Four months pregnant is a milestone! You are now significantly at less of a risk of losing your baby. This trimester is commonly called the "honeymoon" of pregnancy as many of the symptoms of the past few months start to ease up and you may feel better overall. However, you will still experience some discomfort, mainly pain in your lower abdomen due to it stretching. Maybe that baby bump is finally starting to show! Your hormones may also cause nasal congestion and make you more susceptible to swollen or even bleeding gums. Both food cravings and dreams can also start going wild at this stage as well.
Source: Pampers and Healthline
Something was wrong.
Satoshi checked his messages again for the umpteenth time this afternoon, the Okay still being the last message that was sent from the only other person despite the two other messages that had been sent by him after.
Megumi was not like this. She usually replied within an hour or two of messages unless she was busy with an event. And he knew that she wasn't doing much at the moment because of how she was feeling and how she was forced to take a break.
At first, Satoshi made himself calm down. He had stepped over his boundaries already, calling Hinako to extend his friend's break and urging her to go to the doctor even though she didn't really want to. But he felt that it was the right thing to do, and that had gone over any guilt he had felt.
Megumi was probably resting after the visit. Maybe she was given medication that made her sleepy and that's why he hadn't heard from her.
He decided to wait.
However, as day turned into night and there was still no response from the bluenette, Satoshi's worries started to flare up again. He wondered a couple times if he should call her, his fingers hovering over the phone icon above their chat.
But he would shake his head and click off his phone.
He knew that if this had been anyone else, he would not be this agitated. Hell, he wouldn't even had been this worried.
Well, that wasn't all true. Satoshi wasn't heartless. But he would leave anyone else to their own devices and watch from afar to make sure they did not do something terrible.
But for some reason, ever since he had met Megumi, he felt the want to help her more.
And because of this want, he became hyper-aware when something was wrong with her.
So of course, when he saw her again a couple of months ago, he immediately picked up on her melancholic aura. Even though she refused to say why, there were enough clues for Satoshi to soon pick up what, or more specifically, who it was about. But he did not want to pry at the time because he knew Megumi had not wanted to talk about it. Even though he knew Nene and Hinako were counting on him to get answers.
At that time, he decided to just keep a much closer eye on her.
But when he finally caved and took an evening ride to her place, when he easily went through the unlocked door and saw her curled up on the cold bathroom floor, he decided that that time had passed.
It was now time to press for answers.
Megumi's whole body was shaking.
She stared at her phone, the little icon on the screen showing that she was calling out. She was kind of hoping that no one picked up, that she could keep such news to herself for just a little longer by leaving a voicemail. And then she could never pick up the phone whenever she was being called back.
But Megumi also hoped that her call would be answered, as she did whenever she was devastated. She needed to talk to the person who would always make her feel better, no matter how far she was. And maybe, maybe, she could get help with what she had done.
"Hello?" The voice that came through the speaker made Megumi feel both relieved and terrified.
"Hi, Mom." Megumi's voice wavered. Damn, she was breaking already.
Her mom immediately picked up on her mood. "What's wrong, my baby?"
Megumi whimpered when she heard her mother's usual pet name for her. For her whole life, it never bothered her. But now…
"Megumi?"
"I'm…pregnant." Megumi choked out before a stream of apologies came from her mouth. Her mother said nothing as she apologized for not doing what she was taught, how stupid she was, and basically everything else that had happened for the past few months. Only when she had nearly made herself hoarse did she pause.
"Mother?" Megumi tentatively called out.
She heard a deep intake of breath on the other side on the line.
"You're no daughter of mine." Her mother hissed.
And then the line disconnected.
"M-mom….?" Megumi squeaked. She then tried to call again. But the phone kept ringing. "Mom! I'm…sorry… Please!"
"Why are you sorry?"
The soft words pushed the bluenette into a blurry existence. Blinking a few times cleared her vision and her mind just enough to realize that she had been having a nightmare on the sofa in her living room.
She also caught the gaze of another person.
"Sa-" Megumi tried to speak but only a hoarse whisper escaped before she started coughing. The moment she had paused she could feel the coolness of a cup near her hands. She grasped the offered container and drained it. Satoshi went back and forth two more times to refill it, staying once he noticed that she had failed to finish the cup a third time.
"What time is it?" Megumi finally managed to speak. Satoshi shook his head.
"That's not important." He dismissed. "Are you…I mean, can you remember anything from earlier?"
