It was a quiet and humid night; a slow end to yet another long day at their duty stations. Ana yawned loudly as she strolled into the bedroom, already cool from the air-conditioning – which was a godsend after spending hours perspiring in a command centre with a broken-down aircon system. She rubbed her eyes, walking to the bed where Kamilah already lay, playing a new city-building game on her tablet – when Ana stopped abruptly. Kamilah looked up at her, concern growing the longer she stared at Ana, who stood frozen by the bedside with one hand clutched on the headboard, and the other on her belly.

"You okay?" Kamilah asked, scooting over to her.

"Yeah. I just…" Ana's voice trailed off as she moved her hand over her stomach, where she had felt that little twitch. Did she imagine it, or was it just some muscle spasm– "Oh fuck."

"What?" Kamilah sounded a little panicked now, then looked surprised when Ana grabbed her hand and pressed it against her belly.

"Think it kicked."

"Really?"

"I don't know," Ana muttered, though the look of wonder stayed on Kamilah's face. She moved her wife's hand all over her stomach, waiting for another twitch. She was just starting to give up when it came again, and she yanked Kamilah's hand over, pressing it harder to her stomach. "Can you–"

"Yes, yes!" Kamilah said breathlessly. "It's really faint but–, there it is again."

Ana's smile grew wider as Kamilah pressed an ear to her stomach, feeling their baby's little exercise in complete silence. They stayed mesmerised for a whole five minutes, before the baby decided to take a rest. Ana chuckled when Kamilah kissed her belly and hugged her with a pure, unadulterated smile.

"Happy?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Now move over. My feet are killing me."

Kamilah snorted, then scooted back to her side of the bed as requested. Ana climbed in and lay on her side with a sigh, feeling the tension in her back. But it wasn't long before Kamilah's hand found its way to that same spot, and massaged it gently.

"Ooh, there it is again." Ana clutched at her stomach, soon joined by her partner as well.

"What an active little one. Seems it's already taking after you," Kamilah said with a smile.

"Yeah, don't laugh. Soon it's going to be active and outside my womb."

"We'll take care of it. I'm sure it'll be fun."

"Let's hope so. My mom always said taking care of me was a headache."

"I'm sure it's one she enjoyed."

"Right. In retrospect," Ana drawled.

"Doesn't matter." Kamilah resumed her massage on Ana's back when the kicking subsided again. "I can't wait to chase little you all around the house."

"What will make the baby 'little you', I wonder." Ana tilted her head. "Maybe it'll try to drink coffee before milk."

"I'm sure it won't have time to drink coffee with all the whining it'll get from you," Kamilah deadpanned.

"Hey!"

The weeks seemed to pass quickly between their demanding duty shifts in the day and their need to take refuge at home, trying to put their burdens down for the night and think of the better future ahead. Sometimes, it was easy to find solace in their unborn child, running a hand over Ana's stomach as they guessed what little quirks it would inherit from its mothers. But there were times when Ana remembered the wreckage and violence she saw through the soldiers' field cams, and she couldn't help but wonder if their timing was terribly wrong.

Kamilah would catch her in times like these, as Ana had done the same for her. The 'what if's didn't matter anymore; their child was here, and they would do anything to keep it from harm.

That's why Ana didn't protest when Kamilah insisted on driving her back to the family home on an errand – Ana would've done the same in her stead. With the war dragging on and slowly eating its way into the city, many homes had been destroyed and many more were in danger of meeting the same fate. The Amari home was in a neighbourhood yet to be touched by the war, but Zaid wanted to save their valuables before it was too late. Items of sentimental value, of course – and it was the reason why Ana had agreed to venture out of base.

Kamilah drove carefully, picking a safe route that kept them far away from the military barricades. Ana hustled the moment they arrived, going from room to room with Kamilah following close behind, carrying a large cardboard box in her arms. She made sure to pick up everything her father and sister had requested and more. Ana grabbed all their photos and documents, her father's skillet and inherited pocket watch, her mother's wedding ring and other jewelry, Safiya's old acoustic guitar and cartoon mug, and a mountain of other belongings that they had to stuff into the boxes.

