But Are You Sure?

chapter three

The smell of coffee and freshly baked bread hit my nose as I walked into the little cafe on the corner of our street. Eren pulled my chair out for me before sitting down across the table. We ordered our breakfast, me with my black coffee and cinnamon bagel, him with his scrambled eggs and toast. The food arrived, and I took a long sip of my coffee.

"So." I started, breaking the silence that had fallen all around us.

"So." He replied, setting his fork down on the table. We both looked at each other, not knowing where to start.

"I did some research, and the pain medication I'm prescribed can make the pill stop working. So I took the meds Thursday the 4th, missed my period the 7th, and took the test yesterday, the 18th." I explained, tapping the table with every date. 

"So you're what... two weeks along?" He asked, taking a bite of his toast. I nodded slowly.

"Yep."

"Mikasa, you have to tell me what you want to do. It's your body, you get to make the choice." Eren said softly, taking my hand in his. My heart swelled knowing how much he cared about me. I pulled my red scarf up around my cheeks, trying to hide my blush.

"I- I don't know what to do. Last time this happened, there was a clear choice. We were young, being unsafe, and weren't ready for anything like that. But now, we both have good jobs, a good house, and our relationship is great. I didn't picture having a baby this young or ever, to be honest, but it could be amazing. I work from home so it wouldn't disrupt my work life as much, and we'll probably still have Armin around. He loves babies." I explained, taking a sip of my coffee. Eren squeezed my hand.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." He said, his thumb rubbing my wrist.

"Well, what about you? This is your baby too, after all."

"I mean... I've always wanted to be a dad. I pictured it would be later in life, with some random girl, but now that you're here, carrying our baby, my thoughts have changed. Who cares if it isn't what I pictured? If you want to keep the child and raise it, I would love nothing more than to stand by your side and raise my kid too." Eren said, his eyes shining. 

"But like I said, I'm not the one carrying the baby in my belly for nine months. I won't have to breastfeed it or anything like that, so if you think you should get an abortion, I'll support you 100%" He added quickly, letting go of my hand and stuffing his face with eggs. 

"Eren, I want this. I want a little mini you running around, giggling and playing with the cat. I want the late nights, the diaper changes, the spit up, the crying, I want it all. I want to have your baby."

His eyes filled with tears, and he sniffled slightly. I felt my eyes start to water too, but there's no way I was about to cry in the middle of this cafe where people knew us. He quickly wiped his eyes as the waitress came over, placing the bill on the table. I reached for it, but Eren snatched it away from me with impressive speed.

"What gives?"

"You're gonna birth my child. I can pay for your five dollar breakfast." He laughed, placing the money on the table. We both stood up and walked outside of the cafe. The crisp September air smelled clean, and the leaves were starting to change. Eren slipped his hand into mine as we slowly walked back to our house. 

"I do have just one question." He said suddenly, in a very serious tone.

"What is it?"

"What was your statement about a cat?"

I laughed, swinging our hands back and forth. I had been laughing more thanks to Eren, and it was a good feeling.

"I think we should get a black one. We can name it something funny." I said. Eren rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Fine fine fine. It will be practice for the baby."

"See? I knew you'd accept the cat."

"I don't think I really have a choice."

"You're correct on that one." I said, pecking him on the cheek. He smiled. I loved when he smiled.

We continued our walk in comfortable silence, watching the world around us. Running was big in our neighborhood, and we saw several people jogging in the park across the street. There were older people sitting on benches, and younger people sitting under trees reading or looking up at the sky. We turned the corner and bumped right into two other people. We all started apologizing profusely when I noticed it was a man and woman not far from our age. The woman was very obviously pregnant. 

I couldn't help but stare at her stomach. Not out of hatred or judgement or anything, but I guess it was finally settling in that I was going to have a child. With the person I loved most in the world.

"Is something wrong, Miss?" The woman asked politely, pulling me out of my thoughts. She placed a protective hand on her stomach. I shook my head and blushed, embarrassed for making her uncomfortable.

"Oh no not at all, I'm so sorry for staring. I'm- I'm pregnant as well, actually." I admitted.

"Are you really? Oh, you must join the mothers' group on the block!" She exclaimed, smiling. I hadn't made that many friends since moving here, so I thought it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I glanced at Eren, and he and the man were deep in conversation about something.

"That sounds wonderful. I would love to come." I said, giving the woman a small smile. She giggled, placing a hand over her mouth.

"That's perfect! Oh, it will be so much fun. It'll be nice to have another younger person there, most mothers are already in their thirties!" She laughed, then blushed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend-"

"It's alright. I am young, after all." I replied. 

"You seem like an interesting girl. We should get lunch sometime! I always love meeting new people." The woman said, smiling. Something about her made me want to smile, too. She was just so nice and outgoing. 

"That sounds fun. Do you have a phone? I can give you my number and we can set something up." I offered. The woman dug into her pocket and placed her phone in my hand. I punched in my number and handed it back to her. The man placed his arm around her and she smiled at him. They were an adorable couple.

"It was nice meeting you, I hope I see you soon!" The woman said as they started to walk away. The man smiled and waved at Eren, and he returned the favor. I walked towards them.

"Sorry, we never exchanged names. I'm Mikasa Ackermann, and this is Eren Jaeger." I said, extending my hand for a formal handshake. The woman shook it and smiled big.

"I'm Sasha Springer, and this is my husband, Connie." 

We parted ways and Eren and I walked to our front door. I unlocked it and stepped into our doorway.

"Nice people. You and Sahsa seemed to hit it off."

"She is sweet. Invited me to a mom group."

"Aww, that's so cute!" Eren gushed, slipping his shoes off. I rolled my eyes.

"You and Connie seemed to get along well, too."

"Oh yeah, he's great! We're gonna get drinks soon." 

"Amazing."

"Mika, I'm glad you're trying to make friends. You deserve good people in your life." He said, pulling me into a hug and kissing my head.

"I already have the best, right here."