It is 2 pm the next day, and Fatima still hasn't come out of her room. She hasn't eaten, all she does is sleep and cry. She gets on her knees and prays. She thanks God for his grace and mercy. She asks him for his direction. As she goes back to sleep a voice in her head (God) says, you deserve happiness, you deserve love, you deserve peace. Fatima is a god-fearing woman, a believer, but when she felt someone touch her it scared the mess out of her.
Fatima opens her eyes and sees Zac sitting next to her on her bed.
"Zac?" She asked wiping her tears.
"I'm sorry to startle you or to barge in unannounced. Andi called me, said you hadn't been out of your room in two days, haven't eaten, and that you've been crying none stop. She was worried."
"That damn Andi," she thought.
"Now that I see for myself that you're alive, I'll go," Zac suggested.
"No. Give me a minute to get myself together."
Fatima gets up and goes into the bathroom. She takes a shower, washes her face, and brushed her teeth. Then puts on something besides pj's. When she is done, she goes back into the bedroom.
"Zac, we need to talk..."
"I know T, I'm so sorry about everything," Zac interrupted her.
"Please forget all that right now and let me finish." She looks him in the eyes, not knowing how to tell him, so she gets back up to grab something out of the bathroom. "I'm pregnant," she hands him the positive pregnancy test.
He takes a look at it for a minute and then smiles, "Babe? Babe?" He says wanting more confirmation from Fatima.
She shakes her head yes and he immediately jumps up and kisses her. "We are having a baby?"
For the first time since the results Fatima smiled. Those words replayed in her head, you deserve happiness, you deserve love, you deserve peace. This is the man that makes you happy, this is the man that loves you unconditionally, and the man that you love. Now find your peace. Fatima hugs Zac. "I love you too."
With no more words needed, they just hold each other for what seems like forever.
When they finally removed from the embrace Zac asked her, "Have you been to the doctor yet?"
"No, not yet. I will make one Monday morning."
"Look Fatima can we squash all this drama with our parents, between us, and move forward? Especially now that you're..." he stops himself. "We'll move at your pace."
"Can you go with me to my doctor's appointment?" She asked. "We will talk then."
"Of course, I will go. I love you." He kisses her and leaves. "Oh, and please eat something. Do you need me to bring you something back to eat?"
She looks at him with her puppy dog eyes. "Please. Can you get me something from Five Guys and some ice cream?"
"You are so spoiled. Text me whatever you want me to get."
Zac leaves and returns with her food and ice cream.
Andi comes into the kitchen, "You're not mad at me for calling him, are you?"
"No, it's ok.
The doorbell rings. "I also called Madam. I didn't know what else to do."
"That's fine. Let her in," ordered Fatima.
"You better open up," Madam said. "Now what's this about you not eating? and what happened with you and Zac?"
"He and I are good," Fatima lied. "See, I'm eating now," she said, shoving fries in her mouth.
"Good. T, you need to go after what you want you want. Fuck everybody else," said Madam. "It's your life and you only live once."
"Tell her Madam," Andi coached her.
"Did Andi tell you I might be pregnant?"
"What!! No, she didn't tell me. That's even more of a reason you need to do what's best for you and my cousin-niece." Madam said.
Madam thought for a second, "Aunty gone have a cow when she finds out her daughter is having a baby out of wedlock."
"Oh gosh, please don't go there," Fatima shakes her head.
***
Fatima had scheduled her doctor's appointment for Tuesday afternoon. She left during her lunch break to go to the appointment. Zac offered to pick her up, but she asked if could he just meet her there.
At the doctor's office
Zac holds her hand as the doctor asks her the necessary questions and does her blood work. The Doctor lets them know the results will come back in a couple of days via email.
After the visit, Zac walks her to the car.
"I have to go back to work, but maybe we can go out for dinner this evening," Fatima suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
They hug and head back to work. Fatima postponed dinner plans until the results are in.
While at work Fatima receives a text from Zac. It was a dinner invite to their favorite restaurant. He scheduled it for Friday, hoping the results would be in by then and they could celebrate and discuss where they go from there.
Friday after work, Fatima went home to change. Zac was coming to pick her up at 6:00, so she had an hour to get ready.
She puts on a yellow sundress with matching sandals and slicks her hair in a bun. Cute but simple.
Zac arrives on time with a bouquet of roses.
Once they arrive at the restaurant and are seated, Fatima begins to talk.
"Are you ready to see if we are pregnant?"
"Yes, it's been a long few days," said Zac.
Fatima opens up the email and it confirmed that they were eight weeks pregnant.
"Yes!!" Zac said ecstatically and yells, "I'm going to be a daddy.
The entire restaurant heard him and started clapping and saying their congrats.
Fatima a little embarrassed tries to motion Zac to quiet down.
He finally sits down. "So, what's next with us Fatima?"
"I'm just so lost and confused. I know I don't want to be a single parent or raise the baby alone."
"Fatima, you don't have to," he reassured her. " You are driving me nuts, woman. What do you want to do? I know what I want and that's to be a full-time father and to be with you."
She soaks in everything he says.
"If I had it my way, we would fly to Vegas, the courthouse, you name it."
"Well let's do it then," Fatima thought out loud.
Zac went over to her and took the previous engagement ring and placed it on her finger again. "You better not ever take it off again," he said and kissed her passionately.