Almost as if the question had summoned them, memories flooded her mind. Megumi flinched as she remembered what had happened, what had been said, what she had done…
"Megumi."
Honestly, she almost lied. She almost said no, just to have an attempt to push away her thoughts. However, she had a feeling that if she did, Satoshi would probably whisk her to a hospital in seconds. And that would make everything worse.
"Yes…I remember." Her voice came out small. The exhale from her friend seemed much louder. The small hope that it was going to be left at that was dashed when mint green eyes once again focused on her.
"What happened?" Satoshi demanded.
Megumi couldn't bring herself to answer. She looked away, her eyes landing on the wall clock she had. It was much later than she had thought. Clearly nighttime.
A deep sigh made her glance back at her guest.
Satoshi had tipped back on the recliner he was sitting on, a hand covering the top half of his face. His body language screamed that he was exhausted, and rightfully so. He should be at home resting now. But instead he was here, taking care of her because of her stupid actions.
How many more lives was she going to ruin?
"I'm so sorry." She whimpered.
"Why are you sorry?" Satoshi had impeccable hearing. Megumi vaguely recognized those words as the ones that woke her up but she continued on.
"Because everything is my fault."
"I don't think that."
"You don't understand." Tears started to well up in her eyes. Megumi heard the creak of her recliner. She watched as Satoshi came towards her and kneeled by her leg on the floor.
"Then help me understand." He softly pleaded.
Megumi couldn't keep the truth from him anymore.
Slowly, she told Satoshi what had happened a few months ago. How she accepted the alcohol from Ryoko. How she used it to finally tell her feeling for Soma. How they spent the night together. How she woke up to him not being there the next morning. How he had not spoken to her at all ever since. How she felt ever since.
She paused after that, watching Satoshi's expression. Megumi knew that he had a great poker face, so it was kind of a fruitless effort.
"But that's not the reason I found you passed out in the bathroom, is it?" He asked when her pause had gone on long enough. Like his face, his voice showed no indication of what he was truly feeling.
The bluenette sharply inhaled before continuing.
"It kind of is."
"What's the rest of it?"
Megumi forced the next words out before her anxiety could stop her.
"I'm pregnant."
There it was in the open. They echoed and hung in the small space. The silence was only cut when Satoshi exhaled loudly once more. Megumi watched as his expression shifted into a frown before she shifted her own body on the couch.
"I understand if you hate me now." She mumbled.
"I don't hate you." Satoshi's immediate response stopped her before she could even attempt to get up.
"Why? Aren't you mad at me? I caused this! I'm the one who did all this. You don't need to be here because of my stupidity. You should be angry!"
"I am angry." And Megumi could feel the coldness of his tone. "But not at you."
"Eh?" Megumi gaped at her friend as he stood up. He walked the few steps back to the recliner.
"I'm mad at Yukihira." He clarified.
"It's not his fault-"
"I can't believe you're still defending him, after all this." Satoshi interrupted her, whirling around to face her again.
"I started it."
"But he went along with it. And he was the one who impregnated you. And he's the one avoiding you now. This is not only your fault."
Megumi had to stop herself from shaking her head. Satoshi still did not understand, but she knew it was wise to not show her disagreement anymore. But she knew that he knew that she disagreed.
"I mean it, Megumi. I don't hate you, and I am not going to or avoid you from now on because of all this. And before you even think it, I doubt everyone else will hate or avoid you as well."
"Don't tell them." She pleaded. "Especially what happened between me and Soma. Actually, especially everything."
Satoshi raised an eyebrow.
"I know I won't be able to hide forever, but…I just don't want a lot of people to know right now since I barely know myself. You're actually the first person to know about this other than me and the doctor and nurses."
Satoshi grunted, his head hanging low as he looked at the floor in contemplation. Finally, he lifted his head once more to look at her.
"I won't speak of it to anyone you haven't spoken to first about." He agreed. "But I strongly encourage you to tell Nene and Hinako soon. They are worried about you, too, you know."
Megumi nodded slowly. After all, Nene and Hinako were also her coworker and boss. It was only right for her to tell them.
"Right. But now is not the time to do that." Satoshi straightened up. "You said you had some medication. I want you to take that and go wash up."
Megumi wrinkled her nose, realizing the state she must be in. But the first half of his words finally hit her.
"I'm going to eat something?"
