Gorgeous
Mike could feel her shivering the moment he wrapped his arms around her. His long, neverending arms that still couldn’t quite reach far enough to shield her from the world and what had happened to her all those years ago, and continued to happen. Her breathing started to settle and he held on as if for dear life, willing her heart back into her chest. Her eyes were still darting so she closed them. Her own arms were wrapped around herself, themselves struggling to protect something from the cruelty of the word. A small, white, insignificant stick of plastic teetered on the edge of the coffee table.
“What if it comes out like me?” She gasped out, barely coherent, her teeth chattering together. “What if it’s different? Wrong?”
Mike’s brows furrowed, he buried his sharp chin deep into her wavy long hair and sighed.
“There will be absolutely nothing wrong with this baby, J. I promise you. Nothing we make can ever be wrong.”
Eleven bit her lip and took a deep shuddering breath. Mike only called her J or Janie when he was really worried about her, or she was having a really bad attack. She wiped her nose. It came back clean. Not that bad of an attack then. She tried to calm down. The stress couldn’t be good for the fetus. Adrenaline was believed to have adverse effects. But it was so hard for her to stay calm.
“I’m afraid...”
Mike led her over to the couch and they both sort of sagged into it.
“You gotta stop that. You know I’ll always protect you. Both of you. Always. Just trust me.”
The slender 20 year old woman turned to face her boyfriend and the father of this tiny life. Those same brown eyes, always a little sad, a little hurt. Even when he laughed. Did she do that to him? Drag him down into the depths of her own despair. Her mental prison she might never escape?
“I hope it looks like you.”
Mike smirked. She was coming out of it.
“Nah. I’m a mess. I hope he or she looks like their pretty momma. Big ole’ brown eyes and curly brown hair.” he strokes her cheek gently.
Suddenly her eyes grew unfocused and she started to tremble again.
“Oh god Mike, Dad’s gonna kill you.”
Mike scoffed. “Why? We’ve lived together for like a year already.”
“But...we’re not married. You have to be married first.”
“Okay then. Marry me.”
Eleven’s eyes got as big as saucers. Mike couldn’t help but laugh.
“Is that a yes?”
“Isn’t it too late?”
“Nah. It’s called a shotgun wedding.”
Eleven looked horrifed “why do we need a gun?”
Mike shook his head, still smiling for miles. He was going to love this girl forever.
And this kid was going to be gorgeous.
