Jagger

"Hey! Are you alright?"

I banged on the door, trying to turn the knob, but she'd locked it.

"Sugar?"

"I'm...fine..." she said, "I'm just showering!"

"Again?"

"I spilled some juice on my dress.."

"Can I come in there with you?"

"No, I'm almost done and can't unlock the door!"

"Heather sent me back with ginger ale and crackers," I said, "What's going on?"

I heard the water shut off and then a few moments later, a towel-wrapped Julia appeared smiling and shivering.

"Are you excited about tonight?"

"Are you sick?" I asked, "We can cancel."

"No," she said, turning from me, "I'm..I'm fine..I want to meet your family."

"Alright," I said, "I'm going to leave the food on the table and get dressed. You sure you're,-"

"I'm perfectly fine, spice. Go get dressed or we're going to be fashionably late."

"What if I wanted to throw you on the bed and have my way with you?"I winked as she bit her bottom lip. God, I loved taking that bottom lip in mine.

"I'll be out in a minute."

"If you aren't, I'm coming in there and we're not going out at all."

Julia

I buried the test in the trash—don't ask me why. It was such a strange thing to do, but it was all I thought about doing.

I needed to tell him—or take another test—or get to a doctor—all of it. I had every intention of telling him so tossing the test was such a move that I couldn't explain.

Terrified wasn't the right word for me—I was completely mortified.

"You look so precious," he said, "You most certainly didn't have to wear a dress, though."

I smiled, "Thank you. I know you like it, though."

I watched him watch me. He knew something wasn't right, but with both of our health issues, Jagger couldn't pinpoint it.

"Sugar.." he took my hand and twirled around as I grabbed the ginger ale, "Is it sugar free?"

"It's diet..it's fine," I said, chugging it because apparently my unborn child needed it.

Unborn. Child.

With Jagger Hayes.

Football star, millionaire playboy Jagger Hayes.

"Sugar, you look really pale," he said, "I'm canceling. They'll be here tomorrow, too."

"Jagger.."I breathed in, not at all knowing what the hell I was doing, but I couldn't drag it out—not with him, "We need to talk."

The troubled look on his face almost made me think he was going to see the voids, but I calmed him, taking his hand and leading him over to the bed.

"You're going to give me a heart attack," he said, "What's wrong? What is it?"

I licked my lips, my hands trembling, "Jagger, remember when you said you liked kids and you'd love to have a bunch of kids, but you are super worried that with our health problems maybe the future should be for adoption—if we get that far in our lives—and we've been super careful the last few weeks—the last month.."

"Julia, slow down.." he smiled, "What's happening, baby? What is it?"

I didn't know how to tell him—not romantically or special—no weird announcement with a literal bun in the oven.

"Jagger, I'm...we're...I'm...pregnant."

Jagger

I stared at her for what seemed to be for the longest time.

She didn't say pregnant...she wasn't pregnant.

She was having a baby—my child? My baby? No....

Well..

Her shy smile wasn't that of super happiness—no, it was nerves and fear and the clutch on my hand told me she was scared to death.

"You're...we're...how do you know?"

"I took a test," she said, "I just took it..I took a test and..I wasn't feeling well, but I thought it was just my sugars..Jagger, what are we going to do?"

She repeated it over and over again and all I could think of was if she was alright.

"Julia.."

"I didn't mean to..I didn't mean to get pregnant.." She blamed herself—that wasn't what I wanted. It was on both of us—this little blessing growing inside of her.

"Wait..no, no..that's not.." I couldn't contain my fear—my emotions were running rampant, "Julia, you're having my baby...I want to take care of both of you. Do you want it? Do you want to have the baby?"

Her eyes lowered down to her belly and I couldn't help but feel proud.

"I..do you want me to have it?"

"I'd love you to have my baby," I said, "But...you...your health...your.."

"I want it," she blurted out, "I want to keep it. I do..I want your baby.."

I breathed in, deeply—ready to take her straight to the hospital to get her checked out and set up the OBGYN, get a nursery, buy a house..

"Jagger?"

"Yes..." I blushed, "Yes...I want it..I want the baby, too."

She smiled and fell into my embrace as both of us cried—although she didn't see my tears fall.

I didn't want her to see how happy and completely afraid I was.

I didn't care about anything else in the entire world.

We were having a baby...