"Of course. I'm pretty sure you haven't since you came back if you did at all earlier. I'll make something for you. I'm not leaving." He emphasized.
"Okay." Megumi stood with some difficulty, but the stiffness went away quickly as she started to make her way to the last place she remembered she left her stuff. She could hear her friend in the kitchen as she grabbed the bag where the medication was and ripped it open. Satoshi approached her with more water as she read the instructions. Then she let him read as well while she took the medication. Megumi then grabbed her usual bag and started to rifle through it.
"Where's my phone?" The two of them briefly scanned the room before she spotted it abandoned in a corner. Her relief quickly turned into despair when she flipped it over, the glass shattered and the screen only showing white when she woke it up.
"It's broken." Satoshi stated the obvious.
"I guess I was really made when I couldn't reach Soma earlier." Megumi admitted. At that, her companion gave her a weird stare. He spoke before she could ask.
"Do you want me to bring him to you?"
Megumi blinked in shock.
"I can find him." Satoshi went on. "And I know that I can bring him here."
"I don't doubt that." Megumi replied as she stared at her ruined phone, her head wrapping around the idea.
"You don't have to decide now." He told her after a few moments. "I won't do anything until you say so." He gently nudged her up. "Go wash up."
Megumi obliged and soon was in the shower. While she stood under the warm water, Satoshi's offer floated back into her head.
It was a great opportunity to finally speak to Soma. To finally confront him about everything she had felt for the last few months. To yell at him. To cry in front of him. To tell him that he was going to be a father.
But what would happen after that? Would Soma actually stay after the news? Would they actually become a loving family or stay together just by obligation? Would he grow to hate both her and the child? Could she really deal with her heart being shattered if he confirmed he didn't have feelings for her?
Maybe the radio silence from Soma was a blessing in disguise. She was not ready to deal with the aftermath of talking to him yet. And maybe he wasn't either.
Satoshi was right. A decision wasn't needed now.
But she would think on it.
"Tadokoro!"
Megumi lifted her head from the plants she was inspecting in the direction of the voice, already smiling because she had recognized who had called her.
"Ah, Ayabito!" Megumi got up from her kneeling position, automatically dusting off her pants as the older woman came up to her.
"It's been a while since I have seen you." The wrinkles on her face grew as a concerned look came across her features. "Is everything well?"
"I've just been a bit busy." Megumi nodded before adjusting the sunhat that had been dislodged. The elder smiled at the reassurance and beamed when Megumi asked the same of her. That started a list of how nice everything was going for her and her family. Luckily, the elder started to inspect the plants around them so that gave Megumi an opportunity to listen while doing something.
She never minded Ayabito. She had met the greying woman when she first moved here. Megumi had been interested in the community garden that was not too far from her apartment, as she did not have enough room to grow much at her home. Ayabito had been in the garden the first time she had visited. Of course, Megumi later on learned that that was to be expected as Ayabito was in charge of the garden. She helped Megumi get started on helping with the plants and even assigned a plot to her so she could grow whatever she wanted. Some of the things that Megumi had grown here had been used for her trips or even as gifts for her friends. At first, the two of them bonded over gardening. However, as their friendship grew, they found out more about common likes and enjoyed the stories they had for each other, Megumi's about her travels and Ayabito about her family.
As Ayabito continued talking about the latest visit that she had with her grandchildren, Megumi started to wonder if this was something she would be doing in the far future. Would she be happily talking about her family about the time she spent with them? Or would her child grow up to resent her and cut her off once they were of age? Her hand shifted to her stomach, hoping that it was the former.
A wind picked up then, making the elder woman pause in her reminiscing. Megumi watched in slight concern as the woman shivered.
"It's started to get cold in the mornings again." Ayabito wrapped her cardigan tighter around her. "You're not cold?" She watched Megumi shake her head in her short sleeves and one of her looser pairs of jeans before adding that maybe it was just old age.
"I do come from a colder climate." Megumi reminded her, hoping to help cheer her up about her age a little bit. Ayabito hummed in response.
"Are you going to be here for the last harvest?" She asked a few seconds later. Last harvest was something that the garden did when seasons were changing. The regulars would come and do exactly what the event suggested. They would harvest whatever they could before the plants were unable to grow their products as well and clean up the garden. Whatever was harvested was either taken for whatever reason the person was privately growing for or donated in the case of the plots that were not claimed or allotted for public use.