It all took only one trip, and they deposited everything into their small storage room. Well, almost everything. Ana wanted to take a look at their family photos, and it gave Kamilah no small amount of entertainment. She particularly enjoyed Ana's baby pictures, and took great pleasure in laughing at how goofy she had looked back then. There was one of Ana with a pacifier she had stuck in her ear. Another of her crying on a swing when her parents stepped away to take the photo. One where she looked positively ecstatic at the bottle of milk her father held, her pudgy little hands reaching for it. There were many of her and Safiya too; her favourite was of them grinning and hugging their beloved plushies. All of them brought a smile to Ana's face, but Kamilah seemed to enjoy them much, much more.

Her wife snorted loudly again and held up a photo of 5-year-old Ana, holding an ice cream cone with vanilla smears on her cheek and nose.

"Is it really that funny?" Ana deadpanned as Kamilah giggled some more at the picture.

"Yes," Kamilah said. "Seems your aim never really improved."

"One time, Milah. Just one time I missed my mouth with the ice cream."

"And you'll never hear the end of it." Kamilah passed her the photo, looking through the rest. "Come on, Ana. You were so cute in these."

"What, am I not cute now?"

"Of course you are, dear," Kamilah said, pinching her chin. "You just looked cuter back then."

"Well… Can't argue with that." Ana took another glance at the ice cream photo, then went through the stack she held. "You have any baby photos?"

"No. At least, I never saw them. Doesn't matter anyway." She shrugged. "I was a scrawny kid."

"I'm sure you were still cute."

"Yeah, right." Kamilah paused at a photo of Ana holding a rubber ball. "I want our kid to look like you."

"Like a little ray of sunshine?" Ana crooned.

"Yup." Kamilah smiled at her. "I could use another one in my life."

It didn't take long before Ana cruised into her third trimester, and started keeping a closer eye on the calendar. She felt the occasional bursts of impatience whenever she looked at the weeks left, the days seeming to pass slower than before. Her belly had grown much larger now, and she found it a little difficult to bend down. Some of the discomfort returned to haunt her, though it was still better than her first trimester. She had backaches from sitting too long at her duty station, and felt more tired. Not only from work, but from waking up at night to go to the bathroom, and carrying her baby's weight as well. Spider veins appeared on the back of her legs, along with stretch marks on her stomach. There was mild swelling in her ankles, which made her look more poofy.

All these sent Ana home in a very needy state each night, whining for much more attention from her wife. Kamilah didn't seem to mind, giving her one reassurance after another, reminding Ana that she was doing great and that Kamilah was proud of her. There were times when Ana remained in a bad mood after the showers of affection, but it did help most of the time, especially when Kamilah held her hand during the little contractions in her abdomen. Having someone there for her was infinitely better than riding it out by herself in the command centre.

They went for prenatal visits every two weeks now, and each time felt like a milestone to Ana. An accomplishment of sorts, for weathering the two weeks leading up to the checkup. After learning that Ana had routinely pulled overtime, the doctor gave her a stern warning not to overwork herself, and to relax as much as she could while off-duty. Despite Ana's protests, she issued two weeks' leave before the due date so Ana could rest sufficiently. She also reminded Ana to take time for some light exercise to help alleviate any aches she experienced, and to strengthen herself for the delivery.

It wasn't much of an issue, as Ana already exercised regularly at home ever since she was exempted from PT. She also took walks around the neighbourhood at night to clear her head, but Kamilah was reluctant to let her go alone in the recent weeks – mostly out of fear that she would fall. And that was how Ana found a walking partner in her wife, who held her hand firmly as they took one slow step after another.

"I'm not a porcelain doll, you know," Ana grumbled one night.

"Of course you aren't."

"Then stop babysitting me."

"I'm not babysitting you. Well, not only you." Kamilah sighed softly when her scowl remained. "Want to take a seat?"

