Page 79 of Juke
The room got quiet. Rashad reached for my hand, squeezing it. “See? You good. Told you.”
I exhaled, leaning into him. “Still feels unreal.”
He kissed my forehead. “Real as it gets.”
The door opened, and the doctor finally walked in. “Sophia Johnson?”
“That’s me,” I confirmed.
She smiled, then turned her attention to Rashad. Her eyes widened. “And you must be Daddy?”
Rashad gave a small nod.
“I’ve heard good things,” she said, shaking my hand. “You’re in excellent hands here. And… this is awkward, but do you think I could get an autograph for my son after the exam? He’s a big fan.”
“We’ll see how well you take care of her first.” Rashad smirked.
The doctor laughed and then got down to business. She walked me through the exam step by step. She confirmed I was ten weeks along, and it felt like the air shifted in the room.
“Ten weeks,” I repeated, stunned.
Rashad grinned, like he’d just won a title fight. He kissed my temple. “Told you it was real.”
I couldn’t help but smile, too. Nervous, yes, but excited in a way I couldn’t put into words.
Afterwards, the doctor gave us the prenatal instructions, a list of dos and don’ts that already felt overwhelming. But Rashad was calm, nodding along like he had it all memorized already.
Before we left, he scribbled his name across her prescription pad for her son, shaking her hand as she thanked him again. We scheduled the next appointment and walked out with the reality settling that I was about to be somebody’s mama.
Ten weeks.
Ten weeks of growing something we made together.
Once we were inside the truck, I buckled my seatbelt, still holding the stack of papers the doctor gave me. My fingers played with the corners, but my mind wasn’t really on them. It was on the little life inside me.
***
Back at the condo, it took me a while to work up the nerve to call my parents. Rashad was stretched out on the couch, scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a care in the world, and there I was pacing with mine in my hand.
Finally, I hit call.
“Hey baby,” she answered as soon as the call connected. “Baby, I was just thinking about you. How are you feeling?”
I swallowed, biting my lip. “I’m good, Mama. Actually… we had our first appointment today.”
There was a pause, then a sharp inhale. “Appointment?”
Rashad sat forward, catching my eye. He nodded once, steady.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Mama… Daddy… I’m pregnant.”
The silence lasted all of two seconds before my mama’s voice cracked. “My baby having a baby.” I could hear her sniffling, her joy spilling through the line.
Daddy’s voice came next, deep, and steady. “Sophi.”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“You happy, baby girl?”
