...
Currently in the Jump City Mall, Kori stood in one of the many baby clothing stores. Her nesting instinct was kicking in as she put a hand on her swollen belly, feeling the tiny life inside move around.
She smiled, standing in front of the many clothing racks as she picked up a small onesie and held it up, imagining the tiny person that would fit it.
"How much longer?" Garfield asked in an annoyed whine.
"Garfield, I never had a reason to shop in this store until now. Do not take this away from me." She told him sternly, not even looking in his direction as she spoke.
He let out a long sigh. "You know, when you asked me to go to the mall with you, this is not what I had in mind." He huffed loudly. But before he could complain further, his attention was directed to someone outside the store.
Garfield suddenly straightened his posture as he glared at the man outside, who tried to remain undetected.
But his change in demeanor caught Kori's attention. She turned and looked at him, confused by his stance. But as she looked at what he was glaring at she understood why he was suddenly on edge.
"I'm gonna talk to him." He said sternly, but she quickly put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Let me." She told him before handing him the onesie and walking out of the store.
Kori slowly approached the aloof man that faced away from her, trying to hide behind his black jacket and baseball hat.
She was surprised he allowed himself to be seen. Richard was very good at keeping hidden in the shadows. So him being so easily spotted really showed just how out of sorts he was.
"Hello, Richard." She addressed, crossing her arms.
"Kori." He returned sheepishly turning to her as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Kori stared at him, not used to his disheveled features. His hair was long, shaggy, and uncombed. His eyes looked strained and tired. And his face was unshaven and prickly.
Richard had always been so clean-cut and composed that she found herself barely recognizing him. Now seeing him so unkept, she found herself oddly feeling sorry for him.
"You look nice." He told her.
"Wish I could say the same about you." She responded, reaching a hand up, as she softly touched his prickly face. "Are you okay?" She asked in concern.
"I've been better." He shrugged, forcing a smile.
"How long have you been following me?" She asked.
"Not long." He lied, looking away from her as he awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, um… how have you been?" He tried to say nonchalantly.
"Well, the morning sickness has finally stopped."
"That's good." He nodded. "Are you eating well? Are you taking the appropriate vitamins?"
She tried not to glare at him, knowing he was just looking out for her and the wellbeing of the baby.
"I assure you, Richard, that I am taking good care of myself." She told him sternly. "Raven is helping me make sure I eat the right foods and take the appropriate medications. I even have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."
"That's great, Kori. That is really great." He said, smiling at her. "So, I was thinking..." He paused, hesitation clear in his tone. "Or I was wondering... if you weren't busy later... that I could take you out to dinner?"
She wasn't used to Richard being so shy and hesitant with her. It reminded her of when they first met. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of when they were younger and he had hesitantly asked her out on a date.
But unlike then, she didn't immediately accept the invitation. She was much more guarded now and needed to protect herself. She had to take her time with her response.
"I'm hungry now." She said, a smile playing on her lips.
He couldn't help but grin. "Where do you want to go?"
Kori glanced back at the store, seeing Garfield leaning against the wall, watching them closely.
"Well, first. I have to ditch my guard dog." She told him.
…
Raven stood in front of her kitchen stove as she boiled water for her tea. She took the teapot off the burner when the front door opened. She switched off the burner and turned around, surprised to see only Garfield walk into the apartment.
"Where's Kori?" She asked.
"You know, when she asked if I wanted to go to the mall with her, I didn't think she would drag me around the Baby Gap." He huffed, slamming the door shut.
"She's pregnant, where else would she go?"
"The food court." He pouted. "And then we caught Dick spying on us. And now they're going out." He huffed walking up to her.
"Oh, don't be so cross about it. He's the father of her baby. No matter what, she's going to have some sort of relationship with him."
His expression fell drastically from grumpy to concern as he remembered the weeks they spent taking care of Kori after the breakup.
"I just don't want him to hurt her again."
Raven smiled as she lightly rested her hands on his shoulders. "Kori is strong, and she is very protective now that she's pregnant. She's not going to let Richard come into her life and hurt her again." She tried to reassure him before lightly pecking him on the lips.
He smiled at the gesture as he slowly lifted his arm, and cupped her face with his hands, pulling her towards him. He kissed her deeply, and a little suggestively…
They hadn't had been alone in the apartment in so long that the sudden privacy was tempting to say the least.
She tightened her arms around his shoulders as he pinned her against the counter. He suddenly grabbed her sides, picking her up, and setting her on the countertop. He kissed her fervently as she pulled him closer, tightening her legs around him. When the front door opened...
With a swift motion, Raven hopped off the counter and went back to fixing to her tea as if nothing was going on. Unfortunately, Garfield could not do the same. He was forced to awkwardly press himself against the counter, his eyes wide as he tried to conceal himself…
Kori walked in with a noticeable smile on her face, completely unaware that she had interrupted something in the kitchen.
"Hello, friends." She greeted happily.
Raven did her usual nod before sipping her tea, and Garfield just murmured an awkward "Umhumm."
Kori couldn't help but sigh as she shook her head. "Oh, Garfield, you can't be that upset I went out with Richard." She said, walking up to him.
He continued to face the counter, tensing as she approached him. His face turned red as he continued to press his waist against the cupboard.
"Richard is the father of my child, so I think it's best to have a friendly relationship with him, better than a distant one." She told him.
"I was just telling him that." Raven said, lightly smirking into her mug.
Kori looked at her friends confusedly as she noticed the mischievous look Raven gave and the abrupt glare Garfield did in return.
"Did I miss something?" She asked.
"Nothing." Raven told her, shaking her head as she put down her mug. "Come on. I picked you up some pregnancy books." She told Kori as she walked her out of the kitchen.
Garfield let out a sigh of relief before dragging his hand down his face. He then turned, watching the girls in the living as he lightly smirked to himself.
Raven was instigating him, and he was already thinking of ways to get back at her for it.
Raven sat down on the couch with Kori as she handed her a book. "It's called a baby book." She informed her. "You can fill out information about your pregnancy, and the experience you are having. And then when the baby is born, you can write about that."
Kori excitedly flipped through the pages, reading the different subjects of what to write. What cravings she was having, any movement or kicking she was feeling, and names she was considering.
Kori grinned excitedly before putting the book down and hugging Raven tightly. "Thank you, Raven. I love it."
"And tomorrow, you can put the ultrasound pictures in the slots." Raven told her, pointing to the page.
"Oh, about tomorrow..." Kori began, "I hope you don't mind, but Richard asked to take me to my appointment."
"No, that's fine." Raven said indifferently. "I actually think it's good that you two are coming together for the baby."
Kori turned away from her as she gently put her hand on her stomach. "It's really important to me that he has a part in the baby's life. But I'm going into this very carefully. I don't want to be at odds with him. That won't be good for the baby. I want it to know that both its parents love them, even if Richard and I don't love each other."
"But you still love him." Raven told her.
"I do." Kori sighed heavily. "And it's honestly going to be hard to keep myself from falling back into his arms. But I will be strong. And I will only think about what is best for my baby."
...
