I THINK I'M PREGNANT!

       They stood in front of the monument staring down at the tombstone written. IN MEMORY OF CHARLOTTE  HERNANDEZ 1999-2022. Each time Faith thought about Charlotte, she couldn't help but cry. She always thinks about the impact she made on earth. Ethan knelt and dropped the flowers on the tomb, Faith knelt after a while and dropped hers. 

      She removed her shade and wiped the lone tear that was trickling down her cheek. Ethan helped her up. They stood for a while without saying anything. Ethan grabbed her hand and cleared his throat and she put back her shades. 

       "Hello, Charlotte? How is heaven? I hope you are still watching over us since we can't come up there?" He held Faith's hands tighter and glanced at her, then back at the tomb.  He chuckled lightly.  "I don't know how to start, but I know you can see what is happening. Faith and I are a couple now, that was what you have wanted right? 

      "But, I want you to know that this...is not going to erase how important you were to me and the impact you left in my life. Your place in my heart is irreplaceable and Faith has come to take her own place, that place you always told me she owns, she has finally claimed it can you believe that?" He paused for a while and blinked away his tears. Faith squeezed his hand. "So, Faith and I are here to let you know that we have started that journey together and hope you are happy for us…of course, I know you would be happy."  He chuckled again. 

   "We ask that you bless us and keep watching over us until we meet to part no more." He looked at Faith.  "Do you have anything to say?" 

     Faith sniffed. "I just want to thank you Charlotte for everything. I don't know... I don't know what else to say, but thank you for all the efforts you made and for all the times you made me laugh and smile and for being another sister I never had." She sniffed and Ethan squeezed her hand.  "Thank you, for paving way for us, for me and Ethan, I would never forget you and I will never forget your kindness and support. He had said it all and I hope our coming together makes you happy anywhere you are." 

      She removed her shades and wiped her eyes. Ethan interlocked his fingers with hers. 

          "Shall we?" He asked, Faith, nodded. 

       "Bye, Charlotte," they chorused and started leaving the cemetery. 

        "I have been meaning to ask," Faith said as they walked towards the car.  "Were you really in love with Charlotte?" 

      "Yes," came the brisk reply. 

      "Oh," Faith said. 

       "I loved her in a different way though. She was a precious little thing, you can't help but fall in love." 

       "I can relate. Sometimes I used to wonder how she was so happy knowing she was going to die soon.  I am not that strong." 

      "You never can tell. Never say never. I think she had done her work on earth." 

       "What work? She didn't even get to achieve her dreams." 

       "But she brought us together. She came into our lives and made us roommates instead of room hates." 

       Faith laughed out loud.  "Don't be silly," she said and spanked Ethan's shoulder.  "Are you saying that was what she was born for?" 

       "I think that was her last mission on earth."  Ethan opened the door for her and held it for her to go in. 

       "Where to?" 

      "Home," Ethan said and went over to the driver's seat.  "Don't you think we should thank that fraud landlord?" 

          "What?" 

        "I mean, it was him that set us up." 

    Faith chuckled.  "You want to encourage him to keep doing this? Let's say we have to thank him, where on earth would you see him?" 

      Ethan started the car.   "I didn't tell you this but I was able to speak to his elder brother," Ethan said as he drove away from the parking lot. 

      "You did? Why didn't you tell me?" 

       "Because... I don't know..." He shrugged. 

       "Because you think it's not important for me to know?" 

       "No, not that... I didn't want to bother you with it since his brother didn't even have the money.  He has a sick child who is lying in the hospital. He is not even the landlord of that apartment. It's really a long story." 

       "I am all ears. Make it short, I think I have the right to know what is going on." 

       "This man rented this apartment for him and his family but their child got sick and they had to go over to the suburbs, he gave the house to his younger brother who is a scoundrel and got him a decent job, hoping he would change, but this man only brought his fiancée over with her mother and he put it up for rent, after a month, posing as the landlord." 

     "That means we just have limited time in that house. How many months are left?" 

