The Donor

Chapter 29

Camila’s POV

Lauren and I had kept the pregnancy news to ourselves for a little while. There’s always a danger of telling people too early because if something were to happen to the baby, more people are affected. But now at 4 months pregnant, Lauren and I couldn’t wait to tell people. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy our little bubble of uninterrupted happiness because we did. The last month or so since having told Lauren about our second child has been incredible.

The woman has been more attentive and caring than she used to be and that’s saying something because she’s a puppy at heart, always loving, always wanting to protect and care for me. She has been very wary about my stress levels, encouraging me not to take on any more shifts at work and to not bother with the finances, she and Dinah could do that. Lauren soon learned that being pregnant doesn’t make me unable to do things and I never like to be bossed around. She relented eventually but that’s not to say she stopped her efforts in looking after me.

We had been staying at her place more frequently than we had before. Lauren had decorated one of the bedrooms, officially making it Emelia’s and we even bought some extra clothes together so I could have some at her place, and some of hers at mine. It was almost unspoken how the arrangement had worked. We were a family before knowing that our small family was growing, pushed the woman to start considering out future a lot more. I think we’re moving into Lauren’s place. But that is what’s unspoken. I’m not sure, but I am waiting for her to ask. Then we could continue our lives as a real, domestic little family.

No matter how much I thought about it before, nothing could prepare me for how Lauren would react to this pregnancy. It’s overwhelming, really.

Literally. The amount of times I’ve balled my eyes out recently simply for Lauren cuddling up to me and stroking my tummy. I’ve had to blame it on the baby hormones because really, I was getting quite pathetic.

We had each made calls to our parents last week, inviting them over for dinner at Lauren’s place this weekend so we could tell them the news. It’s something that never would been said over the phone, primarily being that Lauren is such a sap and wants to break the news to her family properly. They had cried a lot when she informed them about Emelia apparently. They had cried a lot when they met Emelia. Apparently they cried a lot when Lauren told them we were officially together and that I loved her back. I don’t know if it’s cute or almost sadistic that she wants to watch them cry again.

Lauren stands beside me at the hospital, watching wide-eyed at the screen opposite her, waiting to finally see the live image of our baby as the transducer moves around my tummy. I can only watch her. Her eyes search quickly around the screen and finally fixate, her eyebrows crease and her mouth widens to which she holds a hand over it. I know Dr Matthews is talking her through the image, explaining what it is she can see in the image, what she will be able to see soon.

“Are you sure there’s only one?” Lauren asks after a few minutes, a clear cast of hopefulness I her voice.

“I’m sure.” Dr Matthews laughs off the disappointed look to her face before pushing buttons on the machine beside her.

“Let’s just focus on this one for now, shall we?” Lauren laughs at nods at the question though clearly suggesting she wants to expand our family even more. Though having three kids isn’t on the agenda right, knowing how much Lauren would love the idea of more babies is rather satisfying. The doctor calls for our attention again and Lauren is back to staring wide-eyed at the screen, waiting for something to happen.