Ana nodded, and followed the tug on her hand as Kamilah steered them off the pavement, following the short dirt trail to the playground. She sat on the horizontal sit-up bench as the mild contractions started again. Kamilah handed her a water bottle, and she took a large gulp before giving it back.

Scratching at her jaw, Ana muttered, "Sorry."

"Hm?"

"For yelling at you last night."

"Right," Kamilah drawled. "First time someone ever yelled at me for putting tomatoes in a sandwich."

Ana squirmed in her seat, cheeks growing warm. Not only had she thrown a tantrum over the tomatoes, she burst into tears after Kamilah took the slices away, because she thought the sandwich looked pitifully meager without them. After she stopped sobbing, the tomatoes found their way back into the sandwich, and Ana ate them all anyway. Kamilah asked no questions, and Ana gave no answers. None were needed, for they both knew from experience that Ana's outbursts had no rhyme or reason – all they had to do was take it in stride and move on. Kamilah had been absolutely patient with her so far, and Ana was grateful for that. Hell, even she was annoyed by her own outbursts.

"I can take it as practice for the main show," Kamilah continued, patting gently on Ana's stomach.

"Think I'll yell at you?"

"It's a strong possibility, yes," she said with a small smirk. "I think the pain will push you way beyond just whining."

Ana groaned. "You're not helping."

"Are you sure?" Kamilah tapped at her lips, curved slightly in a smile.

"Yes." Ana pouted. "You're not the one going into labour."

"And I'll be with you all the way."

"Yeah…" She let out a breath. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"Just a few weeks more."

"You mean 2 months," Ana said witheringly. "I have to walk around like this and cry and yell for 2 more months."

"And it'll be over before you know it." Kamilah rubbed her back soothingly. "Just hang on a little longer."

"Do I have any other choice?"

Kamilah just smiled and kissed her on the cheek, knowing a listening ear was all Ana needed for now.

Another two weeks passed, and they started preparing for their baby's arrival. They turned the guest room into a nursery, placing the crib near the bed so whichever haggard mother on duty could just fall back and sleep after taking care of the baby. They covered the floor in a soft rug, plugged night lights into the walls, and baby-proofed the room. Ana enjoyed shopping for baby clothes the most, and it was only because of Kamilah that not all of them were animal onesies. They bought little beanies, mittens, and blankets, and stocked their shelves with necessities. Looking over the nursery helped to calm Ana, turning her impatience into excitement over the baby's arrival.

The first person to lay eyes upon the nursery – other than the soon-to-be mothers – was Khalid, who had returned to base in preparation for a mission. He carried some baby blankets and pacifiers for his visit, and grinned when he saw the nursery. Khalid emulated Ana's pout when they refused to name the baby after him, and enveloped them in a firm hug just before he left. He looked wistful upon his departure, and only answered Ana's questions with a cryptic 'you'll know soon'.

And 'know soon' Ana did, after a few more days in the command centre. The Guard, bolstered by other units from the Army, would launch a direct assault on the omnium. It was a risky maneuver – not to mention the biggest one since their first attempt on the factory. Even Jaida was loath to dispatch her troops, but she was forced to do so anyway after her arguments were swept aside by the brass.

Her expression was grave and devoid of surprise when Ana reported their soldiers' retreat from the battlefield. The omnics' fortifications, traps, and repurposed attack drones beat the army back effortlessly, leaving only a quarter of its forces standing. Those who could still stand, anyway. Ana's old squad had been involved in this assault, and she felt a surge of relief upon learning that her friends had survived, albeit with their own share of injuries. But her worry returned the next day, when Mesi asked her to check on Layla, who had been sent back to the base's hospital for recovery.

Layla had suffered the most damage in her squad, and it was painfully obvious when Ana found her in the ward. Her left arm and leg were in casts, almost every inch of exposed skin was wrapped in bandages, and two ragged gashes marred her cheek, reaching down to her jaw. She was still unconscious during the first visit; Ana heard Mesi sigh shakily through her earpiece when she angled the phone's camera towards the bed. She promised to check on Layla regularly and told Mesi not to worry, reminding her to look out for herself as well. Mesi agreed with a forced smile, before blinking off the screen.

