"...I'm pregnant, Zia."
Those words fell out of her mouth like she had mulled this over in her head through the whole drive back, like she couldn't even believe she was saying it herself, like...like she was worried about how I might take it.
The shock must be painfully obvious on face, because she sounds slightly more concerned when she speaks again.
"Are you okay?" she asks, biting her lip.
I quickly nod my head while searching for the right words.
"Yeah, sorry..sorry, I was just thinking for a minute"
She nods.
"Well that's great, isn't it? That's a good thing".
Her eyebrows raised, now.
"Is it?" she asks. "You really think so?"
I smile at her. "Of course it is, why wouldn't it be?" I reach my arm up around her shoulders.
She starts biting her thumbnail, one of her little nervous habits
"You don't think it's...bad timing or anything?"
"Well do you want it? I think that's the main thing, isn't it?"
She smiles. A little half smile, but a smile, nonetheless. "Yeah...yeah, I think I do."
I hold her a little closer to me. "Alright then, that's all that matters."
She exhales a small sigh of relief as she wraps both arms around. "Thank you, Z"
"Of course"
She doesn't start to pull away from me til Luna tries to get on the couch with us, bringing a smile to both our faces.
I stroke my hand, lovingly, through her soft fur. "Well Luna's clearly on board with it!"
Mikal laughs at this, and at Luna who is now between both of us. I continue to scratch her back while she licks my face.
"What do you say, Luna? Should we get you a 'Big Sister' shirt, then?"
Mikal grins, even wider now. "I think she'd like that"
I smile back at her. "Well, it's settled then."
She reaches across, over Luna, to kiss me. "I love you" she whispers.
"I love you more."
It's only once I hear Mikal mumbling something about the People In Charge, in her sleep, that I notice she's nodded off while I've been scrolling through the TV guide on our little flatscreen for our next show to watch.
Her eyes open gradually as I try, and clearly fail, to move her head gently enough off my lap so as not to wake her so I can get her a blanket from the hall closet.
"Sorry" I whisper. "Didn't mean to wake you."
She yawns. "No worries."
I nod. "So, bad dreams?"
"A few" she nods. "Mostly about- "
"The PIC?" I interrupt.
"How did you know?
I move a stray hair from her face. " you were mumbling about them in your sleep again."
She looked slightly embarrassed now.
"I do that?"
I chuckle. "Afraid so, you're just quieter than I am."
"You're not that bad" she says, smiling. "I exaggerate a little"
I raise my eyebrows, as if offended by this.
"Oh do you?"
She pinches her finger and thumb together "just a little. She sits up on the couch and starts to get up. "Coming up?"
"I don't know, am I?" I tease.
She rolls her eyes playfully. "Please?"
"Alright" I sigh, as if she wore me down. "I'll be up in a few."
"I sure hope so" she adds, before going up the stairs.
