24 girls

Chapter 2

Ahlana's story

[In brief]

Ahlana Holroyd and Evan McKray were respectively 22 and 23 when they got married. In addition, she was pregnant. Let's find out her story...

***

I met Evan at college by chance. At that time, I was 19, while he was about to turn 20. He was the most handsome guy I'd ever met in my life. He had short, wavy brown hair that was quite often chases by wind, and his dark eyes were striking and deep. Even though many girls died to meet him, he was very shy and introverted, and also not very interested in girls at that time. But I knew I would be the one that would make him change his mind.

Well, the very first time we met was quite awkward. I was hanging around in the campus library, where I was looking for a book which was almost impossible to find. It was The Little Daughter of the Prince by an author I had never heard of before. Abigail McGrail. I hated the alliteration. It was so... unpleasant. But let's just not talk about it. I kept looking for it for the next hour, until he finally approached me with a book in his left hand. He said hello and then asked, "Shall I help you?"

I answered, "Well, I am looking for a book," then stuttered and blushed. I was sweating a lot. That breathtaking guy was talking to me!

"What book?" he asked again. That time, I was nearly about to faint, but I just answered, "The Little Daughter of the Prince by Abigail McGrail."

"Oh, cool, I've already read it all. Well, it talks about..." He suddenly stopped talking. I thought he was nearly telling me the entire plot. I didn't want to know it in advance. But he proved to be very cool when he just passed me the book, and advised me reading it. "And tell me how it is, when you finish it," he added.

I smiled back at him. He was about to leave, but then changed his mind and said again, "What's your name?"

"Ahlana Holroyd. And you must be Evan McKray, right?"

"Right. And, Ahlana, are you interested in dating me sometime? Maybe in two weeks' time."

I accepted and then swore I would finish that book before dating him, knowing that I only had two weeks. 14 days, which were nowhere near being enough to finish such a long book like that for anybody else.

***

But I somehow managed to nail it, and then dated Evan, as he promised. At the end of the date, he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. I could barely retain my tears of excitement and joy, and, as I said yes, I burst into tears.

Then, he asked me how I could even think of finishing that book. I explained, "Well, I am a sort of bookworm. I love reading, and actually The Little Daughter of the Prince was very well written and the plot was fantastic! While reading, I kept trying to imagine how I would react if I was in Brittnei's shoes!" Brittnei was the main character of the story. Her personality was very difficult to explain in a few words, so reading was the only way to find it out.

***

Three years later, we were still a couple and we had already graduated college. We wanted a brand new start together, so we decided to get married. Everyone supported us and felt that we were making the right choice.

We chose to marry in two months' time. There was so much to organize: from the location to the reception, going through food and the bridal dress. Luckily, we had a couple of friends who could help us. The dress was lovely and the location was simply amazing. Everyone did a great job and I owed it all to my friends and family, but also to Evan, for being such an amazing guy and fiance.

The wedding day finally came and I was very nervous, because I had made a shocking discovery and did not want Evan to get to know it anyhow. I was pregnant. I was afraid to tell anyone I was pregnant.
I kept stuttering, but then thought of how I would be happy with having a child of ours and then calmed down.

As I reached the place where the ceremony was held, I got nervous yet once again, but then I started gaining more strength of character and, while saying the promises, I also confessed, "Evan, this is something I was very afraid of telling you. Because it is the most important thing in our life as a couple, besides getting married. I am pregnant." Then, I cried my eyes out. He stared at me, visibly overjoyed.

Then, shortly after being wed, he replied to my announcement with the hugest hug I had ever received in all my life, and said, "I am so happy you are expecting a child! Can't wait for him or her to come!"

I smiled weakly, before letting him carry me on his shoulders.

***

Three months later, we were back home, to our normal lives, from the honeymoon, which had been so amazing that it seemed as I'd forgotten being pregnant. However, we knew our lives would change forever.
The day we found out we were expecting a girl, and a nurse asked me how I would call her, I replied, "I have no clue. I am not very good with names."

Everyone laughed.

But we really struggled with coming up with a name till the labor day. Evan was very nervous, he didn't know how to fill in the birth certificate. Though, The Little Daughter of the Prince seemed to help me. Evan was reading it yet once again, to the point that it gave me the inspiration for the baby's name.

***

In the end, we decided to call our daughter as the main character of the book, Brittnei. Brittnei Reilleigh. And she, as of today, is two years old and is a free spirit with loads of imagination, like me. Maybe, she is also the most beautiful little girl anyone has ever seen.