Dina had awoken within the arms of her dream woman, wrapped tightly into big, strong arms. These moments were little things that Jesse and Dina never got the chance to share during the time lapse of their relationship, but Dina could get used to this...
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end though, even when the two women didn't want it too.
Dina's stomach began to roll itself into knot after knot after knot, until finally a wave of nausea overcame Dina's sweaty body.
Even though Dina had dealt with the morning sickness before, it never became any easier and never would. It left Dina feeling as if she had the worst case of food poisoning, except it was an every day occurrence.
With that unfortunate thought out of the way, Dina couldn't hold anything back anymore.
She picked up the trash can from beside the bed, beginning to expel everything she had eaten the previous day. She was now burning up, sweating, but freezing at the same time and her nausea wasn't helping the situation either.
This triggered Ellie's gorgeous opal stone colored eyes to fly open, knowing immediately what was going on.
She sat up gently, frowning when she saw Dina sitting there in agony, begging for it to stop. The pain that would be worth it was still months away, but this pain was a seemingly never ending cycle...
She placed one hand on Dina's back and the other around her stomach, pulling her beautiful girlfriend closer.
Dina was finished with the vomiting, but was now bawling her eyes out because she felt as if things were never going to get easier. However, Ellie was there and she had a plan... Today, she was going to prove her new girlfriend wrong in as many ways as humanly possible.
Ellie pulled Dina close to her chest, rubbing her back in circular motions in hopes of calming the war caused by tiny knots inside Dina's growing stomach, "Can you keep anything down, baby?"
At the sound of Ellie's quiet whisper, Dina wiped away her tears with her fingers, "Maybe, but I'm too scared to find out"...
Ellie had taken notes throughout the years of watching Anna work at the hospital. She was basically a walking hospice care encyclopedia now, much like her mother.
With that information in mind, Ellie dug into her bedside table drawers that were filled to the brim with snacks, pulling out a package of crackers, "Here, try these. Take slow bites. Do you like tea? That might help. I can make you some"...
Dina shook her head, looking away from Ellie while she was struggling to open the crackers, "No, I hate tea. Got any ginger ale or sprite? That sounds better".
Ellie nodded, walking to the kitchen to the refrigerator. She opened the refrigerator door, grabbing out a perfectly chilled can of ginger ale and a bright yellow lemon.
Ellie stood at the kitchen counter, pulling a knife out of the cutlery block and chopping the lemon directly down the center. She whistled a random tune to herself, as she grabbed the tallest glass out of the cabinet above her head.
The young woman placed the glass on the cutting board, filling it up halfway with ice cubes. She began to pour the ginger ale over the ice, smiling with satisfaction when the entire can managed to fill up the glass to completion.
Lastly, she squeezed the contents of the lemon into the glass, mixing the concoction together with a bendy straw, "There. Let's hope she can keep this down"... Ellie whispered, beginning her descent back to her bedroom.
Once she made her way into the room, the young auburn haired college dropout locked eyes with the high school junior. She placed the glass in between Dina's clammy hands, sitting beside her.
The package of crackers still remained unopened, so Ellie reached over to open them for her, "There you go. How you feeling?"
Dina began to take little, spaced out sips of the ginger ale, a look of confusion spreading on her face, "What did you put in this?"
Ellie giggled softly, "It's just lemon juice, babe. It's good for your stomach. Do you like it or no?"
Dina laughed lightly, continuing to drink it, "It's just an odd taste, but I like it! It's calming down the nausea".
This was exactly what the slightly older girl wanted to hear, "That's great! You make sure you're eating too, okay? I'm gonna go get dressed and take Cooper outside. While you're eating, how about you text or call your ex boyfriend and your dad? Just to let them know we'll be swinging by today".
Hearing how much Ellie cared made Dina's heart melt, which was great because this could've gone one of three ways... The good, the bad... And the ugly. The good was all they were hoping for though.
To Ellie's suggestion, Dina nodded, watching Ellie grab her neatly folded pile of clothes and walking to the hallway bathroom to give her some much needed privacy, "Okay... Should I call Jesse or Dad first?" Dina whispered, absentmindedly scrolling through her phones contact list.
