Susan #91 - Support Group

And we resume onwards! Now that I still have a fair bit of free time, I hope to make a ton of progress on Susan before that period is over. There is lots of fun stuff ahead, and that's powering me through the scenes. PLUS a fair bit of them are actually really fun to write now, has been great practice.

Drive link / Auc Vault 

November 4, 2017 - (5 days after #90, 20 weeks into Susan's pregnancy)

Susan pouted throughout the car ride. The pit in her stomach hadn’t gone away in the past week since learning the news of carrying seven children. The doctor had suggested going to a Prenatal support group but she couldn’t help but feel like the world was falling apart around her. They had to cancel their search for a larger apartment and rethink their finances. Nathan was really good about it all and seemed to be taking it much better than herself. He’d immediately taken the lead in getting everything sorted out, spending hours working on spreadsheets and researching things while she moped around the apartment.

Nathan pulled the car into the parking lot for the community center where the classes were held, looking over to her.

“Do you want me to go in with you?”

“No, I... I’ll be okay. I’m just going to check it out. I don’t need a support group, I have you and Kim and my parents.” She absently rubbed her belly, thinking about the seven kids inside it. Her belly was already starting to near the size of full term with one child and it was only going to get bigger from here on.

“You’ll like it, I’m sure of it.” Nathan smiled, leaning in and kissing her on the lips.

She waved at the car driving away, her last ticket home getting further and further away from her. Susan mustered up the last bit of courage before walking to the building.

Its sheer height loomed over the mom-to-be with the afternoon light covering her in shadows to the steps leading to it. On her daily commute to the college, Susan never really paid much attention to the modern building. Not even when this was her stop to go to work, as the mall was only a minute away. However it turned out that the community center was actually where the antenatal classes took place. The one she was going to. She still had to get used to that idea.

Once inside, she checked her phone for which room to go to. With some back and forth walking, she finally found the place. The room was fairly large and had a lot of natural light coming in from picture windows looking out to the city park where the center was located. The room had quite a few women in various stages of pregnancy, though none with busts that were even close to rivaling her own.

“Susan Bronwyn?” Susan started at hearing her name, turning to an older woman with a clipboard who was also pregnant.

Susan’s eyes went wide. “Uhmm yes?”

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Sarah.” She held out her hand which Susan shook. “Doctor Ward told me that you were going to be joining us. I’m the group leader.”

“Oh!” Susan looked down towards the woman’s belly.

The woman chuckled. “I swear I’m not always pregnant, things just ended up working out this way, but don’t worry I will be around through the rest of your pregnancy. A lot of the women here come and go as they need the classes, but we encourage the making of friends whom will help share the experience of motherhood with you.”

Susan smiled at her words, agreeing with her suggestion but feeling nowhere confident in her ability to do so.

“Feel free to sit wherever you like, we’ll be starting shortly.”

Susan blushed. “Thank you.”

Susan walked over to the chairs that were positioned in a half circle and sat on the left side, next to a blonde lady. She sat down and took a moment to look around, her nerves slowly starting to settle. Most of the women were quite a bit older than herself, and seemed to be mingling in groups. She thought she was done with school but it seemed like she was brought right back into it. A school of just pregnant women.

She looked over at the blonde woman sitting next to her, she was quite big and seemed friendly enough. But Susan couldn’t bring herself to make small talk, especially not with her nerves as intense as they were now, so she just sat there fiddling with her ring.

“Alright everyone, take your seats and we’ll get started with the introduction class.” The leader’s voice resonated throughout, causing the women who were still chatting, to starting to sit down. Once everyone was seated, Sarah took to her own and started the presentation on the screen behind her.

The class started out as a standard affair, where the general structure of the classes was explained. There would be a rotating set of classes to take place, each with a specific topic in mind and for different stages throughout the pregnancy. But then the lady changed her tone.

“Now then, how about we introduce ourselves?”

Susan’s heart skipped. Introductions.

She absolutely hated having to describe herself, having all the eyes on her. Susan glanced around the room. There weren’t many people there, and depending on who began first... She would have either very little time or enough time to think, but too much time for her nervousness to build.

The woman looked at either end of the group. She was still debating.

“What’s your name, how far along you are, stuff like that. And also what you would like to get out of these classes. Let’s start clockwise.” She nodded to the blonde girl that sat right next to Susan.

Fuck.

Her brain only processed half of what the girl said. Blair, having twins, everything else was lost in her minds’ panic. She tried to come up with a way to describe herself, how she would say it... nothing felt right.

And before she knew it, it was her turn. She looked around to see the eyes locked in on her. They seemed really curious. Susan first took a deep breath.

