Surviving the Tempest

Chapter 1

2 years ago. 

"Aaliyah Holtz?" the nurse announced as soon as she entered the waiting room.

I stood still, my head bowed down, fidgeting in my seat, hoping that Sophie would ignore my name being called. But that didn't happen.

When the nurse called out me for the second time, impatience and boredom dripping from her voice, Sophie shook me.

"Aaliyah, it's your turn. Go!"

I looked at her with pleading eyes, asking her to stop me from going, but the look on her face said that it has to be done, either now or later. Sighing, I got up.

"That's me!" I told the impatient nurse.

"Finally, come this way, please." She said and started walking further down the corridor that led to a big mahogany door.

The silence was so deafening that I could even hear my own heart beating. The air around me was thick with tension and I could feel the effect wearing off on me.

The nurse stopped at the mahogany door and knocked.

As soon as I perceived a faint come-in, I was ushered inside by the nurse.

The plate read: Annabelle Morris, Ob-Gyn.

The lady sitting behind a big dark wood desk was in her late forties. Her face broke into a smile when she looked at me. That smile was enough to tell me what my reports held. With her gaze fixed on me, her twinkling eyes, a chill ran down my spine. That heartwarming smile held a lot of meaning, one I wasn't ready to face.

"Come, sit dear." She instructed, showing her pearly whites.

I gave her my best fake smile and took a seat.

Fake smiling is an art that I mastered a long time ago. It is something that I learned to plaster on my face, apart from makeup. I need these two to survive in the world outside the house. My makeup and my fake smile, these help me to hide a lot of things that are best kept hidden. It's easier to just put a fake smile rather than explaining to the world what is wrong. A long sleeve, a fake smile and voila everyone thinks you are fine.

"Aaliyah? Did you hear what I said?"

"Huh? Oh. No, I am sorry. What did you say?" I answered her questioning look with a guilty one.

She sighed.

"Aaliyah, you are pregnant, a little over eight weeks. The morning sickness and lethargy that you were experiencing weren't due to stomach bugs." She explained.

My mouth fell open. I froze. I already knew this was going to happen. I knew that vomiting my guts out every morning is not because of some stomach bug. I had the slightest idea that I might be pregnant, but hearing it from the doctor just took me off guard.

Automatically, my hand went up to my stomach, rubbing it.

"So you mean, there is life growing inside me?" I asked, my voice cracking up.

The doctor nodded.

"I am actually going to experience the most beautiful stage of a woman's life?

"And in seven months, I'll be giving birth to a baby? My baby?" Tears filled my eyes.

"Yes, and it would only happen if you stay happy, so no tears." Anna said.

I looked into her eyes and saw contentment. She was happy. I was happy. I would be giving birth to a child. My child. Someone who would call me 'Mom'.