k i w i

- 61 -

- arabella -

Now that we knew our baby was a girl, Zayn couldn't stop talking about possible names. We had a particular routine, it started since the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep.

Wake up ten minutes early to rub and talk to the belly, go take a shower, come back to keep talking to the belly, go get changed, say goodbye to the belly. He got home around midnight, either a little later or a little earlier. He whispered to the belly or sang some tunes, took his shower and got dressed, and finally gave me some of his attention by talking about our day.

His father was making him worker more nowadays, to 'make up for the time he will loose' during his paternity leave.

"Louis' birthday is coming up." Zayn mutters as he lays besides me, face buried in my neck. "Eleanor and his sisters have a trip planned, do you want to go?"

"Your father is gonna let you go?" I ask surprised, locking my phone and turning a bit to face him. "Plus, isn't it going to be Christmas as well?"

"Mom makes him shut down the business during holidays." Zayn says chuckling, getting his face out and going to give me a kiss on the lips. "Plus, it'll be Kiwi's first Christmas-we have to make something especial."

Smiling down at him, I nodded. "And where are they planning on going?"

"Niall's family owes a private island near Ireland." Zayn tells me, kissing my jaw and taking my phone to charge it on the bedside table. "They want to go there."

"Damn." I sighed, sinking deeper into the bed and letting him cuddle closer to me. "We could go-I mean, if your mom even lets us out the door."

Zayn chuckled besides me, nodding his head. "She has to. Louis is like a son to her, so she'll have to let us go."

"When are we leaving?" I ask again, now thinking of what to pack and the fact that I had to go shopping for new tropical clothing. "How long are we gonna be there? Should I be worry about my water breaking!?"

"We're leaving two days before Christmas, staying there two weeks-so we celebrate New Year's as well." Zayn repeats what he was told, their group chat buzzing with excitement from each friend. "And we shouldn't worry about the water breaking, you're barely four months."

Almost snapping my neck as I turn to him, I push him off of me. "Zayn, I cannot go then. What if it does happen? Have you heard of pre-mature babies? Yeah, that's a thing!"

"Doll," Zayn chuckled, which made me even more frustrated. "the Horan's have a private doctor who flies in every time the island is occupied. Don't worry!"

"Is the doctor trained for deliveries?" I ask again, not feeling so content with his reply. "Has he or she delivered a baby before!?"

"I don't know." Was all he said before I got out of bed. His head falling down on the mattress and eyes widen, "What's wrong?"

Feeling my breathing beginning to pick up and all of these 'What If's' scenarios came to mind. I began to pace, trying to calm myself down.

"Zayn, I got to know who this doctor is! I-I can't go." I wheezed out, sitting on the bed and trying to calm down. Zayn shuffle, sitting besides me and putting a hand over my shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay, doll." He whispers back, "Why don't I call Niall tomorrow and ask him to send a file of the doctor? Would that make you more comfortable?"

I look up at him, smiling and nodding back. We shared a kiss, before he crawl back on bed and patted my spot besides his. "I'm going down for a snack."

"Okay." He mumble out, "Don't be too long, doll."

Humming back, I stood up and walk out of the room. As careful as I could, I made my way downstairs into the kitchen. Entering it, I was surprised to see Safaa sitting in the kitchen island.

"Hi." I softly greeted her, smiling as she waved with a spoonful of ice cream. "Can't sleep?"

"Nope." She shrugs, continuing to eat her ice cream. "What about you?"

Muttering out the same, I sat besides on a stool in front of her with a tub of yogurt. We sat in silence, eating out ice creams and yogurt-occasionally swapping to taste the other.

"Have you thought of any names?" Softly asking, Safaa broke the silence. "Are you going to do the thing your parents did?" Giving her a confused look, she cracked a smile. "Naming your kinds to form their last name?"

"Oh." I felt my face heat up, I was processing things really slowly nowadays. "I-I don't know. I mean, if we're going to be together-like married-then that'd be cool. But if we're not, that'll be awkward."

"Or you could find someone else with the same letters as Malik." Safaa shrugged as if it was no big deal, laughing when I felt my face burning now. "So are you starting with the M or the K?"

I groan, now feeling like I had that one little sister. "I should start by going to sleep. See you tomorrow, Saf."

"Yes, dodge my question!" She exclaimed back with a playful pout, her smirk threatening to come out. "Goodnight to my favorite niece!"

Looking at her over my shoulder, I smile back. "She's your only niece!"

Our laughter combined and the weight I felt of the trip had been lifted. Maybe it wasn't so bad spending time here with Zayn's siblings. And Kiwi was more of a blessing than an accident-she had brought Zayn and I together, my mother to contact me more, and Zayn's sisters to love me.

Walking inside the room, I smile at Zayn and went to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and peeing one last time.

"Hey." He smiled, "How was the snack?"

"Good." I hum, snuggling the closest I could with the belly in between us. Leaning up to kiss his jaw, I smile against his skin. "I'm really happy, Zayn."

He squeezed me closer, "Me too, baby doll."

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