“W-well, hi... I’m Susan. I uh- I’m 22 and expecting s-septuplets.” She paused for a moment, watching the initial reactions. Like her family and friends, they didn’t seem to understand how many that meant. “That is, uhm... seven. Seven children...”

Susan was sure she heard an audible gasp somewhere, but she continued regardless. “I’m 20 weeks along, and well... I just really want to... just make sure I can love everyone equally. And to really make sure I’m prepared to take care of them.”

A pause followed as relief washed over Susan.

“That’s wonderful to hear, there will be classes specifically for mothers expecting multiples next week.” The leader quickly chimed in with a calming voice. “As well one on growth factors later, and how they can be affected by pregnancy. I’m sure those two classes will answer a lot of the questions you might have.” She smiled ”Thank you for sharing, Susan.”

She nodded happily before her eyes, along with everyone else’s, turned to the next person. Everyone else was only a few weeks off, and all expecting one or two. Not 7, and especially not with a bust that practically hides their own belly.

Before Susan knew it, the hour flew by and she was finishing up the class. The women started packing. Susan figured she would do the same but there was still some time to kill before the next bus. She knew the schedule by heart as she went there everyday for work.

She instinctively reached for below her chair, expecting her trusty backpack but felt just air. Turns out she felt just like she was right back at school, along with the stares. Susan got up and walked out, waving a short goodbye to the group leader. Once in the hall, she felt around her pockets to make sure she had all of her belongings before walking along.

“Exciting, wasn’t it?”

The voice startled Susan, she turned around to see someone walk up besides her. The same blonde lady who was sitting next to her. She looked surprisingly shorter than she seemed when sitting.

“O-oh! Yeah... Introductions are not really my favorite...”

“Huh? You were fine to me.” Her hands moved to hold her belly. “But seven... I can’t imagine what that is like. Naturally conceived, right?”

Susan’s cheeks lit up a bright red. She wasn’t sure if it was because the girl thought she deliberately wanted to have this many artificially, or that she was too embarrassed to say that they were conceived naturally on her wedding night no less.

She nodded heavily, looking down. “Mhm... It’s uhm... just very overwhelming. Especially when it’s like... so soon.”

They turned the corner to the elevators and Blair pressed the button. “Ohh I see. My and my husband have been trying for a couple of months, so we were at least emotionally prepared for it. But honestly, I don’t think anyone would be prepared for seven.”

She reached over to tap Susan on her arm. “So it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed. Just gotta take it one step at a time!”

“T-thanks... You’d make a good teacher.” Susan said with a chuckle. The blonde girl giggled before she extended out her hand.

“I’m Blair by the way, if you forgot.”

Susan took her hand and they shook. “I’m Susan. And yes... I was a bit occupied panicking with what I wanted to say.”

“No worries! ” The elevator chimed cheerfully.

The two expecting women entered the elevator and Blair pressed on the ground floor. She leaned back on the support rail, glancing at the mirror hanging on the wall.

“So how’s your husband handling all this? I can’t imagine he was expecting a big family right off the bat!”

“Not at all, but he’s been a lifesaver.” Susan said with a smile. “Every time I worry or panic, he’s always there to calm me down.”

“Awwe!” She held her hands on her chest. “That’s a keeper right there. Meanwhile mine is tearing out his hair, and I’m like ‘Hello? I’m the one having to carry your twins for nine months!’”

They laughed in unison. “I’m sure he means well though.”

“Oh I’m sure he is, he can just be a bit too much y’ know?”

The doors slid open to reveal people waiting on the ground floor. Behind them stood a girl with dark purple hair, the kind that didn’t seem to be dyed, the dark hair covered half her face and she seemed to be hiding behind the crowd. They let Susan and Blair pass before entering, Susan turned to catch a glimpse of the woman.

“I wonder...” Susan started.

“Hmm?”

“Maybe that lady was also going to antenatal class, the one after ours.”

“Really? It was kinda hard to see with her bust.”

“Yeah... I dunno... I guess I just...” Susan paused. Kinda see a bit of myself in her.

She shook her head, realizing she forgot to text Nathan. As her and Blair walk towards the entrance, she takes out her phone and messages Nathan.

“Just letting him know that I’m done with class so he can pick me up.”

“I see, I’ll have to use the bus to get back probably.”

Susan paused in her tracks gripping her phone, Blair stood a few steps later.

“What line?” Susan asked.

“Two, going north.”

“Can I... join you along for the ride then?”

“Oh! Sure!” Blair smiled. Susan nodded, editing her message to Nathan before putting her phone away.

Once outside, they made their way over to the bus stop on the other side of the road. While waiting, they chatted more about their experiences, and made sure they would take the same class next week. Susan wasn’t one to quickly make friends, but this class was meant to be a support group after all. Maybe having one isn’t so bad after all.