Once Doesn't Mean Always (Straight Furry Story)

42: Late Present

Smoke

Since early to mid January, Cloudy has been acting a little weird. She had been eating more,  gaining weight and she had started to get a bit sick. Recently, she hasn't been coming to school since it started and she has even stopped coming around and seeing me, even refusing to see me when I go to visit her and no one is telling me why. I've honestly been getting a little worried at this point.

17th of February,2017

I sit and sketch in Art class before noticing a student enter the room and hand a note to the teacher before leaving. "Smoke Greypaw, front office and take my bag with you" my teacher instructs. I pack my things away and sling my bag strap over my right shoulder as I approach the teacher to receive the note, all the while getting silent stares from the class until I walk out the door.

I wonder what's going on until I reach the office at the head of the school grounds. I show my note to the school's receptionist before walking through a door to the front half of the small, main room, seeing Cloudy's mum sitting and waiting. "What's going on?" I ask the vixen as she stands, she notions me to follow her before answering

"come on, I'll explain on the way" she says as questions race through my mind while I walk beside till reaching her car, knowing that I'll only get answers if I go along.

"OK, so, Smoke, you remember Christmas?" I'm asked as we both take our seats and strap ourselves in, making me think back to Christmas

"yeah, why?" I ask, unclear on what it has to do with what's happening

"well, Cloudy didn't want me to say anything but lets just say, you still have a present on the way" Cloudy's mum explains as she starts the car. I'm lost as I try to interpret  what she means while she drives, eventually revealing our destination to be the hospital.

"What are we doing here?" I ask with more confusion, Cloudy's mum doesn't respond as she pulls the car keys out of the ignition and gets out, I soon follow.

We walk through the pale building's entrance and get greeted to pure white, marble floors and air almost as clean as natural bush land. Cloudy's mum immediately strolls up to the reception desk that's being manned by a golden retriever

"hey, Sally, she still ok?" Cloudy's mum asks, gaining the canine's attention from her computer screen

"you still have some time" the golden furred dog explains before noticing my approach "this is him then?" the friendly looking canine asks as she shifts her view from me to the pale vixen beside me

"yep, will it be OK to send him through?" the motherly fox asks, promptly retrieving a nod in response

"floor 3, room 302" the retriever says to me. I nod and make my way to an elevator at the end of a hall by the back of the desk, starting my search with the ascension of the metal, mechanical box.

I scan each and every room's number before finding my target, entering the room to see a bloated, snow white fox laying on a hospital bed, staring out a nearby window before noticing my approach

"Smokey" Cloudy gasps as I stand completely stunned. She notions for me to take the seat beside her bed, I slowly approach with shock and take the seat beside her bed

"is this ... is this real?" I ask, Cloudy smiles as she nods

"why didn't you tell me?" I hesitantly ask, shifting her face to one of sadness

"I'm so sorry, I ... I just didn't know how you would react" she explains before grabbing some plastic sheets from a nearby shelf and hands them to me. I look at them and get completely overwhelmed by shock

"that's right, Smoke, it's twins" Cloudy says, holding a smile as I put down the ultrasound photos, immediately hugging her and crying as we hold each other.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I ask as I squeeze my girlfriend

"I ... I was scared, I wasn't sure how you would take it ... your not mad?" she asks, almost sounding scared. I break our hug and hold her face in my paws

"how can I be mad? I love you way too much to be ... I ... I ... where gonna have a family of our own" I start crying as I hug her tighter. Today, something in my mind explodes, a mix of fear, joy and responsibility shivers throughout my body, with fear being the dominant feeling, but, I know that as long as I have Cloudy, I don't need to be afraid, I know we'll do fine when the day comes.

I know we'll be OK.