semi-automatic ; j.d

ninety two ; the mysterious mystery of baby joseph

the nurse spreads the clear gel around using the transducer probe, and after a few seconds, an image appears on the screen.

"is it a girl?" blurts out tyler, squinting at his phone. "is it a boy?"

"shh, they're doing the baby thing," tsks josh with annoyance, his big brown eyes gazing intently.

"oh, right, cause me talking is gonna change the gender," tyler sasses back.

"well you don't know that!"

"everyone knows that, josh. this isn't a remote control car - it's a baby."

"well you're a baby!"

"no you're a baby!"

"actually, he's a baby," says jenna to stop the two boys arguing, looking down at her stomach with a small, shy smile.

tyler's eyes widen. "he?"

jenna nods. "if you two were listening you would've heard the nurse say so."

"it's a boy?!" tyler gasps, even through the phone screen mia can see the glimmer in his eyes - oh wait, that's just the tears. "it's a boy!"

mia squeezes one of jenna's hand with a happy smile. "a boy."

"i get to have a godson," says josh, his smile so broad that his eyes turn into dark beads. "dude, that's so sick."

"sick as frick!" screams tyler, running around the stage in a happy flash of movement. "i'm having a son!"

"do you want any pictures of the sonogram?" asks the nurse while giving jenna a towel to wipe off the gel.

the blonde nods quickly, "that'd be great."

with a smile, the older man goes about unplugging the machine. "how many copies do you need?"

"oh," jenna blinks. "um, well, let me think..."

"i want a picture of my godson!" injects josh.

mia grins. "me too."

tyler runs back to the camera, out of breath. "jenna i swear if you don't get me a picture of our baby."

taking in this information, the blonde hums in thought. "hm, okay. is six copies okay?"

"perfectly okay," says the nurse. "i'll be right back with those."

"baby joseph is now a mr. baby joseph," muses josh, wiggling his eyebrows. "hopefully he'll be cuter than you, ty."

"jishwa!" mia scolds with a frown.

the pink haired male laughs with fake innocence. "what?"

"say you're sorry."

"but i--"

"josh," she deadpans. "say you're sorry."

"fine," josh exhales loudly through his nose and glances at tyler. "i'm sorry, dude," he then looks back at his fiancé with a shit eating grin. "was that better?"

mia smiles, "mhm, much better. now go finish your show you sweaty mess."

"okay, now who needs to apologize?"

"shut up," the brunette giggles. "i love you."

"love you too, mia," josh says, winking at the screen. he hands the phone to tyler, and mia gives him a wave and a grin before passing her phone to jenna so the married couple can say their goodbyes.

her eyes glance around the small room, at the sky blue walls and the unplugged machine and the table bed. for some reason she feels envious of jenna - and not for a reason that she's ever felt before. the jealousy comes from the fact that jenna is having a baby.

mia plays with the hem of her sweater. she looks down at her stomach, relatively flat and absent of growing life. she's heard of 'baby fever' before but has never actually experienced what it's like. until now.

but that's crazy, she tells herself, pushing back the thoughts of having a baby with josh and being able to hold it and kiss it and love it with all of her heart. josh wants to wait. so we'll wait.

as mia and jenna exit the building side by side, the brunette clutches tightly to the printed out sonogram. she stares at the little image of her godson and forces the sadness she feels to the deepest part of her subconscious. her fingers brush along her stomach and she sighs. no. not now.

🌿🌸🌿