For what seemed like about the hundredth time that day, Love Tap sighed to herself as she attempted to get comfortable. She laid on her side on top of her and her husband’s bed, her long, brown mane, which was tied with a red hair band at the end, sat draped across her neck. Her tail was similarly tied and sat draped under her flank, right below her cutie mark of a heart with a baby’s bottle in front of it. Additionally, her belly protruded quite a bit out from its usual position.

Sunlight poured onto the light-tan mare and blue bedspread from a window surrounded by purple drapes from above the bed. The drapes where just a few shades darker than the similarly colored walls of the room, walls that surrounded the bed with its green frame, a salmon colored dresser with a large mirror built unto the top of it, a couple of potted plants that sat against the wall opposite of the bed, a lamp, and an accent rug which laid on top of a wooden floor.

Love Tap gave another uncomfortable sigh as she rolled onto her back, followed quickly by rolling onto her other side. She squinted her sapphire-blue eyes at the light from the window, grumbled to herself, and rolled back onto her starting position.

‘Knock, Knock.’

Love Tap glanced at the blue door along the wall across from the foot of the bed. “Come in!”

The door opened revealing a bushy, black mustache quickly followed by the attached dark brown colored earth pony stallion with a spiky black mane and a microchip cutie mark who wore it. His amber eyes shined brightly as he looked at his wife. “Hey honey! Just checking up on you since you haven’t made a peep since lunch time. How are you feeling?”

A light tan mare narrowed her eyes at her husband. “I’m due any day now and I’ve done almost nothing but lie in bed for almost two months, and I’ve had false contractions for the last three!” As if on cue, Love Tap winced as a strong pain hit her sides and thighs. She opened her eyes and looked back at her husband. “How do you think I feel, Chip?”

Chip grinned sheepishly as his wife. “Sorry, honey. I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”

“Good, because…”

“I’m just so excited to have another addition to our family!” Chip said exuberantly

Love Tap gave an exasperated sigh. “I know, dear.”

“Eleven months!” Chip said excitedly. “Can you believe it?!”

Love Tap rolled her eyes. “Oh, I can believe it, alright!”

Chip frowned slightly before his face quickly erupted in smile once more. “Don’t worry honey, once the baby is born it’ll have been totally worth it.”

“Easy for you to say.” Love Tap mumbled out as her grumpier expression began to turn grumpier and grumpier. “You haven’t had to deal with the cramps, the morning sickness…”

“Uh… sweetie?” Chip said with a nervous smile

“…the tenderness between my thighs, the nausea…”

“Erm… darling?”

“… a tiny foal inside of you who just loves to squirm and kick…”

Chip’s ears flopped down around his head. “… Honey?” he said weakly.

“…Oh! And let’s not forget the weight that’s been hanging off of my stomach making walking harder each day and doing a number on my back!”

“… Uh… are you done?” Chip asked nervously.

Love Tap scowled at her husband and leveled an angry looking forehoof. “You wouldn’t last five minutes in my world!”

“Uh… maybe some alone time will…”

“HI MOM!” A light reddish-brown colt with a short, black mane exclaimed as he excitedly bounded into the room. “Is the baby here yet?! Is he?! IS HE?!”

“Uh… Gibson?” Chip began “Now’s not really…”

Love Tap sighed, “No Gibson.”

“Oh!” Gibson exclaimed. “But he’ll be here soon, right? Right?!”

Love Tap rolled her eyes. “Yes, Gibson.”

Gibson galloped up to the side of the bed and looked at his mom with beaming, sapphire-blue eyes. “Good! ‘Cause we’re going to have so much fun together! We’re going to play together, and…”

“Gibson?” Chip said in a tone of increasing concern.

Unbeknownst to Gibson, his mother began to a low, annoyed growl. “Grrrr…”

“… and play video games together. OH, and…”

“Gibson!” Chip said with a bit more force.

“Grrrrrr…”

“…maybe I can even show him how to play the guitar! I mean…”

“GIBSON!”

“… I’m not good at it or anything, but I have to be better than somepony who’s never even seen a guitar, and…”

“Out…” Love Tap said simply.

Chip sighed and smacked a forehoof against his face.

“Uh, sorry mom. What?” Gibson asked as if he had just woken up from a trance.

“Out!” Love Tap said with more force.

Gibson began to tear up slightly. “But…”

“You’re being a nuisance, Gibson!” Love Tap cried. “I need rest, not an obnoxious foal running around the bedroom.”

Gibson’s lower lip began to quiver. “…But I didn’t mean to…”

“OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUTTTTT!” Love Tap shouted as she pointed at the door.

Gibson nodded solemnly, made a quick 180 degree turn and galloped out of the room.

Chip followed his son with his eyes, and turned back to Love Tap as he shook his head. “You didn’t have to talk to him like that…”

Love Tap shot a scowl at her husband. “He was being a brat!”

Chip frowned. “He’s just excited... We’re all excited.”

Love Tap looked away, staring off into open space. “Well, he should do it somewhere else.”

Chip sighed and shook his head as he began to speak, “Look… I think I should just go… I’ll let you get some rest…”

“That would be best,” Love Tap said harshly.

Wordlessly, Chip turned and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

“Moms in one of her moods again, huh?”

Chip looked up at Gibson who was now waiting patiently in the hall. Chip smiled. Aside from some slight moisture around his eyes, you’d never know the poor kids had just gotten yelled at. So much like his mother… “Don’t worry,” Chip said. “Giver her five minutes and she’ll get out of it.”

“WHOUAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Chip bolted into the bedroom and fixed his amber eyes on his wife. “Honey, what’s wrong?!”

“CHIP!” Love Tap cried as tears poured from her eyes. “I’m so, so, SO sorry!”

Chip chuckled as a small smile began to make his way onto his face. “It’s alright, darling. You didn’t mean to—”

“It’s NOT alright!” Love Tap exclaimed. “I was so…”—Love Tap’s lip quivered.—“Hor… hic… hor… hhehh… HORRIBLE TO YOU AND GIBSON! And I love you two more than anything! How could I even act that way towards you?!” Love Tap immediately launched back into her sad wailing. “WHOUAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAA! ”

Chip smiled as he trotted up to the bed. He pulled himself up with his forehooves then sat on the edge of the bed. He patted his lap.

Still choking back sobs, Love Tap slowly crawled over and laid her head on her husband’s lap. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Chip chuckled. “Yeah, you said that.”

“Well… I mean it… I shouldn’t have said what I said,” Love Tap declared. She turned and looked up at her husband lovingly. “I mean… you’re the strongest stallion I know.”

Chip shook his head. “The whiniest stallion you know, maybe…”

It was Love Tap’s turn to shake her head as she smiled. “No, strongest,” she insisted. “I mean… you can put up with me…”

Chip began to absentmindedly run a forehoof over his wife’s hair as his eyelids fell slightly. “It’s easier than you think…” he said in a hushed tone.

“… Yeah?” Love Tap replied quietly.

Chip leaned his head down and opened his lips slightly and slowly placed his forehooves under Love Tap’s head, slowly lifting it.

Love Tap closed her eyes and parted her own lips as Chip brought the pair’s muzzles within inches of each other. He slowly closed the distance to almost nothing and whispered “Yeah…” as his mustache whiskers and lips lightly brushed against Love Tap’s.

Love Tap felt a shiver run through her body before she quickly raised her head up slightly and wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck, pressing her lips firmly against his as the pair shared a passionate kiss.

“Does this mean mom feels better?”

Love Tap and Chip broke their kiss and turned to the doorway. Gibson stood in it with an unsure look on his face.

“I’m sorry, Gibson!” Love Tap said as tears flowed from her eyes once more. “Mommy didn’t mean those horrible things she said!” she exclaimed.

Chip just chuckled as he shook his head. “Every time…” he muttered to himself.

Gibson bounded up to his parents. “It’s alright mom. I forgive you!” Gibson said happily.

Love Tap’s lip quivered once more as she scooted off her husband’s lap and closer to the edge of the bed. She reached out with her forearms and wrapped them around her son, drawing him in close to her chest. “I love you Gibson. I’m sorry I yelled at you. Mommy should know better than to let her mood swings get the better of her…”

“It’s alright, mom.” Gibson said. Gibson squirmed in his mother’s arms and peeked his head up to look at her. “Soon you won’t feel this way anymore and I’ll have a baby brother!”

Love Tap smiled wide at her soon and nodded. “That’s right and OH—” Love Tap winced.

“What’s wrong, mom?” Gibson asked. “Is the baby coming?”

“Ye…yeah…” Chip stammered out in a worried tone. “Is the baby coming?”

Love Tap chuckled and reached a forehoof out, resting it on one of her husband’s. “Don’t worry!” she said with a smile. “Just another fake contraction, I’m sure!”

“…You’re sure?” Chip said.

Love Tap shook her head. “You worry too much. This is my second…”

“‘Our’.” Chip corrected.

Love Tap maintained her smile as she rolled her eyes. “‘Our’ second child.” Love Tap grinned as she raised an eyebrow at our husband. “We’ll be able to tell if it’s a real contraction, I’m sure.”

Chip chuckled to himself. “Alright you got me, ‘You’ll be able to tell if it’s a real contraction.”

Love Tap nodded cheerfully. “That’s right.”

“Maybe, I should stick around for a little bit,” Chip said. “Just to make sure.”

Love Tap maintained her smile as she shook her head. “Suit yourself…” she said as she snuggled up back on Chip’s lap.

“What can I do, mom?” Gibson asked.

Love Tap flashed her son a warm smile. “Why don’t you go get your guitar, sweetie? I think I’d love to hear you play.

Gibson nodded. “Sure mom!” He quickly galloped out of the room.

Gibson slowly picked at the strings on his small, wooden, acoustic guitar, producing a slow, somewhat off version of ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’.

“Wow…” Chip said. “He’s really… uh… getting better…” he offered.

Her head resting on her husband’s lap again, Love Tap raised a forehoof and swatted her husband’s leg. “Oh stop it, you!” she said. She smiled. “He’s just starting, he has plenty of time to grow and get better.” Love Tap looked down at her protruding belling and patted it lovingly. “And so do you…” she whispered out.

“GUITAR SOLO!” Gibson cried as he began to quickly run his forehooves up and down the guitar, playing a random assortment of notes.

Chip frowned. “Uh, Gibson? Maybe you should just stick to the—”

“Oh, just let him play,” Love Tap said as she looked at her son with a smile. “He’s just having a little fun nothing wrong with—” Love Tap was cut off as she curled up slightly and winced once more.

Gibson frowned and stopped playing. “Mom, are you alright?”

Chip looked down with just the hints of concern on his face. “Another fake contraction?”

Love Tap looked up at her husband, her previously happy expression having just been obliterated by a dead serious one that had quickly and efficiently set up shop on every corner of her face. “Get me out of bed,” she said. “We need to get to the hospital.”