HEAVY

The Introduction

Curtis and Sofi were awake but still cuddling under the sheets, Curtis rubbing Sofi's bump. It was a beautiful and meaningful Saturday morning- their introduction ceremony. The alarm had gone off a few minutes ago, and the two had not yet gotten into the spirit of waking up. Curtis got up and drew the curtains. The sun rays gloriously shone through the sheers on their bedroom window.

"We need to get up and get ready," Curtis told Sofi.
"But babe, I'm still lazy. And also, I've not seen my dad for a while. I'm scared of his reaction on seeing me pregnant," Sofi said.
"Babe. I got you. You're not going alone. We are in this together," he said. "Get up babe, I'll help you get ready," he added.
"Okay. Turn the shower on I'll join you in a few," she told him, as he entered the bathroom.

Sofi got up after minutes of debating her thoughts and joined Curtis in the bathroom. They took a shower hurriedly and within an hour, they were in the car and on their way to the nearby drive-through for breakfast. Sofi's upcountry home was a two-hour drive from their current residential area.
Curtis, the designated driver, ordered a large iced coffee and a grilled chicken sandwich. Sofi's order was a grilled chicken wrap with pickles, a medium-sized box of chicken nuggets and a medium iced apple juice.
Curtis drove off and their two-hour journey to the upcountry began. Sofi, in the princess seat, dug into her breakfast and fed Curtis some nuggets from time to time.
The roads leading to upcountry were busy, it seemed most people were travelling through these routes. The traffic was a bit congested, but it moved swiftly. Sofi fell asleep. Curtis reduced the stereo volume to a soothing lullaby-like.
After an hour of navigating through traffic, Curtis decided to make his first stop before branching onto the road leading to their final destination, which was more than half an hour away, for a toilet break and gas refill. He stopped at the immediate gas station. He paid for gas and woke Sofi up.

"Babe...wake up," he said rubbing her hands softly. "Will you use the washroom?" he asked.
"I wouldn't mind," Sofi answered with a hoarse sleepy voice.
"Let's go then. Do you want anything from the shop? By the way, should we shop here, or do we stop at your hometown?" he inquired, as they walked towards the washrooms.
"Maybe I add some nuggets. And, I think my hometown is nearer and there are a variety of shops to choose from," she confirmed.
"Okay.  Let's finish up and see if we'll get some nuggets for you here," he said as he branched into the gents' washrooms.

At the gas station cafe, there were no chicken nuggets and Sofi opted for salted barbecue crisps, while Curtis added a second cup of iced coffee to fuel him for the remaining part of the journey and to relieve the tension he also felt from the trip to her in-laws. The journey continued immediately After securing the goods they needed. After around half an hour on the highway, Curtis branched into the Gakima town road and drove about eight hundred kilometres to the shopping centre. They got into the mall and within twenty minutes of walking around the supermarket, they walked to the cashier with their trolley of shopping.  They both got out with everything they needed and an attendant helped them to bring their shopping to the car. They placed the shopping bags on the back seat and continued with the remaining part of their journey, which was about a ten-minute drive. Sofi looked more tense than she was that morning. She trembled a little, her fears of seeing her parents in her condition swimming back into her mind. Curtis kept on assuring her that all would be well and they were both in this together, no matter what their parents' reactions were.

At the gate, Curtis pulled over and honked once. The gate opened, revealing Mrs Nani on the other side. She stepped aside, as Brad drove into the driveway and stopped by the garage. He got out of the vehicle, opened the passenger's door for Sofi and helped her step out. Mrs Nani was walking towards them with a half frown and a half smile crowning her face. Sofi turned to face her mother and with open arms, Mrs Nani hugged her daughter tightly, rubbing her hair down.  Sofi did not let go of her mother as she wept. Curtis rubbed her back, bringing her back to reality. She pulled away from her mother, wiped her tears off and chuckled.