As the weeks passed, Maya began to show more signs of pregnancy. The morning sickness was starting to leave, to her relief, but she was hungry all the time, experienced cravings, and was starting to gain weight.

Her second doctor's appointment was four weeks after the first one. She was nearly at the end of her first trimester and even though she claimed to be unattached, she was becoming more and more conflicted about the decision she would have to make.

Her appointment was scheduled during school hours and Topanga had to work, but this time, Farkle accompanied Maya to the clinic. It was more crowded this time than it had been the first time Maya went, but she knew immediately that she was the youngest expecting mom in the waiting room.

They waited for almost an hour before the receptionist called out, "Maya Hart and... Farkle Minkus?"

They went into the same room that Maya had been examined in the first time, where they were greeted by Dr. Becky Wheeler.

Maya sat down on the padded table and Farkle stood next to her. This time Maya knew what to do and lay down without being told. She was ready for the cold gel to be smeared on her slightly larger stomach and watched as Becky prepared the ultrasound.

After a few moments, the fuzzy image became more clear and it was easier to see the baby than it had been the first time.

"There we are... everything looks good so far."

Farkle was staring with his mouth agape, but Maya nodded.

"It looks a little less like a tadpole than it did the first time."

"Right now, your baby's a little under two inches long. He or she is still mostly head, but their body is growing quickly. You can see the limbs more clearly now."

"When will we know if it's a boy or girl?" Maya asked.

"You can usually find out the sex between sixteen and twenty weeks, depending on how the baby is positioned and if we get a clear view."

"So in about a month or two."

"Right. And this is the time where you'll notice some dramatic changes. Your homones will rise and you'll probably show more symptoms of pregnancy. How is the morning sickness?"

"It's getting better. I've been having weird cravings, even for stuff I don't like."

"Perfectly normal. Don't be surprised if you start having strange dreams, if you feel very emotional for no reason, or if you feel tired all the time."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Maya groaned.

Becky laughed. "It should all be worth it in the end."

Will it? Maya thought.

The appointment ended soon and Becky printed two copies of the ultrasound image, one for each of them. Maya stored hers in a folder in her backpack, but Farkle continued to stare at his copy in awe.

"We're about to cross the street, you know." Maya stopped at the cross walk.

"I know. I can't believe this, though. We made this! This fuzzy little shape... it's amazing."

"Yeah." Maya glanced at the image in Farkle's hands. "It is kind of amazing."


They stopped to eat lunch before Farkle went back to school and Maya decided to go home, tired after her appointment. She went into her room and opened her backpack until she found her math folder, which contained very little homework and the two ultrasound images.

She took them both out and stared at them. They were fuzzier than the image on the screen in the doctor's office, but she could make out the outline of the baby. After a few minutes, she found a roll of tape and taped them to the wall, next to some of her art near the window.

She was impressed with the change between the first image and the second one. It was finally coming to her realization that this little thing was her child, growing every day inside her. It was amazing, like Farkle had said, but frightening at the same time.

She lost herself in thought until she fell asleep. When she woke up again, Shawn was back with pizza, which was exactly what she needed after her day. The kitchen table hadn't been set up yet, so she took a seat on the couch with a paper plate of pizza in her lap and a small bowl of salad (which Maya didn't like but was craving and she knew that she had to eat plenty of healthy food) next to her.

After dinner, she showered and went to bed early. It was Friday, which was a relief because it meant she could sleep in on Saturday morning.

But to Maya's annoyance, she didn't sleep well. At two in the morning, she was still awake, thinking about her situation.

By three thirty, she had come to a decision.

She was keeping the baby.


The next day, Riley was at Lucas's house, enjoying a day with her boyfriend, distantly supervised by his parents, who were much less dramatic than Cory.

"What do you think about Maya and Farkle?" Riley asked Lucas as she sat next to him on the couch as they watched a movie.

"I think Farkle was in shock, but ever since yesterday, he hasn't stopped talking about his creation. Every other word that comes out of his mouth is either Maya or baby."

"I know they're young, but... I think they'd be good parents. And they're so in love. Maya doesn't say much about it, but I know she is."

"You guys are really close, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Maya's been my best friend since first grade. She's like my sister. Farkle, too. And then you came here in the seventh grade. Do you still miss your friends in Texas?"

"Sometimes. But I like it here. New York City's a lot different than a small Texas town, but I've made good friends and met you here. When I first came here, I didn't like it at all, but now I'm glad I moved."

Riley smiled. "Me, too. Do you remember how freaked out my dad was when he found out I liked you?"

"I think he still freaks out."

"He does, but he actually likes you a lot. He pretends not to, but he thinks you're really polite and smart and he knows you wouldn't hurt me."

"I'm glad he thinks highly of me."

"So am I. I thought he'd never let me go on that first date with you. I'm so thankful he did." Riley sweetly kissed her boyfriend's cheek and held up her Sprite can. "Cheers to my dad?"

Lucas smiled and they touched their cans together. "Cheers."

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