Only a day later, Layla opened her eyes when Ana returned with Kamilah. The wounded soldier looked around woozily and asked about her team. Some tension left her face when she learnt they were alright, then gave her visitors a once-over.

"Wow. You got really big," Layla uttered, gaze landing on Ana's belly.

Kamilah stiffened in her chair, as if bracing for an explosion. Her eyes roved over to Ana, who had glanced back at her with a wry smile.

"You're lucky I can't scream at you here," Ana said dryly.

"Why do you think I said it?"

"Say any more and I'll break the rest of your limbs."

Kamilah clicked her tongue. "Ana."

"Yeah, Ana," Layla said. "You can't do shit here."

"Technically, she can," Kamilah corrected her. "There are just consequences after. If she gets caught, that is."

"You're a psycho."

"So I've been told."

"Oh my god, I hope your kid won't be a psycho too." Layla looked back at Ana. "When are you due anyway?"

"1 month. Give or take."

"Cool. Decided on names yet?"

Ana hummed, sharing a glance with Kamilah. "We have a few. Haven't decided on a specific one yet."

"How about 'Layla'?"

"What's with your squad and naming our kid after them?" Kamilah asked.

"Stupid fat egos, that's what," Ana replied.

Layla laughed weakly. "Well then, wanna bounce names off me?"

"How about we do that when you stop looking like a ghost, hm?" Ana rapped her knuckles lightly on Layla's forehead. "Get some rest first."

"You're not my mom."

"No, but I outrank you."

Layla let out a whine and looked to Kamilah, who cocked a brow.

"I outrank you too."

"Fuck."

With the 'final countdown' starting, Ana began checking off the days on her calendar, while Kamilah hovered even closer around her. Their demeanour took on a slight edge borne of nervous anticipation, but they made sure stay calm and relax as the doctor ordered. To take their minds off the passing days, they visited Layla almost daily, and tried to pick out names for their baby. It was a task more difficult than Ana imagined – though they had a pretty short list of names they liked, they just couldn't settle on one. She had pondered naming the child after her mother – if it was a girl – but decided against it. Her mother was the only 'Zayirah' to Ana, and she didn't want to impose any undue expectations on the child.

In the end, they chose to keep a few names on hand, then choose one only after their baby was born. After all, how could they know which would fit their child the most before even laying eyes on them? So they laid the matter to rest, trusting their hearts to know the best when the time came.

The uneventful weeks seemed to pass in a hurry, even though Ana spent a bit of time fretting over the details of the birth and what comes after. Mostly she channeled the energy towards cleaning the nursery over and over, and practicing the relaxation techniques she learnt in the birthing classes. In the last couple of weeks while she was on leave, she freaked Kamilah out twice. First by thinking her water had broken, but it turned out to be a urine leak. The second was when she asked Kamilah if she should leave a will in case of unforeseen complications, and her wife promptly told her to stop delving so deep into the forums. Kamilah also mentioned that she 'didn't have much to leave behind anyway', to which Ana replied she needed to leave Kamilah her vibe, so that she could 'go fuck herself'.

They traded a few more barbs at the comment, but Ana's mood remained stable and happy – and there were more smiles than tears the closer they inched towards the due date. It made the wait all the more bearable.

It started in the morning, after Ana had finished her late breakfast alone in the kitchen. The light contractions were still irregular, but frequent enough that she started to take notice. Remembering the doctor's advice to stay relaxed, Ana did; she puttered around the house – vacuuming the floor, folding the clothes, taking care of all the chores at home. 'It's starting. Fuck, it's starting,' was the general gist of her thoughts for the entire day, and she dropped the news on Kamilah the instant she trudged into the living room.

She could swear that Kamilah paled a little, clutching the sides of her belly as if to feel the contractions herself. Then she made Ana sit down on the sofa, while she took care of everything else. By the end of dinner and two movies, Ana could feel the contractions, but it still wasn't strong enough to cause major discomfort. So Kamilah escorted her up to the bed, where she could lay down and try to nab some rest before the actual work started.

