The Misunderstood Black Woman

Gratitude XXIII

The next morning I was so sore that I didn't want to get out of bed. My morning sickness wasn't letting up, so I was constantly running to the bathroom to empty out the contents of my stomach. Bryson ran me a bath and gave me a massage since he felt bad about my discomfort. I found it adorable that he was always looking out for me even when the discomfort wasn't his fault.

In a few hours, we were going to my relative's house to spend Thanksgiving with them until it was time to leave for Bryson's relative's house. I decided to keep my outfit casual so I wore a pair of leggings, an oversized sweater, matched with a pair of boots. I wanted to be comfortable for the long ride, and I also wanted to hide my belly from our families just in case we wanted to delay the announcement.

"Babe, do you mind if we stop by my friend's house later so I can see if she's feeling better?" I asked while we headed out to the car.

"That's fine. But let's see if you can stay awake for our outing first. Our little prince or princess is definitely draining you." Bryson replied while opening the car door for me to get in.

We had a forty-minute drive ahead of us so I planned on getting comfortable and taking a nap before we arrived at my relative's house. The drive was quicker than I remembered so I stayed awake during the ride and talked about random things with Bryson. My heart was profoundly pounding when we pulled into my aunt's driveway. Although I missed my family, I felt like I didn't have the courage to face them and confess the big news.

We both exited the car in unison, then nervously walked up to the front door. In my family, it was traditional to invite yourself in and make yourself at home if you were invited. I began to feel more anxious once we entered the house and saw my family gathered around in the living room. Everyone paused and glanced in our direction with shocked expressions plastered on their faces.

"Well look who finally decided to show up when the food is almost done." My great aunt sarcastically said while coming over and pulling me in a large hug.

I greeted everyone with hugs, then shyly introduced them to Bryson. I could tell that my cousins were openly checking him out, but I decided to brush them off and ignore them. I watched as my mother and sister rushed out of the kitchen and set the table up for dinner. After they finished, I slowly approached them with a warm smile. I figured that right now would be an appropriate time to formally introduce them to Bryson.

"Hey mom, Gabrielle. I have someone that I would like for you to meet. This is my boyfriend Bryson." I nervously stated while carefully watching their reactions.

I noticed that my mom was taken aback, but I could tell that she was impressed by Bryson. My sister held a tranquil expression on her face, but I could tell that she was also impressed based on the curious glances she flashed him. I felt a slight sense of relief since they both seemed to approve of him.

But that relief was soon replaced by anxious thoughts as my mind began to wander. Would they still like him after they found out about my pregnancy? I knew that my mother was adamant about my siblings and me waiting until marriage to start a family. But life doesn't always turn out like how you plan and I hoped that everyone was understanding of that.

"Well nice to meet you, Bryson. Why don't you come to help us finish setting up and we can chat?" My mom curiously asked Bryson.

I watched as he confidently accepted her offer and followed her into the kitchen. I was about to go follow them to help, but my cousin Tanesha came over to greet me. I was bummed out because I wanted to overhear their conversation, but I remained cordial and talked about general topics. Our conversation was brief, so I greeted more of my relatives that were arriving late. After greeting everyone, I quickly made my way into the kitchen to check on them.