“Which you shouldn’t be.”
“True. It’s just funny how for a while I really wanted to be a mom. Like really, but then things didn’t happen like they were supposed to, so I put it off. Then boom, we get together and the furthest thing from my mind is having a baby, but here we are.”
He tightened his arms around me. “Because this shit is meant. Regardless of time and circumstance, this right here is happening how it’s supposed to. Me, you, an?—"
“And Aja. Whenever she wants to deal with us,” I finished for him.
“Just like that.”
Exactly fifteen minutes later, that same nurse confirmed the news. Things happened fast after that, because before I knew it, we were in a dark room staring at a black and white screen while she rubbed a cold gel and wand-like mechanism against my abdomen.
“I estimate you’re at the end of your ninth week, which puts you just over two months.”
My eyes immediately went to Oden, both amazement and shock lived in them. Time went extremely fast when you were with the person you were meant to be with.
“Two months?” he repeated with a smile.
The doctor nodded. “Yes, and we need to keep mom in tip top shape, which means no stress, no strenuous activity, and most of all, let’s ramp up the nutrients.”
I felt tears in my eyes while my heart beat out of my chest uncontrollably. It was like my body was just now realizing what my mind had been trying to process. For the remainder of the appointment, I just listened while Oden took the lead. I just watched. I felt like a passenger in my body, unable to really speak but seeing and hearing everything. Happiness surrounded me, because for once I wasn’t nervous or waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When we left the doctor’s office, we headed to the pharmacy to put in my prescription then to his restaurant. He wasn’t cooking tonight but wanted to drop off the stuff for tomorrow night. I was fine passenger princessing since I had technically cleared my entire schedule for the appointment.
My phone vibrated in my lap while I stared at the sonogram. When I picked it up, I peeped a message from Indiri in the family group chat. He was the most random nigga, because no one ever knew when he was in town or even free. Any and every time he was included, it was always a random ass day of the week.
Indiri:I’m in town. Anybody got plans and who’s cooking?
Rennix:Not me. We in the city tonight though. G, wbu?
G:Being parents. Niggas got responsibilities. Ol’ random ass nigga.
I shook my head, reading the text before clicking the plus icon in my messages, then the camera. I guess I could share my good news with my family and have them blowing up my line in a minute. I snapped a photo of the sonogram and pressed send.
“You telling your folks?” Oden’s voice snatched my attention from the phone to him. He had just pulled into a gas station.
“Might as well. At least I’m not breaking it to them over family dinner or some random stuff like that.”
Oden laughed, opening the car door once he parked. “Aight. You want something out of here?”
“Yeah, a big gulp with Coca-Col—” My phone was ringing already. I glanced at my phone and of course it was Reminisce calling. He hadn’t responded to one message but had called.
“Yes, Rem,” I answered sweetly, watching Oden walk toward the station.
“I fucking told you. Straight up. I told them niggas and you that you were popped off. Now they’re about be salty as fuck because I was right.”
I cackled as my phone vibrated more in my hand. When I pulled it away from my ear, I saw it was a FaceTime from the family chat.
“Answer them. But I’m looking for a namesake or something, especially since I called it.” He hung up before I could respond and I answered the FaceTime.
“Yo, whose sonogram was that?” G was quick.
“Hers, fool. You didn’t see her name at the top o? Yeah, you probably need some glasses,” Rennix responded, cheesing into the camera. “So, you really be out here fucking, huh?”
I nearly choked on the spit in my mouth. “What is wrong with you?” I asked through a fit of coughs.
“Nothing, ’cause I’m wondering the same damn thing,” Indiri said. I hated that we had yet to tell him, but then again, him losing his father last year made it less of a necessity. Plus, him knowing or not knowing didn’t add or take away from our closeness.
“Whatever. Now that that’s out of the way, who is cooking? I might come through,” I joked, knowing damn well I wasn’t going to miss it.
