forever and always♥

Loving and Laboring

"Where are we going Marcus?" Maliyah asked for about the tenth time. He had her dress in a purple and white chiffon maxi dress, curl her hair to perfection, and dress the kids but won't mention where they were going. It couldn't be church, they'd gone the day before. His next gala event wasn't for another week so that couldn't be it either. Their anniversary wasn't for another month, their wedding anniversary exactly four months to the day after. It wasn't anybody's birthday so she was sorely confused as to what the hell was going on.

"Ma, shut up mane forreal," he sighed. "Always so damn impatient."

She huffed, a pout on her lips. She just wanted to know where the hell they were going. It wasn't like she was doing it to be annoying, she was always just seriously curious to the point of being nosey.

Maliyah decided to stay quiet, her attitude in place. Marcus had been being such an asshole as of late and she was tired of dealing with it.

When they pulled up to the cliff, Marcus parked and helped her out. She looked around as he pulled her towards their favorite spot from when they were teens and she gasped.

"Surprise!" Everyone yelled.

She began crying instantly causing some of the guests to laugh. Typical response of a pregnant woman.

Her friends were the first to approach her. "Surprised?" Marcyelle asked.

"How bad did you annoy that man? He looks like he could boil a pot by just looking at it," Jakarta added as she and Marcyelle looked in his direction.

She held her hand up, a single centimeter between her fingers. "Only a little bit. He's just been like that lately. It's getting closer to the baby being here and he wants me resting as much as possible but I mean let's face it. I'm a serious busy body. I have to be doing something, somewhere.

"He means no harm because he's worried I know. But maybe, just maybe he needs to chill. He gets too beside himself and it causes a lapse in judgement. He knows I'm not going to be hurt, but he can't help himself."

Jakarta sniffed. "You guys are so cute!"

"Aren't they?" Marcyelle cooed. It wasn't often she talked about her and Marcus so sweetly. You'd swear all they did was fight and brush it off. She enjoyed seeing them like that. It gave her hope.

Maliyah rolled her eyes, dabbing under her eyes to catch the tears. She smiled, "You two make me mushy, go away! It took me forever to make me look this heavenly."

The two laughed and led her to a table covered in food where she ate until her heart and baby were content.

"You ready for games or gifts?" Marcus asked as he stood behind her, in a squatted position.

She thought about it. "Sleep?"

He shook his head. Of course all she could think of was sleeping.

He picked her up -ignoring all the cat calls- and carried her to a couch full of maternity pillows each guest brought along with their gifts.

"She ready to go I take it?" Johnathan asked as he helped carry a box full of things.

"Yeah, she's so damn easily worn out lately. Shit got me worried," he admitted to his best friend.

"Yeah, Shanna was like that her first pregnancy too. Scared the shit outta me, thought she was sick or something."

"I already had her checked eight times, doc says she's just tired. The baby getting bigger and taking up more energy to carry."

Johnathan nodded. "What y'all having? Since ain't nobody heard word yet."

"She said she don't wanna know," he shrugged. "We've settled on two names either way and I've got a few picked out in case we see him or her and change our minds."