Like a Boat
Leslie groaned loudly, waking Ben up. It was early morning.
“You okay?” he asked tiredly, rolling over to face her.
“No. I feel like a boat.”
“You look amazing, honey.”
“Ben!” Leslie whined. “I’m in my pyjamas and I just woke up. How can you possibly think that?”
Ben leaned over to give her a kiss. She looked sleepily at him, but the corners of her mouth were turned down in a sad little pout. His eyes softened.
“You always look amazing,” he affirmed. “But especially right now.”
“You’re a liar,” she said coyly.
“I’m not! You’ve got three crazy kids in your belly and you still look like a supermodel. You’re acing this pregnancy Leslie Knope style.”
“That’s sweet, honey, but you have to say that.” The pout was back. “I’m aching all the time, I feel gross. I always need to pee and I’m so tired all the time. I love them to pieces but they’re also sort of ruining my life.”
Ben laughed loudly. “I’ll remind you of that when they’re eighteen and leaving home.”
“Shut up,” she moaned, and he laughed. Then he was kissing her forehead.
“Leslie. I know you must feel self-conscious- I can’t imagine how hard it must be to carry three babies, or the struggles of being a woman-”
“Yeah, because you’re a man.”
“-but I do know that you are incredible. Everyone thinks so. Do I need to ring Ann and get her to tell you how amazing you are?”
Leslie blinked back a few tears. “Maybe.”
Ben laughed, kissing her forehead again. He found Ann’s contact in her phone before hitting dial.
“Hello? Ben?”
“Hi, Ann,” Ben said tiredly. “I hope you weren’t asleep.”
“No,” Ann replied with a laugh. “Nobody gets any sleep in this house. Especially not Chris- he’s still out on his beat the sun run. What’s up?”
“Well, Leslie thinks she looks like a boat and I wanted a second opinion,” Ben told her as Leslie groaned next to him.
“Am I on loudspeaker?”
“Yup.”
“Leslie! You’re amazing, sweetie! And you look incredible. I think you look better than I did when I had one baby, let alone three.”
“Ann!” Leslie wailed. “You have always looked incredible.”
Ben smiled as Ann laughed down the phone. “I agree with your husband, Leslie. You’re amazing. I love you and I really miss you.”
“I really really love and miss you too,” Leslie told her.
When the phone call ended, Leslie snuggled down against Ben, still feeling a little mopey, but definitely better than before.
“Thanks for that,” she told him. Ben smiled.
“It’s alright. I’m here for you whenever you need bolstering. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. And I can’t wait to have these babies.”
“Aww, me too-”
“So they can finally leave my body!”
Ben just laughed and kissed her.