Ayumi sat in the waiting room, just staring at her slowly growing stomach.
Yoshiki couldn't be there because of work. She hated that, but there wasn't any way around it. Work made money, money paid the bills, and the bills were for everything needed to live.
She was so nervous. She just kept playing with her nails, looking around at the other women who were a lot farther along than she was. Time was passing by so slowly. She just wanted to get the appointment done and over with.
She missed her period.
That was the moment she knew something was wrong.
The past few weeks she had noticed some strange behaviours. It seemed like everyone else had too.
The constant exhaustion, the occasional nausea and vomiting, the strange dreams. On top of that, mood swings, achy back, swollen breasts. It all made sense.
Ayumi didn't know what to do from there. The idea of what it could be, scared the hell out of her.
'I'm only 19. Just out of high school. If this is what I think it is, all of my plans have to be put on hold.' She thought to herself sadly.
Thats when the tears started to fall.
'What am I going to do?'
It seemed like she had been waiting for hours when the doctor arrived.
"Shinozaki, Ayumi?" The petite nurse called with a high, chirpy voice.
"Uh, that's me," The blue-haired girl mummbled as she stood to follow the girl.
She was lead down a white hallway with baby pictures scattered across the walls. A few pamphlets on the ups and downs of pregnancy sat by the check-out desk. A few turns later, she was lead to a small white room. A large examination bed sat in the corner. Her nerves were really getting to her now.
She sat there in the small bathroom, staring at the small stick. The two pink lines confirmed her worst nightmares.
'Shit..'
She really didn't know what to do from there. She was at a loss. She knew a little about kids from past babysitting experience. But those kids were older. A baby? She didn't know the first thing about a baby.
'Knock, knock'
This startled Ayumi.
"Ayumi, I know you're in there. We need to talk," Ayumi's elder sister, Hinoe, called sternly.
She should have known Hinoe would figure it out. With her strange psychic abilities it was almost inevitable.
So Ayumi stood, legs slightly shaking, and unlocked the door.
Hinoe slowly opened the door to find her sister, red faced with tears forming in her eyes. The sight broke her heart. She stretched forward to hug her frightened sister. She saw this coming. The strange aura Ayumi had been giving off the past week and given it away. It was the same aura she felt when she was younger, when her own mother was carrying Ayumi.
"Hinoe, I'm scared. What do I do?" Ayumi sobbed into her beloved older sister's chest.
Hinoe slowly pulled away to look the young girl in the eyes.
"First, we have to tell mom. She'll know exactly what to do," She said quietly.
At her words, Ayumi cast her eyes down.
"You're right. I just don't want her to be disappointed in me," She said sadly as tears continues to streak her pale face.
The appointment was faster than she had expected. The waiting was more stressful that the actual examination.
Ayumi walked out, relieved, with a small manila packet. She was also instructed to visit the pharmacy for a few prescriptions she needed.
She now saw how silly it was to be so stressed about the doctors.
Now it was time to head home and share the news with her family. She also received little pictures from the ultrasound.
The three Shinozaki women sat in the living room, sipping their tea. In another situation, this would be very relaxing. But Ayumi had something to share with her mother that couldn't wait.
"Mom, please don't be upset with me. I need your support, your help, and someone to tell me how to do this," Ayumi said, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"What is it that has you so distressed dear?" Her loving mother replied.
"Please don't freak out," She begged.
"Ayumi, what's wrong." Her mother replied nervously. 'What on earth is going on with her.'
"Mom, I'm pregnant. I found out yesterday. And.. I am terrified. I don't know the first thing about having a baby. Please I need you help," Ayumi sobbed.
Her mother put an arm around her to calm her down. "Oh Ayumi, babies are scary. But I'll be here every step of the way, I promise," She whispered kissing the crown of her head.
Ayumi continued to cry until she had no more tears left.
"Mom, Hinoe, I'm home!" Ayumi called into the seemingly empty house. Hinoe rushed down the stairs excitedly after she heard the arrival of her sister.
"How did it go, Ayumi?" She asked with a bubbly tone. Her eyes were shining in happiness.
"It went well. I have picture from the ultrasound. The doctor said I'm roughly around three months along. I have some prescriptions that need to be picked up in a bit," Ayumi said matching her happiness.
"Oh, let me see the pictures!" Hinoe chirped.
