To be a Father
By: Xhibit B and Jaylonni Love
Chapter One – I'm Pregnant
.we do not own sailor moon.
Makoto Kino-Takahama stared in complete and utter disbelief at the small stick that rest between her index finger and thumb. Tiny, bright pink letters scrawled the word "pregnant" across the miniature screen, leaving her in a state of shock. After so many months of trying, they finally had been blessed with a life that had begun to develop in her womb. Her shock was quickly replaced by glee, a large grin crossing her lips as she held the small stick tightly between her fingers. She couldn't wait to tell her husband about this. She was sure that he would be just as ecstatic as she was about the news. And after she told him, they would break the news to all of their friends over a nice dinner at their place. For now, she had to go and get their meal for the evening ready while she contemplated how she would tell him.
Placing the pregnancy test on a piece of tissue and wrapping it up before slipping it into her jeans pocket, she washed her hands and face before leaving the bathroom and heading for the kitchen. She'd kept the test to show Nephrite when he returned home from work that evening, just in case he seemed like he couldn't believe the words that will spill from her lips later on that evening.
Makoto was humming a happy tune as she chopped up various vegetables and cuts of meat for their dinner before they are added into the pan to cook. She'd had a craving for stir fry the entire day and now she knew why. It was because she was carrying her husband's child. The smile that's been on her lips since she'd read the test a few minutes earlier never faded, even when her husband finally made it home. He looked at her curiously, his head tilted to the side as he hung his overcoat in the hall closet before slipping out of his loafers and leaving them at the genkan. His briefcase was still in hand as he entered the kitchen, placing a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek before taking a seat at the table with his newspaper he'd held in the other hand. He honestly wondered what was up with her.
"Mako, is everything okay," Nephrite asked as he read over the page that he'd opened up to. He heard her place a wine glass on the table for him before the cork was popped opened and the wine was poured into the crystal container. "You're smiling awful hard, did something big happen at work today?"
"Uh, uh," Makoto answered as she moved back to the stove to finish their meal. "But I did get some good news today. I'll tell you about it in a few minutes when I've finished dinner. This is going to be life changing for us, Neph!"
"Oh really," Nephrite asked, his brows lifting as he continued to read. "Then I look forward to hearing this news you have to share. Especially if it's going to be life changing for us."
Makoto laughed to herself. He had no idea how much this was going to change their lives. And she was really looking forward to seeing his reaction when he realized he was going to be a father. Her left hand that held her wedding and engagement rings came to rest upon her stomach. She'd have to set up an appointment with the OB/GYN soon and check on the baby, make sure that everything was progressing correctly and find a healthy workout and meal plan that would keep her in good condition throughout the duration of her pregnancy. She was going to miss the nightly glass of wine she and her husband shared over dinner for the next year or so. But their baby would be well worth it in the end.
Once dinner was finished and plated, Makoto brought the food over to the table. She placed one plate in front of Nephrite, who immediately discarded his newspaper when he heard it clatter against the wood of the tabletop before she joined him at the other side, picking up her chopsticks. Nephrite quietly began to eat after saying grace, savouring the amazing flavours that made themselves known in his wife's cooking.
He was so lucky that he'd married a professional chef. Her food had been what had attracted him to her to begin with. He'd just moved to town after accepting the job that Mamoru offered him and had been looking for a fine dining place to have dinner one night. Someone at the office had suggested the restaurant that Makoto was working at, claiming that her food was second to none in town. He'd been so taken by her food; he'd requested to meet the chef after he'd finished his meal. He'd been told he would have to wait until the restaurant closed before he could meet her. When he did, he'd been taken by how beautiful she was. They'd hit it off immediately, Nephrite inviting her to dinner at a place that wasn't her place of employment. That was almost eight years ago now.
Two years after they'd started dating, he'd asked her to be his wife. They were married eight months later; the second of their group to tie the knot after Usagi and Mamoru. It had been in the plan to enjoy their first few years of marriage without thinking about having children. It hadn't been until several months after their five-year wedding anniversary that they'd finally discussed having children. Both Nephrite and Makoto were now stable in their jobs, Makoto the Head Chef at one of the most successful upscale restaurants in town and Nephrite the Co-VP of Chiba Inc. alongside his longtime friend, Jadeite. They lived quite comfortably and could afford to have children at this point in their lives. They'd been trying for nearly a year now and finally, it was happening.
Makoto kept her grin upon her lips as she ate, careful not to eat too fast lest she make herself choke on her food. Nephrite was watching her, trying to discern what could possibly be going on with his wife that had put her in such a good mood. He'd waited long enough to find out what was going on, he'd decided. Opening his mouth after swallowing a bite of his food, he asked, "So, what's the big news that you had to tell me, Mako? You seemed so excited."
"Well, you know how we talked about wanting children soon, right," Makoto asked to which her husband nodded. "Well… I took a test today and guess what? We're going to be parents!"
Nephrite almost choked on the bite of stir fry he had been chewing the moment that the words slipped out of her mouth. He stared, eyes wide and mouth hanging opened in complete astonishment. They were going to have a baby. He was going to be a father! This was exciting, but very scary at the same time. He didn't know the first thing about being someone's father. His own father hadn't been around for most of his life. He'd walked out on himself and his mother when he was but two-years-old.
"Neph, you gonna say something," Makoto asked, slightly concerned when he didn't share her joy at the news. He'd become strangely quiet and she'd waited five minutes already for him to say something. But when he didn't, she'd started to think that this wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he really didn't want children like he'd said. "Are you okay? You just got really quiet on me. Is something wrong?"
Nephrite took a moment to breathe before a small smile crossed his features. Of course, he was fine. He was ecstatic, he was going to be having a baby with the woman he loved more than anything in this world. He just had some insecurities that he needed to work through. "Everything is fine, Mako, I promise. I was just a little shocked, this was definitely a surprise and it certainly will change things. But…"
"You were thinking about your Dad and how he walked out on you and your Mom, weren't you," Makoto asked softly, reaching out to touch his hand. He nodded once in response to her question; a small smile pulled at the edges of her lips. "You don't have to worry about anything. You're not your father. I know you would never leave me, or our baby. Especially for no reason at all. It's going to be hard at first adjusting to life with a child, a lot is going to have to change about our lifestyle choices. But we have each other and I'll be right here with you every step of the way. So, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be the best father ever, that much I can assure you of. And I'm going to be a great mom."
Her vote of confidence put a smile on his face as he stood and made his way over to her. Kneeling at her side, he placed his hand on her still flat stomach, blue eyes alight with glee. She was right, he was going to be a great father. And she was going to be a great mother. They had each other's backs and would make it through the hard times together. Nephrite could hardly wait.
He leaned forward; his lips close to her stomach as he whispered words Makoto couldn't quite make out. She smiled, her fingers gently combing through his loose chestnut coloured hair as he continued to relay his message to their growing baby. She knew it was going to be a bit hard adjusting to life with a baby in the house once he or she arrived. But it was all going to be worth it if only she could continue to see that look of complete and utter joy on his face.
Coming Up Next: Chapter Two – 10 Weeks
so, thoughts? questions? leave a review and let us know what you think! the next chapter will be posted in about two weeks or so! we look forward to hearing from you!