Beginning. // z.m. au [discontinued]

Chapter 16

Dancing Queen | ABBA

I was never really one to be impatient. I'd always been the kind of person that thought things were better off when you waited, when you were patient, instead of wasting all of your time wishing something would come faster, yet here I was, waiting so impatiently patient for that next chapter of my life to come. It'd been a month and a half since Zayn had thrown me that surprise baby shower that I hadn't seen coming at the time, and now it was only so long before the time came, for our little girl could come at any given moment now.

I was so scared—God, I'd never been so terrified in my life—but overall I was buzzing with excitement. And now pretty much everything was ready and waiting for the big day. Our hospital bag was packed and prepared, sitting at the foot of our bed and ready to be picked up to be taken on the move with us. Zayn and I had already learned how to assemble and use the sleek, new car seat that was buckled up into the backseat of our car. Baby books had been read and re-read countless number of times, frequent visits with Dr. Riley were appointed and attended, and after literal weeks of decision making and light but harmless back and forth bickering, Zayn and I had finally—and I mean finally—settled on a baby name that we both liked and agreed on. It was a miracle, really. I thought the day would never come. I'd been so worried that our daughter would end up with no name at all going by how long it took for us to come up with one.

It was perfect, though, I felt. Simple, too, but still so great. The minute that the suggestion had come out of my mouth, it was like it was meant to be all along. It was fate, really.

But now, all Zayn and I were left to do was wait. Wait and wait and wait and wait...

"Jan," Zayn called out to me, his voice soft and easy, so relaxing to hear. He reached out to place his hand on my upper arm, gently grazing his fingers against the smooth surface. And no, I didn't shiver. Who was asking, anyway? After I let out a soft hum in response, Zayn continued on. "What if she's, like—the baby, I mean—like, a super genius or something? Like, what if she, like, ends up being one of the smartest human beings on the planet?"

I made a weird face, twisting my lips up and frowning at Zayn once I fully processed his words in my own mind. Honestly, what I would give to live inside of his mind just for one day. Just one. "Are you high?" I asked, just to make sure even though I knew he wasn't.

Zayn snorted, playfully rolling his eyes at me. "It's like ten past midnight, 'm delirious." Jesus, I'd never heard my husband sound so old in the entire time we'd been together. "We should be asleep right now, beb. You should be asleep right now."

"Says the man who insists on talking about random shit even though his eyes can barely stay open on their own at the moment."

"Shut up," he sent me a lazy smile, eyes half hooded and what not. "Just thinkin'."

"If she does happen to be that smart, though, we both know who she'd get it from."

"Me, of course," Zayn grinned so wide, and even in dim lighting, his smile still shined so bright. It wasn't fair. "Obviously."

"Don't flatter yourself," I snorted out a short laugh.

"I hope she's not as mean as you," Zayn pouted, but I knew he wasn't really taking anything to heart. "You're so mean to me. Why're you so mean?"

"You just have that kind of effect on me."

I then turned onto my side so that Zayn and I were facing each other. I reached an arm out to gently pat his cheek with my hand a few times before I let my palm rest against the scruffiness of his beard. I think it was safe to say that he was in dire need of a shave.