Another One

It was safe to say at this point that Van Hohenhiem was in a state of mild panic.  Trisha had left for the market over an hour ago, leaving him home alone with the wailing four-month-old Edward who showed no signs of slowing down any time soon.  He had tried everything to placate the infant.  Funny faces only seamed to frighten the boy, he had batted away every toy he had been presented with, and a lullaby was out of the question as Van's singing voice was better classified as caterwauling than anything resembling music.  Edward had just eaten before Trisha left, his diaper was clean and dry, and poor Van was at a devastating loss.

At the moment, Van alternated between looking at Edward and looking out the open window of their bedroom for any signs of Tricia while he sat on the edge of the bed holding the baby's sides and gently bouncing him on his knee.

“Please don't scream anymore, Edward,” He said in a choppy, sing-song like voice.  “Mommy will be home soon, so please stop crying.  I'm begging you pleeeease!”

Apparently he had been so focused on Edward that Van did not notice that Trisha had come home until the bedroom door opened and his smiling wife entered the room.

“He's been like this ever sense you left!” the exhausted father groaned.

Trisha smiled wider and laughed.  “Well, he just misses his mommy.”  She held out her arms.  “Come here baby,” she cooed sweetly and took the still crying Edward from her husband.  She bounced him gently on her hip and brushed her fingers through his fine fuzz of golden hair.  “Did you miss mommy?  It's okay baby.”

After a minute or so of shushing and sweet talk, Edward finally began to calm and eventually stopped crying and instead began babbling and playing with the collar of his mothers dress.

Van shook his head in amazement.  “How do you do that?”

“I'm his mother,” she answered simply.  “I'm sorry I took so long.  I stopped by the Rockbell's on my way back.  Little Winry is getting so big.  Did you know she's already trying to walk?”

“Seams like they grow so fast.”

Trisha hummed thoughtfully and kissed the top of Edward's head.  “So, Dear,” she asked, “Do you want another one?”

“Another one what?”  He was confused until Tricia nodded her head towards Edward and then he understood what she meant.  His eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously.  “Oh, no.  No.”

Trisha laughed again and bent down to kiss her husband on the cheek.  Then she whispered in his ear.

“Too late.”

It took a few seconds for what she was implying to sink in, but once it did his eyes grew even wider than they had before.  “A...are you..?”

Trisha patted her stomach and nodded.  “I'm pregnant.”

Van froze for an instant, then began to smile.  It started as a twitch of the lip and grew to spread across his entire face until it looked borderline ridiculous.  Then he laughed.  It was a week, nervous laugh that could not help itself.  Then suddenly without warning, he fell silent and collapsed backwards onto the bed.

Trisha only shook her head and chuckled.  Edward reached out with a grabbing motion towards his father.

“AH!” came the baby's short but very loud and pointed cry.  

“Did Daddy pass out, hm?  Did he just pass out?”

“AH!”

“Do you want to be a big brother, hm Ed?”

“AH!”

“Do you want a brother or a sister?”

“AH!”

Trisha laughed and tickled Edward's chin.  “Is that all you have to say to me?  You're just going to say 'AH' to everything?”

“AH!”

“Van, dear, are you alright?”

Van reached out with a grabbing motion towards Trisha.  “AH!”

Trisha and Edward both laughed.