       "The guy that paid the rent initially paid for a year and six months, that means, we still have up to a year to pay another rent. But I doubt we would even stay there for a whole year." 

       Faith glanced at him.  "Why not? Are you going somewhere?" 

      Ethan caught himself.  "No, I mean. We could always upgrade. Don't you want a house like Charlie and Nora's?" 

     Faith chuckled.   "I sure do, but buying that kind of house requires a lot of money. We would buy that house but let's just focus on what's important." 

       "What more could be important? I mean from acquiring a home?" 

        "Ethan, I don't have that kind of money, do you?" 

    Ethan shrugged.  "Eh...I will save for it then." 

        "I don't mean to be demeaning but you don't even work, what do you do? What will you do to get that kind of money?" 

       "I was a working-class, I just got laid off and I'm taking a long break from the workforce." 

      Faith just stared at him and he kept his eyes on the road, watching her from the corners of his eyes. When she refused to remove her eyes from him. He turned to face her. 

     "You don't need to worry about me, I am not a scoundrel, swindler, thief or fraud." 

      "I didn't... I didn't say you were." 

      "But you have been meaning to ask me. I heard everything Noah said to you, every possible thing he said I could be, but I am a decent guy with no criminal..."

       "I know, I know, I just want you to get back into the workforce." 

       Ethan smiled.  "I will, soon enough." 

      The next day, when Faith came to her office, a brand new pink cradle sat at the reception, a baby basket filled with clothes and shoes and a baby feeding set. She smiled at her assistant.  

       "Seems someone is expecting already," she said as she headed toward her door. 

      "No, they are actually for you," her assistant said looking confused and uncertain. 

       "Me?" Faith asked wide-eyed.  She looked at the baby items again.  "Who sent those?" 

       "I don't know. I thought it was a mistake too when the delivery people came but the address was here." 

      "Not one delivery person?" 

       "Three of them actually..." 

     Another delivery guy came in as they were talking and looked from Faith to her assistant.  "Good day, I am here for Mrs Faith Prescott." He presented a set of onesies and looked from woman to woman.  "Please, I need Faith to sign here." 

        That was when Faith remembered. She recalled herself shouting,  "I'm pregnant!" She sighed and went over and signed. 

      The delivery guy smiled at her.  "Safe delivery," he said and left. 

      Her assistant looked at her.  Is it not the wrong address? Are you expecting a baby?"

     Faith looked at her assistant. "I don't even know." she threw he hands in the air. 

      Her assistant helped her bring the items into her office and had a mischievous smile on her face. Faith noticed it and glared at her.  "What?" she asked. 

       "It's nothing," her assistant said and quickly left her office.  

      Faith opened the first note from the cradle. And read it. 

     'Hi, Faith. I hope you are happy to get this. I know you wanted it a secret until at least eight weeks, but it won't hurt to send you a gift in secret.' 

                                                             Your client 

                                                              Mrs Dunbar. 

     She opened the next one:  It's a great thing you are bringing a life into this world. I will also keep it a secret. 

      She opened all the notes and read them. They all promised to keep it a secret, then how did they all get to know about it, even though she wasn't pregnant? After reading those notes, she fell back in her seat and burst into laughter. 

      That evening Ethan was shocked to see those things when he came to pick up Faith. She laughed about it and put them in the trunk of the car. 

      "I guess I will give them to Nora," she said once they were in the car.  "She would be needing them more." 

      Ethan nodded and said nothing about it and Faith was so overwhelmed to notice.  When they got home and Ethan helped her remove those things, a sudden strange feeling that she might be pregnant hit her. She was scared at first but then she cherished the thought. What if she was? She would have a cute, little mini her and mini Ethan. 

      When she was alone in her room, she started looking at herself in the mirror holding her stomach and checking out herself and she tried to visualise if a baby bump would look good on her.  When the feeling refused to go down, she picked up her phone and dialled Dr Adriana.  

       Dr Adriana answered on the second ring.   "Holla Faith."  

        "Are you busy now?" 

       "No, why? I just got off work. Is there a problem?" 

        "I think I'm pregnant."