You’re sitting on the bedroom floor surrounded by piles of clothes, shoes, and two half open suitcases that both look like they’ve already given up internally.

A light summer dress is draped over your knees, bikinis are stacked beside you, and your makeup bag is open like a tiny luxury department store.

Next to it?

An open bag of chips.

Fourth month of pregnancy, and your brain has firmly decided that for one week in Dubai, you obviously need outfits for every possible life scenario.

Your belly is clearly round now. Not huge, but present enough that your hand keeps drifting over it without you even noticing.

The apartment door opens.

“Babe? I’m back!” Bags rustle in the kitchen, then Lando’s voice gets closer. “I found everything…even those weird cheese sticks you’ve started eating in the middle of the night.”

You don’t answer. You’re too busy leaning forward to grab a flip-flop.

Footsteps approach. “Why is the hallway full of-” He stops in the bedroom doorway.

Silence.

You look up. A flip-flop in one hand, a bikini in the other, hair slightly messy, expression focused like you’re in the middle of a tactical military operation.

Lando blinks. “Are we moving out?”

“No. I’m packing.” You say seriously, while shaking your head.

His eyes move over the two suitcases. Then the mountain of clothes. Then you. Then the suitcases again. “For what?”

“Vacation.” You keep folding. “Dubai. Sun. Pool. Relaxation. Lightness.” He looks at the suitcases again. Then the pile of shoes. Back to you. “Lightness is not the word that comes out at me here. You just..booked a vacation to Dubai?”

“I’m pregnant! I have no idea what my body is going to do next week! Maybe only three things will still fit! Maybe I’ll want to wear a different dress every day because I feel like an overinflated watermelon!” You shove the dress into the suitcase and put a chip in your mouth.

Lando lets out a short laugh. “But…why now?”

You look up at him. “Because I want to relax before I’m heavily pregnant in the middle of summer. I want one more trip, just the two of us. And because after that I probably won’t be getting on a plane for a while. And here in Monaco…I can’t relax, because I always find something else to do.”

He walks closer, his gaze drifting to your belly. His voice softens. “Are you even allowed to fly?”

“Yeah.” You nod. “I called my doctor. Everything’s fine. The fourth month is actually pretty ideal for traveling, as long as the pregnancy is normal. Drink a lot, move around, no stress. No big activities.”

He visibly exhales. “Okay…good.” A hand runs through his hair. “I just don’t want to risk anything.” Your expression softens. “I know.” You hold out your hand, and he takes it immediately, sitting down on the floor next to you.

“She even said a relaxing vacation would be good for me.” You add. “Sun, swimming, switching off.” He nods slowly. “Okay. Then we do this properly. No stress. Lots of rest. I’ll carry everything. Even you, if I have to.”

You laugh quietly. “I’ll remember that.” His gaze drops back into the suitcase. “Alright. I'll help you pack.” He carefully pulls out a dress. “Do you love this, or is this a ‘just in case I develop a completely different personality on vacation’ dress?”

You grin. “Second category.”

“Then out. You don’t have to be anyone else on vacation.” He picks up another one. A black, long, fitted dress. “And this?”

You immediately put a hand on it. “Stays. That’s a comfort dress.”

“Perfect.” He folds it neatly back in. His eyes drift toward the shoes. He doesn’t say anything at first.

You raise your eyebrows. “Don’t say it.”

“I was just going to ask…” He lifts a pair of sandals. “Are these the comfortable ones…or the ambitious ones?”

You press your lips together, trying not to smile. “Emotionally comfortable. Physically..we’ll see.” He laughs under his breath and sets them aside.

He shifts closer, one hand absentmindedly resting on your belly. His thumb moves gently, back and forth. "I love you, baby."