Old Friends

Part 4

It's been a couple of months since Prince and I had our first time, and as the next few months have come there have been many more love making sessions. I was getting a tummy now which I knew was bothering Prince. And not just with sex I could tell. I knew he was bothered that it was Jake's, which is understandable. But he needs to know that he is my boyfriend now, and I'm his girlfriend and nothing can change that. I was cleaning up and folding laundry while he was out working in the studio with his band and friends. Prince was also being so sweet even though he was obviously bothered by the pregnancy, but I knew he wanted to talk about it. I just hope it won't be too harsh. At 6:30 at night Prince came home to our apartment right as I was finishing a movie. "Hi, baby." I said eating some chips. Prince took his coat off. He had a small smile. "Hey..." His voice sounded off. This wasn't the Prince I knew when he came home. Usually as soon as he walked in we greeted each other and shared a kiss before he told me about the album or songs he made today. But tonight he went straight to his room. I gave him a few minutes before I turned the tv off and put the chips away. I went to our room to see him sitting on our bed. Prince had his face in his hands. I felt so bad for him so I sat down beside him. "Prince, what's wrong?" I started rubbing his back and he sat up. "My stepdad came by the studio today..." I was shocked. Prince rarely heard from his stepdad unless it was about music or something family related. "Oh? What did he say? Talk to me..." I stroked his curls and he sat up. He had tears in his eyes which broke my heart. He sniffled hard like he was about to choke. "Prince..." I undid the top button of his ruffled shirt and put my legs in his lap stroking his cheek. "He just makes me angry sometimes. I just want him to be proud of me and stop picking favorites. I get I'm his stepson, but he married my mom and just leaves me out. Likes to mock me for what I love to do." I kissed his cheek staying quiet as to not interrupt. "He won't take me for anything. I could cure cancer and it still wouldn't make him happy." He started coughing. I put his head in my shoulder holding him. "Baby breathe..." I rubbed his side untucking his shirt. "Stay here okay." I got up and went to the bathroom to get a cold rag. I came back and gently placed it on the back of his neck. "Breathe...shhh" I stroked his hair as he sat down holding me around my waist leaning his head against my hip. "I know you're upset about your stepdad, but sometimes your family isn't your real family. Sometimes you don't always need approval from people that won't even try...you know?" I took the cold rag off and gently dabbed his face with it and under his eyes. He was crying his eyeliner away. I had never seen him cry this hard ever. I sat on his lap after cleaning him up. "You know you're going to be a good daddy one day. You're going to be the best daddy in the world. Because I know you won't treat our baby the way you get treated. And even though this baby isn't your baby I do want to have children with you." Prince looked at me wiping his cheek. I smiled at him and continued. "You're the sweetest person to me. I know you'll be like that to the baby. And if you want...if you really want to, you can adopt them and be their father." His smile slowly came back. "R-Really?" I nodded. I took his hand and raised my shirt. "I read that we can feel the baby moving..." I placed his hand on my stomach letting him feel. "They love your music too...I just wish we knew the gender. So it doesn't sound like we're having twins." Prince laughed a little stroking around my belly button. I knew he was feeling better now. I was 5 months along now, and I could feel the baby moving. I put my hand on his, moving it to the left. "Over here." I whispered. Indeed I knew he felt it too when I saw his eyes light up. I stroked his cheek giving him a kiss. "If you want, maybe it's time we tell your mom we're having a baby." He didn't seem to respond because his thumb was following the baby's movements. I smiled almost crying. "I love you." I said to him. Prince looked at me. "What will we name the baby?" He asked. "Well, I was thinking maybe Paisley for a girl. Because I know how much you love the pattern. Paisley Melody...?" "Paisley Marie....and whatever last name you'd like." I smiled. "I think we can use yours if you're comfortable with that. Jake hasn't been the one sitting in on the appointments. Jake hasn't been the one making late night runs to get weird foods I can't stop thinking about. You have..." He laid down and I half laid on top of him. "What about if it's a boy?" Prince asked me. I laid next to him. "I'm not sure...I haven't really come up with any boy names. Maybe you can do that for me this week? Take just a couple of days off work to decompress since you've been working so hard?" Prince shook his head. "I gotta finish this album for Warner. But I'll come up with a boy name." It was decided.

At 6 months, it was getting to where I could barely move and I knew I didn't have that much longer to go before the baby was born. The doctor was finding it hard to see the gender, but that was okay because Prince had been busy. Good news is that Prince bought a HUGE plot of land way out in a town called Chanhassen which wasn't far from Minneapolis. He was making a bunch of money from his albums now and decided that he wanted a place for us three to settle down. I was excited. We also had the crib and changing station in our bedroom and my mother was going to stay with us for a month to help us with the baby. Prince came home from a long day of work and I was in bed. "Hi baby." I said when he walked in. He came over and gave me the sweetest kiss. "How are you feeling?" Prince asked. "I feel okay. Just really sore. Especially my back. I think the baby is going to play the drums or something." He kissed my cheek and went into the kitchen. "How was work?" I asked him. I heard him opening the freezer and get some ice. "Oh just the usual, baby." It sounded like he was putting it in a bag. I turned my head as he took off his lace glove. Prince's knuckles were swollen, bruised, and a little bloody. "Prince!" I got up going to him. "What did you do?!" I took the ice gently putting it on his right hand. "Nothing don't worry about it okay?" "No it's not okay! What happened?" I sat him at our little table and took the glove off his other hand which was fine, thankfully. "I got into a little run in with someone and I'm fine. Okay baby don't worry." I looked at his eyes. "Your hand is swollen you could've broken it. Or what if they pulled a knife." I rolled up his shirt sleeve making sure he didn't have any bruises. "Did you know the guy?" I asked. I wanted to make sure he was okay. "Yeah...I knew him. But don't worry okay? The doctor said it's not good for you and the baby." I turned his hand over looking at his palms and rolled up his other sleeve. He had some bruises on his forearm. "Who was he?" I asked. Prince rolled down his sleeve. "Just some drunk. Could barely stand up. Besides he was talking shit so I put him in his place. Just a white guy." Prince was always tough, but this could've been really serious. He could've gotten really hurt. I undid his shirt to check his torso. "Baby please." He had more bruises, one being really bad where his stomach was. "Prince...you said you know him. Who was he..." He tensed up. "It was Jake..." I bit my lip. Oh no. He came to Prince's studio to try and find me. I slumped in my chair. I couldn't stay in that position too long because the baby was kicking my bladder. "I'll be back." I got up and went to the bathroom. I was on the verge of tears knowing that after months Jake was looking for me and probably wanted me to go back to him, but I didn't want to. I'm happy with Prince, and I wouldn't change how I'm feeling right now for anything. I washed my hands before coming back and seeing Prince's back all bruised. "Oh no..." my voice broke. I knew the tears were coming. Prince turned around and came over. "Baby it's okay. I'm okay, there's nothing wrong. I've been beat up worse than this. This ain't nothing..." I sniffled. "I can't believe he did this to you. He hurt you worse than he hurt me." I sobbed. I gently hugged him, my belly pressing against his. He held me lacing his fingers in my hair. "Either way, soon we're gonna be living away from Minneapolis. Then we won't have to worry about him. It'll just be you and me and the baby." I kissed his cheek taking his bruised hand and gently kissing the bruises. In turn he wiped my tears away. "I won't let him hurt you two. And I can't control if they want to see their father. That's between you two." I kissed him again before cupping his cheek. "Thank you, Prince" I said to him.