August 24, 2001

Week 14 of pregnancy

Dave stood quietly next to the dressing rooms. He leaned against a rack of pink sundresses. He had been here for the past two hours, letting Randi pick out some new clothes. With her expanding stomach, her clothes seemed to get smaller so Dave took her on a shopping spree. He glanced at his watch and sighed.

"Randi, how long does it take to try on a dress?" He called out. There was no response. He walked to the stall she was in and heard a softly sobbing noise. "Randi?" He knocked slightly.

"Go away." She mumbled.

"I'm coming in." He said opening the door. Randi was sitting on the bench in the stall crying. The blue dress she was trying on was bunched up around her waist. "What's wrong?" She looked up at him with red teary eyes.

"The dress is stuck." She said. A smirk appeared on Dave's face as he closed the door behind him. "Don't laugh at me."

"Who's laughing? Stand up." Randi frowned wiping her eyes as she stood up. "What size did you get?"

"My normal size." She said as Dave helped her remove the dress.

"Well Sweety, if you haven't noticed you're not the same size you were two months ago." Dave said putting the dress up on its hanger. "I'll go get you a bigger size." He rubbed Randi's stomach and left. She stood there looking at herself in the mirror. It looked like she had swallowed a football. Her figure was gone. The only good thing about this whole thing was that her breasts had gotten bigger. Dave walked in and handed her a new blue sundress. "Try this one."

"Thanks." Randi took the dress and tried it on. "It fits." She called out. Dave smiled softly.

"Good." He watched her pick out another sundress after that and pay for them. She was so beautiful. All her curves from her breasts to her stomach were perfect. He loved them all.

Sometimes He wished that she would change her mind about the adoption. He imagined how nice it would be to be in a real family. Just the three of them. He imagined family dinners. He imagined family holidays. He wondered what it would be like to take their child to little league games, Soccer matches, Ballet practice...But it was her body and her choice.

They weren't really ready for a baby, Dave concluded. He was still paying off his school loans. They both worked long hours at the hospital. They didn't have room in Dave's apartment nor Randi's really for a baby. I could convert the game room into a nursery if I had to, Dave thought. But there were people out there who really wanted a baby and couldn't have one. He and Randi were doing something nice for someone else.

"Ready?" Randi smacked him with her bag. Dave came back to reality and smiled.

"Yup." He snaked his arm around he waist as they walked out of the shop.

"You looked like you were in deep thought." She said, "What about?"

"Huh? Nothing. I was just trying to remember when we had that meeting with the adoption people."

"Oh." Randi said, "In two weeks." He nodded slowly and then smiled. He couldn't forget he had plans today.

"Let's go get ice cream." Dave said.

"Okay. It's too hot out here anyway. Ice cream would be divine." Randi smiled resting her head one his shoulder as they walked to the ice cream. Parlor. Dave's heart pounded with nervousness.

* * *

Randi sat at the table waiting patiently for her banana split. She had been getting a lot of cravings lately, but this has been her favorite one. Dave sat there tapping his foot nervously. Randi cocked her eyebrow sipping her water.

"You okay, Darling?" She asked. He nodded.

"I'm fine. Just fine." Randi shrugged leaning back in her chair she watched the kitchen seeing when her banana split would come. Finally, it emerged. Randi smiled brightly as Dave leaned forward.

"It's here." She smiled as it was placed in front of her. "I love the cher-" Randi stared at the banana split. Where she expected a red juicy cherry, a diamond ring sat. Her heart started to pound in her chest. "Dave..." She said quietly. He bit his lip and took the ring from the ice-cream. He looked directly at Randi.

"Randi...I know we haven't been together that long, but...I...feel that we were meant to be together. I love you with every being in my body. When you're at work or at your place, it's like a piece of me is missing." Dave spoke softly. Tears started to swell up in Randi's eyes, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It's...I never thought I'd be able to ask this, but I feel it's right. Randi...Will you marry me?" He slid the ring onto her shaking finger.

"Oh Dave." She said breathlessly. He looked at her with baited breath. Randi stared at the diamond on her finger. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe this was happening to her.

"Randi?" Dave squeezed her hand. She looked up at him and nodded slowly.

"Y-yes." Tears spilled from her eyes, "Yes...I'll marry you." Randi said happily. Dave smiled brightly and pulled her into a kiss. People in the shop clapped all around them.

"Thank you. Thank you." Dave said happily against her lips. He couldn't believe she said yes. He never thought He would be the one to settle down. He never thought she would want to settle down. Both tried to be the aggressor in this relationship. Neither was used to having another person there who wanted to take care of them. There were two misguided souls that needed each other.

"God I can't believe this is happening." Randi giggled into her hands. Her heart beat rapidly. This was actually happening. She was going to get married. A small flutter in her stomach jolted Randi from her giddiness. "Oh my god." She gasped with a smiled.

"What??"

"The baby. The baby just moved." She smiled. Dave smiled brightly.

"Really?" He put his hand on her stomach, "What did it feel like?"

"Like big bubbles." Randi said. "It was amazing." She said putting her hands over Dave's. She smiled sadly at him. He returned the melancholy.

"We don't have to do it." He said softly.

"Do what?"

"Give the baby up for adoption." He said. Randi shook her head.

"Yes we do. We're not ready for a baby. Somebody else is though." Randi said sitting back in her chair. "Are you having doubts about this, Dave? Because we cant. We have to be 100% sure we want to do this. I know I want it." Dave nodded.

"I know it's the right thing to do." He said pushing forth a brave smile. He sat back, "I can't believe you said yes." Randi smiled and looked down at her ring.

"Of course I said yes. I love you Dave and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me either Randi. Me Either."

***

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