call so we can all share in the celebration.”
Knowing how important family is to Aisha after she has spent such a long time with no one has made it more important to me as well. I have always tried to keep in touch with my father, but I haven’t been as good as I should have been. Now, I think that I would make my mother proud with how much I call him. I’m sure she would be happy about it.
Oh God, I’m sure she would be so happy about this as well. Mom might have died when I was young, but what I can remember of her she would get on so well with Aisha. They would have been the best of friends and I know she would have loved Travis as well, treating him as her own. Then to have another grandchild… well, that would just be even better for her.
“That sounds incredible.” Aisha already has an incredible glow around her. I can’t believe that I didn’t know what was going on sooner. How did I not see this pregnancy glow? “To have everyone around. It’s going to be amazing. Do you think they will be happy for us? I don’t know if you’re aware, but I don’t have the best track record with pregnancy announcements.”
I burst into laughter and wrap my arms lovingly around Aisha. “I really don’t think that you are going to have any trouble this time around. And certainly not from me. I am no Ronnie.”
“Thank God.” She rolls her eyes. “I wouldn’t ever want to have a secretive low life again.” She kisses me softly, but for longer this time around. “At least I know everything about you. And you are good. You are my superhero. My knight in shining armor.”
“No.” I shake my head. “No, I’m not.” I liked her seeing me that way before, but now I want her to view me differently. “We hold one another up. We are equal when it comes to saving one another. You have saved me just as much as I have saved you. We are there for one another.”
That’s just how a relationship should be as well. Equal, and that’s how we are. I bring things to the table and so does Aisha. Money certainly isn’t everything.
“I love you so much,” she whispers to me. “I can’t wait to have a baby with you.”
“And I love you too.” I kiss her again. “We are going to have the best future together. Next Christmas is going to be one of the best times of our lives…”
I can hardly contain myself thinking about it. It looks like I’m getting my ‘happy ever after’ after all…
28
Aisha
December 15th
“You look good,” Mom tells me with a smile as she watches me across the restaurant table. She’s staring at me as if she hasn’t seen me for months, although we have been seeing each other on a much more regular basis. At least twice a month. “Nine months of pregnancy suits you.”
I guess she didn’t see me the last time that I was this big, so this must be a shock to her. Then again, the last time I was this pregnant I definitely didn’t look good. I was living in a tiny gritty apartment above a Chinese take-out, which smelt like food all the time and had a neon light right outside of the window. The scent of food didn’t help because I couldn’t afford to eat much, so it was like torture, and much as I hated the neon light, there were times when it was the only light I had when the electricity was out because I hadn’t paid it.
I was pallid and sickly, about to be homeless as well. Nothing like what my life is now. I’m settled now and well looked after by Marc which is probably why I look good.
“It might suit me,” I joke. “But it doesn’t feel good. I think this little baby treats my bladder like a soccer ball. I must be about to give birth to a footballer.”
I rub my belly as the baby kicks again. He or she is so big now, about ready to come I think, and driving me mad. Being pregnant is fun at first, but the end part is hard. My body feels about ready to burst. I’m starving but I can hardly eat any of the incredible food because my stomach is so constricted.
“Are you okay?” Dad furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “You look