She's Having My Baby

Free Fall

32 weeks pregnant

Maya was just over a month away from her due date. Today was the first day of March. Maya hadn't been seeing Riley much apart from school because she was grounded "for the rest of her life". Apparently Riley had been drinking at the dance. She left before Maya could get to her and somehow found her way home to her distraught parents. Maya had been feeling so guilty about it, but Riley completely blamed herself. 

She told Maya that Farkle was the one who started it. Riley said that he was feeling angry and upset about his parents and decided to go for it. Riley figured if her best friend had gotten pregnant how bad could Riley drinking really be? That made Maya feel even worse. That was the wrong kind of bad-influencing. Maya apologized to Cory and Topanga for not keeping tabs on Riley, but they agreed they couldn't expect her to babysit Riley all the time. 

As for Lucas, things were definitely a little awkward since they decided to be "just friends". They still hung out together when they were with Riley and Farkle, but never alone together. Maya didn't mind, though. She had more important things to think about. 

It was really starting to sink in that she was going to be pushing out a baby soon. She knew what hospital she would deliver at, but she didn't have so much as a crib yet. This was why she was on her way to a baby equipment store with Riley and Topanga. She made a list of things she needed, but she knew there was no way she could do it by herself. 

The baby was going to have to sleep in Maya's room, at least for now. There was nowhere else for her to go. Maya thought she'd just order a crib, buy some clothes and diapers and some formula, but Riley was horrified and insisted she also buy the child every stuffed toy on the market. They browsed for a while, but Maya settled on a pale pink crib right away. Topanga informed her she'd also need a changing table and a carrier, a diaper bag and a diaper genie. The list seemed to involuntarily be getting longer and longer. 

Once they finally had all the practical things picked out, Maya let Riley pick out two toys and she picked out one herself. While Riley picked out a rainbow striped stuffed unicorn and a purple cat, Maya chose a simple brown teddy bear that reminded her of one she had as a child. This kid's gonna have enough going on, she at least needs a normal toy, Maya thought. 

There was a sale on same-day delivery, so Maya was told the crib would be delivered to her apartment in four hours. She told Riley and Topanga she'd head home and thanked them for coming with her. Maya was really feeling like an old, cranky pregnant person at this point. Her muscles ached, her feet were swollen, and she felt like crying for no reason far too often. She couldn't wait for this pregnancy to be over, but she was also terrified to have the responsibility of a child thrust upon her in a few short weeks. She hadn't thought all that much about names yet. She supposed she felt she'd have to see the baby to know for sure what her name would be. 

After watching TV and reading the pregnancy book Farkle had given her so many months ago for twenty minutes, she stood up and Made her way into her small bedroom. She tried as hard as she could to picture a crib next to her bed. Her bed where she cried herself to sleep when her dad left. Her bed where hid to try to avoid her first day of kindergarten. Her bed that she bounced and jumped on with Riley for hours. Her bed where she'd laid awake wondering what middle school would be like. Her bed where she thought about Lucas and Riley and about whether or not she'd have a shot with him if they ever broke up. Her bed where she later lost her virginity to him and made a baby with him. 

And now that baby would be sleeping next to her every single night. She tried to imagine it, but she just couldn't. Just as she began to get weepy and stressed again, her phone rang. It was the delivery man with her crib. He asked her to come down to show her which apartment it was. Maya dragged herself out the door and began walking down flights of stairs. She was out of breath after the first set, but kept going slowly. She noticed wet footprints and a few wet leaves on some of the stairs, a result of the rainy and blustery transition into spring they'd been having. She had two more flights of stairs to go when it happened. 

Maya felt her foot slip out from under her, her elbow hit the edge of a stair, and saw the ceiling in glimpses as she tumbled down the remaining stairs. She came to a stop with her ankle bent awkwardly behind her and felt something twist or tear. It all happened so fast. Maya could only form one thought: I'm starting the countdown. If she doesn't kick me within the next ten minutes, I'm gonna completely lose it.

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A/N: Well, this isn't good. What will happen next? Leave a comment. Also feel free to leave more name suggestions if you've got 'em.