Chapter 12
Four months later.
Today officially marks four months since I arrived in this city, and many things have happened during this time.
In the second month, Liliam, Ale, Kate, Louis, Mom, and the kids came to visit me, and we had a lot of fun. I asked Liliam about Dad, and she told me he was still upset. I didn't want to know more.
During this time, I hired staff for my house: Luna, the maintenance manager, and her "assistants" Karla and Merci, and finally Marco, the driver that Jhonny insisted I hire because he said I wouldn't be able to drive once my belly got bigger.
As for Jhonny, he comes twice a week and has never stayed overnight except for one time when he came home drunk and wearing a yellow baby hat. I swear I felt like crying when he said he chose that color because he didn't know the baby's gender. That was the only day he stayed home all night.
Now I know a lot more about him. For example, he is not three years older than me but seven. Yes, seven years. Jhonny is thirty-one and I'm twenty-four. He looked much younger when I met him. He's an only child and engaged to the daughter of one of the majority partners in his company, Irina, that's her name.
He's obsessed with pleasing his father for some reason that I completely don't understand. As for our child, I think he has grown attached to him since our second appointment with Ximena, where we heard the baby's heartbeat. Now, every time he comes home, he brings something for my son. He has even started decorating his room, which we decided will be the one in front of mine.
On the other hand, our coexistence is not the best. Sometimes he makes me so angry with something he says or does, that I end up kicking him out of the house. Then he comes back using the keys I gave him and apologizes. We don't get along very well, but we do what we can.
As for my new project, it's going well. I've already bought a building that is being renovated, and if everything goes as planned, the inauguration of the new fashion and design company will be ready after my baby is born.
The sound of the front door being opened brings me back from my reverie. I turn my gaze and see Jhonny entering with a white box in his hands.
"Look, Laura, I bought this at the mall two days ago. It's a bottle case," he says, sitting next to me and opening the small case with four bottles. "This one is for milk," he points to the largest one, which is white and has colorful balls inside the lid like the others. "This one is for any other drink like juice or something," he points to the medium-sized one. "This one is for water," he takes one of the smaller ones and shows it to me before putting it back in its place. "And this one is for medicine." This one is even smaller than my pinky.
"How do you know which one is for what?" is the first thing that comes to my mind.
It's clear that this man barely knows about the existence of babies in the world.
"The shop assistant told me," he shrugs innocently, putting the bottles back in the case. "Hey, you!" he calls Merci, who quickly comes to us. "Take this to my son's room," he orders, handing the bottles to Merci, who takes them and heads towards the stairs. "Are you ready?" he asks me.
"Yes," I whisper.
I grab my bag and cell phone, then stand up from the couch. Once we leave the house, we get into his car, and he drives towards the clinic.
"You should be more respectful to people," he knows perfectly well that I'm referring to the way he, "asked" Merci to put away the bottles, but he just shrugs without saying anything about it. In other words, he doesn't care.
I roll my eyes. He's arrogant. Perhaps if there was more trust between us, I would try to make him at least apologize to Merci, but we're not even friends, so I just look out the window.
Today is our appointment with Claudia, and I'm a bit more anxious than previous times because, in the last consultation, she told us that if we were lucky, we would know the baby's gender today.
"Are you excited to find out?" he asks with a smile, and I nod.
"Actually, yes. I'm excited to know," I whisper, placing my hands on my swollen belly.
He laughs and looks at me for a few seconds, smiling, before returning his gaze to the road, his features tensing up.
I don't understand his mood swings.
Neither of us speaks, and minutes later, we find ourselves parking at the clinic. I get out first, and he does the same. He stands next to me, and we walk together to the reception. We've done the same thing every time we've been here until we reach Claudia's office, where she greets both of us with a hug.
"Lie down, dear," she asks with a smile that never fades, or at least I've never seen her without it. "If we're lucky today, we'll find out who this little one is."
Jhonny and I nod, and she applies the characteristic gel to my belly before moving the device around from one place to another.
"Here it is," she whispers, focused.
"What is Claudia?" Johnny asks, looking at the screen.
"Can you see what it is?" I inquire as well, with hope.
"Congratulations! You'll have a little girl!" My eyes immediately fill with tears of happiness upon hearing that, and I rest my head on the examination table, unable to contain my smile.
For a moment, my mind plays a trick on me, and my smile is clouded by a sob that escapes when the sudden feeling of loneliness fills my chest, knowing that I am without any of the people I've had in my life. No mom, no dad, or my siblings. Where are they? Why have they broken the promise of never leaving me alone?
I close my eyes and shake my head, not wanting it to affect me, not wanting anything to tarnish this moment. I am not alone; I have her.
With that thought, I open my eyes and smile again.
I'm going to be a mom to a little girl!
I turn to Johnny, who is also looking at me, and in his eyes, I can see joy and another emotion that I can't decipher. He smiles, and his eyes fill with unshed tears.
"Damn!" he whispers, his voice choked with emotion, turning his back to me. "A baby?" he asks, looking at the doctor. Claudia laughs, and so do I.
"A very healthy girl," the woman confirms.
I smile, nodding and stepping down from the examination table once I finish wiping the gel off my belly.
Johnny and I leave the place, smiling without saying anything to each other. We get in the car and head onto the highway, but when it's time to turn toward home, Johnny keeps going straight.
"Where are we going?" I ask, observing him.
"To the mall. Why wait any longer? We already know what it will be. It's time to start shopping for my baby."