by Colbie Kay
“So…are we good, sisters?” I swing my head back and forth from Cydney to Callie. “I’m happy. Really happy…and fucking scared. I need you both now more than ever.”
“Oh, we’re here. And we’re going to be aunties.” Callie throws her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.
“Fuck yeah!” Cydney joins in. I couldn’t ask for better sisters. I hope Dex and Mav are just as ecstatic for us.
It's our last night before we leave in the morning to head back to Athens. The summer went by quickly, and a lot has transpired. We’ve had so many good times during our long break.
The guys and I were kicked out of the house for girl's night, but I know what's really happening. Cayden's telling her sisters that she's pregnant, and I'm supposed to share the same news. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all, but I'm happy. Happier than I've been in so fucking long, and while it might be bad timing to have a baby, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I mean really, how could we be too mad or shocked by the news? We weren’t using protection, and we didn’t discuss if she was on anything. Maybe I assumed she was. Maybe she wasn’t because she wasn’t having sex. But I believe this is our destiny and what fate has in store for us. I’m ready to start this new chapter with Cayden and see where it leads.
We pull into the parking lot of the local bar, and I survey the small space when we enter. It's not like the Dugout in Athens. This place is old, isolated, and only a few customers are sitting at the bar counter with drinks in hand. There are no TVs and only a few booths, a couple tables, and one pool table in the back. We pay for our beers, taking them over to one of the booths. I don't even know how to tell them, and I go over it in my head as I pick at the label on my ice-cold bottle.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I take a deep breath. "So...the girls aren't just having a girl's night." My eyes dart between Dex and Mav. Both of their expressions morph into confused glares, lips pulled tight.
"What're you talking about?" Dex asks while Mav stays quiet.
"Cayden is telling them she's pregnant."
I wait for them to say something, but both are frozen except for their blinking eyes.
Mav suddenly busts out laughing. "That's a good one, man. You had me going there for a minute."
My eyes stay locked on Dex. I’m certain he can see the seriousness on my face. "I don't think he's joking, Mav."
Mav slowly stops laughing, his eyes move between me and Dex. "Hold the fuck up!" He leans over the table closer to me. "You're serious? Cayden's pregnant?"
Meeting his shocked gaze, I nod. "She told me last night. She took a test, and it was positive."
Dex runs a hand down his face. "Alright, so what happens now?"
I shrug my shoulders. "She’s found a doctor in Athens and already set up our first appointment."
"How the hell did you knock her up before I did Cyd?" Mav asks flabbergasted, but then adds, "I'm feeling a bit left out here."
I laugh and shake my head. "Shut up."
Dex rolls his eyes at Mav. "You know we're here for you. You and Cayden helped–and still help–with Raine a lot. If y’all need anything, let me know."
"Thanks, Dex."
A shit eating grin appears on Dex’s face. “I mean we aren’t the ones you gotta worry about. When you two tellin’ Momma?”
“Ah, fuck!” I run a hand down my face. “I don’t know. I guess after the appointment.”
Mav chuckles. “Yeah, never mind. I like my balls intact.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Sweat beads on my forehead. Now I’m scared of what Cynthia is gonna do to me. I knocked up one of her babies.
We sit at the bar for a while longer, giving the girls some time before we head back to the house to get the rest of our stuff packed.
We've been back in Athens a few days now and it's been hectic trying to move the rest of my stuff from the old apartment to the condo. Cayden has enough clothes for five fucking people, along with the shoes to match. We argued about where my shit would go, which she ultimately won by making me use one of the spare room closets.
And then we had amazing make up sex.
Never argue with a woman, but especially a pregnant woman. Those hormones will have her crying in an instant, and then you just feel like a huge douche. So, I give in and allow her to have her way, and after she’s done crying, it flips to the opposite side of the scale, and she can’t keep her hands off me. I am loving it.
"Time for the ultrasound." The doctor's voice brings me back to the present. We had our first appointment today. Cayden pissed in a cup, and the doctor confirmed what we already knew. I zoned when the doctor started asking a lot of questions. I wasn’t happy about a male doctor. I mean what guy wants another guy looking at their woman’s pussy?
