Mabel sat on the beach, watching the waves. A simple moment, she sat there to enjoy. Despite the New Years passed about a week ago, the beach was in almost the same condition as in the summer. The sounds of the ocean hitting not far away caves, washing over the sand. The screams of seagulls over her head and from the dock were the only thing, to break the silence, yet still sounded natural.

Everything in the scene brought silence, calmness and peace. Just the thing a person might need after a stressful day. But it was only noon. But it was far from what Mabel herself was searching in that place. Despite how not threatening her situation right now was, she was still tensed and worried.

Her arms were wrapped around her stomach. She couldn't feel anything, but she knew there was growing inside. Going through whole evolution process in just matter under one year.

A baby. A tiny life, that should be born out of love. A small person, born out of dedication of two people to each other. Somebody's future, that would lead people to new discoveries and lands.

A baby, just like that. A little human, growing inside her womb right at that moment.

A baby, who will be born to a girl, barely stepped into her teens, and a horrible father, who might not even know about this unborn child.

Mabel was deep in her thoughts, watching the water come and go from the shore. The girl sighed.

"I knew I'd find you here..." A voice said from behind.

Mabel softly gasped, turning around, but then calmed down with smile.

"Oh... it's you, Shermie."

"Hey, May-May..." Shermie said, walking up to Mabel "Why did you come here?" He asked looked up at his sister, as the wind hit them.

"Oh well..." Mabel sighed, looking down, as she pulled her feet to her body. She was glad for being able to do it still. "To think, I guess..." She gave a weak smile

"Oh..." Shermie looked down, before copying Mabel's position, leaning against her shoulder. "What are you thinking about?”

Mabel looked at her brother for a second, but then away. She didn't want to be the one to tell this to Shermie. He was still so young... still... untouched by this world with it's unfairness and cruelty, like herself. Was it bad of her to want to keep this innocence for as long as he could?

"Just... stuff..." The girl said simply.

"Oh… alright!"

The two siblings sat on the shore, watching the water. They sat there, in peace and quiet for another minute.

"I like the beach..." Shermie said softly, not to break the moment "It's always calm and peaceful here..."

"Yeah..." Mabel smiled back, laying against her brother, pulling him closer. "It sure is... I like it h-..."

And then, Mabel felt her insides move, before leaning on other side, away from Shermie, letting her stomach to unload itself onto the snow-covered ground.

"Mabel!?" Shermie gasped, standing next to the girl.

He waited for her to finish... the deed, before placing his hand in her shoulder

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. "Do you wanna go home to Ma?"

The boy extended his hand to Mabel. The girl shivered at the touch, gently pushing away from her brother.

"N... no. Please... It's okay, I'm fine. Just need to wait this one out..."

Mabel, once again, sat on the ground, sighing, holding onto her stomach, grumbling something like "God darn it, kid..." to herself. Through hesitant, Shermie moved away from Mabel, but stayed close in case she'd need help standing up.

"A-are you sure?" Shermie asked shyly. "I saw your result... it doesn't mean you're sick, right?"

Mabel nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just need some time..." She sighed, before turning to Shermie with light smile. "And no. I'm not sick, I promise."

At least, not in common meaning of this...

But even with Mabel saying she was fine, Shemrie still didn't feel sure. He did feel she was hiding something from him. Something big and important. He wanted to ask again, but it only seemed like it'd worse the situation for Mabel, so he decided to drop it for now.

"Okay, if you say so... do you need any water through?"

Mabel thought about it for a second, before shaking her head.

"No, but thank you, Shermie..." She smiled. "Can you just... stay with me here?"

At this, Shermie just smiled, sitting next to Mabel, wrapping a hand around her.

"I love you, sis..."

Mabel smiled, hugging Shermie back.

"Love you too, bro..." She said, before thinking about something. "Hey... Shermie? Just a consideration, but... how would you feel if you... would become an uncle?"

"Huh?" Shermie looked from Mabel's arms, surprised. "An... uncle?" He looked away, before a smile crossed his face. "I think I would be happy! Especially if it was your baby!" He said with bright smile. "I'd be the best uncle and you'd be the best mom!"

