Page 82 of Set me Free

"You killed that, baby girl," Sienna said, walking over and pulling me into a tight hug. I hugged her back, soaking it in. This was the best part of all of this—how close we had gotten. For the last month, my mama and I had been spending every single day together. I lived in her condo with her. We ate meals together, went shopping together. She went over lines with me, giving me pointers. It was an amazing experience; a side of Sienna I hadn’t known before. And for the first time in my life? It didn’t feel forced. She was proud of me. She told me every single day. Sheactually showed up. And damn if that didn’t mean the world to me. "You ever think about doing this full-time?" Sienna asked, pulling back and studying my face.

I smirked. "What, and become my mama’s competition?"

She laughed. "Baby, please. Ain’t nobody competition to me."

I laughed too, but deep down, I was really thinking about it. Maybe this wasn’t a one-time thing. Maybe I actually had a future in this. But was I willing to put dance on hold to give this an actual chance? I enjoyed this experience enough to consider it.

During my last week of filming, something felt off. I was tired all the time, I had been nauseous every morning, and nothing—I mean, nothing—was sitting right in my stomach. At first, I thought it was stress, stress from being away from Creed, stress from worrying too much. Then I thought maybe I caught some kind of bug. But deep down, something was telling me that wasn’t it. So I made an appointment. And that’s when my entire world shifted.

The waitingroom felt too bright, too quiet. I sat there, tapping my foot, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Miss Bradshaw?"

I stood up, following the nurse down the hall and into the small, cozy room. She took my vitals and had me pee in a cup, standard procedure.

"So, tell me what's been going on," the doctor said, settling onto her stool.

I swallowed. "I've been sick. Tired. Just… not myself."

She nodded. "Well, based on your symptoms, we went ahead and ran a few tests." I nodded, waiting and she smiled softly. "Serenity, you’re pregnant."

The world tilted and I blinked. "I—what?"

"You're about eight weeks along based on what you told my nurse of when your last cycle was," she confirmed, still smiling. "Would you like to see your baby?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded, too shocked to speak so I just nodded, frantically, feel like my neck was going to break.

She had me lie back, lifting my shirt before squeezing cold gel onto my stomach.

"Okay, let’s take a look," she murmured, grabbing the wand and moving it across my lower abdomen. And then a tiny, rhythmic sound filled the room. I gasped, my heart stopping. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat," the doctor said. "Strong and steady."

A sob broke free from my lips. Then, on the screen, I saw them. My baby. Tiny, curled up, barely the size of a raspberry—but real and alive, growing inside me.

"Oh my God," I whispered, covering my mouth.

"Would you like a printout?"

I nodded, tears falling freely now. "Please."

She handed me the black-and-white ultrasound photo, and I clutched it tight. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So, I did both.

By the time I stepped out of the doctor's office, my hands were shaking. Not from fear and not from uncertainty. But from excitement.

I pulled out my phone, instinctively scrolling to Creed’s contact. Then I stopped. I didn’t want to tell him over the phone. This was too big, too important. I wanted to see his face. I wanted to watch his reaction when he realized we had createdsomething out of love. So instead of calling him, I booked my flight home.

A few days later, I stood outside of the airport with Sienna standing next to me.

"You’re glowing Tootie,"

I smiled, adjusting my purse. "Atlanta air must be good for me."

She smirked, tilting her head. "Or maybe something else is." My stomach flipped, but I kept my face neutral. If she asked I wouldn’t confirm or deny, I couldn’t tell her first, Creed had to be the first person I told. So, I was glad when she didn’t ask questions.

"I’m proud of you, baby girl," she said softly, pulling me in for a hug. I held onto her tight, feeling a little overwhelmed by how much things had changed between us. "We’ll talk soon?" she asked.

I nodded. "Soon. I love you Mommy.”

“Love you too baby.” She kissed my cheek and with that, I stepped inside the airport, my heart pounding, my hand clutching my ultrasound photo inside my bag. I couldn’t wait to tell Creed. Because this? This was the best surprise of all.

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