Ana remained on her side for the most part, while Kamilah snuggled up to her back with one hand resting protectively over her belly. She drifted in and out of sleep with difficulty, unable to keep her mind off the movement in her womb. Finally, the intensity was too hard to ignore, and she shook Kamilah awake.

Her wife jumped up immediately, fumbling about in a bleary haze. Kamilah held her phone with a trembling hand as she timed Ana's contractions. They lasted longer and came more frequently now, and Ana was left groaning in pain, half-yelling at Kamilah to call the doctor already. They were given the green light to go to the hospital, and Kamilah helped her down to the car. During the drive, Ana felt a pop and moisture pooling between her legs. The car slowed when Ana pointed it out, before picking up speed again when she yelled at Kamilah to 'step on it!' She had no time to regret raising her voice – the pain had just picked up a notch.

They were ushered quickly into triage upon entering the hospital, where the baby's heart rate and her contractions were monitored. The nurse did a swab to check that her water had indeed broken, but told her to wait a little longer for further dilation. It made Ana want to scream, but she bit it down and followed the nurses into delivery room. Ana chose to remain lying down after changing into her hospital gown.

Just the wait itself was nerve-wracking. Ana held Kamilah's hand tightly, feeling her wife's fingers flex around hers restlessly. They went through breathing exercises together, though Ana had to grit her teeth for more than a few rounds. The room was starting to feel warm when the doctor finally entered the room, and Ana felt an urge to scream again.

She did. The first took her by surprise, caused by the most intense contraction she had ever felt. Kamilah's fingers tightened around Ana's to match her death grip as the medical crew took their positions by the bed. Still, the doctor told Ana to wait in that irritatingly calm tone, and a hundred curses flashed through her mind, along with a burning desire to slap the doctor hard. The wait was hell, with Ana finding difficulty in breathing normally and Kamilah uttering reassurances in her ear.

When it came time to push, Ana did so – gladly and in agony. It was an exercise more painful and exhausting than any military exercise she had participated, but if anything, Ana was trained to take orders. So she took them now, though her patience frayed more and more with each time the doctor told her to push, push, to rest, then push, to rest and fucking push again–

"Fuck!" Ana shouted towards the ceiling at the end of another push, then panted as she fell back onto the bed.

Kamilah brushed away the stray strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead, when the doctor told her to rest again. "You're doing good, Ana. You're doing very good."

"What are you, a fucking teacher–ah!" Her back arched as another bout of pain gripped her. Ana pushed, and pushed, then was told to rest. "This is worse–, than my–, fucking tattoo," she panted.

"I know, darling. I know–"

"No, you don't fucking–" Ana screamed, pushing hard reflexively. Her train of thought was completely lost when she lay down again, but the impatience and agony fused together in a burning rage, and she lashed out. "This is all your fault. This is all your fucking fault–!" She pushed at the doctor's order, a ragged shout bursting through her throat.

"I know, Ana. I know, I'll make it up to you later."

"Later? Later? Why don't you fucking help me push now?"

"As much as I'd like to, I can't–"

"Then what fucking good are you–ah!" Another scream, and Ana arched off the bed, her head spinning in the process. "Fuck you!"

"You're doing very good, Ana," the doctor said loudly. "You're almost there! I can see the head–"

"I know, my fucking vagina is on fire!" Ana screeched back.

She was told to take a short rest, then Kamilah helped her up into a sitting position, so she could deliver the baby easier. Ana felt the ground sway dangerously under her and leaned heavily on Kamilah, but nodded when asked if she was okay. In her pain-muddled haze, she didn't notice the worried look on her wife or doctor's face. Then, upon the doctor's instruction, she pushed. And pushed. Her vision went dark for a moment, but the light returned quickly. A push. Another push.

