her skin.

Putting her hand up to caress his cheek, she enquired, “Is that another one of fifteen year old Jamie’s fantasies? He seemed to have a fair few.”

“Ooh no, Sassenach, this one is thirty two year old Jamie’s fantasy. Jes’ thought of it meself. I mean, what could be a better combination, whisky and sex with the woman you lo...” Jamie stopped himself. “...lust after.”

#outlander fan fiction #outlander fanfic #the ties that bind #Jamie Fraser #claire beauchamp #lallybroch #chapter 12

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bryansanchezphotography-blog · 4 years

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Alma & Tony’s maternity session.

Summer 2018.

This was a very intimate and relaxed photo session: Tony and Alma were not shy to let their happiness show.

#maternityphotography #maternityshoot OCphotographer

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jlunnposh · 4 months

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: The Nines by Hatch Pink Floral V-Neck Smocked Back Midi Dress Maternity XS S M L.

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rnphotographycalgary1100 · 2 months

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Capturing the Radiance of Motherhood: Maternity Photoshoots in Chestermere

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey filled with anticipation, joy, and the promise of new beginnings. As an expectant mother, preserving these precious moments through a Maternity Photoshoot Chestermere can be a truly magical experience. Chestermere, with its serene landscapes and picturesque settings, provides the perfect backdrop to capture the radiant glow of motherhood.

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Beyond the aesthetic appeal, Maternity Photo Shoot Airdrie serve as a form of self-celebration for expectant mothers. In a world where time seems to fly, capturing the transformative journey of pregnancy becomes a cherished keepsake for both the parents and the child. The images not only freeze a moment in time but also become a tangible reminder of the love, excitement, and anticipation that surrounded the pregnancy.

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