Cayden lays back on the on the table again as the doctor rolls in the machine and gets everything set up. “What the hell is that?” I ask. My eyes are bugging out of my head.
“It’s what we’ll be using for the ultrasound today.” I zone out once again. This is too much messing with Cayden’s pussy for my liking.
When the light goes out, Cayden reaches for my hand telling me to focus on the monitor in front of us.
"Do you see that little spot right there?" The doctor asks.
"Yes," We both reply quietly.
"That's your baby." He peers at us with a smile.
"It's so tiny," Cayden whispers.
"They usually do at this point." The doctor chuckles and adds, "The measurements are perfect."
"It looks like a little bean." I stare, amazed. "We made a little person."
"We did," Cayden mumbles, just as focused as I am.
I squeeze her hand tighter and only look away long enough to lean down and kiss her softly on the lips.
A fast-little heartbeat stops my breathing. “Cayden,” I barely get out.
“I know.” Her voice trembles.
“I love our little bean already.” Tears well in my eyes.
“Me too.” Cayden sobs and squeezes my hand tighter.
Thinking back to the day I met her, I never thought that this is where we would be almost a year later. I never thought I could love again and fully give myself to someone after Maddie, but I did. I will always love Maddie, and I'll never forget the time we had together, but Cayden owns me now: heart, mind, body, and soul.
And so does bean.
The girl with the hazel eyes I tried to deny, the one that was so persistent and never gave up, is now all I see. She's the one I want to sit on a porch swing with, she's the one I want to wake up to every morning, and she's the one I want to drift off to dream about every night. I no longer have to run unless I'm running after Cayden Fisher.
Zac and I sit in the waiting room of the doctor’s office for our first appointment. I’m Miss Nervous, and my legs are bouncing up and down. Zac is as cool as a cucumber, holding my hand and rubbing my knuckles with his thumb.
The door opens. “Miss Fisher,” The nurse calls my name.
Zac and I stand from our chairs and walk hand in hand, following her back to a small room. There, she takes my weight and collects my vitals, then we head down the hallway to an exam room. She hands me two gowns made out of paper. “Make sure the top one opens to the front, and the other one can be laid across your lap. Once you’ve changed, have a seat on the table. The doctor will be in soon.” I undress, doing as instructed with the gowns, and then hop up onto the table. Zac is roaming around the room with wide eyes, looking very anxious, and when he finally sits down, we hear a knock.
The door opens, and the doctor enters. “Hello, Miss Fisher. I’m Dr. Peters.”
Zac stiffens in his chair. “Nope, not goin’ to happen.”
“Zac, what the hell?” I hiss.
“No other man needs to be down in your nether regions.” Zac waves his hands in the air, pointing to the lower half of my body.
“Oh for Pete’s sake, Zac. He’s a doctor. I’m pretty sure he’s seen plenty of vaginas.” Zac opens his
mouth to respond, but I shake my head “no” to stop him.
“If it makes you feel any better, I was the same way with my wife,” Dr. Peters interjects.
“Good. Then you understand,” Zac states.
I roll my eyes at the men in the room.
“Yeah, I do. Now, are we ready to check and see your baby? I need to do a pelvic exam, and then we’ll do an ultrasound.”
“Yes,” We both answer.
Dr. Peters puts on his latex gloves and pulls out the stirrups. I slide down the table to position myself so he can start the exam. Once he’s done, he removes his gloves and tosses them in the trash. “Everything looks good with the pelvic exam. Let me get the ultrasound set up, and then we’ll take a peek at your baby?” He exits the exam room and I release the breath I’d been holding.
The doctor comes back a few minutes later, rolling in a machine. After setting everything up, he pulls out a wand. “What the hell is that?” Zac questions.
“It’s what we will use to perform today’s ultrasound. I’ll put a sheath over the probe and add a small amount of ultrasound gel. I’ll insert it into her vagina, and from there, we’ll be able to see the gestational sac and baby.”
Holy cow, it just got real.
