Page 63 of Krash & Bern

I headed up the elevator to the floor Bernie’s office was located. I had a bag in my hand. There was a purpose for my visit, but I wanted to soften the reveal with her favorite chocolates and a framed picture of us to add to the decor of her office.

As the elevator doors opened, my heart began to pick up the pace. With each step I took, my symptoms grew more extreme. My throat began to dry, my skin coated in a layer of sweat, and my stomach churned.

When I entered her office, she was still in a deep conversation on the video call. She looked over at me with twinkling brown eyes before returning her attention to the people on her computer screen.

“I think BerJam, Security does have the bandwidth to expand beyond the United States. We can start in the sister country Canada and go beyond the oceans. With your help in foreign laws, we can get our product international,” she explained.

I took a seat in the leather chair in the corner and watched her in her element. When I first met Bern, she had a faux sense of confidence. She hated talking to people, but over the years, she found her voice and passion. I loved to watch her in her element.

I zoned out of the conversation and sent a few messages to my crew. I wanted to get all of my promo for the fight scheduled. I wanted to do a couple club appearances as well. I’d probably get a section at Kamp before the weather took a turn.

“Hey, my love.”

My attention shifted from my phone to my lady. She’d finished her call and had begun the journey over to me. I stood up and met her halfway. I leaned down and pecked her lips.

“Hey.”

“I didn’t know you were stopping by today.” She grinned as she rubbed her hands through my facial hair.

“I got some things for you,” I announced.

“Ooh! What did you get me?” she questioned as she looked over at the bag I left near the chair.

“I’d like to preface with saying your parents really got me thinking,” I began.

She took a step back. “You went and got a pregnancy test and put it in a fucking gift bag?”

“Listen before you get all gangsta on me, bae. We should know sooner than later. I want to make sure we move with the right information and not put you and our unborn child at any risks with prolonging the inevitable discovery. If you are pregnant, we can get the care started. If not, we can keep trying until you are.”

The seed her parents planted at dinner had me giddy. I’d noticed the glow in her skin, the wider her hips had gotten, and her sensitivity to my touch and certain smells. The evidence was there. It was time to confirm what we all suspected to be true.

Bernice crossed her arms. “So what did you bring to counteract the pregnancy test.”

“I got you some chocolate and a teddy bear too.”

She laughed. “Crazy. I thought you were bringing me lunch and maybe a quickie, but you want to ruin my day instead.”

“No, not at all. Regardless, we’re in this shit forever. I’m going to marry you soon. Whether we have to fit a baby bump into your wedding dress or get a babysitter for our honeymoon, we got this.”

“You know both of those options involved me being pregnant, right?” she asked with a shake of her head.

“I ain’t think you’d notice,” I admitted.

“Let me go pee on this damn stick,” she grumbled.

“Put some excitement in your voice. We’re financially stable to care for this child. We’re in love with each other, so we’re bound to give even more love to the child we make together. A baby with you would never and could never be a bad thing.”

“You’re right.”

She moved over to the bag and pulled out the box of two pregnancy tests. She kissed me again before she moved into the bathroom of her office. While she handled her business, I closed and locked her office door and closed the blinds to the windows for people to see into the room. Regardless of the outcome, I wanted this to be our special moment without the possibility of curious eyes looking in on us.

When she emerged, she poked out her bottom lip.

“Can you set a timer for five minutes?” she asked in a timid voice.

I nodded and set a timer. We moved to the two-seater leather couch in the corner of her office by the bookshelf. I sat down and pulled her into my lap. She grabbed her chocolate and rest her head on my shoulder as she ate her treat.

“Don’t worry about the results. Start thinking about the colors you want in our wedding.”

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