by Clara Capp
“Slippers is dead,” I sob into his chest. “And Tony is, too.”
“I know.”
“And—” I stop.
How do I tell him about the baby? I don’t know if he’ll be happy or leave me in the cell. I bite my lip, wondering if I should bring it up later.
“And we’re having a baby?” he says. “I’m pretty happy about that.”
“How did you know?” I sputter.
“You left the test on the bathroom counter.” He taps my nose.
“Oh, yeah. That was an accident. But…you’re not mad?”
Shu’s smiling at me and resting his hand on my stomach. I thought for sure he’d been angry. We’ve only been seeing each other for three months.
“No.”
I don’t know what to say back. I want to cry because I’m happy that he wants to start a family with me. I settle with kissing him but am interrupted.
“Holy shit, that’s perfect form.” Taime is at the top of the stairs. He’s referring to the slit I made in the man’s throat. “Did you do that, man?” he asks Shu.
“Uh, not exactly,” Shu responds.
“Oh.” Taime’s eyes flit to me. “Oh. Good job, Stephanie.”
Shu shoots him a look that tells him to shut up.
I tense in Shu’s arms. “What about Eduardo?”
He may still come after me. I can’t go with him. The idea of living on his compound and bearing his children is worse than death.
“I took care of him,” Shu says. “Not in the way I would’ve liked. But he’s gone.”
I can only imagine how gruesome Eduardo’s death would be if Shu had gotten his way. But, I presume he wanted to get to me as fast as possible, so Eduardo’s men wouldn’t have time to hurt me.
“Ok.”
I sigh into his chest. Shu is here. Everything will be fine now.
Stephanie
“We need to hurry,” Shu worries. “What if the baby is hurt?”
Shu is convinced that Eduardo hurt the baby. The truth is he and his men didn’t touch me—other than the first time I puked—while I was in that cell. I know Shu is picturing them kicking my stomach, but that’s not how it happened.
It’s the next morning, and we’re at an OBGYN. Shu used his ‘connections’—I bet he paid someone or twisted their arm—to get me seen.
“It’s not for another fifteen minutes, calm down,” I say.
Shu is most definitely not calm. He’s pacing back and forth in the waiting room, waiting for my name to be called. I’m glad he made the appointment before they opened, because he looks like a mad man right now.
“Hey,” I say, grabbing his pant leg. “It’s going to be alright.”
He runs his hand through his hair. Shu looks like a mess. I’ve never seen his hair so disheveled, or the bags under his eyes this dark.
“I know.” He says it more for himself than me.
When they call my name, he scrambles towards the door. I follow behind him and gently grab the hem of his shirt.
Shu fidgets as I bare my stomach to the ultrasound tech. He presses his forefinger down on his thumb, making a clicking noise with his nail. It’s cute how nervous he is. I grab his hand to soothe him. He turns it into a death grip as the tech rubs cool gel on my stomach.
“Ok,” the ultrasound tech says. “Let’s take a look.”
Shu is cutting off the circulation in my hand. His eyes are wide as he focuses on the wand running over my stomach.
“They look great,” she states.
“They?” I ask.
“Yep. You’re going to have twins.”
I almost choke on my spit. Twins are cute, and I like the idea of having them because I can dress them alike. But that’s the idea. Taking care of two babies is terrifying. I don’t know how to be a mom, and now I’m going to have to learn how to do it for two kids at one time.
“I’ll just leave you both alone, then,” she says.
Shu looks like he’s going to pass out. His hand has gone slack in mine and sweat glistens on his temple.
“Two?” he utters.
“Looks like it,” I squeak.
Shu and I look at each other, not saying a word. We were excited for one baby, but the idea of taking care of two is nerve wracking.
He breaks the silence and shoots me a mischievous grin. “Damn. I didn’t know I came that much inside of you.”
I playfully slap his forearm. “That’s not how it works!”
He cackles. “I know. But seriously, I can’t believe there are two of them.”
“Me either, Shu Shu.”
* * *
He continues to fidget as we walk to the car. I thought his panic would be over by now. We found out everything is fine, and that there are two babies, instead of one. We have nine months until we actually have to worry.
“So, uh, I was thinking. I’d like to get married. I mean, if you want. And not because Antonio wants me to marry you, or because I got you pregnant.”
Shu continues to blabber on about marriage. It’s adorable. He can’t get the four words out correctly.
“Are you asking me to be your wife?” I smile shyly at him.
“…yes. Dammit, I don’t have a ring. Also, why am I proposing in a parking lot?” He’s talking to himself more than me.
I don’t need a ring, or a fancy proposal. None of those things have ever mattered to me. All I need is Shu.
“Yes,” I say.
“Really?” He stops walking.
“Yes, really,” I giggle. “And I don’t want a different ring. I like the one you gave me on Christmas.”
He exhales in relief. “I thought you were going to say no.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head in his shoulder. “Why would I say no?”
Shu sighs and pulls me closer to him. He uses one hand to stroke my spine, and the other to play with my hair. This. This is what I want for the rest of my life.
“Alfonso,” he whispers.
“Huh?”
“My name is Alfonso.”