Once this wand is ready, Dr. Peters inserts it. The screen on the ultrasound machine comes alive and begins to show us a picture. We hear him click a few keys. “Do you see that little spot right there?”
“Yes,” We tell him.
“That’s your baby,” the doctor says.
I’m overcome with emotion. “It’s so tiny.”
“They usually do at this point. The measurements are perfect.”
“It looks like a little bean,” Zac blurts out, causing laughter to erupt in the room. He stares at me. “We made a little person.”
“We did.”
“Cayden,” he chokes.
“I know.”
I can see his tears when he whispers, “I love our little bean already.”
I sob and squeeze the hand I’m holding. “Me too.”
Zac becomes quiet…too quiet. I turn my head to study him and he’s staring at the screen. “Zac,” I whisper. No response. “Zac,” I say a little louder as I shake his hand.
“Cayden, we can’t have a girl,” He states.
I giggle. “Zac, what do you mean? Boy or girl, it’ll be an adventure.”
“I’m serious, Cayd. If we have a girl, I’m gonna lock her away from the boys. She’ll be entering this world, all gorgeous like her momma.” Zac’s face is as serious as the day is long.
“Zac, you’re being silly.” I laugh even harder.
Total silence falls over the room. Tears start to fill my eyes because we haven’t heard anything yet. Suddenly, there’s a swooshing sound surrounding us. “There’s your baby. A healthy heartbeat. Nice and strong. Your baby is measuring just fine. Everything looks good, and it appears that you’re seven weeks along.” Dr. Peters hits a few more buttons on the keyboard, and pictures spit out of the monitor. He removes the wand and cleans up. Done, he reaches over and hands the sonogram pictures to me and Zac.
Another wave of emotions hit me, and the drops start falling. I glance over to Zac. He has tears running down his face too. He scoots his chair back from the table and stands. “Cayden.” His tone is soft. “Baby.” He peers down at me, and leans in, connecting our foreheads. “Thank you for giving me one of the most beautiful gifts I could ever receive.”
Damn, the tears flow harder. Zac‘s lips meet mine, and I cup his cheeks, pulling him as close as I can.
“Well, I’ll give you two a few minutes. Miss Fisher, you can clean up and get dressed. Make sure to make your next appointment.” Dr. Peters states, walking out the door.
Zac returns to his full height. “We’re gonna be parents.” His voice is full of excitement.
“Yes, we are!” My heart couldn’t melt anymore, it overflowed with joy and love for the man staring at me. Zac’s eyes say it all: he loves me and this baby.
I stand up, removing the paper gown and clean up from the ultrasound. After I get dressed, Zac grasps my hands and yanks me into his chest to embrace me.
He backs away slightly, his hazel eyes meeting mine. “Let’s go, baby momma. We’ve got a baby to show off.”
My mouth slowly curls into a smile. After setting up our next appointment, we head home.
Arriving back at the condo, we find Cydney and Callie standing outside pacing. Dex and Mav are leaning against the wall. As soon as my sisters spot us, they come flying toward the Jeep.
Zac laughs. “I think they’re excited.”
“I think so too,” I agree. I barely have my door open, when Cydney starts jumping up and down with Callie right beside her.
Both of my sisters say, “Let’s see! Come on, let us see our nephew or niece.”
Dex and Maverick stroll up to the front of the vehicle shaking their heads. Zac met the guys at the front of the car, giving them each a half-hug, half-handshake.
My sisters have got to calm down. I reach into my purse, pull out the sonogram pictures, and hand them each one.
“Awww. Look at the precious little one,” Callie coos.
“Peanut…I can’t wait for you to get here.” Cydney really does love little ones.
“It’s a bean, get it right,” Zac yells. We all laugh at him. I watch Zac talking with the guys with the biggest grin on his face. The three of them soon join us.
Dex glances over Callie’s shoulder, while Mav peeks over Cydney’s. “I call a girl,” Dex says.
“No!” Zac exclaims.
We all whip our heads around and gape at him.
“Dude, what’s wrong with having a girl?” Dex asks, glaring at Zac.
