Co-parenting

Chapter 21

~2 months later~

It's still early in the morning when Veronica wakes up. She turns to Archie and places a soft kiss to his forehead. He's still asleep but she doesn't mind because there are still some things she needs to prepare anyway. It's his birthday and she wants to do a special birthday breakfast but there is one thing she needs to do before.

She gets up and sneaks into the bathroom. She has been cramping lightly the past few days and she thinks she knows why, at least she hopes she knows the reason.
It's been exactly two months since Veronica took her last pregnancy test. She feels different this time. Something tells her she's pregnant.

She sits on the floor of the bathroom. Five minutes are over but she's too scared to look. She's has been disappointed too often.

Her heart races when she hears her daughter walk past the bathroom.
"Val baby, come here" she says and holds her hand towards her daughter. Valerie walks over and sits down in Veronica's lap.

"Can you read that out loud for me please? Mommy is too scared to look" she smiles and hands her daughter the pregnancy test. Her eyes are closed.

"But mommy I can't read that well yet"

"Doesn't matter. Try it"

Valerie stares at the word on the little stick. She takes a deep breath before she tries to read it out loud. "Pr-preg-pregnant"

"Wait what!?" Veronica opens her eyes and takes the test from Valerie. Her eyes water.

"It says pregnant" Valerie shrugs.

"Oh my god" Veronica whispers "oh my god" Her tears drop onto Valerie's head while she smiles widely.

"Do you know what pregnant means?"

"Mhm. It means that someone has a baby in their tummy"

"Right" she smiles "Mommy is that someone"

Valerie spins her head around. She stares at Veronica with big eyes. Her hands cover her mouth. "You have a baby in your tummy?"

"I do. You're going to be a big sissy!" Veronica squeals.
Valerie gets of off Veronica's lap and kneels in front of her. She places her little hands on her mom's stomach and slowly caresses it. "Hello baby"

Veronica giggles and runs her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Daddy doesn't know yet. You have to promise me you won't tell him, okay? You have to keep it a secret.

"Okay mommy. When will you tell him?"

"Later mija"

"Can we tell him together?"

"Of course"

Valerie giggles and lies her head into her mom's lap. Veronica smiles. She still runs her fingers through Valerie's hair. She can't believe that soon she will have another one, another adorable baby she can love and this time Archie will be with her from the beginning, every step of the way.

Just in that moment Archie walks into the bathroom. He rubs his eyes.

"What are you two doing here?" Archie chuckles.

Veronica's eyes are wide. She hides the pregnancy test behind her back and smiles widely.

"Nothing" she grins.

"Val, do you want to tell daddy what mommy is hiding behind her back?"

"Mommy said I can't tell you" Valerie grins and sits up.