Slowly sitting on the couch on the far side of the living room, she opened up the packet. It came with information papers and the pictures from the ultrasound.
She pulled out the pictures first to hand to her jittery sister.
"Awe, this is so cute. It looks like a little peanut," Hinoe hummed softly. "You have to show mom these when she gets home."
"I will. I have to show them to Yoshiki too," Ayumi replied staring at the pictures.
Ayumi sat in her room staring at her currently flat stomach. Her mother made a doctors appointment to make the pregnancy official. Through out the rest of her pregnancy she would be visiting them quite often.
She hadn't told Yoshiki yet. Telling him was scarier than telling her mom.
As she lost herself in her thoughts, her mother stood at her doorway, leaning on the frame.
"Ayumi," She whispered. "Have you told him yet?"
The only reply she received was a slow shake of her daughters head. With concern. she slowly sat on next to her on her small twin bed.
"When do you plan on telling him?" She asked.
"Probably later tonight. When he gets off from work. I'm just nervous as hell. I don't know how he will react," Ayumi sadly replied.
"Don't worry about it too much. Once you tell him, it'll get better after that. I promise," She said, comfortingly wrapping a gentle arm around her youngest daughter.
"Thank you mom," She said, a few tears slipping down her face.
It was around seven o'clock when Yoshiki got off of work. the day wasn't too bad. The only down side was missing Ayumi's first ultra sound.
After that thought, he pulled out his phone to see if she had tried to get a hold of him yet.
A text message sent from an hour earlier read, When you get off of work I have some things I want you to see.
He quickly replied and readied himself to walk to Ayumi's house. he was excited to see what it was she had. He knew it was about their unborn child. Yoshiki was unbelievably excited. After the shock and fear had passed over, he couldn't wait to be a father.
This was it. She was going to tell him. He got off kind of late that night. But it didn't matter. It had to be done. It was his child too. Whether he rejected that child or not, he needed to know. Not only for his sake, but for her sake too.
Around nine o'clock he messaged her, letting her know that he was home. After receiving it, she quicking pulled her jacket on and headed to his apartment.
On the walk there her mind wandered. She thought about all the possible things that could happen after she told him. Ayumi tried very hard to keep the negative thoughts from plaguing her mind. But they kept popping up.
Before she knew it, she was on his door step. With a large sigh, she softly knocked on the small wooden door.
A few moments later the door swung open.
"Ayumi," He smiled, pulling her in for a loving embrace. "I missed you."
As he studied her face he could tell something was off. Something was bothering her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked concerned.
"Can we sit? We need to talk," She said casting her eyes down. Her bangs covered her eyes, shadowing her expression.
"Yeah.." He said nervously. 'What did she want to talk to me about? It's bad. I can tell'
The couple sat on the couch under the large window that was drawn with thick red curtains.
"Ayumi-"
"I'm pregnant." She cut him off sharply.
Those two words took an eternity to process. 'Pregnant?' He shifted slightly as the thought really started to sink.
"You know for sure?" He asked cautiously. He didn't want to piss her off by saying something curious.
"Yeah. I took two tests and my mom took me to a doctor to get it confirmed," She whispered.
"Your mom knows? How long have you known then?" He asked slightly irritated. 'Why am I the last to know?'
"Only a couple days. Hinoe was the felt it a while back. Then I told my mother. I needed her help. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I didn't tell you right away because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid.." Her voice faltered as she started to cry.
A soft knock was heard from the door. Ayumi smiled as she opened it.
"Hey," He said happily.
"Hey," She replied.
She took him by the hand and brought him inside. She led him to the couch and signaled for him to sit. She left the room for a moment and returned with a manila packet. Then she took a seat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Slowly she pulled out some pictures to show the new father of the little miracle growing inside of her.
"Are these…?" He asked, but was cut shortly at her enthusiastic nod.
He took a close look at the different angles of the peanut sized child. It was his child. He was going to be a dad. He couldn't stop smiling as he looked over each shot carefully.
After placing the precious photos back in the packet, he lovingly hugged the new mother-to-be.
"I love you, Ayumi. And I know I'm going to love this baby just as much. We'll get a place for our new family. I've been looking for better paying jobs. I'm so excited," He mumbled into her ear as he held her in his lap.
"I love you too," She said smiling at him with happiness filling her eyes.
Possible future chapters. What do you think?(:
Disclaimer : I do not own Corpse Party or the characters used.