A couple weeks later, Vanessa was three and a half months pregnant and was feeling pretty good, except for the occasional rough morning sickness days. Zac had been working on some pre-production for a movie that he had signed to do after the baby was born. One day, Zac opened the door and set his keys down on the counter. He walked into the kitchen and smiled.
"Hey baby, how was your day?" Zac asked kissing his girlfriend's lips.
"It was fine. Look what decided to appear today" Vanessa said turning to face Zac.
Zac looked at Vanessa confused. Vanessa giggled. She took her boyfriend's hand in his and placed it on her stomach. Zac's eyes widened.
"You are showing?" Zac asked incredulously.
Vanessa nodded. Zac smiled. He leaned down and lifted Vanessa's shirt up to her belly button. Zac kissed Vanessa's stomach gently. He had started getting excited about the baby and loved watching Vanessa's body change. Zac stood up and leaned in and kissed Vanessa's lips.
"It's going to get harder to hide that I'm pregnant now" Vanessa said.
"Well, we shouldn't care what other people think. This is our baby. You shouldn't have to hide it babe" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled.
"Press will be calling every day when I go out and show the world that I'm pregnant" Vanessa said.
"Then let them. Don't worry about that. That is the least of our problems" Zac said.
Vanessa put her hand on her expanding stomach.
"So how was your day really?" Zac asked changing the subject knowing that Vanessa had changed it on purpose.
"I threw up" Vanessa said.
"Is it getting better?" Zac asked.
"Not really. It doesn't matter what I eat. It just happens" Vanessa said.
"It will get better soon" Zac said kissing Vanessa's forehead.
"How was your day?" Vanessa asked.
"Long. I just wanted everything to magically get done so I could come home" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled.
"Well you are home now" Vanessa said.
Zac put his hand on Vanessa's small bump and smiled.
"I can't believe he or she is really in there" Zac said.
"The bump makes it more real" Vanessa said.
Zac nodded.
"Are we going to find out if it's a boy or a girl next month babe?" Zac asked.
"I hope so. Then we can start putting names together and we won't have to call the baby "it" anymore" Vanessa said.
"Yeah, I'm so excited to be a daddy" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled. She was so happy to see Zac start to act like his old self and be happier than he had ever been.
"I'm excited to be a mommy" Vanessa said.
"Have you talked to Ashley?" Zac asked.
"Yeah, she just signed a record deal" Vanessa said.
"That's great!" Zac said happily.
Vanessa smiled. Zac looked at Vanessa.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Zac asked.
"I'm just really happy that you are happy" Vanessa said.
Zac smiled.
"Everything that has been going on has made me so happy. We are having a baby and our relationship is better than it has ever been" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled. She leaned in and kissed Zac's lips.
"I love you" Vanessa said.
"I love you too and I love our baby" Zac said.
The next morning, Vanessa came out of the bathroom and got back into bed and sighed. Today was a bad morning sickness day. Vanessa snuggled into her sheets and closed her eyes. Zac came into the room and smiled. He carefully lied down on the bed next to Vanessa and kissed her cheek. Vanessa opened her eyes slowly.
"I need to go meet with the production team. Are you feeling okay?" Zac asked.
"Today was a bad morning sickness day" Vanessa said tiredly.
"Do you want me to stay home? I will if you need me to stay" Zac said.
"I need you to stay" Vanessa said quietly.
"Okay baby. Let me call the team and I will be right back" Zac said.
Vanessa nodded. Zac left the room. Ten minutes later, Zac came back into the room and took his shirt off and stripped down to his boxers. He got into bed and Vanessa snuggled into his chest. Zac wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and kissed her shoulder.
"Are you feeling better?" Zac asked.
Vanessa shook her head.
"I feel bloated and uncomfortable" Vanessa said.
Zac rubbed Vanessa's back in soothing circles. He moved his hand to Vanessa's stomach and ran his hand over it gently. Vanessa put her head in the crook of Zac's neck and inhaled his cologne and relaxed. Zac felt Vanessa relax in his arms. He looked to his side and saw her head buried in his neck. Zac smiled.
"Do you think we will be good parents to the baby?" Vanessa asked softly.
Zac pulled back so that he could looked at Vanessa.
