“Courtney? What are wewe doing here?” I asked in surprise.


“I’m pregnant,” Courtney snapped. Her stomach was very swollen.


“Obviously.”


She crossed her arms over her chest, “I guess we’re both knocked up.”


“How far along are you?”


“Seven months with a boy. You?”


“I’m four months with a girl.”


“Maybe we could keep in touch,” She rummaged through her mfuko wa fedha, mfuko and found a small notebook with a pen attached to it. She wrote something on it, ripping the page out; she handed it to me, “It’s good to know that I’m not the only one in this situation.”


I stuffed the piece of paper in my pocket.


“Courtney?” A nurse called.


“I’ve got to go, but text me au something later,” She waddled off towards the nurse who was waiting patiently.


Alejandro and I started walking out of the office.


“That was weird,” He stated once we got to the elevator; He pressed the glowing down arrow on the wall.


“I know. I mean, Courtney, and she was actually being kind of nice,” I replied, watching for the elevator to open. It finally did and we stepped on. I pressed the main floor button causing the doors closed again.


“It seems like she’s looking for a friend and she’s looking for a friend in you, mi amor.”


“Why me though?” I groaned.


“You both have something in common now,” He motioned to my stomach.


“That’s your fault,” I replied.


I felt a kick so I pulled my hand to feel her with it. I smiled.


Alejandro placed one of his hands around the same spot to feel her. He looked so amazed.


The elevator doors opened back up when we got to the main floor; we stopped what we were doing and started towards the exit.


“You know,” He started talking again, “We haven’t thought of any names for her.”


“I know.”


“Do wewe have anything in mind?”


I stopped walking at turned to him, “Alejandro, I don’t feel like discussing this now. I just want to go back to sleep.”


He nodded, “Alright, I’ll take wewe home.”


He started walking towards the door again and I did too, “I would rather go to Sierra’s.”


We got to car before he alisema anything else. I was buckling the kiti, kiti cha ukanda when he turned to me and said, “Why are wewe spending so much time over at Sierra’s lately?”


“What do wewe mean? I haven’t been spending that much time there.”


“Heather, something’s up. Just tell me what’s wrong.”


He had his hands on either side of my face. It was suddenly burning up in the car, even though it was probably less than twenty degrees outside and he didn’t even turn the car on yet. I think it was from the pressure that he was onto what was going on. It was that I didn’t want him to know that my parents kicked me out—I did—but I just didn’t want him to think that it was such a big deal


“N-nothing’s wrong,” I stuttered out.


“Your parents kicked wewe out, didn’t they?”


I bit my lip and nodded. I looked down at the consol in between the seats where he had his elbows resting on.


“I figured. You’re coming nyumbani with me,” He sat back up correctly in the driver’s seat, starting the ignition.


“Huh?”


“You’re going to stay with me.”


I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. I just stared at the landscape whizzing kwa outside of the car, as if I were in a trance.


Alejandro was driving for who knows how long when he came to a stop. I hadn’t even realized that we were anywhere near his house since I was too busy watching outside, just thinking of what had just happened.


"Coming, mi ángel?" He asked, standing outside of the opened passenger side door, and I snapped out of my thoughts.


"Huh? Oh yeah," I replied. I unbuckled the kiti, kiti cha belt; I slid out of the seat. Alejandro kissed me before leading us into his house.


He led me up the stairs into his bedroom.


"Lay down and get some rest," He said, "I'll explain to my parents what happened."


I felt like a child; he was tucking me in like I had always wished my parents would have done.


I obliged to what he said.


"Thank you, Alejandro, I upendo you."


He kissed me again and replied, "I upendo wewe too, Heather. I upendo you, too."
******************************
I woke up later that siku still in Alejandro's bed. When I glanced over to the window, it was dark outside. I slipped out of the kitanda and made my way to exit the room. I walked through the hall and down the stairs.


"You're up," I heard Alejandro say. I turned to him, nodding, "Yeah."


He walked over to me; he kissed me once again that day. Once we released, he spoke again, "I talked to my mom."


"What did she say?"


"She'll be happy for wewe to stay here."


I smiled at him before I wrapped my arms around him tightly, "I upendo you."


"I upendo wewe too, and," He stepped back to place his hands on my stomach, "I upendo our daughter."


I looked up to him, "I want to name her Marisol."


"It's a beautiful name."


"I know, and that’s why I like it."


"Our little Marisol," He stated staring down at my stomach. I placed my hands over his.


“I can’t wait until she’s finally here.”


“Me either. Five months to go."


"Five months to go," I repeated after him.


"This is going to be a long five months."


"It sure will be."