Finally, she came to a conclusion, "I'll do Dad first, since we'll be visiting him last". The mother to be thought, beginning to dial her fathers phone number, "Please answer, please"... Dina thought, anxiously placing her phone up to her ear.
Faster than she had ever seen, her dad had answered the phone after only the first ring, "Hey, sweetie! I missed you! How are you?"
For whatever reason, Dina's previous nerves of being kicked out into the streets were nonexistent now, "Hey, Dad! I'm okay. I had a question to ask you though"... Dina answered, her voice beginning to shake now.
Daniel immediately responded with a wide toothy grin evident in his voice, "You can ask me anything, sweetie. You know that"...
While this particular question wasn't nerve wracking in the slightest, Dina was mainly nervous about what was to come later on... "Can I stay at Ellie's house until tomorrow? She already volunteered to take me to school in the morning and drop me off at work tomorrow night"... Meanwhile, as Dina spoke, her internal thoughts were a disaster, "Please say yes"...
Not surprising one bit, Daniel was quick to give Dina the answer she wanted to hear, "Of course, Dina! I trust Ellie!"
Daniel glanced down at his watch to check the time while he continued talking to his not so little girl, "Alright, kiddo, I've gotta go get some housework done, but is there anything else you need?"
Now, the time had inevitably arrived, "Can Ellie and I stop by for a bit in like two hours? We've got some things to talk to you about"...
Surprisingly, no nerves could be heard throughout Daniel's voice, but maybe that was because Dina could talk to her dad about anything, no matter what it was, "Sure, kiddo! I'll see you in a bit. I love you, sweetie!"
This was already a step in the right direction for the big news coming later, "I love you too, dad!" Dina answered, hanging up the phone to call Jesse now.
Jesse was the one Dina was worried about the most. She had heard her fair share of stories about young parents who didn't stick around to "be parents". Even Dina never met her own mother, but she loved Jesse's parents much like she loved her father.
Instead of questioning everything though, Dina had decided to bite the bullet and stop procrastinating so much, "Now or never, right?"... Dina whispered, holding the phone up to her ear once she had dialed Jesse's phone number.
Much like her dad, Jesse was quick to answer the phone as well, "Hey, Di! Been quite a long time since we've talked. What's up?"
He sounded as happy as could be and Dina definitely hated the idea of butchering his mood, "Hey! Can I come over later today? I've got someone I want you to meet".
Jesse was one of the coolest guys that Dina had ever come across. He was so laid back, but protective when it came to anyone he loved. Plus, him and Dina had one thing in common... They both loved children. Dina already knew deep down that her ex boyfriend was fit to be a father. Now, all that was left to do was break the news to him. Hopefully, all went well...
Jesse's wide, snarky smile was evident through the sound of his voice, "Yeah, sure! My mom and dad are here as well. Does it matter if they're here when you come over?"
Shockingly enough, Dina didn't seem too nervous about this. After all, the babies grandparents had to find out eventually. That was kind of hard to avoid... "No, of course not! I'll see you in about an hour".
With that said, Dina hung up the phone, walking over to her backpack to pick out her clothes. Someone caught her off guard though...
Ellie tapped her fingers up against the doorframe to get her attention, "Good to go?" She asked, stepping into the bedroom.
Dina nodded, "Yeah. I told Jesse that it was okay if his parents are there when we go over to his house. Is that okay with you, babe?"
Hearing that nickname made Ellie's heart burst out of happiness, "Of course! Can you give me the address to Jesse's house please?"
Dina nodded, pulling a notebook and a brand new ink pen out of her backpack and writing down Jesse's address as neatly as possible. She ripped the page out of the notebook, neatly folding it and placing it in Ellie's polo shirt pocket, "Here you go! I'm gonna go get dressed real quick".
Ellie nodded, wanting to give Dina the privacy she desired, but she just couldn't. She couldn't control her yearning want to see the young woman naked... Just a peek couldn't hurt, right? After all, she would see Dina with no clothes on eventually...
With that said, Ellie desperately tried to hide that she was staring by looking away each time Dina turned her head.
She kept on talking to keep the conversation fresh, "Are you nervous?" Ellie asked, looking over at Dina as she watched her put her shirt on.
Dina had the most amazing body... A slightly round stomach from her growing baby bump, small freckles covering every area of her body... Her caramel brown eyes to compliment her skin tone... Everything Ellie could've ever wanted in a woman. Heaven really was Dina... "DAMN! Such a pretty mama"...
