“I know, baby, but you can’t fight fate. If it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Besides, she’s young, and all young people think they’re safe from harm until something bad happens—not saying that it will. But, you know.” She shrugged. “That’s one of the trials when it comes to being in a relationship that has an age difference, I suppose.”
“I guess.”
She finished icing the cake and then cut two slices, putting them on separate plates. “There. One for you, and one for Kandy.” She cocked her head. “Get up there. Make up with her.”
I sighed, picking up the plates and the forks and carrying it to our bedroom. Kandy was in there, sitting on the built-in window seat. When she heard me coming in, she glanced over her shoulder, then rolled her eyes. She was feistier, now that she was pregnant, and a lot more emotional. She would cry at the drop of a hat, and get angry just as quick. It was strange, but as I was told, hormones are powerful. A pregnant Kandy wasn’t to be taken lightly.
“Cake?” I offered, holding a plate out to her.
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at it then turned away. “I’m not hungry.”
I exhaled, placing the plates on top of the dresser and then walking to her. Sitting beside her on the bench, I looked her over. She was wearing yoga pants and a Nike shirt. Did she really think she was going to walk in those stupid fucking slippers on a treadmill, though?
“Look, I know you think I’m being a—”
“An overbearing jackass?” she snipped, cutting me off. “Yeah, you are.” She folded her arms.
“I’m just trying to protect you and the baby, Kandy. Okay? I feel like you aren’t taking this as seriously as you should be.”
“How, Cane? I’m not just going to sit around and get fat. I need to move—do something! I’ve binge-watched literally everything on Netflix and all of the On Demand movies. I need to move—to do something.”
“You’re in school now,” I noted.
“Yeah, but you have Lora drop me off every day, just to make sure I get there safely.” She rolled her eyes.
“You only have one more month before we find out if you’re okay to carry this baby or not, Kandy. We haven’t had any mishaps happen yet, thank God, but I don’t want you taking this for granted. Maybe nothing has happened because you’ve been here, and you’ve been careful.”
She didn’t respond, just lowered her head.
“Are you having regrets?”
She avoided my eyes.
“Kandy?”
“I don’t know, Cane,” she muttered.
“I know we didn’t plan for this. I get that. You weren’t expecting it, and sometimes the surprises look like they are setting us back, but it’s only temporary, baby. I promise.” A tear slid down her cheek, and I sighed, wrapping a hand around her head and bringing it to my chest. “Don’t cry, Kandy. Listen to me, okay? You’ve gotten through so much. You’ll get through this too.”
“I’m just so tired, Cane!” She sobbed into my chest. “My boobs hurt, and my throat is raw every morning. I can’t keep a meal down to save my life, but I’m still gaining weight! I feel like I’m in someone else’s body!”
“It’ll pass, baby. I promise.”
“What if all of this is for nothing?” she whimpered. “What if I don’t even end up having the baby?”
“You can’t think like that, all right? I told you—we’re going to think positively.”
“I’m trying, but it’s hard.”
“I know, but you’ve got this, Kandy. You’ve done great. It’s been eight weeks now, and didn’t you tell me that your previous doctor said by the eight-week mark, you’d hear the heartbeat?”
Her cries came to a rapid halt after I said that. She then picked her head up, looking me in the eyes. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed. “I get to hear the heartbeat this week.”
I smiled. “Did you forget?”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “This Wednesday, right?”
“Yeah, babe. And I’ll be right there with you, listening.”
“You think we’ll hear something?”
“I’m staying positive about it, so yes, I think we’ll hear something.”
She grinned then, but tried to bite it back. I grabbed her chin, holding it between my forefinger and thumb. “I think once you hear him or her in there, it’ll push you in the right direction, make you realize all of this isn’t for nothing. Right now, there’s a big question in the air for both of us. Hopefully hearing it for ourselves will put us on the right track again.”
She nodded, mashing her lips together for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, voice feeble. “I don’t like arguing with you. I just get so frustrated now—like I literally can’t control my feelings.”
“Pregnancy woes,” I teased, and a laugh bubbled out of her. “Come here.” I opened my arms, and she had no problem sliding into them. She curled up on my lap, and I closed my arms, groaning as I held onto her. “Everything will be okay, baby.” I kissed her head. “Just stay strong. I know you can.”