Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-51-

Three weeks later.
Week twelve.

Days were flying past.

Over time Delilah's morning sickness began to very slowly die down, and visits to the doctor started becoming more and more frequent with days gone by. Since she told Ryan about her pregnancy, he'd insisted on having her stay with him, even if it was only for a few nights. He's been faithfully going to her appointments since he found out and getting her whatever she needed, and wanted. Those nights at his house have ended though, and she was back at home before she knew it.

Right now, she was sitting in her favorite spot on the couch back at her trailer with her knees pulled up to her chest and a few fuzzy black-and-white ultrasounds in her sleeve covered hands. Her hair fell into her line of vision as she looked down at the photos with an unmistakeable smile on her face.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Zach asked around a mouthful of chips. He stopped behind the couch and peeked over her shoulder.

"Nothing." She rushed to flip over the ultrasounds and shove her hands beneath her blanket to hide them. How long had he been standing there, staring over her shoulder?

"So, that isn't a baby?" He asked, plunging a hand back inside a bag of chips for another handful of food he didn't need. She just cooked for them both, and he cleaned his plate.

"No." Her posture stiffened. Had he seen the ultrasounds? He couldn't have. She had hidden them too quickly for him to have caught a glimpse.

"Why are you hiding it then? If it's nothing?"

"No reason."

The chip bag crinkled in his hands while he closed it, then created more unnecessary noise when he tossed it onto the kitchen counter, without a doubt breaking most of the chips. Zach took a seat in the recliner beside the couch, the one Sam usually occupied. He left to go grocery shopping a few hours ago, before Delilah got back from Ghost Ranch and hadn't gotten back yet.

"Come on. What's going on with you? You've been acting weird—well, weirder than usual—for months."

"I told you I'm fine."

"Are you though?" He cocked his head to the side, squinting his eyes. "Things have been a shitshow lately and I know that, but I'd be a stupid son of a bitch to not put the pieces together. You've been sick for months, not missing a damn day of nausea, acting off, getting up at obscene hours of the night for foods you don't even like, and on top of that, you've been spending all your time at Ryan's house. Oh, and you remember that time you spent the night at his house and didn't tell nobody? Coming back the next morning actin' all bitchy and passive aggressive.. well, that's just you usually but..still."

Delilah stayed quiet and still, simply shooting Zach an icy glare and never breaking eye contact while she messed with the corner of the ultrasound in her hand. He looked away first.

A 90s sitcom rerun played with the volume on low in the background. Delilah's comfort show. She always rewatched it whenever she got the chance when hit with a rare bout of free time. Books she was planning on reading sat stacked on the couch beside her, the two on top of the towering stack threatening to tip over. In the corner by the tv, Diesel and Silver laid snuggled up together on an old, torn up dog bed, snoring.

"Are you pregnant?"

The one time he doesn't beat around the bush.

"Yes."

"I'm gon' tell dad."

"And I'll beat your ass."

"Do it." He taunted, reaching for his phone with a stupid smirk on his face. She wanted to reach over and smack it off his face, but she refrained.