Chapter 71

"I can't be pregnant," Maya muttered again. Disbelief in every inch of her voice. There was something the woman wasn't getting right; she just couldn't. Hell, how could she even become a mom?

Growing up, she'd thought it'd take some ritual with a beautiful soul to be a mom, whatever that meant. Was she fit? Was her body healthy enough to take something so delicate?

She was scared and amazed at the same time.

She placed her hand on her stomach, clutching and inwardly feeling as if she were part of the world's eight wonders. Creating life.

Right in her little stomach, that didn't seem to increase in weight. She wanted to suddenly find out how many days it took to get a bump.

Damon was saying, "Ma'am, you can't just look at her and say..."

For the first time, Maya heard his voice shake and almost laughed. Look at him all shaken now, listening to the consequences of his actions.

"To prove I know what I'm talking about, she can come to the hospital tomorrow so we can get a proper test," she said, sounding dried up. Possibly, this happened a lot, "but I advise you to come to terms with it."

His voice sounded stern as if he were refusing to believe, "I say nothing until there's proper proof."

"I'll give it to you, Don," she said, then turned to Maya and nodded, "I beg to take my leave."

She left, closing the door on the both of them: Maya, who looked enthralled, and Damon, well...

She looked up at him, face turned to the side, staring at the wall with disbelief and apprehension written on his face.

She found it laughable, and he never thought there would be a result. How old was he, twelve?

"So?" she voiced out.

His attention disturbed, he turned to look at her, some void in his countenance; he then swallowed hard, "So?"

He wasn't even trying to come to terms with it. "What are you going to say about this— no?" She stood up and asked, "What will you do about this?"

"Nothing," he said, "until it's proven." 

Say it for yourself. She thought. Here she was, already thinking of baby names. Urgh Maya. She felt the giggle bubble against her chest.

He suddenly sighed and left the room without a word, leaving Maya wondering about his feelings toward the baby. He was knocked out, for sure.

Unlike her. She spent the next two hours standing in the mirror, posing for a baby bump. 

She had life in her! She didn't care whose; it was hers. The little rascal in there had given her a big will to keep going and keep living. Wherever it was.

She was a mother. 

Not yet, Maya! She scolded herself happily.

The door opened, and Lina came in with breakfast on a tray. The smell of pancakes and hot chocolate wafted past her nose, causing her to drool

Lina paused to give her mistress a puzzled look. What had changed last night? These two were never of one emotion. 

One minute, they were at each other's throats, making themselves jealous, and the next, Donna was trying to hide a mischievous grin.

She looked like she was struggling to keep her hands off her stomach.

Was she that hungry anyway?

Maya sat on the bed with the tray of food before her, digging into it and filling her mouth as she "mmmed" on how good the food was.

Lina's face turned suspicious, and she looked at her mistress and asked, "Donna, are you okay?"

She was surprised with a full-fledged smile and said, "Never been better."

Lina's curiosity heightened; this wasn't how she'd seen her last walk away with Luca; she'd seemed pale and sad, but here she was, booming now like the sun was shining directly at her.

"Donna, what happened?  Why so happy?"

Maya paused, looking up at her, the sparkle in her eyes warming Lina's heart.

Maya stood up, walked over to where Lina stood, standing before the girl, held her hand, and placed it on her abdomen.—a broad smile on her lips.

Lina shook her head, confused, "I still do not know, Madame."

"Shush," Maya placed a finger on her lips and said, "I was about to get there." Then, taking a dramatic deep breath only needed for exaggerated effect, she whispered, "I'm pregnant, Lina."

Lina froze, staring at the happy Maya, who, not seeing the reaction she expected, shook her head, sounding hurt, "So that's it?"

"How you know you're pregnant?"

Maya walked back to the bed, sat on it, and topped another pancake in her mouth before replying to an inpatient, Lina, "We had a doctor over..."

"Man or woman?"

"Woman," Maya shrugged. "Though we don't have full proof yet, I believe her for some reason," she whispered. "Lina, I'm full."

It seemed it wasn't dawning on Lina, for she went out the door, leaving Maya wondering what she'd said wrong.

When she returned a few minutes later, she held a pregnancy test stick. She handed it over to Maya, who looked at it and then up at her.

"Don't tell me you keep this in your room."

