The Arrangement Factor (ARRANGEMENT SERIES #1)

Epilogue

Alex's POV

Sarah's pregnancy marked the most challenging phase of my life. Dealing with her and her fluctuating hormones was like navigating a minefield. One moment, she'd be seducing me, and the next, I found myself standing in a pizza place at midnight, placing an order for a bizarre pizza topping combination.

Even the pizza maker shot me quizzical looks when I listed the toppings I wanted.

"Pregnant wife?" he asked while giving the order to the chef and processing my payment.

I nodded, and he smiled knowingly, remarking, "They always have weird cravings."

"You tell that by the order?" I inquired, intrigued.

"Yes, I had a kid just four months ago, so I'm familiar with the cravings and mood swings," he shared.

I sighed, "Tell me about it."

He chuckled and added, "Just wait for the post-pregnancy hormones; you'll be grateful for these times."

"Are you trying to scare me?" I teased.

He laughed, "No, just speaking from experience."

Impatient and conscious of the time, I checked my watch. I had been away for a good 10 minutes, and Sarah was at home all alone in her ninth month of pregnancy for fucks sake.

How long does it take to make a pizza, for heaven's sake? The pizza maker inquired again, "First time?"

I nodded, and he continued, "What are you having?"

Confused, I thought I'd already given him my order. He laughed and clarified, "I meant a boy or a girl?"

"Oh," I realized. "We decided to keep it a surprise, but secretly, I'm hoping for a girl." I smiled, recalling the playful banter Sarah and I had about our preferences—me for a girl, and she for a boy.

"Yeah, girls are great. Boys can be a handful," he remarked.

Growing impatient, I nodded and asked, "How much longer will it take?"

He checked with the chef and informed me that it would be another 10 minutes, prompting me to decide to go buy the ice cream in the meantime.

Within 20 minutes, I returned home with Sarah's pizza and ice cream. As I ascended the staircase, midway, I was startled by an ear-piercing scream.

The scream echoed from our room.

"SARAH!"

Without a second thought, I sprinted towards our room. As I swung the door open, I hastily dropped the contents from my hands onto the table beside the sofa and rushed to her side.

"Baby, what's wrong? Why did you scream?" I asked, crouching in front of her, consumed by worry.

"Ale..." Sarah clutched her stomach, screaming once again.

In no time, Mom and Dad arrived, visibly alarmed. Mom pushed me aside, taking my place, and instructed Sarah to take deep breaths.

I stood there, shocked. Why was she in such agony? What was causing her so much pain? Was the baby okay? Was she okay? What do I do? A torrent of questions flooded my mind.

My trance was broken when Mom shouted at me, and Sarah screamed again.

"ALEX! Grab her bag; her water broke. We need to go to the hospital now," Mom ordered, but my mind was still fixated on Sarah's distress.

"ALEX NOW!" Mom shouted once more, snapping me out of my daze. I swiftly retrieved the bag from the closet and handed it to Mom.

Next, I scooped Sarah up in a bridal style, taking great care not to exacerbate her pain. We hurried downstairs.