Loving A Marine

3. Bella

June 21, 2020 (18 weeks pregnant)

Since we moved only a month before graduation, I decided to finish my classes online and was able to get my GED way before any of my former classmates did. With school out of the way, I could now focus more on my pregnancy. I've gotten a few texts and messages from Dylan asking for another chance and apologizing and blaming Vivian—my former best friend—for being responsible for him cheating. Like what the fuck? He never wanted to take responsibility for what he did, and it just pisses me off so much.

"Bella?" I shook my head and looked up from my book to see my mom opening the door to my room and poking her head in, "Are you ready?" I looked at the turn in the nightstand and nodded, seeing as a quarter to 4. My appointment was at 4:30, so I put my book down and stood up from my bed, and grabbed my shoes before following her down the hall, "Your brothers and Dad were thinking of starting the nursery; what do you think?"

"That would be nice," I said with a smile, "I'm sure Nikko, Julia, and Milo will be helping them as well. We all know that my brothers don't know how to decorate a room to save their lives."

She shook her head with a chuckle as she waited beside me as I got my shoes on, "Do you want the gender to be a surprise, or do you want to know?" I bit my cheek and thought that keeping the baby's gender a surprise would be pleasant, so I nodded.

"I'll have the doctor give you the results when she or he is done," I said, and she nodded.

She called out to my siblings, dad, and in-laws that we were on our way out before we exited the house closing the door behind us when we got a reply from them.

******

"Alright, so I gave the results to Milo, and he's going to be in charge of the whole gender reveal party," Mom said the following morning after my doctor's appointment. I nodded, "Would you like to go to the mall and get some baby things, or do you want to wait until after the reveal?"

"I mean, I've been meaning to get a few things and stuff and then after the reveal we can get everything else." I replied, and she nodded, "Also, I want to grab a smoothie from that café we went to after our first week here,"

"Sounds like a good plan," she said just as Julia, Nikko, and Elijah walked into the living room where mom and I were sitting watching The Order on Netflix.

"What are you two talking about?" my brother asked, and Mom smiled

"We're going to the mall to buy a few things for the baby," I replied, and he raised a brow

"But didn't you say you didn't know what the baby's gender was?" Nikko asked confused

"I don't," I chuckled, "but I still want to buy a few things for them."

"Like what, " Julia asked

"Just the necessary stuff like diapers and bottles," I answered, and she nodded, "then we're going to Hivolt to grab something to eat. Do you guys want to join?"

"I would but Julia, and I are heading to her mom's for lunch," Elijah said, and Julia nodded in agreement. I turned to Nikko, who shook his head, saying that he was going to help Milo with the gender reveal, so after we finished the episode we had been watching, Mom and I headed to the mall while Julia and Elijah went to her mom's and Nikko went to help Milo.

"Okay, so I made a list of the things I wanted to buy," I said as mom drove us to the mall.

"You're just like your father," She said with a laugh making me look over at her with a raised brow before she began telling me how Dad was the first to buy things for when they learned they were first expecting when Mama was pregnant with Aaron. And how he was also the one that made sure Mom was taking all of her prenatal vitamins and eating healthy. "My gosh, he was such a pain in the ass, but he was also very attentive and ready to get me anything I needed whether it be a craving or anything."

"I wish I had someone like him," I said with a sigh as I rubbed my belly and she looked over with a small smile,

"You'll find someone that will be the right one," she assured as she pulled into the parking lot before parking the car in a free space and turned it off. "Alright, let's go."

We got out and made our way towards the mall.

****

I heard the chair across from me being pulled and looked up to see a girl about my age with a smoothie

"Sorry, is it okay if I sit here? The other tables are full," she said pointing behind her and I looked up to see that she was right. Every table in the cafe was filled. That's a first. Usually when I come here there are usually one or two people here but today seemed to be a day that everyone is out having drinks. And I didn't blame them; it was a hot day.

"Sure," I nodded making her smile

"My name's Bailey," she said holding her hand towards me and I smiled shaking her hand

"Mine's Isabella, but everyone calls me Bella," I relied and she grinned.

"I've seen you here a few times but I never got the chance to come talk to you," she said and I blinked surprised making her chuckle, "it's a small town. Everyone knows everyone so when I saw you here a few weeks ago I was surprised since we don't usually get many people moving here."

"That makes sense." I replied nodding as I had noticed how people kept looking at my brothers and their partners strangely, "I figured as much by the way some people seemed to look at my brothers." She tilted her head, "Most of the women here have looked at them the way predators look at their prey."

That made her laugh, her head thrown back and all and all k did was stare at her perplexed. What did I say?

"Gosh, that's funny." She giggled shaking her head, "They're not the only ones that get looked at that way," she said making me frown, "My brother does too despite them knowing him since he was a baby."

I grimaced at that making her laugh, "well to bad for them though since my brothers each have partners."

"Oh they don't give two damns if they're single or not," she rolled her eyes, "Women and some men will find it more thrilling to go after a man/women that's taken then one that's single."

"That's so wrong." I said shaking my head and she only hummed in agreement.

I felt her eyes as I rubbed my belly making me stop, "oh sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She apologized making me give her a small smile, "if you don't mind me asking, how far along are you?"

"18 weeks," I replied and she tilted her head making me chuckle, "4 months."

She nodded before changing the subject which I was glad about and soon we were taking about our families. I told her I had three older brothers and she told me she had one brother. As the conversation continued, it felt as if I known her my whole life. She was such a lovely girl and conversation with her was easy. We also lived a few houses from each other which was another surprise.

"Here," she holding her phone towards me, "give me your number that way we can make plans to hang out." I smiled handing her my phone before putting my phone into hers. "There."

"It was nice meeting you Bailey," I said as we stopped a few houses from mine.

"Same, we should def hang out soon." She said before she surprised me by giving me a hug. "Talk to you later."

I blinked as she walked into her home before shaking my head and walking down to mine.

"What's with that smile?" Aaron asked as I walked in and I grinned.

"I just made a friend."