"Plenty of it," Lina said. She dragged her up by her hand, went behind her, and pushed her shoulders into the bathroom. Shutting the door and shouting, "You put pee on it,"

"Please, I know," shouted back an annoyed Maya.

After five minutes, she came out of the bathroom with the stick, showing two bright red lights and a big smile. "Watcha think?" she asked.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" shrieked an excited Lina, causing Maya to laugh. "Madame, I'm happy for you!"

Maya shrugged, "I have a name. Alistair sounds perfect."

"What's that?" Lina scrunched her nose, "sound like bird." 

Maya shot her an annoyed look, causing her to laugh again, raising her palms in defense, "Sorry, Donna." 

After the laughter had stopped and Maya had devoured every crumb of the breakfast as Lina helped her get a change of clothes from the wardrobe, she couldn't help asking:

"Donna, what Don say to this?"

Maya shook her head, untouched. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing"

And Lina wondered why that didn't bother Donna.

****************

How was he to say anything when the news had knocked him off his feet? It took a lot of strength to stand upright and just gawk at the woman like she was giving out a death sentence.

He buttoned down his clothes and went to the window for air, a fresh stick between his lips and a lighter in hand.

He raked his hair back and rested his elbow on the pane. "How did this happen?" he muttered to himself. If anyone was getting pregnant, it should be Allysia and not Maya, except he had locked Maya up so much she couldn't even get pills or any other stuff women needed to prevent babies.

Yes, he didn't want it; he didn't want any of that in his life. How could he tell her he was scared of his life getting ruined like his father's when he had successfully and forcefully married the woman he was obsessed with?

How could he tell her that he was scared that once the excitement faded, she might hate his other seeds just like his mother hated him and Maria because Derinem had been her will to live, and they both came along when the will faded?

He turned on the lighter, placing it at the cigar's tip, surprised that even the smoke did nothing to calm him down. This was his seventh in the span of a few hours.

He looked up at the ceiling, inhaling.

No! He was beginning to get it all wrong; he was starting to soften and even forget that he was master and held the finality whatever the fuck it was.

He wouldn't stand here like a scared cat, away from her and whatever she had in her.

Being a father? He shuddered for the unfortunate kid; he was doing it for all of them. He decided to throw the unfinished stick on the floor and stomp on it.

It was better to save the future; hopefully, she would understand.

It was evening when he came out of his workspace, eyes reddened and shirt out of place. George was standing by the door, and when he looked up at his boss, something told him something was wrong or was about to go wrong in a few minutes.

Damon walked past him down the hallway, surprised that it was already evening. How many hours had he locked himself in? His eyelids were half-shut, and he felt tired even though he had done nothing.

He reached the door, pushed it open, and, seeing Lina and Maya, tugged over a small pair of knitted socks. He frowned.

They didn't even notice him as they both held it, making sounds like they were in orgasm. As he had predicted, the pregnancy news had become everything to her.

He cleared his throat aloud, and Lina immediately stood up, "Oh, Boss," she scratched the back of her ears, "I do not see you."

He didn't have that time. "leave us," he commanded, oblivious to the glance Maya just gave him.

His eyes were now on Maya, who stood up, still feeling the socks, and was looking back at him. The glow in her eyes was back, and this time, it was even brighter.

"What is it this time?" She recognized that look on his face—why were his eyes so bloodshot anyway?

"We need to talk."

She turned to him in mock shock: "Oh, my God! Did the news of the baby touch you so much that you now talk to me about things?"

His expression did not change. "I'm being serious, Maya. Sit down."

"If you think this changes anything, you're the wrong person right now."

"Maya, just fucking shut up and keep your ass down!"

She stopped, her bones stiff as she settled on the bed, watching his every movement. She became alarmed when he began pacing.

Anything he was going to spit out from that mouth was going to hurt her; she could almost feel it...

Then he stopped; not wanting to meet her eyes, he turned away. "I know we still don't know if the doctor trashed talk or not until tomorrow..." 

She reached for the test stick on the bedside table, raising it so he could see it.

She thought she saw fear on his face before it hardened again; he pushed his hands into his pocket and kept his tone steady like he was helping her rather than killing her.

"That said and done, get prepared. You are getting rid of it."

He saw the shock register on her face as her palms slowly went to her abdomen again in a way that annoyed him.

She stood up, glaring at him. "I'm sorry, Damon, but for once, I'll have to refuse."

The guilt left now, and the anger she had defied him settled in, "Let's see about that."