Almond Joy (An Amy Blankenhooper & Bob Duncan Fanfiction)

The First Kick

The room was quiet, the soft glow of the bedside lamp buzzing beside them. Amy was engrossed in her book, while Bob, next to her, was navigating the complexities of a machine's instruction manual. The subtle hum of their quiet evening filled the space.

Suddenly, Amy's book lay forgotten on her lap as she sat up, a gasp escaping her lips. Bob, immediately concerned, set aside the manual, looking at her with worry. "Amy, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Amy's eyes were wide, filled with a mix of surprise and wonder. She didn't respond to Bob's questions. Instead, her hand instinctively moved to rest on her belly, a tender smile spreading across her face.

Bob, grew increasingly anxious, "Amy, seriously, what's happening? Should I call a doctor?" But Amy shook her head, her focus entirely on the sensation beneath her palm. 

"Bob, wait," she said, reaching for his hand. Placing it on her belly, right where she felt the tiny kicks.

His eyes widened in realization. The concern on his face transformed into awe as he felt the subtle flutters beneath his fingertips. "Is that...?"

Amy nodded, her heart brimming with joy. "Our baby," she whispered, and in that moment, the room seemed to glow with shared excitement. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of emotions as she watched Bob's reaction. "Can you believe it?" she whispered, a soft, affectionate smile playing on her lips.

Bob's face broke into a grin, "Our little one's already making moves in there. It's incredible." He gently pressed his hand against Amy's belly, hoping to feel another kick.

Amy chuckled, "I've been feeling these tiny flutters for a while now. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to feel them too." Another kick came and they both felt the kick that time, staring at each other as they held their breath.

"That was a big one." Bob smiled, his fingers gently tracing patterns over her belly. "I can't wait to meet our baby."

"It won't be long now." Amy said, watching the patterns he drew. Bob crawled lower in the bed, resting his chin gently on her stomach. 

"Hi little one." He whispered, making Amy smile. "We're so excited to meet you."

Amy walked through the campus the next morning, the first signs of spring evident in the blossoming flowers and the gentle warmth in the air. As she strolled, she spotted Dana in the hallway of one of the buildings. Excitement surged through her, and she raised her hand to wave, eager to bridge the gap that had formed between them. However, as Amy's hand was mid-air, ready to deliver a friendly greeting, she noticed Dana putting her head down, intentionally avoiding eye contact. Amy hesitated before slowly lowering her hand, it felt like a punch to the gut, the realization that Dana was purposefully avoiding her. She continued to her class, the weight of the situation gnawing at her. The classroom provided a temporary distraction, but she couldn't shake off the unease that lingered in the back of her mind.

As the class progressed, Amy found herself sitting next to Carla, a fellow student she vaguely knew.

"Hi," Amy greeted, slightly out of breath.

"Hi, Amy," Carla replied, pulling out her textbook. "Can I ask you something?"

A sense of dread weighed down Amy's chest. She thought her sweatshirt and winter coat were disguising her pregnancy from her classmates well enough, but it must be obvious now. She should be expecting everyone to be asking soon enough. "Anything," Amy forced a smile, unzipping her bag in her lap.

"Did you have trouble with numbers eight through eleven? I really couldn't understand the formula," Carla said, opening her notebook. Amy felt a wave of relief wash over her that Carla didn't ask if Amy was pregnant. It seemed like Carla either didn't know or didn't care, and Amy was thankful for that.

"I had trouble with them, yeah, but I think I got them eventually. Do you want me to show you what I got?"

Carla raised her eyebrows. "Yes, please, that would be so helpful, thank you!" The two girls poured over Amy's homework answers and notes as Amy explained to her how to do the formula correctly. Carla was a breath of fresh air that Amy felt like she hadn't taken since losing Dana. Class came and went, and Amy was packing up her things when Carla turned to her again.

"Do you think we could study together sometime? I'm really nervous for the quiz on Monday," she admitted.

"Yeah, of course," Amy smiled, collecting her pencils. "I'm always free."

"How about now? I've got some time before my next lecture?" Carla asked, pulling her backpack on. "We could go to the library?"

Amy glanced at the clock, even though she knew the rest of her day was free. If she was going to stay, she needed to find a phone to call Bob and let him know she wasn't going to be home on time. He was always worried about her whereabouts these days.

"Sure," Amy slipped on her backpack, following Carla to the library.

"Which dorm are you in?" Carla asked as they walked through the building hall.

"Oh, I don't live in the dorms. I live off campus," Amy said, her eyes unintentionally on the lookout for Dana.

"Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah, about a twenty-minute walk or so. We could always go study there when you have more time between classes too."

Carla nodded, "That would be way better than the library." And then Dana appeared, waiting on the corner. She raised her head, meeting Amy's eyes this time. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but Amy's did too.

"You can come over this weekend, I don't have any plans," she said, loud and clear for Dana to hear.

"Perfect!" Carla said, excitement rising in her tone. "My weekend is empty too. I'll bring snacks."

"Perfect," Amy said, glancing behind her at Dana, who watched them walk off together. Although Amy felt a sense of accomplishment that she could make new friends just like Dana could, there was a lingering sadness that it wasn't Dana coming over on the weekend, that Carla wasn't Dana.