Oddly specific dirty minded thoughts aside, Ellie was cut off in the slew of dirty thoughts by the sound of Dina's angelic voice, "Not really. I think I'm ready for this"... Dina answered, glancing over to lock eyes with Ellie while she was changing her pants.
Ellie nodded, "Hey, I have a surprise for you!" She whispered, watching Dina struggle to button up her flannel shirt, "Here, let me help you, babe!"
Ellie stared deeply into her pregnant girlfriends eyes, beginning to button her flannel all the way down and adjusting the collar for her, "There you go! You look amazing, Di!"
Ellie wasn't about to say anything she wanted to say, but the words "Sexy, hot, pretty" came to mind as well. Ellie could literally go on about her amazing girlfriend for hours.
Of course, Dina was the same way, however hers were more subtle, "Oh, babygirl, you have no idea how you make me feel"... Actually, maybe her thoughts weren't as "subtle" as she was letting on, "Oh, shut up, Dina"...
To the kindhearted compliment given by Ellie, Dina smiled happily as she stood up to kiss her slightly taller girlfriend, "Me? Amazing? Nope, that's you!" Dina flirted back, hugging Ellie tightly after pulling away from the kiss.
Ellie held Dina's hand in hers, giggling softly, "Ready to head out, baby?" She asked, receiving an immediate nod from Dina, "Yes, let's get going!"
With that said, the two girls walked out to Ellie's black Ford Escape, hand in hand. Just like the previous day, Ellie opened the passenger side door for Dina, "Ladies first!" She retorted, a playful smirk now across her face.
Dina laughed with that same musical tone that made Ellie fall in love with her, before stepping into the car, "Hey, what was that surprise you said you had for me?"
Ellie smiled, closing the passenger side door and climbing into the drivers seat, buckling her seatbelt.
She reached into the backseat, handing Dina a blue, pink and purple colored square box, "Open it!"
Once Dina had opened the box, her eyes lit up, filling with tears, "Oh my god!" She whispered, looking through the contents of the box.
Inside was a framed version of Dina's first ultrasound photo, with Dina's name, the date of the appointment and Dina's due date written at the bottom. The due date was one week before Dina's junior prom...
Dina looked over at Ellie, "Thank you, baby! I love it. I thought I wasn't gonna get the ultrasound results for a few weeks though"...
Ellie smiled as she began driving to Jesse's house, "That's the great thing! My mom helped me surprise you with it a little bit earlier. There's also a ziplock baggy at the bottom of the box with your positive pregnancy tests in it. I figured giving this to you now would help you reveal the pregnancy to your ex and your dad!"
This was the perfect idea, "Okay! How should I reveal it? I need ideas!" Dina said, pulling the ziplock of pregnancy tests out of the box and closing it.
Ellie smiled, "Well, my mom and dad found out at the same time, so they never really got to have this opportunity. Maybe hide your ultrasound photo in the front of your pants and show them?" Ellie suggested, placing her right arm on the center console.
Dina nodded, taking Ellie's hand in hers and preparing herself by tucking the photo into her pants, "I love it! Let's do it"...
Dina's heart went into her throat, cutting off her ability to breathe completely. They were now just a few feet away from Jesse's house.
Ellie knew panic attacks all too well, so she knew just what to do, "Hey... You've got this, okay? We've got a backup plan just in case and I'll be right there with you. Have no shame if you cry. It's natural and that's okay"...
Dina nodded, taking a long and shaky breath as she gently squeezed Ellie's hand, "Okay... I've got this. I've totally got this"... Dina whispered to herself, stepping out of the car.
Ellie took Dina's hand in hers, kissing her forehead lovingly and running her hands up and down Dina's stomach, "Let's go in. I will be holding your hand, so hopefully he just figures out we're a thing without us saying anything". Ellie whispered, kissing Dina's lips lovingly before walking with her up the stairs.
Now, Dina's nerves were almost completely gone, as she knocked five times, waiting for him to open the door.
The extremely tall young gentleman opened the door, smiling widely, "Hey, Dina! Who have you got here? Is this who you wanted to introduce me too?" Jesse asked, gesturing towards Ellie.
