She's got a baby inside
And holds her belly tight.
"Either it goes or I do."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard what I said Chloe. I can't be a father."
Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. She picked up the pregnancy test and held it out towards him "You see this?" She pointed to the two unmistakable lines. "This means that you already are."
"No. I don't have to be- we don't have to be. You could get rid of it."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm not going to be a father. It goes or I'm leaving."
"Fine." Chloe steeled herself and looked him dead in the eye. "Get out."
Chloe had always wanted children, lots of them, just not yet. She wasn't ready to be a mother. She had dreams and plans of things she wanted to see and do before then but despite that, there had been no question in her mind. Of all the decisions she'd made in her life, responding to his ultimatum had perhaps been the easiest. Maybe she didn't think that she was ready to be a mother yet but that didn't mean that it wasn't going to happen. There was no way she was getting 'rid of it', as he had so carelessly suggested.
She never once regretted telling him to leave, even if, at times, she found herself missing him. It wasn't really him that she was missing though, rather, she missed just having someone. Sometimes, she wanted someone there to experience everything with her. Someone to share in the excitement of seeing her baby on the ultrasound for the first time. Someone to help her decide between the different colours to paint the nursery in the new, bigger home she'd moved to in advance of his or her arrival (a single bed apartment just wasn't going to cut it now). Someone to place their hand next to her own, on her rapidly growing belly, as she felt the first kicks. Other times, she felt she really just needed someone. Someone to rub her back and relive the tension from the increasing weight she carried each day. Someone to hold her, to reassure her, relieving her fears. Someone to tell her that she could do this.
She wanted her. She needed her.
She knew that it was going to be hard, being a single mother. Sure, she'd have help - her parents were coming to stay with her after the birth to help out for a while but they'd have to go home at some point. She'd go back to being alone. But the thing was, she didn't feel alone. At night, she slept with her arms wrapped protectively around her ever-expanding middle and she could feel the bond she shared with the little baby growing peacefully inside of her. Scared and uncertain as she was about the entire situation, the fact remained that she wanted to be a mother. It may have been happening sooner than she'd expected but with each day that she got closer to her due date, she got a bit more excited.
Nicholas Henry Beale - 7 lb 10 oz
When he opened his eyes for the very first time, they were the same piercing blue as his mother's. In fact, the only part of his appearance than resembled his father in any way, was his dirty blond hair (and then, when he was older, his tall, lean build). Everything else was unquestionably Chloe. Her parents (now grandparents for the first time) doted over him, as did anyone else who met him. He was a beautiful baby and grew into a charismatic boy who possessed every ounce of his mother's undeniable charm.
A few years down the line, Chloe got offered a new job. One with better pay and hours that meant she would be able to spend more time at home with Nicholas. The only problem was that it wasn't anywhere near being within a practical commuting distance so they'd had to move. Her energetic ten year old was excited about the whole thing and wanted to help with anything and everything he could. To keep him occupied, Chloe had tasked him with packing up all of his toys and books into boxes ready to be shipped to their new house.
A few days later, once everything had been moved, she let him help her unpack boxes and sort everything into the right rooms. She had been busy putting things away in the kitchen when she heard him calling for her. She walked into the living room and smiled at the sight of him rummaging diligently through various boxes.
"What's up Nick?"
"Mommy, there's a letter in here for you." She hadn't noticed it before but as she looked down at his hands she saw that he was not just holding a letter but the letter. The smile dropped from her face as she was stunned into silence. At a loss for words, she continued the gape at him as he reached into the small box in front of him again and pulled out a photo. "Who's this lady?"