Mabel looked at him, slightly surprised about the last part.

"Huh..? Are... are you serious about this? " Mabel asked, as Shermie looked at her "Do... do you... really think I would be a good mother?"

Shermie looked at this, before a laugh left him "Mabel, why are you asking that?! Of course! I mean... you're kind, positive, loving and caring!" He said with happily in his voice "And you believe I people and that they can change... if anything... you'd be the best mom!"

Mabel watched her brother monologing next to her, seemingly not noticing the single tear running down her face. Next second, she broke into a small laugh, looking down.

"Heh..." Mabel smiled back. "Thanks, Shermie..." She was now looking down on her stomach.

"Hey, that's what brothers are for, May-May!" Shermie said, smiling to her. "Why did you ask through?"

Mabel looked at him, before looking down, sighing.

"Well... you did say you saw my results..." She started. "And I'm sure you have questions about it..."

"Oh... just one, I think."

"Let me guess... 'what pregnancy is?', right?"

Shermie nodded.

Mabel sighed again. This whole time, she hasn't turned away from her stomach, now also adding her hand to wrap around it. (Was she doing it too often? She sighed, as she couldn't help this).

And she knew he'd ask her that. He was too young, and not obliged to, know what it was. And coming from her was, probably, because he was too scared of going to Mom and Dad about it...

She sighed.

"Well, Shermie..." She thought what would be a good point to start with. "Do... do you know where babies come from?"

Shermie shook his head. "No... not really... though Olivia from next door said her mom told her it's similar to flowers... is it so?" he asked, making Mabel chuckle a bit.

"Well... you can say so, as the process is kind of similar... but not exactly from the ground"

Mabel sighed, trying to think how to explain this in family-friendly way to Shermie. Through she thought that plant analogy would be good enough. Mabel prepared herself, before starting again.

"You see, Shermie... when a man and woman love each other a lot... a man can 'plant' his 'seed' into a woman, like in soil... if it happens on right time and father's seed meets with mother's... those two seeds fuse together. The result ends up inside of the mother, and, just like a flower, it grows and blooms in there for just a bit under a year... and then... it comes out... as a baby."

"Oooh... I see..." Shermie thought, nodding. "But what does that have to do with you?"

"Well..." Mabel sighed again. Here it goes... "Shermie... pregnancy is the time... during of which the baby stays inside of their mother..."

"Oh, like... in her belly?" Shermie asked with undying curiosity

"Mhm..." Mabel said, nodding, rubbing her own stomach. "That's right, Shermie. Right here."

Shermie then put her hand on Mabel's hand for a second, before it occurred to him.

Time while the baby is inside of their mother is called pregnancy.

The paper said Mabel was in pregnancy.

Did it mean that Mabel...

"...there's a baby inside of you..?" He asked, holding onto her hand.

Mabel sighed, looking away, but she still nodded, not able to bring herself to voice the answer. At least, the direct one. At least, not yet

"That's..." Shermie started, before smiling. "That's awesome! But why are you sad? Why is Ma scared and Pa angry?"

So they found too, huh? Mabel thought, before turning to Shermie. "Well..." The girl sighed again. "You see... that's a big change. And... how I said, it's more typical for grown women to have babies and not girls like myself. And also... way how... I got this child is also a factor, I guess..."

"Oh..." Shermie whispered, before he laid his hand on Mabel's shoulder "Hey... even if that's not typical way for people to get babies... I've got you! And that baby inside of you! We'll get though this! I'll be it's uncle and you'll be it's best mother!"

Mabel looked at her brother, through shocked a bit, but then, she smiled lightly.

"Thanks, Shermie..." The girl looked forward from herself, not noticing herself crying again.

"Huh? Why are you still crying through?"

Mabel looked at him, chuckling, before wiping her face.

"Oh... hah..." The girl said, cracking a small smile. "I think I just needed to hear those words..." Mabel then sighed. "Well... do you wanna go home? Or... I have some money... wanna go to the new art store down the street? It's right next to our favorite candy shop too"

Shermie smiled, standing up, helping Mabel on her feet. And so... two kids were off the beach...