One Last Chance

Day One

Engfa and Charlotte lived in constant trepidation for the next few days, feeling like their hearts were walking on a tightrope. It was not easy managing their work with high anxiety, especially for Engfa who used to be a bad texter. Now, she texted her wife multiple times a day to check in about her wellbeing.

The irony didn't escape Charlotte that she had the fall from being too stressed about work. The work which was about producing skincare which was safe for pregnant women. It was mentally suffocating because she didn't know who to talk to. They didn't want to share any news until she was more stable in her pregnancy.

Wan, her senior manager though, was a very experienced and observative woman. She had taken upon herself to take on most of the workload off Charlotte's shoulders and she also made sure that the younger woman ate on time. For that, Charlotte was endlessly grateful and planned on giving her a raise after the launch.

It took Charlotte another week before she started showing the typical signs of pregnancy. The first time Nuay brought her a bowl of seafood soup, she gagged and vomited her breakfast. She had never felt more relieved at vomiting. She still remembered Nuay holding up her hair and soothing her back, worry on her face.

She remembered thanking Nuay and brushing her teeth in her private bathroom at the office, and when she looked in the mirror, she was actually smiling with foam in her mouth. The truth was, part of her didn't dare to believe Mor Lena’s words, part of her didn't dare to hope. But now? The vomiting was a physical sign from her baby that she was really here.

When she came out of the toilet, Nuay was there with a glass of warm water. She asked nervously if P’Char was okay and if the seafood soup was not fresh. Seeing the genuine worry on Nuay’s face, Charlotte had the strongest urge to tell her about the truth. In the end, she smiled and said she was alright.

Engfa's face showed relief as well when Charlotte told her on video call. In the next hour, Engfa had ordered a few more food deliveries to her wife's office so that Charlotte could eat well.

In the early mornings, Engfa was no longer woken up by alarm clocks but by the sounds of hurried footsteps of her wife. By the fifth week, her body was so in tune with Charlotte that she got up together.

There was a pillow below the toilet bowl with the shape of knees imprinted on them. Besides the strange appearance of a pillow, there were also additions of anti-slip mats on the tiles.

Gentle hands caressed Charlotte's falling hair and tied them into a loose ponytail with practiced ease. Engfa always had mouthwash in one hand and another hand would rub Charlotte's back. While she was glad to witness the manifestation of her wife's pregnancy, her eyes showed heartache when she saw her wife feeling so uncomfortable.

“Finished?” She murmured softly when Charlotte reached for the mouthwash in her hand.

The toilet flushed and Charlotte laid her head on Engfa's thighs in exhaustion. The older woman sighed and bent to kiss Charlotte's forehead. Then, she would carefully help Charlotte up and carry her to the sink counter.

“Say ah, baby.” Engfa smiled and held Charlotte's chin while the other hand brushed her wife's teeth.

Charlotte would act spoiled and let Engfa take care of her like a baby. Though, she was also experiencing lots of fatigue every time she vomited. Some days, she really didn't feel like going to work and just wanted to laze in bed. But whenever she saw Engfa working so tirelessly and still taking care of her, she would push herself out of bed to work.

“Thank you Fa Fa…” Charlotte smiled after they brushed their teeth and Engfa gave her a good morning kiss.

“There's no need to thank me, you're the mother of my child.” Engfa replied lovingly. “What do you want for breakfast today?”