“Alfonso,” I respond, testing the way it sounds. “Hm. Alfonso.”
I’ve finally learned Shu’s name after months of pestering him. It’s nice but doesn’t fit. Shu is…Shu. I can’t picture calling him anything else but that.
“That’s a nice name. But you’ll always be my Shu Shu.”
“That’s a relief.” He runs his thumb across my cheekbone. “I’d hate for you to call me anything else.”
* * *
We had the wedding ready in three weeks. Rather, Shu did. I told him it was either now, or a year from now. I don’t want to wear a wedding dress with a giant baby bump.
It’s being held in the backyard of Antonio’s estate. It’s beautiful here—they’ve temporarily converted the outdoor greenhouse into a chapel. It’s hexagon shaped, with lush greenery growing around the glass walls.
The reception will be held on the lawn. There’s a cover for the area we’ll be dining. The seats are Chiavari chairs, with fine linens. The hedges and greenery in the backyard offer beautiful decorations by themselves, but we chose to add extra roses.
The wedding is small. I’d say about fifty people will be here, not including security or staff. I like it that way. It’s embarrassing kissing in front of another person, let alone fifty of them.
It’s weird to think we’ll live here one day. When Antonio needs to retire, Shu will take over as boss. And when Shu is done…I glance to my stomach. One of these babies will be in charge.
I squirm and pull down the sleeves to my dress. It’s 3:58, and the processional music is about to start. I think I might throw up, and it’s not from the morning sickness.
My dad sees me squirming. “You ok?”
I don’t know if I’ll ever get over what he did to my mom. But, we’re on neutral terms, and he’s been trying to mend things with me.
I know my life isn’t what he planned for me. But, he’s since apologized, and is excited for the wedding a
nd grandchildren.
“I’m so nervous,” I squeak.
He doesn’t have a chance to respond. The bridal song begins and two of Antonio’s men open the doors to the greenhouse.
My eyes fly to Shu, who’s standing at the end of the aisle. He looks so handsome. He’s wearing a black bowtie with his suit, and it hits his adam’s apple in just the right place.
All my fears vanish when I see him. This man is my future. We’re going to get married, raise these babies, and spend the rest of our lives together.
I read that it’s best to acknowledge your guests as you walk down the aisle, but I can’t look at them. I only have eyes for Shu.
The ceremony passes in a blink of an eye. I thought I’d forget my vows for sure—I get nervous speaking in front of crowds—but I rehearsed them so much they flow naturally off my tongue. Before I know it, it’s over.
“I do,” I say.
“You may kiss the bride,” the pastor says.
Shu pulls me close and gives me a passionate kiss. I stiffen—I’m embarrassed with all these people watching—but eventually relax into him and pull him close to me.
“I love you,” he murmurs.
“I love you, too.”
“Shall we head to the reception, Mrs. Shudevil?”
Shu
Stephanie is five months pregnant. Her stomach is already huge from the two babies that are growing inside of it. She has started to waddle when she walks, and it’s the most adorable thing ever.
She’s so hot pregnant. I love showing off that I’ve claimed her as mine. The minute these babies are out of her stomach I’m going to want to put another there.
“Ugh,” Stephanie whines as she holds her back. “They’re so big.”
“Well, I am their father.” I smirk at her and she glares at me.
“Sex was a bad idea. I had it and got pregnant within a month.”
She doesn’t mean it. Stephanie has just been bitchy because she’s so uncomfortable. I’ve heard her whine about every inconvenience for about a month now. She nearly had a meltdown when there was a rock in her shoe two days ago.
It doesn’t help that the hormones are getting to her. She’ll start crying at random times. The girl has started sobbing in the middle of movies, because they were out of her favorite ice cream, and once because she saw an old woman carrying groceries to her car by herself. I had to get out and help the woman to stop the tears.
I love her. I love her normally, and I love her bitchy, hormonal side. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this woman.
I lay our blanket on the grass. “C’mere.”
I help her down onto the blanket. She’s lost her balance with the two bowling balls in her stomach before, so better safe than sorry.
I lie next to her and hold her in my arms. “I don’t think the sex was a bad idea. Now I have a family of my own.”
The hormonal tears well in her eyes. “Yeah.”
We lay and watch the stars. Stephanie said something about a meteor shower that we would be able to see, so we drove to a park to watch it. Maybe it will be more interesting than the time we saw Jupiter at Griffith Observatory. Even if it’s not, if Stephanie’s happy, I’m happy.
“Look!” She points to the night sky.
It looks like stars are falling. White dots zoom through the night sky, one after another, then disappear. It’s way better than seeing Jupiter.
“This was a great idea,” I say.
“Mhm. Meteors are cool.”
We finish watching them fall from the night sky. The two of us snuggle on the grass for a little longer, watching the occasional stray meteor streak through the sky. After there are none left, I decide it’s time to go home.
“Up you go.” I gently pick her up and place her feet on the floor.
“I can do it m’self,” she grumbles.
“Not with these two.” I put my hands on her pregnant belly.
We walk back to the car, enjoying the cool night air. One last meteor falls from the sky, brighter than the rest.
“Look at that,” I say.
“Hm?”
