Together Forever

Practice

Beads of sweat rolled freely down Jordan's body. The garbage bag Nick taped to his torso was creating a pond. He along with Hill convinced him that it was an effective workout for stamina. It was only depleting his.

"I think you guys want me dead." Jordan claimed through labored breaths.

"That bad?" Hill laughed while stretching his arms.

"It gets better." Nick promised with a wide smile.

"Bullshit." Jordan gasped. "I'm a walking lake."

"That's what she said!" Nick wailed, slapping his own knee. The Jordans stared at him blankly before shaking their heads. Nick was a child in a grown man's body.

"Anyway." Hill drawled. "I'm thinking about making things official with Nef."

Nefari was the girl from the club. She went home with him that night and didn't leave until a week later. He quickly became addicted to her and made sure to keep her close. A bonus point, the girls loved her. They immediately alerted Hill of their approval. Audriella always insisted they sit together to talk fashion.

All in all, she was good for him.

"Congrats, man." Jordan smiled. "Are you ready?"

"Beyond." Hill admitted with a wide smile. "My nephew likes her."

His four year old nephew, also named Jordan, had a severe form of autism. Being nonverbal and having an aversion to people hindered him from really making any connections, especially strangers. But when he was introduced to Nefari, they couldn't separate them. When they tried to leave, he cried until Hill took him home with them.

"Wifey!" Nick yelled as he let his arm linger after a jump shot that he missed.

"Not for you." Hill laughed heartily.

"Yo, Dri is crazy." Jordan chuckled as he showed the guys his phone.

Audriella had stuck a bowl under her shirt while posing in front of the mirror. In her mouth was a spoon and her hair was in a messy bun. In another picture, had her bare stomach poked out into a round belly.

Would you love me if I looked like this?

He laughed and replied but the second picture stuck with him. It looked so real and he couldn't wait to see it that way in real life. The future for him was beautiful.

"She got big, fast!" Nick exclaimed making Jordan eye him. Leave it to him to actually slip up.

"Is that for real?" Hill questioned. He wanted so badly to say yes, but it was still too early. So he simply shook his head and waited for her to text him back.

"Nah, she's just playing." Jordan lied effortlessly.

"Let's go to lamaze!" Gabriella exclaimed from thin air. Audriella licked her spoon full of marshmallow fluff and jalepeño juice with furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't you have to wait until like a month or so before labor?" Audriella questioned. To be honest, outside of the baby project she knew nothing. Sure she changed a few diapers, fed them bottles but the process of pregnancy was lost on her.

"Maybe not like actual lamaze but maybe a pregnancy and childbirth class?" Gabriella pushed. Now that Audriella seemed to be in a better head space, she could voice all of her excitement and ideas.

"But why?" Audriella frowned, scooping up the leftover cheese from her bare stomach. It was still flat, but she had already started the habit of resting her food there.

"Where did that even come from?" Gabi frowned in disapproval. Audriella simply shrugged and sucked on her finger.

Shaking her head, she tossed a pair of capri leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. "Be ready in ten."

Fifteen minutes and four toasters strudels later, Audriella finally made it to the parking lot. For her to still be in her first trimester, she was moving like someone well into their third. But then again, she was always lazy when she was away from Jordan.

Me, You, and Baby Too

Audriella cooed at the various babies plastered on the storefront. One particular baby captured her attention. A little boy with light skin and curly hair. He had the brightest eyes and the cutest two teethed smile. In his hands was a small Lakers basketball. Seeing that as a sign, she snapped a picture and sent it to Jordan.

JC🤵🏻💜💛

Look!

I put that in you, that's crazy

Taylor...

It's not the truth?

Not on purpose. You didn't.

Shots count in practice, too 😉

Shaking her head, she decided against answering his text. Gabi had already signed them into some class that she knew nothing about. Signed in under pseudonyms, they entered the small intimate space. Pastel colors lined the walls and refreshments sat in the middle of the room.

Seeing the circle of chairs and women in various stages of motherhood, Audriella leaned over to whisper in Gabi's ear. "What is this?"

"An anonymous mom group." She shrugged. All the other options looked like school, this setting seemed more relaxed. Plus, who better to learn from than mothers themselves?

Two hours later, Audriella found herself in tears as she listened to the mothers speak. From being forced to keep children to waiting years to finally conceive, each story touched her in some kind of way. Even though no two stories were the same, they all had one thing in common; feeling lost.

She felt that frequently, often wondering just what the future held for her. Was this the universe's way of telling her the path she chose was incorrect? Did she need an extra motivation? Did she and Jordan need a push to get married?

She didn't know.

One thing was for sure, if it was meant to be, it will be.