"Mom, I really wish Beck would have been here for you to find out, but I'm pregnant."
Jade's mother said nothing for a few minutes, simply staring at her daughter. Finally, she spoke in one of the firmest tones she had ever used. "Go to your room. I'll let you know when you may come back down. Take food if you'll be hungry tonight."
Jade nodded and stood up from her chair, grabbing a bag of chips and a water bottle from the pantry and heading for the stairs.
"And Jade," her mother called, making her stop in her tracks. "Don't climb out the window."
Finding that final comment (albeit amusing) unworthy of a response, Jade plodded-or waddled, more accurately-up the stairs and into her bedroom, where she flopped down onto the bed and turned on her laptop.
Beck was online, so he started a video call.
"What did she want?" Beck asked.
"To know if I wanted to be her maid of honor."
The boy grinned. "That's exciting."
"I wasn't done," Jade snapped. "She wanted to know if I wanted to be her maid of honor in July."
"But the baby-"
"I know, Beckett!" she barked. "Now my mother knows. And I'm in my room until further notice."
"Do you want me to come get you?"
"No."
Beck cocked his head. "Why not?"
"Because she's my mother, Beck. I'm not a touchy-feely person, but now that I'm going to have a daughter of my own, I'm beginning to understand a little."
Not a word came out of Beck's mouth. This was unlike Jade.
"I'm going to watch some TV, then take a shower, then sleep. Text."
"I love you," Beck finally replied.
"I know," Jade offered a small smile and left the chat, shutting her laptop in favor of the television mounted on her wall.
After her shower, Jade found herself craving a brownie, so she began to creep down the stairs toward the kitchen and thus food.
Once she got to the landing, however, she stopped. Her mother and a male voice were conversing in the living room.
"I'm just in shock," Jade's mother sighed. "I didn't think she was even active."
"Honey, they're almost eighteen and you said they've been dating their entire high school career."
"But they're only children!"
"Lisa, they've been together longer than most couples are before marriage."
"Beck is a nice boy and all, but I'm not comfortable with him and Jade being like that."
"Please, think from their perspectives. You yourself said you only dated her father for a year before marrying him and you had her a year later."
"I was married, though, Jon. That's a major difference."
Jade crept farther down the stairs so she could see.
Jonathan was speaking. "And Beck and Jade have been together longer. Beck's a great kid, Lisa. Everything about him seems benevolent and beneficent."
"I'm just unhappy that they put themselves in this position."
"They're in love."
At this point, Jade's mother had started to tear up so her fiancé pulled him into a tight embrace. "They'd better stay in love and take care of my grandchild."
Jade stood and took another step down toward the kitchen, unfortunately landing in a creaky spot that caused her mother to turn and see her.
"Jadelyn, why are you downstairs?"
"I was hungry," Jade shrugged. "Cravings."
The woman said nothing more, so Jade finished her trek to the kitchen, grabbed any food she even mildly craved, and climbed the stairs back to her room, where she laid down, ate them, and then fell asleep.
When she awoke in the morning far earlier than she needed to, it was to this weird sensation of her gut squeezing. It didn't hurt, but it felt strange.
She remembered what Dr. Yu had called them: Braxton-Hicks contractions.
"You stay in there, baby girl," Jade laughed slightly, rubbing her belly.
No longer concerned, Jade waddled downstairs to her mother sitting at the table with Jonathan and Alex. The three were eating scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.
"Good morning, Jade," Jonathan greeted first. "Would you like me to fry you up an egg?"
Jade really didn't want to think that the thing growing inside her belly used to be an egg, just like what she was about to eat could have become a chicken. "I got it."
After fixing her breakfast, Jade joined her mother, brother, and future stepfather at the table.
"Jade," her mother eventually spoke. "Jon and I spoke last night and we want to know more about what's going on."
"I don't understand," the girl questioned.
"How far are you? What gender?" Jonathan provided examples.
"I'm five, almost six months in and it's a little girl. We haven't chosen a name but we're open to suggestions even though we'll probably ignore them."
The woman nodded. "Your brother would have been Annabel if he were a girl. That or Laurel."
"Annabel sounds like Annabel Lee. That's not a bad name." Jade's phone buzzed with her morning alarm. "I should get going."
"Have a great day, Jade," Jonathan waved as she left for the stairs again.
Jonathan wasn't that bad of a guy, actually. Jade was just bothered that he hadn't been around longer before suddenly becoming extremely important in her life.
She stood in the bathroom, putting on makeup while one of the baby's flutterings became a more recognizable kick. It didn't feel good, but the movement made Jade smile.
"You're a feisty one," she laughed, rubbing the bump softly. "Just like Mommy."