"I think that we have a lot to learn first. But, I think we will be great parents baby. Our child is going to love his or her mommy" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled.
"He or she is going to love their daddy too" Vanessa said.
"I hope so" Zac said.
"Are you scared to become a father?" Vanessa asked.
"I haven't thought about that a lot yet. I just want to take everything day by day, week by week, and month by month" Zac said.
Vanessa nodded.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Zac asked.
Vanessa shook her head. Zac moved back to his previous position.
"You start filming after the baby is born?" Vanessa asked clarifying.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to start until I know that you can handle taking care of the baby by yourself" Zac said.
The rest of the day, the couple relaxed around the house. A couple weeks later, Vanessa came out of the bathroom after regurgitating the remains of her stomach and walked to her closet to get dressed. She had an ultrasound today. Zac was at a production meeting but promised Vanessa that he would be there. Vanessa went downstairs and picked up and apple and took a bite out of it and left the house. She drove to her doctor's office and parked her car. Vanessa got out of the car and walked into the office. She signed in and sat down in a chair and sighed. A couple minutes later, Vanessa's name was called and she followed the nurse into an exam room.
"Vanessa, please change into this gown and Dr. Berry will be in shortly" the nurse said handing Vanessa a gown.
The nurse left. Vanessa changed into the gown and sat on the exam table. She heard her phone vibrate and looked at her phone and saw a text from Zac.
Be there in five. I love you.
Vanessa smiled. She quickly texted him back. A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Zac poked his head in and smiled.
"Hi baby. Sorry I'm late" Zac said walking into the room and closing the door behind him.
"You aren't late. You are right on time" Vanessa said kissing Zac's lips.
"Has Dr. Berry come in yet?" Zac asked.
"Not yet" Vanessa said putting her hand on her bump.
"We can find out the sex today right?" Zac asked.
"Hopefully" Vanessa said.
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Berry came into the room.
"Hi guys. How are you feeling Vanessa?" Dr. Berry asked.
"I feel pretty good" Vanessa said.
"How's the morning sickness?" Dr. Berry asked as she washed her hands.
"Terrible. When is it supposed to stop?" Vanessa asked.
"Well you are four months right?" Dr. Berry asked.
"Yes" Vanessa said.
"It should stop in a couple weeks" Dr. Berry said.
"Okay" Vanessa said.
"I know it's uncomfortable, but it will be over soon. Do you want to see your baby today?" Dr. Berry asked
The couple nodded.
"Can we find out the sex?" Vanessa asked.
"Let's see if we can. Zac, can you help her lie back?" Dr. Berry asked.
"Yeah" Zac said.
Zac helped Vanessa lie down. Vanessa took Zac's hand in his and entwined their fingers together. Dr. Berry raised Vanessa's gown above her bump and squeezed some gel onto it. She turned on the ultrasound and waited for it to heat up. Once the ultrasound heated, Dr. Berry took a wand and moved it around Vanessa's stomach. The couple looked at the monitor and heard a thumping.
"Do you hear that?" Dr. Berry asked.
"Yeah" the couple said.
"That's the baby's heartbeat" Dr. Berry said.
Zac looked at Vanessa and kissed her cheek softly. Vanessa looked at Zac and smiled. Dr. Berry moved the wand around Vanessa's stomach again and stopped. She looked at the screen and smiled.
"There's your baby's head" Dr. Berry said.
Zac and Vanessa smiled.
"Now, let's see if we can find out the sex" Dr. Berry said.
Dr. Berry moved the wand around Vanessa's stomach and stopped. She looked at the screen.
"You are having a girl" Dr. Berry said.
Tears ran down Vanessa's cheeks. Zac looked at Vanessa and smiled. He leaned over and kissed Vanessa's lips softly.
"I love you sweetheart" Zac said.
"I love you too" Vanessa said.
Zac wiped Vanessa's tears away and kissed her lips again.
"I will print some pictures for you guys and be right back" Dr. Berry said.
Dr. Berry left the room. Vanessa looked at Zac and smiled.
"We are having a girl" Vanessa said excitedly.
Zac nodded.
"Are you happy?" Zac asked.
Vanessa smiled.
"So happy. We are having a baby girl. I can't believe it" Vanessa said.
Zac smiled. Dr. Berry came back into the room.
