The next morning Talia woke up in AJ’s arms. She was so content. She felt so loved and nurtured lying there in his arms. So secure. She gently lifted AJ’s arm from her waist. She got up, got dressed and headed down stairs. Talia made breakfast: pancakes and bacon, with orange juice and fruit salad. Talia had just finished putting all the dishes and plates on the table when AJ came walking down the stairs. He smiled at her then came up to her and put his hand around her waist and pulled her in for a hug. Talia thought this was perfect. She loved waking up in AJ’s house, and then having AJ hold her.
“Hey baby, you should have woken me up, I could have made breakfast, but thank you this food looks great, how are you?” AJ asked her while sitting down at the table.
“It’s O.K.> I didn’t mind making this for you, and I’m great, wonderful actually. I cannot describe to you how happy I felt this morning waking up in your arms, I love you so much AJ!” Talia said as she sat down and started to cry, but they were happy tears. AJ came over to her side, kneeling beside her.
“Oh baby, don’t cry, I love you too! And I love waking up with you in my arms, I want to do it everyday forever!” AJ said.
“I’m sorry AJ, it’s the pregnancy, too many hormones surging through my body. But I want things too stay like this forever too, but honey they can’t soon they’ll be a baby, who will wake up screaming in the middle of the night, I can’t burden you with that AJ, I think I should stay in my apartment, full time, when the baby comes” Talia replied.
“Talia, no, don’t think like that, I love you so much and the baby will not be a burden I look forward to him or her coming, I can’t wait until I can hold your child in my arms. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now but do you want to move in here, I mean you could give up your apartment and move in here full time! There’s lots of room, We could even make a baby room! What do you think?” AJ asked her excitedly.
“Oh AJ, I’d love to! That sounds fantastic, maybe we could pick out some stuff for the baby room later today?” Talia asked as she then took her first bite of pancake.
“Yeah O.K.! So have you thought of any baby names yet, Tals?” AJ asked
“Yeah, tell me what you think about them O.K.? I was thinking of Brittany Grace, Kimberly Rae or Lia Jordyn for a girl and Corbin Ajay or Bradley Greg for a boy, what do you think?” Talia asked
“Oh those are all nice, you’d name your child’s middle name after me if it was a boy?” AJ asked
“Yes I would because no matter what happens between us I always want to be reminded of who helped me through this, you mean so much to me AJ!” Talia replied.
“Oh I love you so much, baby!” AJ said and kissed her.
“Me too, AJ, me too!” Talia said and smiled.
The couple finished breakfast. AJ did the dishes while Talia watched some TV. Later that day AJ and Talia went around to various stores to pick out baby stuff. They came home with more stuff then they knew what to do with. That afternoon was spent decorating the baby room. By the end of the day both of them were tired yet satisfied. The baby’s room looked beautiful. That night the couple had a very romantic evening. Talia made dinner while AJ ‘decorated’ his room upstairs. The couple had a wonderful dinner. Then they went upstairs. Talia gasped as she saw what AJ had done. His room with was usually messy and cluttered, now had black satin sheets on the bed with roses in vases on either side of the bed, then there was soft music playing in the background the lights were low and their were candles and an incense stick burning on a table. Talia was overwhelmed the room was incredible, it was the most romantic thing she’d ever seen. The tears just ran down her face.
“Oh baby, what’s wrong?” AJ asked his lover with concern
“Oh god, AJ I love this, I love you! It’s beautiful! I’ve never seen anything this romantic, I'm sorry, it’s the hormones baby!” Talia replied then rubbed her hand across her swollen belly.
“Oh honey, I'm so glad you like it come here” AJ said as he sat on the bed with his arms outstretched. Talia walked over to him and they held each other for a few minutes. Then AJ ran his hand over her belly, gently humming.
“Can I feel the baby kick?” AJ asked.
“Yeah here...” Talia placed AJ’s hand over her lower abdomen, she then put her hand on top of his and put a little pressure on it. They both waited for a minute. Each listening to the other breathe. Then the baby kicked. Talia smiled and squeezed AJ’s hand.
“Wow, that’s so cool, does it hurt?” AJ asked her.
“No, not now, it’s just a little annoying when I'm trying to sleep and the baby keeps kicking me in the ribs, it kinda takes your breath away.” Talia replied.
“Your so incredible, you know that? I mean what your doing and the life your leading I could never ever do it, and being pregnant on top of it all, your amazing baby!” AJ said sincerely as he kissed her neck and shoulders.
“Thank you AJ, but it’s really not that big of a deal, it’s not like I have that much choice, and what do you mean you could never do it? You manage being a superstar, recording an album, touring and everything and still are the most fantastic and special person I have ever meet, I love you more than words could ever say!” Talia replied.