Ellie nodded, showing absolutely no shame about holding Dina's hand in front of her ex boyfriend, "My name is Ellie. We met at Dina's work. Her dad introduced us".
Jesse definitely did notice them holding hands, but that wasn't important to him. He was just happy for the new couple and stayed silent on the matter, "Well, nice to meet you! I'm Jesse. Come on in!"
Jesse led the two young woman into his house, which was a very modern, old school two story house, "Woah, nice house!" Ellie whispered, receiving an immediate nod of approval from Jesse.
While Jesse was introducing his parents to Ellie, Dina remained on the couch, with her feet up on the coffee table. She was clearly starting to get flustered, but thankfully, Ellie could tell.
She walked over to Dina after introducing herself to Jesse's parents, whispering softly to her, "Ready, baby?"
Inevitably, Dina nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be"... Dina whispered in return, pulling Ellie down to sit with her as she stood up, "Jesse, you're probably wondering what I have to tell you and your parents"... Dina said, as both of her hands rested on the front of her pants.
Jesse nodded, as his parents continued to pay attention to Dina as she spoke, "Yes, we are"...
As soon as Jesse said that, he laughed lightly. "Is what you have to tell me that you and Ellie are dating? Because I already know. And speaking of... Congratulations!"
This was... Unexpected? Yes. The big news? No. However, Jesse's response to finding out about Dina's new relationship couldn't have been any better, "No, it's not that... But thank you!" Ellie answered, standing up with Dina and holding her hand.
Jesse nodded, smiling at the happy couple, "Well, what else do you have to tell me, Dina? You can tell me anything, okay? Absolutely anything!"
This was another astonishing quality about Jesse. The upfront and blunt honesty which he had inherited from his loving parents.
Finally, the time Dina had been dreading for the last two days had come... She closed her eyes and began to pull the ultrasound photo and the pregnancy test out of her pants, "I'm pregnant"...
Jesse's face and his parents faces had went from happy to utterly shocked, but Ellie and Dina could both see the happiness in their eyes, "I'm gonna be a dad?!" Jesse smiled widely, taking a closer look at the ultrasound photo, "Yes you are! I'll get you another copy of the photo, but I need it for now so I can tell my dad!"
During this time, while Dina was explaining everything from how she found out, to the first appointment with Anna, Ellie sat on the couch, thinking.
She wanted to be more social, however she saw the pure excitement and joy in their faces. Jesse's parents were beyond ecstatic, Jesse was so happy and they appeared to like Ellie already. Ellie was just giving them time to bond over the baby...
In no time, an hour had passed. Ellie was now laying on the couch with both legs over the armrest, similar to the night before. She had her bright green eyes closed in deep thought, as she felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder, "Hey, baby. Ready to head to my house?"
Ellie's eyes flew open, as she stood up with Dina's help, "Yeah. Sorry, I kinda zoned out, babe".
Dina giggled, "It's okay! Let's say our goodbyes and head out then". Dina replied, walking hand in hand with Ellie over to where Jesse and his parents were standing, "We're heading to my house now, guys".
They nodded, giving Dina hugs and Ellie a firm, but friendly handshake, "Congratulations again, Dina. We're so excited! And it was nice meeting you, Ellie. Make sure you take good care of her whenever our son isn't around".
Ellie nodded, giving both of them a cheesy salute, "Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am!" Ellie answered, smiling when she saw Jesse kissing Dina's stomach out of the corner of her eye.
Seeing these little moments made Ellie so happy, because even though they weren't together anymore, Dina and Jesse were living proof that every couple could make it work, no matter what.
With all of their goodbyes done and over with, there was only one more obstacle left to face... Telling Daniel. Hopefully, this would go well.
Jesse reminded Dina a lot of a teenage version of her father. Young, independent, protective... While also being understanding, loving and surely the greatest grandfather ever. This thought alone was enough to make Dina face her greatest fear, as she nervously held Ellie's hand during the drive to her house, "One obstacle down... One more to go!" Ellie told Dina, a smile of confidence looking very fitting across her freckled face.
Once they pulled up to Dina's house, Ellie gave Dina's hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance, "You ready for this?"
With a confident smile to match that of her beautiful girlfriend, Dina nodded, checking to make sure the ultrasound photo and the pregnancy test were still tucked away, "Hell yeah!"