"I'm hoping to be." Megumi said. "I don't know how busy I might be by then." Or how I may be in general in the next few weeks.
Thankfully, Ayabito accepted the answer as it was and did not ask any other prying questions. After that, Megumi didn't stay too much longer in the garden and bid Ayabito and a couple others a farewell before she started for home. It was still cool enough for her to walk so she did just that, as she wasn't too much in a hurry to get back to her apartment.
It was not like anyone was waiting for her there.
Hopefully.
Ever since Satoshi had found her that night around two weeks ago, he was over at her place more than he was at his own. He seemed to only go to his place to pick up clothes and some supplies before heading to her place to spend the night. Luckily, Megumi had an extra futon for him to sleep on.
The first few days, he practically did everything for or with her. Cooking, cleaning, and even shopping. He had also taken her to get a new phone the day after and hovered around when she finally had the courage to call her mother to tell her what had happened. He had given her enough privacy by being in a different room and only asked when she came out once the long conversation was over.
Speaking to her mother turned out to be the complete opposite of what she had dreamed the night before. Megumi had cried in relief once her mother had comforted her that she was not upset about anything, promising to help her through and to give her advice. Her mother did not ask who the father was nor did Megumi tell her then. Mom would know in due time, anyways.
The bluenette took a couple of more days to recover. The medication was a blessing. Even though it did not completely take away her nausea, she was now able to hold down more food than she had been the past couple of months. Because she was eating better, she also felt better. She had read that she was entering what was typically called the "honeymoon" stage of pregnancy so that probably helped her mood as well.
It was on this mood upswing she finally made the decision to talk to Nene and Hinako. She had decided to invite them together to her apartment, as she didn't feel comfortable explaining in a public area. She even had enough energy to make the snacks and tea. Megumi also allowed Satoshi to sit in for this reveal because it felt right to have him around for this as well.
Nene and Hinako took the news well, but probably because she did not tell them what had happened with Soma. Nene, like Satoshi, had taken it calmly. But she did question Satoshi sharply if he was the father. Both Megumi and Satoshi shook their heads at that. Nene didn't ask further that time because Hinako had chosen to bolt to the bluenette and embraced her in a tight but careful embrace as she started crying. That kickstarted Megumi's tears and both of them ended up kneeling on the floor bawling for a while as the other two looked on. Eventually, she calmed enough to ask the other two women to not say anything about her pregnancy to anyone else. She would tell people when she was ready.
Or when she couldn't hide it anymore.
Whatever came first.
Megumi had been thinking lately about how glad she was that Satoshi had pushed her to take care of herself these past few months. If it hadn't been for him, who knew where she would be now. Some worse case scenarios had gone through her head. She could have been so dehydrated that she could have been taken to the ER. Her condition could have been leaked out to people she knew way before she knew. She could have seriously damaged herself and the baby.
She may even have had a miscarriage.
Thankfully, the doctor had told her that the avocado size fetus was okay a couple of days ago and just to keep eating and drinking as much as she could tolerate. Satoshi had been relieved when she told him before he went to do something else in her apartment. And as she watched him move around, a sudden thought had come across her mind.
What if she had started to depend on him like she had depended on Soma?
It was nearly impossible to clear her mind of the redhead. After all, it was his child that he was carrying. And even though Satoshi had told her again and again that he did not mind taking care of her, the fear of him suddenly leaving as she had gotten used to him flared up.
Her defense kicked in.
And so, she started to ask Satoshi if he could ease up on the visiting. Megumi used every excuse in the book to justify her request. She worried about him not getting enough rest. She could take care of herself just fine now. She could ask Nene or Hinako for help if needed. Everything but the main reason, though, and she knew that he knew she wasn't telling him everything.
But bless him, he relented soon enough. They reached a compromise. He would come every other day for a visit and the times he didn't she would send a message that she was alright. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but now that it was implemented she really didn't feel accomplished.
She felt torn between wanting him to come back, keeping everything as it was right now, or to just push him away completely.
Really, she did not know what to decide.
However, when she got home and got herself some pudding, another option presented itself in the form of a phone call from her mother.
Wow, I didn't expect to take this long to update this story.
I have to admit this was a really hard chapter to write. I sat for months on end deciding how Megumi was going to break the news to people, and to who. I knew Satoshi was going to know everything from the get-go, but leading up to it took many, many times. I'm satisfied enough with this result, though. I hope you guys are as well!
Thanks for reading!