Leah Mitchell isn't the same shy, poor girl anymore. Now a college student, she is enjoying her life in the city and the freedom she longed for. She works hard and knows her worth. She has it all, but her heart aches for the only person from her pas...
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I wake up from a surprisingly restful nap and lie still. Waiting for the signs of nausea has become my new daily routine. I'm lucky today — ten minutes pass without me needing to dash to the bathroom.
Brian's mom will stop by, and the thought makes me happy. I spend way too much time on my own, which leads to overthinking and worrying about the baby and Brian, who's been even more tired than me for a while.
He's my biggest support. My rock. But taking care of me takes its toll on him. He hasn't studied much over the last few weeks, and, knowing how demanding his degree is, I'm sure he can't afford to take breaks.
I want him to succeed. The lost boy I knew turned into a determined man who knows what he wants and works hard to get it. He changed, and so did I. If only I could say the same about my mom.
It took me days to stop replaying her words in my head. Despite knowing why she was more concerned about my internship than my pregnancy, her reaction upset me. I didn't need judgment. I needed a bit of reassurance, something to ease my worries and make me believe I could have it all — our little family, my studies, and later a good job.
Mom was probably scared I'd repeat her story, but that's far from the truth. Even if I make mistakes, I'll own up to them and find a way to do things better. It's my life, my journey, and my kid.
I rub my stomach and jolt at the sound of the doorbell. Smoothing a hand over my hair, I pad to the hallway to let Aria in.
When the front door opens, and she sees me, she doesn't say a word. She crushes me into a hug, and it takes all of me not to cry.
"How are you?" she asks, letting go of me and stepping into the apartment.
I manage a smile. "Good. Better today. I haven't thrown up in a while."
Aria sighs and rubs my back. "Go back to bed. I'll make you something to eat."
"I can sit in the kitchen," I say. "My body hurts from lying for so many hours."
"For a little while only, deal?" She smiles.
"Deal."
I lower myself onto a chair at the kitchen table and watch Aria make a chicken sandwich. My mouth waters, and my stomach growls. I haven't felt hungry in so long the feeling is foreign.
"I'm gonna make some ginger tea as well," she says. "It was the only thing I could drink when I was pregnant with Jimmy."
"Did you have morning sickness?"
Aria chuckles. "I had an O'Brien inside, which is no joke. He came with morning sickness, swollen ankles, tender breasts, and crazy mood swings. Good things, too, like wanting Axel day and night. Good for my husband, that's for sure."
"Did your nausea get better?" I ask.
Aria puts my food in front of me and sits by my side. "It did. Not immediately, but it became manageable. The first months are hard, and so are the last ones, but you'll get to enjoy the happy middle."