“Because anything I could say right now wouldn’t do justice do how I feel for and about you I’ll just do this!” AJ whispered as he kissed down Talia’s neck, slowly taking off her shirt. Talia shivered at the gentleness of AJ’s touch.
“Hey Age, can we just talk?” Talia asked.
“Yeah of course honey, whatever you want.” AJ replied, as he sat behind her straddling her body. He began massaging her neck.
“Oh god, AJ that feels so great.” Talia said as her body went limp from his touch.
“So what do you want to talk about?” AJ asked as he continued to massage her neck and moved down her back.
“I don’t know, nothing in particular, I just wanna hear the sound of your voice, I don’t know, for some reason this whole situation seems so surreal to me, like I better enjoy every second cause any minute everything will come crashing down.” Talia spoke with sadness in her voice.
“Don’t worry Tals, I love you and you know it, I would never leave you, I want us to be like this forever, like we are now, you can tell me anything and I can tell you anything, things are so great right at this second.” AJ said and smiled as he thought about how much he enjoyed this, to think, that night he met Talia he had wanted to go to McDonald’s and if he had he would have never met the love of his life. Just then Talia gasped.
“What’s wrong, did I hurt you, is it the baby?” AJ asked almost frantically.
“No, sorry, the baby just kicked me hard in the ribs and it took my breath away for a sec” Talia replied and smiled. AJ was so concerned about her, she felt lucky her second of every day to have found him.
“Are you scared?” AJ asked
“About what?” Talia asked
“The baby being born, like the whole labor thing, does that scare you?” AJ asked her.
“Yeah, I am really scared about that actually, I don’t I have some blind faith that it will be O.K. that somehow when it happens I’ll be able to suck it up and deal with the pain, but I hate pain and am such a wimp, what if I can’t take it? It the whole unknownness of it.” Talia replied.
“Baby, your not a wimp at all, your one of the strongest people I know, don’t worry I'll be there with you for the whole thing.” AJ said.
“Thank you Age, your presence there means a lot to me” Talia replied.
The couple talked for a while longer. Then fell asleep, holding each other tightly.
2 ½ months later
“Oh my god, AJ help me, make it stop, this hurts like hell!” Talia cried as the contraction gripped her body in pain. She had been in labor for the last 14 hours. Just then the doctor came in to check her.
“O.K. your 10 cm, we’ll get you ready to push now, here’s where the real work starts!” The doctor said and smiled.
“Oh fuck I can’t do this, it hurts too much.” Talia moaned.
“Baby your doing so well, you’ve gotten this far, just think the harder you push the sooner this will all be over!” AJ said trying to comfort her. The doctor then put her feet in the stirrups and got together all her equipment.
“O.K. when the contractions starts your going to take a deep breath, then let it out, then take another deep breath while AJ counts to ten then exhale then do the same thing again, you want to try and get three good pushes in to each contraction.” The doctor said, just then another contraction started.
“O.K. your doing good, keep pushing I can feel the baby moving down, O.K. push harder, come on, one more, your doing great!” The doctor encouraged Talia as she pushed.
“Oh fuck I can’t do this just get it out, Ahhhhhhh” Talia screamed as the baby moved farther and farther down, which hurt more and more.
A nurse then came in and started pushing down on Talia’s stomach to get the baby out faster.
“Ahhh make her stop doing that it huts too much” Talia yelled. The doctor signaled for the nurse to stop.
“O.K. this should be the last push, O.K. take a huge breath and push as hard as you can” The doctor instructed. Talia did this.
“Oh Tals I can see the baby’s head it’s almost out, oh god that looks painful” AJ commented.
“Gee ya think AJ, Oh fuck!” Talia screamed
“O.K. don’t push I’m just going to ease the baby’s head out so you don’t tear.” The doctor instructed.
“Oh god I have to push, it hurts too much, it’s like I'm going to rip in half, please just get it out, owwwww” Talia yelled as the forceful pain of the contractions was now accompanied by a burning, stretching pain in her vagina. It was like nothing she had ever felt before.
“O.K. it’s almost out this is the worst part just take a deep breath and hold on.” The doctor said as the baby’s head crowned
“AHHHHHHH, let me die now!” Talia let out a violent scream, as the pain coursed through her body, nothing she had ever experienced had hurt so much like this before.
After what seemed like forever to Talia the baby was finally out. It cried immediately and was then placed on Talia’s chest. Talia was so glad the whole experience was finally over and relieved that her baby was healthy. It was a boy, she decided and AJ agreed to name him Zachary Ajay. Both AJ and Talia spent the next two hours bonding with the baby before Talia got to exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open so she slept and AJ held the baby while rocking in a rocking chair. Talia woke up to see AJ asleep in the chair with Zach peacefully sleeping on his chest. It was one of the most beautiful sights, Tals had ever seen.