Ellie stepped out of her car, pressing the "lock" button on her car keys to lock her car. Dina followed behind Ellie, their hands happily swinging together as they walked.
Hopefully, in a few years time, they would be swinging a little boy or girl around in their arms like one happy little family...
Ellie stepped to the side, allowing Dina to use her personal house key to unlock the door, "Dad, it's me!" She called, opening the door as Daniel met up with them.
Daniel smiled, giving Dina a hug and a kiss to her forehead, before shaking Ellie's hand, taking into consideration her hatred of being touched, "Hi, girls! Feel free to take a load off. I'm here to listen!" He replied, sitting down in his favorite reclining chair and kicking his feet up on the footrest.
Dina walked over to her favorite seat in the living room: The couch. She moved over, giving Ellie the option to sit beside her.
Obviously, for moral support, Ellie sat beside Dina, holding her hand. She could see the nerves through Dina's fake smile, as she rested her hand up against Dina's cheek, "It's okay, just tell him, baby"... Ellie whispered, internally hoping that Daniel had picked up on the fact that they were dating. Despite wanting to keep things private at the start, it was difficult to hide things now. Similar to Dina's pregnancy if they had waited any longer. It couldn't go unnoticed forever, "Tell me what? What's wrong, sweetie?" Daniel asked, concern filling his voice.
Sighing sadly, Dina began to speak, tears burning behind her eyelids, "I'm pregnant, dad. I'm so sorry"... Dina whispered, as her shaking hands grabbed the pregnancy test, along with the ultrasound photo out of her pants.
Daniel wasn't angry... He wasn't upset... He was actually happy, despite Jesse and Dina's young ages. He already loved Jesse and his family as well...
Daniel stood up, walking towards Dina. He kneeled down in front of her to get a closer look at the photo, smiling softly, "Dina, honey... I'm not mad. Hell, I'm so happy. Yeah, you're young and still in school, but there are options for you and Jesse to raise a child while you're finishing up school. I'm so proud of my little girl! And I'm gonna be a grandpa! I honestly never thought that would happen, but damn it, I'm happy it is, no matter how young you are!"
Daniel picked Dina up, letting her cry everything out. This was something that was sad to see, but heartwarming to hear. A man who doesn't like to see his little girl cry, while also comforting her when she needs her father. That was one of the main things that Ellie adored about Joel. Overprotectiveness aside, those Joel hugs were unlike any other...
Daniel spoke softly to crying little Dina, "Do Jesse and his parents know, sweetheart?"
Instead of making Dina answer while she was in hysterics, he looked down at Ellie to answer for her instead, "Yes, sir. They're so excited!"
Daniel nodded, placing Dina back down after her crying had subsided, "Who gave you the ultrasound?"
Dina smiled, wiping her bloodshot red eyes with a tissue, "Ellie's mom, Anna. She's a nurse". Dina answered, immediately reviewing a nod of approval from Daniel.
He quickly took notice of the way Ellie and Dina were looking at each other though, "Call me crazy, but... I think you two are dating"...
This managed to spike a laugh from the crying mother to be, "What was your first clue, dad?" Dina retorted in return, laughing lightly.
Daniel kissed Dina's cheek sweetly, wiping a tear from her cheek, "Well, Ms. Ellie. You're father in law approved! Welcome to the family, kid!"
To this, Ellie was caught off guard, but smiled widely, "Thank you, sir. I promise that just like Jesse, I'll take good care of her and the baby. I won't let you down".
Daniel nodded, spending the next few hours talking about the baby, anything that Ellie or Dina needed, school and so on until it was around 6 in the evening.
Dina looked down at the clock on her phone, "Okay, dad, I'd love to stay longer, but it's 6 PM and I've got something I wanna do before Ellie and I go back to her house for the night. I love you, dad!"
Daniel nodded, giving both girls hugs and playfully ruffling Ellie's hair to make the young auburn haired female feel more welcome, "I love you too, kiddo!" He answered, watching the two young women leave with a massive smile on his face.
So far, they had reviewed the good news, they both had gorgeous significant others and their day away from Ellie's house was proving to be a glorious day. Little did Ellie know, this day out of her house was about to become even better...