Her consciousness had thinned – she was only aware of her body pushing the baby out, the doctor's voice, and Kamilah's voice. She gave another 'final push' as the doctor ordered, and she vaguely heard a baby's cry as her head lolled to the side, resting on Kamilah's cheek.

"Ana? Ana, are you okay?" Kamilah asked.

Ana could only mumble incoherently, her vision fading in and out of darkness.

"Ana, we need you to push a little more to get the placenta out." Kamilah rubbed her cheek, and Ana focused her gaze on her wife's tense expression. "Can you do that, Ana? Just a little more. Please."

So she did. The energy had left her body limp, but she forced herself to keep up. Push. Push. Breathe. Push.

Ana felt something else slip out between her legs, and raised her eyes to Kamilah. She received a kiss on her forehead, then lost consciousness.

She awoke slowly to a dark room, illuminated by sunlight filtering through the curtains. Her mind remained blank for a while, her body feeling expended but much lighter. Ana turned her head, instinctively seeking out her partner, who lay in a fold-out bed pushed up against hers. Kamilah was fast asleep, with her hand resting in Ana's. Running a thumb over Kamilah's knuckles, Ana waited for a while before calling her name.

Kamilah roused at her soft voice, eyes cracking open to look at Ana. Then she sat up quickly. "Ana?"

"That's me," she uttered, watching Kamilah reach over to the wall switches and turn the lights on.

Kamilah ran a hand down her face, then leaned over to Ana with a smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. What happened…?"

"You fainted. Blood loss. But you're fine now." Kamilah brushed a thumb gently over her cheek. "You scared me for a while there."

"Mm. The baby?"

"She's fine. Healthy."

"She?"

"It's a girl, Ana," Kamilah told her with a growing smile. "We have a daughter."

"Great," Ana breathed tiredly. "…Can we name her Bey?"

"No."

"Blue?"

"No."

Ana pouted. "Have you seen her?"

"Yes. They let me carry her for a while."

"I wanna carry her."

"I think you'd better wait a little longer. Make sure you're strong enough."

More pouts did little to convince Kamilah, who made sure Ana could at least sit up and waddle around the bed before calling the nurse in. Ana waited eagerly, wringing her fingers as the nurse pushed the bassinet in.

"She woke up on the way here," the nurse said, picking up the little bundle and placing it in Ana's waiting arms. "Seems she can't wait to see her mommy."

Ana forgot to breathe as she held her baby, swaddled in a soft white blanket. Kamilah sat on the bed next to her, hugging her by the shoulders as they gazed down at their little girl. She had a healthy tuft of black hair on her head, and wide brown eyes that held Ana's gaze steadily, even though she still looked sleepy.

"She has your eyes," Ana breathed, and Kamilah kissed the top of her head.

"She has your hair, if this is any indication."

Ana chuckled, tapping a fingertip lightly on the baby's hand, which was poking out of the blanket. "Look at you. Just a few hours old and you've already given me so much pain." She laughed louder when Kamilah knocked her on the head, but was distracted when little fingers curled around her finger.

Her throat tightened when the girl's mouth twitched upward in a smile, making a short nasally sound.

"She's barely cried after she came out," Kamilah said. "Even while I was carrying her, I think she was trying to laugh."

"Really? Seems you're going to be a good girl, aren't you?" Ana cooed, and the baby made the same sound again. She giggled along with the baby, then asked, "So, any names yet?"

"Thought I'd wait for you. What do you think?"

Ana cocked her head, running through their list of names. She mouthed them quietly while gazing at her child, trying to fit a name to that adorable little face.

Nahla…Rahima…Huda…Nawal…Ana II…Fareeha…

The baby's lips twitched again into another smile, fingers flexing around Ana's fingertip. Her eyes seemed to twinkle with mirth.

"Fareeha," Ana said out loud, testing the name. "Fareeha. Sounds about right?" She looked up at Kamilah, who smiled and nodded.

Turning back to the baby, she cooed, "Hey, little one. 'Fareeha Amari' sounds nice, doesn't it?"

Fareeha gurgled in reply.