"Alright. Now, Vanessa I just need to examine you and you will be all set" Dr. Berry said.
"Okay" Vanessa said as Dr. Berry wiped the gel off of her stomach.
Vanessa spread her legs apart and took a deep breath. Zac held her hand and kissed her cheek softly.
"Take a deep breath for me Vanessa" Dr. Berry said.
Vanessa took another deep breath. Dr. Berry examined Vanessa and then looked at the couple.
"Everything looks good. I will see you in a month" Dr. Berry said.
Dr. Berry left the room.
"How are we going to tell our parents babe?" Zac asked.
"I don't know. Are we going to tell them all together?" Vanessa asked.
"Do you want to?" Zac asked.
"It doesn't matter to me" Vanessa said.
"Let's tell them all together. It would be easier" Zac asked.
"Okay. When do you want to tell them?" Vanessa asked.
"We could tell them tonight" Zac suggested.
"Okay, call your family and tell them to come here and I will call mine" Vanessa said.
Vanessa changed back into her clothes and the couple left Dr. Berry's office. They drove home and got out of the car and walked into the house.
"Let me call my parents and tell them to come over" Zac said.
"Okay. I will call mine" Vanessa said.
The couple called their families and told them to come over because they had news about the baby that they wanted to share. A couple hours later, the Efron and Hudgens family were sitting in Zac and Vanessa's living room.
"Alright, so what is the news that you needed to tell us?" Gina asked.
"Are you having twins?" Starla asked.
"No, we aren't having twins. Babe, do you want to tell them?" Zac asked.
"Okay. So as all of you know, I am four months pregnant. I had a doctor's appointment today and we wanted to know the sex of the baby. So we are having a girl" Vanessa said.
Both families screamed and cheered. Everyone was so happy for Zac and Vanessa. Stella and Dylan were excited to meet their niece. A couple hours later, the excitement of the newest member of the family had died down.
"Van, are you going to have an epidural when you are in labor?" Gina asked.
"I haven't really thought about the birth yet. Zac and I haven't discussed it yet" Vanessa said.
"Get the epidural. You will regret not getting one. I almost broke David's hand when I had Zac" Starla piped in.
"When are you due?" Gina asked.
"May 17th" Vanessa said putting her hand on her bump.
Everyone talked about the baby for the rest of the night. Later that night, Zac closed the front door after saying goodbye to their families. Vanessa walked into the living room and sat down. Zac followed her and sat down next to her.
"Our mothers are asking about the birth" Vanessa said.
"What do they want to know?" Zac asked.
"If I am getting an epidural and just stuff like that. It's giving me anxiety about the whole thing" Vanessa said.
"Well that is something that we need to discuss. It's your decision. I can't tell you to do anything because I am not the one going through it" Zac said.
"I'm getting kind of scared" Vanessa said as her eyes filled with tears.
Zac's face softened.
"Baby, don't cry. Everything is going to be fine okay? You will have Dr. Berry and I there" Zac said.
"It just scares me. What if I can't do it?" Vanessa asked.
"Ness, you will be able to do it. I know you can. I know that you are scared and that's to be expected sweetheart" Zac said.
"I just don't know what is going to happen" Vanessa said.
"Let's take one decision at a time. First, you need to decide if you want to get an epidural or not" Zac said.
Vanessa nodded.
"I want one. Everyone says it's the worst pain a woman will ever experience" Vanessa said.
"Okay. That's done. Now, who do you want in the delivery room with you?" Zac asked.
"I only want you in there. You are the only person that needs to see anything" Vanessa said.
Zac nodded.
"Alright. See, that wasn't so bad was it? If you are feeling anxiety about the baby Van, you need to tell me so I can help you. That's what I am here for" Zac said.
Vanessa nodded. She leaned over and kissed Zac's lips softly. Vanessa sighed and put her hand on her bump.
"I wonder what she is going to look like" Vanessa said.
"I know that she will be beautiful, just like her mom" Zac said.
Vanessa smiled.
"We need to start thinking of names" Vanessa said.
"Yeah. But like I said before, let's take everything one at a time" Zac said.
"Okay" Vanessa said.
Zac put his hand on top of Vanessa's on her bump. The couple couldn't wait until they got to hold their baby girl.