“Nothing, except having to lock her away. Have you forgotten that little Raine is getting older?” Zac plasters on a shit-eating grin because he knows Dex is in for it.
“Shit! Okay, I change my vote to a boy,” Dex snaps.
Laughter erupts in our circle.
“Damn straight! His hands will be full. We need a boy to help protect our girl when we can’t,” Maverick chimes in. He has become a big softy.
“Either way, there’s still one more person we need to go see.” Everyone looks at me curiously. “Momma. We should go see Momma,” I explain, rolling my eyes.
Their mouths open in an “O” shape. My sisters wrap their arms around me, and we head up to the condo, leaving the guys to follow us.
“Ah man. Let’s go support Zac as he gets his balls put in a sling.” I hear Maverick tell Dex behind me.
“Shit, she loves me. It’s gonna be okay,” Zac replies, attempting to sound sure of himself, but he does sound a bit terrified.
We get ready to go see Momma, and finally, make it to Professor Bryant’s house. After eating the amazing meal Momma made, we help with the cleanup before sitting around the kitchen table to continue to catch up on the events of the summer.
“Cayden,” Momma addresses me.
“Momma?” My voice wobbles.
“Are you doing okay?” Momma’s voice is full of concern, and her brow is furrowed.
Zac keeps nudging my arm, egging me on to tell her.
“What’re you talkin’ ‘bout, Momma? I’m doin’ fine.” The longer I wait to tell her, the more I try to distract her, the more my voice trembles as I talk about anything except the news I’m supposed to be sharing.
“Spit it out, Cayden. I can tell something is on your mind,” Momma orders.
“Zac and I are pregnant!” I slap my hand over my mouth.
Cydney bangs her head on the table, and Callie is shaking hers. Dex and Maverick lean back in their chairs, their jaws hanging open. Even professor Bryant sits back, an expression of disbelief on his face.
“That’s one way to do it,” Zac deadpans.
“Zac Benson! Did you knock up my baby?” Momma questions Zac.
Zac clears his throat. “Yes, ma’am, I did,” he states with all the confidence
in the world at this moment.
Silence falls over the room. Zac and I turn to stare into each other’s eyes, praying for the best. We look at Momma again. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are parted. I think we put her into a state of shock.
Zac waves his hand in front of her face trying to get her attention. “Momma?” Zac asks, his tone nervous.
Everyone is waiting for her response. Come on Momma say something.
“Yes?” We hear her clear her throat. “Do you have a plan for my grandbaby? School? Baseball?”
Zac and I answer at the same time. “Yes, Momma, we do.”
“How ‘bout your first appointment? Is that done?” Her voice is beginning to shake.
“Yes, we have. We have sonogram pictures,” I tell her. “Momma, are you okay?”
“Oh, baby girl. I knew you and Zac would eventually find each other. I’m ecstatic that you’re happy. I’m over the moon to have another grandbaby.” Her voice shivers. “You made this old woman cry. Damn it.” My gaze moves around the table, and we’re all smiling at her acceptance. “You know if you need me, I’m here. You’ll be back to having a busy school schedule. And…” Why did she stop? “Why am I just now hearing about this? And more importantly, why haven’t you shown me a picture of my grandbaby to be?”
I grin from ear to ear. “Here you go, Momma.” I hand her the sonogram pictures. “As far as telling you, we wanted to make sure everything was alright first,” I explain.
“Okay. I guess I can understand that. Now boys!”
Uh oh, the guys are about to get some words from Momma.
“Yes, Momma.” The room echoes with the guys’ loud, booming voices.
“Take care of my baby girls,” Momma instructs. “I love every single one of you. I’m gonna be a grandma.” She claps her hands together, and her mouth curls up into a smile that reaches from ear to ear with excitement.
Laughter erupts. “Love you too, Momma,” everyone exclaims.
We finish talking for the night. Momma is already making all kinds of plans for the baby and gets all her loving in with Raine.
Sharing the news with Momma went better than expected, but I should have known it would. She’s always been understanding and has accepted all of these men in our lives. If she didn’t believe in them, they would have been out of here long ago.