Only for You

44: Everythings Changing

Fatima stifled a yawn as she trailed beside Zac through ItalMod Furniture, her fingers lightly grazing the edge of a sleek, modern coffee table. The store smelled like new wood and leather, a mix of contemporary and classic styles filling the vast showroom.

"We're almost done," Zac assured her, noticing the way she'd been rubbing her eyes. "Just need a couch and a bed. Then we can chill."

Fatima nodded, though she felt more drained than usual. Lately, she'd been waking up exhausted, her body feeling heavier than normal. She couldn't be pregnant, she had gotten her period... right?

Zac tugged her toward a display of sectionals. "What about this one?"

She eyed the massive L-shaped couch in a deep gray fabric, her lips curving slightly. "It's nice."

Zac raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Nice?"

Fatima blinked. "I mean, yeah. It looks comfortable..." She trailed off, pressing a hand to her stomach as a sudden wave of nausea crept in.

Zac frowned. "You good?"

Fatima inhaled through her nose, then exhaled slowly. "Yeah. I think I'm just hungry."

Zac's eyes softened. "Alright, let's hurry up and finish so we can get you some food."

She nodded, focusing on the couch again. "Okay, so we need something deep enough for you to lounge on but still stylish enough to fit the rest of the house. I like this one, but maybe in a different color?"

Zac nodded, pulling out his phone. "They got customization options. What color you thinking?"

Fatima bit her lip, trying to picture the space. "Maybe a warm beige? Or a deep brown?"

Zac pulled up the options. "This one?" He showed her a rich, caramel-colored fabric.

Fatima's face lit up. "Ooh, that's perfect."

He grinned. "Say less." He signaled for a sales associate. "We'll take this one in caramel."

The associate smiled. "Great choice! We'll get that processed for you."

As they moved toward the bedroom section, Zac draped an arm around Fatima's shoulders. "Bedtime, baby. Let's get something that's gonna feel like a damn cloud."

Fatima sighed happily. "Yes. A cloud sounds amazing."

They wandered through the displays, testing out different mattresses. Zac dramatically flopped onto one, stretching out with a groan. "This? This right here? I'm not getting up."

Fatima sat on the edge, laughing. "Sir, we have a house to finish furnishing."

"House can wait. This mattress needs me."

Fatima rolled her eyes before leaning back beside him. "Okay, it is comfortable..."

"Told you," Zac said smugly. Then, he turned his head, watching her. "You sure you're good?"

She looked over at him. "Yeah. Just a little off today."

Zac studied her, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Alright. Let's grab this bed and get you fed before you start fading on me."

Fatima smiled, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different.
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Fatima sat on the toilet, staring down at the pregnancy test in her hand, watching as the results slowly processed.

Her head was a mess.

She hated how irritated she'd been all day—for no reason. Everything Zac did felt like it annoyed her, even though she knew he hadn't done anything wrong. The way he walked, the way he talked, the way he breathed—it all felt like too much. And that wasn't her.