Somewhere on Autumn Woods Drive
By Rikku Minouke
Disclaimer: I can only dream that I own YYH. Because I don't.
Chapter thirteen
I was scared through most of my pregnancy. I felt like I was alone in this, but deep down I knew that I had two very strong people by my side through the whole journey. One, physically in my stomach and the other holding my hand.
Resting my back against the edge of the couch, I sat on the floor. I was looking at paint samples and a book of names at the same time. Behind me, Kurama had a book in his hand that he was nose deep in. His stereo was playing some classic Wallflowers and Counting Crows while we did our own thing.
"How did your first prenatal visit go yesterday?" Kurama asked, setting his book on his knee. His thumb holding the page he'd left at.
Shrugging, I flipped through the page. "Fine, they went over any medical history that I knew. But I couldn't tell them much. I don't know anything from his side and I can't ask my parents for my family background."
"You still haven't told your mom?" Kurama asked as I felt him tug on a few strands of my hair.
"What are you doing?" I asked while trying, and missing, to swat his hand.
"Nothing."
"I can't tell her," I said and turned the page in my paint sample book.
His hand let go of my hair and reached forward for his cup of tea. "But you have talked to her since you moved in here?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Probably once or twice a week. She keeps trying to get me to come over for dinner. That's not happening." Without thinking, my eyes rolled.
"Why not?" Kurama asked, quietly sipping on the vanilla rooibos tea. I swirled my hands around my stomach while glancing back to raise my eyebrows at him. He chuckled and shook his head before setting his tea back down. "You are only showing if you wear a very tight tank top or t shirt. I think you are safe in…. ninety percent of your clothes."
"Am I showing now?" I asked looking into his green eyes.
Watching him suck in a breath and glance down at my belly, I rested my hands palm down on the carpet. "This is a trap. There is no right answer. I refuse to fall for this."
That made me laugh lightly. "No trap, promise."
"Nope, I'm learning the signs," Kurama shook his head. "Let's go back to you going to your parents for dinner."
That made my smile drop. "I can't. I always leave feeling like shit."
"I can always go with you for support," he volunteered and I felt his hand in my hair again.
"What are you doing?" I tried to move my head, so to drag my hair further away. It didn't work.
"Don't worry about it." His chuckle made my nerves calm down. "Why don't you call your mom tonight and set up dinner on Sunday?"
"But don't you work Sunday?" I asked and looked back to the paint samples. I was flipping through all the different shades of blues at the moment.
"I don't work Sundays anymore," Kurama said and I could hear the smile in his voice.
Turning around enough to face him, I tilted my head slightly to the right. "Did you do that for me?" I asked, putting as much suspicion in my voice as I could.
He chuckled, "there is a rather high probability. Text your mother, Botan. Tell to plan for Sunday dinner with the three of us." Settling back down with my back against the couch again, I grumbled to myself. "How did the rest of your visit go? Besides the medical history."
"They drew a bunch of blood to doing some testing," I told him pointing to my band aid. "Checking my blood type, if I have any STD's or what not. I don't, by the way. I did a pelvic exam, had to get a pap smear. That was so uncomfortable because they took a chunk of my cervix to check for cancer. I should get the results either tomorrow or the next day." I paused to back track through the meeting. "Umm… a urine sample, a culture check. P.s. I didn't know that it was called a culture check when checking for gonorrhea or Chlamydia. I am negative to those too."
"Good to know," Kurama nodded. "Did they go over the options for genetic testing?"
Nodding, I flipped the page to look at the greens. "Yeah I have a couple of screenings coming up. One is in two weeks and the other is next month at my next visit. Honestly, I am only doing the screenings because I know nothing about his medical history."
"That's probably a good idea," Kurama agreed. "When are your next appointments?"
I thought about his question for a moment with my eyes closed. Somehow that let me think more clearly. "My screening is December 30th and my next visit is January 13th."
"Would you like me to go with you to either of those?" Kurama asked and I glanced back at him with a soft smile on my face before looking down again at my books. "You should probably sit up here on a softer surface."
Grumbling slightly, I let him help me slide over the edge of the couch to sit next to him. I leaned forward to grab my books off the floor. "If you don't work, I'd love it if you joined me. It was kind of awkward going by myself."
He rested his arm on the back of the couch, behind me. "Even if I did work, I would be home way before you left. I'm pretty sure I can handle a few days with only a couple hours of sleep."
"If you're sure," I leaned into his side as I spoke.
He pushed forward enough to be able to grab my phone from the table in front of us. "As sure as I am that you are going to text your mother right now."
"Can't we just wait for Christmas?" I grumbled.
"Complaining is beneath you," Kurama looked down at me and I scrunched my nose as a response.
"Not while I'm pregnant," I said and he chuckled.
"That can't be your response for everything," he shook his head and handed me my phone.
"Oh," I shook my finger momentarily. Then I unlocked my phone and pulled up my conversation with my mom. Typing a few lines, I sent her a message. "But it really can. And done. We now have dinner plans this Sunday with my parents. Hope you are prepared for this."