The end of my junior year was a time where my relationship was doomed to failure. Garroth was heading off to college, and I wouldn't graduate until he finished his first year. I could feel the tension. He could feel the tension. We kept those conversations hidden from the others, smiling and holding hands in the public eye.
My feelings for Vylad didn't form until after Garroth walked across the stage.
My junior prom was one of the last times I was seen on Garroth's arm as his girlfriend. We both knew this going in. My dress was pink, and he matched his tie to my dress. Late into the night, I went outside for a breath of fresh air. The colors inside were beginning to feel like knives stabbing me from behind and the air was suffocating.
Vylad had his own date that year. He asked someone he knew to go with him, and they made a dashing couple for the evening. Even if it was pure friendship, Zianna was thrilled nonetheless.
He followed me outside and sat on the edge of the water fountain. One thing he couldn't do before was casual small talk. The mention of my relationship was where I gave up and explained why I thought it was failing. He listened to it all.
His eyes glistened that night from the moon reflecting off of the water.
Nothing happened between us but the squeeze of my hand.
Garroth and I broke up a week after graduation.
Vylad and I got together that September.
"Alright, Mrs. Ro'meave, just lay right here, and we can get started."
Vylad holds onto my clutch as I shakenly sit on the medical table behind me, laying down. The paper crinkles beneath my weight, and I can feel fabric being lifted from my stomach only to be replaced by a cool gel.
"Does it hurt?" Vylad asks, noticing a change in my expression.
"No, it's just cold," I comment, looking down at my fingers for a moment before devoting my attention to the sonographer performing my ultrasound. "And I have to use the bathroom."
She giggles, spreading the gel around my stomach. "It must be your first time expecting."
I feel sheepish that it's that noticeable. She appears to quickly get to work running the wand around the surface of my stomach. Vylad keeps his eyes on my stomach when I turn my head to look him in the eyes. The look on his face is one that melts my heart.
A sound fills the room, and my head snaps back over to the screen. "That's the heartbeat." The sonographer's words are kind, and her smile is soft as she looks over at us. Vylad inches closer to the screen and reaches for my hand, squeezing it tightly. "A strong one at that."
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
"You've been holding onto that picture ever since they gave it to us," Vylad snickers, focusing his attention on the road ahead of us. We're a few minutes away from the house.
"Shut up," I say, looking down at the small child once more. Two legs. Two feet. Two arms. Two hands. One head. One baby. I'm creating one baby inside of me. "You cried."
"So did you!"
His retorts only receive playful head shaking. My eyes have traced over my baby's figure far more times than I can count, but it feels unreal to me.
I'm really pregnant.
I'm going to have a baby.
I'm going to be a mother.
"We have to tell daddy. Zianna. We have to tell Laurance and Kandi," I blabber, smiling over to him. "They'll be so happy. A baby. A baby, Vylad, a baby!"
He pulls into the driveway, putting the car into park. I go to open the door, but he locks me inside.
"I want to see the baby," he says, reaching forward for the picture in my hand. The car clicks and the ignition is turned off when he has it in his hands. "It's hard to believe we really are going to have a baby."
I've tried to wrap this around my head. The heartbeat made it feel real, but seeing our baby on the screen really proved that we're bringing a life into this world. For twelve weeks I've been carrying this child inside of me, and in a few more I can know their gender. For now, they're baby Ro'meave. The first baby Ro'meave for that matter.
We look silly sitting in our car moments after turning it off, but this is one time I don't mind the stares. I'm staring down at my unborn child with my husband.
"There's really no turning back now," Vylad mumbles, reaching forward for my hand. He places a kiss on it, refusing to break contact with the picture. "We'll have to tell them soon. It's safe to do so now."
I nod my head. "We just need to figure out when."