I let go of Stephanie’s hand and walk towards the dumpster. A shiny set of eyes stare at us. A kitten is unsure of who the intruders are, and if we’re going to hurt him.
“Pspspsp,” I say. I start making some clicking noises at him, and after a few moments, the kitten hesitantly walks towards me.
He’s cute. The kitten is all black with a white chest and paws. The poor guy must’ve gotten himself into a bit of trouble because part of his ear is missing, and he limps as he walks towards me.
“Gotcha,” I say as I scoop him up.
I remember the first night the two of us hung out. I freaked out when she went to save the two kittens. At the time, I hated cats. I thought they were flea ridden rodents with no redeeming qualities. After living with Slippers for a few months, I changed my mind.
Stephanie’s crying—again—as I walk towards her. “Look at his ear.”
“It’s okay, Steph,” I say. “We can take him to a rescue tomorrow and they’ll fix it.”
“Yeah.” She wipes the tears out of her eyes.
The kitten loves Stephanie. He sits in her lap the entire drive home, curled against her baby bump. I hear him purring as he nuzzles his head against her swollen stomach.
That makes Stephanie cry more. I know she’s thinking about Slippers. She never talked about him after the day in the warehouse, but I catch her looking at his picture all the time. I know how much she loved Slippers.
She pets the kitten and tells him he’s a good boy as we drive home. I watch her fall in love with him with each purr and nuzzle of his nose. By the time we’re in the apartment, I know the cat is staying with us.
“Do you think…” Stephanie bites her lip.
“Yes. We’ll take him to a vet tomorrow.”
She smiles and grabs my hand, and my heart swells with love for her. I’ve changed so much since meeting Stephanie. I would have scoffed at the idea of keeping a cat a few months ago. Here I am now, rescuing one and keeping it.
“What do you want to name him?” I ask.
She looks down at him. There are a few moments of silence as she thinks of a name.
“Socks.”
Epilogue - Stephanie
I watch Shu hold both our babies in his arms. He gently rocks them and sings to them. I didn’t even know Shu could sing before they were born, but these two tiny humans have brought out the softest side of Shu.
Autumn and Felix are nine months old today. They’re giant for their age, but still look small in his arms.
Felix is a mini Shu. He has the same red-brown eyes and dark hair. I found a baby photo of Shu, and the two are identical. I can’t believe my baby is going to grow up to be as big as his father. When I hold him in my arms, I try to picture him as big as Shu, but it doesn’t seem possible.
Autumn is a mix of the two of us. She also has Shu’s eyes, but has my auburn hair and tan skin. She’s already a daddy’s girl—Shu is constantly fawning over her.
“Can you believe we made something so perfect?” he murmurs.
My heart melts. I really can’t. We’re exhausted from taking care of these two, but every moment is worth it. I remember the first time they smiled at us. It made every sleepless night, diaper blowout, and hours of their crying worth it.
And each day gets easier.
“I think I want another soon,” Shu says.
But not that much easier. There are days I feel like I’m just getting the hang of taking care of the twins. I can’t imagine throwing another baby into the mix.
And I’m not quite sure if I’m ready for another round of morning sickness, back aches, and being in tears all the time.
“Ha!” I say. “Sure, if you carry them.”
Shu pouts, and I laugh. It’s hard to take him seriously when he’s a giant covered in tattoos. He’ll need to try a different tactic.
Autumn has fallen asleep
, and Felix’s eyes are almost shut. Shu quietly pads over to Autumn’s crib and places her inside, while continuing to rock the other twin. After a few more minutes, Felix has fallen asleep.
Shu puts him in his crib and the two of us walk out of the nursery. He runs his hands along my body, massaging the delicate peaks of my chest.
“I’m serious,” he says. “You’re hot pregnant.”
I laugh as I lean against his body. His stiffness presses against my back, and I sigh as I lean into it. His hands work their way under my shirt and continue to tweak my nipples.
“That’s not a good enough reason to have a baby.”
“It’s not just that,” he murmurs in my ear. “I want our family to be huge. I love all three of you so much, but I can’t imagine not growing it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhm.”
I want our family to be big, too. Growing up I only had James, but there’s a large age gap between us. I want our kids to be able to play with one another.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I want to be a dad again.”
I can’t help it—I’m drenched. Hearing Shu say he wants another baby with me has me so turned on.
“Yes,” I say.
“Yeah?”
He rips his body from mine and runs to the bathroom. I’m left turned on with no Shu.
“What the heck?” I whine.
I open the bathroom door to see what’s more important than having sex with me. Shu has my birth control and is popping every pill into the toilet.
I burst out laughing at how ridiculous he looks. “You don’t have to flush them, Shu Shu.”
“I’m making it more difficult if you decide to change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. Well, I might, if you don’t get back here and finish what you started.”
Shu stops flushing the pills to look at me. I slowly remove my shorts and kick them into the corner. Then, I stretch in an angle that lets Shu see the wet spot that has pooled on my panties.
“I suppose I can do something about that,” he says, his voice husky from arousal.
He tosses the pill container in the wastebasket then throws me over his shoulder. I squeal—quietly, because I don’t want to wake the babies—as he takes me to the bedroom.