Lots of celebrations up ahead...
(I MISSED IT BUT) HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THIS STORY even though I'm writing this chapter in the end of June/start of July for proactive reasons.
And HAPPY 100 CHAPTERS!
Photo #100: Two Years
'(More Than A) Happy Anniversary' is what's written on the bottom of the Polaroid in a dark blue permanent marker. This photo is so simple yet so ambiguous which makes Eadlyn love it more than she already does. In it, she sees her mother smiling gleefully with her eyes happily closed. She's holding up two fingers like a peace sign with a slightly tilted hand.
Eadlyn tilts her head a little as she thinks, aligning her vision with her mother's hand gesture in the photo. It's the fact that she's holding up two fingers that get the gears in Eadlyn's head turning. Why two? It could simply be for peace as it was originally intended for but Eadlyn doubts that. The caption written underneath has Eadlyn guessing that it's her parents' second wedding anniversary. It's the most reasonable explanation but Eadlyn still isn't completely convinced.
She knows there's a bigger meaning behind those fingers...
-o-
One week. One week of uncertainty. One week of mystery. One week without answers.
America is late. Her period is a week late. After one day, she figured that it was nothing. She thought the same for two days, and then three days. By the fourth, she pretended that she just got her period earlier in the month and just forgot. By the fifth, she was secretly paranoid. By the sixth, she planned to take matters into her own hands to calm her nerves. And on the morning of the seventh, she currently sits on the cold tile floor of her ensuite with her knees up to her chest and a loading pregnancy test in her hands.
Now, she will get the results that she has been waiting for: is she or is she not pregnant?
America has always dreamt of being a mother and having that big family with the man of her dreams. And she was more than lucky to have Maxon who she knows will be the greatest father just like her own was. With that in her mind, why was she feeling so scared? She wants this. She really wants this. Maybe it's because it was going to be her first baby. Her first baby. She still can't believe that could be her reality sooner than she expected it to be.
To be sure of what the future holds, America finally takes a look at the pregnancy test which should have the results by now. And behold, right before her eyes, she sees it: two lines.
She's pregnant.
America's heart skips one beat. Then, two beats. And then, three beats. When she sees those two lines on the positive pregnancy test in her hands, she's surprised her heart didn't just completely stop. She can't wait to tell Maxon and find nothing but love in his eyes. America quickly blinks out tears of joy and when she looks down to check again, her shaking hands are still holding that positive pregnancy test.
"Oh my god..." America says softly, shaking to avoid exploding joyfully and hysterically.
America stands up, making her way to the mirror and placing the pregnancy test down on the counter. She looks at her reflection and sees that the fear that was once on her face has been replaced with pure ecstasy. She even turns to her side profile, rubbing a hand over her flat stomach, imagining the baby bump that will one day be there.
"Maxon..." America mutters when she realizes that she has to tell him.
America can't wait to tell him the news because she knows how happy and excited he will be. But for now, she wants to keep it a secret, she decides as she lowers her shirt back down and flattens it. A healthy relationship of any kind doesn't require telling someone every detail about yourself but America just needs the perfect time to tell him.
"America?" She hears Maxon ask from the other side of the door alongside some soft knocking.
And now wasn't the perfect time.
America quickly grabs the test and shoves it down her pants, just at the faster of her bottoms as Maxon slowly walks in. He peeks his head in and smirks at her before bursting in all at once and taking a photo of her. America shrieks a little as Maxon laughs and wraps her in his arms, littering her with flutters of kisses before she breaks out of his grasp.
"What you're doing is breaking and entering," America says even though he knocked and asked for her presence.
"I actually think I'm being courteous," Maxon replies.
America raises an eyebrow at him. "How so?"
"You didn't have to answer the door yourself."
America nods to the side a little. "Point for you, then, but what if you barged in here and took a photo of me naked?"
"Then, I'd keep that photo in my personal collection hidden deep in my drawers."
"Ew, you creep."
"Hey," Maxon says in defense, "you married this creep."
Maxon points to himself and that's when it hits America: today is their second anniversary. She completely forgot due to her absent-period-paranoia but all she has to do now is play along as if she never forgot to not only look not suspicious, but he the amazing wife she already is.
"Happy anniversary!" America exclaims, dancing on her toes a little.
"I love you so much," Maxon tells her.
Maxon swiftly pulls her in his arms and the world suddenly blurs for America. She can smell his charming scent on his shirt and it instantly calms her down even though her new form of excitement is now so deep in her bones that it will never disappear. This man is the father of her unborn child and she couldn't have it any better. He slides his hand under her shirt with a goofy smile on his face as he gently brushes his fingers on her lower back. America bends her arms back, sliding his hands upwards to stay above her equator so they don't find the positive pregnancy test. Lucky for her, Maxon is to entrapped in her that he doesn't even notice her moving his hands.
Maxon parts from her, still smiling so radiantly that America can feel it on her own lips.
"I'm starving," Maxon tells her.
"For me or for food?" America questions with a grin on her face as she rugs on the collar of his shirt.
"Food, yes. You, always."
Maxon winks at her and America jokingly pushes his face to the side.
"I'll meet you out there," America tells him. "Just let me finish up in here."
Maxon nods, giving her a quick kiss before walking out of the ensuite, closing the door behind him. Once the door clicks shut, America turns around and pulls out the pregnancy test she hid. Her eyes can't move from the two lines since she still feels like she's dreaming. She has a life growing in her, how else was she supposed to react?
America's head perks up at the sound of approaching footsteps that move so soft and so slow that she knows what's coming. At the moment the door flies open again, America throws one hand behind her back, gripping the pregnancy test in it. With her other hand, she holds up two fingers. Lastly, she puts a cheerful smile on her face as Maxon's camera snaps the picture.
The two fingers in the photo actually have so many meanings that I just have to applaud myself for thinking of: One, this breaks the fourth wall but it is technically the two year anniversary of this story; Two, it is Maxon and America's second anniversary; Three, technically America would've found out she was pregnant by then so the two represents the two lines on a positive pregnancy test; Four, she ends up being pregnant with twins.
Yes, I am that clever. Forgive my cockiness but I deserve it.
Stay Tuned - It's someone's birthday!
