Azariah - God Has Helped

Chapter 28

Kiara looked down at her stomach, already rounding more with each passing day. She was only eight weeks pregnant, yet her belly pushed forward as though she were already four months along. She hadn't expected her journey into motherhood to feel this lonely, nor to be filled with memories she wished she could bury forever.

Her thoughts drifted back to the night she first found out she was pregnant. Kerisa's words replayed in her mind—firm, loving, unyielding. She was grateful she had listened. Grateful she had chosen to cherish something she could not yet see, could not yet hold. After the tears and fear had passed, excitement bloomed in their place, fragile but real.

She had wanted to tell Chevoy immediately—to prove she had been right all along—but something inside her insisted that Kevaughn should know first. This was his child too. They had planned for this.

Kiara rushed home from work, skipping the familiar routine of waiting with friends for the cheaper JUTC buses or walking to Half Way Tree like she usually did. Her thoughts raced ahead of her feet, anxiety tightening in her chest. She needed to tell him—needed to hear his reaction, to quiet the doubts and nerves clawing at her.

After all, he had wanted this child. They had spoken about it, imagined it, planned their way toward this moment.

She waved down the first taxi she saw. The fare nearly tripled what she would normally spend, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to get home—to get to her baby's father. Whatever arguments they'd had days before felt distant now, insignificant compared to the life growing inside her.

No matter what, she was carrying his first child. Their child.

Their Azariah.

The house was unusually quiet when Kiara stepped inside. The familiar scent of cologne and stale air wrapped around her, and for a second, she hesitated, her hand still resting on the door. Her heart pounded so loudly she wondered if he could hear it from the other room.

"Kevaughn?"

He appeared from the bedroom doorway, phone in hand, brows furrowed as if already annoyed. "Yuh reach early," he said, eyes flicking briefly to the clock before returning to his screen.

Kiara swallowed. She placed her bag down slowly, deliberately, as though sudden movement might cause the moment to slip away. Her palms were damp, her breath uneven.

"I need to tell you something."

That got his attention. He looked up, really looked at her now. "What happen?"

She stepped closer, her hand instinctively drifting to her stomach. The gesture was small, almost unconscious.

"I'm pregnant."

The words hung between them, fragile and exposed.

Kevaughn blinked once. Then twice. His face shifted—not to shock, not to joy—but to something unreadable. He let out a slow breath and ran his hand over his head.

"Pregnant... as in now?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "I just found out today."

Silence stretched. The walls seemed to lean in.

"But... we just been arguing," he said finally, more to himself than to her. "The timing kinda—"

"I know" she cut in quickly, fear creeping into her voice. "But we planned this, Kevaughn. You said you wanted this."

He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "Mi did say that... but saying and reality different, Kiara."

Her excitement cracked. Not shattered—but fractured enough for doubt to seep in.