3
Third POV
Mia arrives at her apartment with Christian. It's already too late. She opens the door and takes a long breath, wishing she doesn't see Sally and Smith right now. There's no sign of them in the living room so she thanks God for it. She puts Christian who is deep in sleep, in his crib and comes to watch some TV. The amount of anxiety pressing on her chest is unbelievable. She closes her eyes and tries to relax the way she has been taught by her therapist.
Inhale long, keep it in for a few seconds and then exhale long. It's working. She needs to get all the stress out. Nothing will go wrong. No matter the identity of her baby's father, everything will be fine. She has survived far worse. She will survive this.
Oliver sees her sleeping on the couch and fists his hands. Does he wish this morning had not happened? Or is he relieved that the secret is finally out? This state of unsureness is killing him. He doesn't know if Mia really heard him.
He gets closer to Mia and watches her as she has closed her eyes. The volume of the TV is loud, so he decides to decrease it.
Something brushes against her arm, and she opens her eyes. Oliver's face is two inches away from hers.
She screams, and Oliver jumps back. After a few seconds, she screams again and Oliver looks at her in confusion. "What was the second shout for?" Oliver asks.
Mia gulps and wipes the drool of her mouth. After she gains her senses, she fixes her posture.
"What were you doing?" she asks.
Oliver steadies himself with the edge of the table and stands properly. "I was trying to get the remote from your side to turn off the TV!"
Mia looks at the remote, which is still on the couch. "Fuck. You scared the shit outta me."
"Why are you so scared of me?"
"I'm not scared of you. I was watching something important."
"The wild documentary?"
Mia looks at the TV and sees the monkeys jumping around the jungle. "Yes. This is the episode where the monkey sticks his banana up his friend's ass," she says.
"Well, scooch over. Let me watch it with you."
"You wanna watch monkeys with me?"
He sits by her left side, feeling courageous. Maybe this isn't going to end badly. "Why not?" he says, not looking at her. "If there's a banana and an ass involved."
"Sure. Cause you like doing it like monkeys with every female or male monkey you see."
Oliver's blood goes cold. "What?" he asks, looking at her.
"Nothing." Mia looks back at the TV as she has crossed her arms and tries to be as silent as she can.
The wild documentary is pretty concerning. Every animal is trying to survive a predator, and it's funny how you change sides when the narrator changes their point of view. You want the deer to live, but also want the lion to live. The lion needs to eat the deer to survive, so really, who is to blame here? The lion for hunting? The deer for being a prey? Or the cameraman for secretly filming the violent scene of the lion biting on the deer's ass.
Oliver thinks that maybe this is the best time to come clean with Mia. She has obviously suspected something. Otherwise, she wouldn't act so strange. He takes a deep breath and decides to break the ice.
Suddenly Mia sees Oliver's hand getting closer to her. She turns her head to look at him, his body's getting closer to her too.
She grabs his hand and stops it. "Take your banana away from me."
"I wanted the chips," he says, doing his best to stay calm. Mia realizes she has a bag of chips to her right and he was stretching his arm to get it. "Why are you so distressed?" he asks, hoping Mia will speak her mind and start shouting or maybe punching him. Anything would be better than this loud silence.
"I'm not," Mia says, without adding more.
"I'm not going to eat you."
A loud ha-ha nervously leaves Mia's mouth. "Of course not," she says. Her smile fades away. "But would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Hypothetically I'm a banana, and you're the monkey. Would you eat me or stick me up your ass?"
Oliver looks for any sign of grinning or joking on Mia's face, but she is dead serious. "I can't figure out if you're joking anymore."
"I'm not."
"Are you horny?"
"Just answer the question, bro!"
"Don't 'bro' me!"
"Stop me, bro!"
"I would stick you up my ass!"
Mia gasps, feeling disrespected as if he just cursed her. She gets on her feet and goes to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Her cheeks are red. Oliver's head falls on the back of the couch and he sighs. Why is it so hard to approach Mia now when she always talks about her feelings and never shuts up?
Mia gets a call from Zoey and takes it. "Hey, honey. How are you?" Zoey says on the phone.
"I'm hot!" Mia says, gasping for air. "I'm confused. I don't know what I'm doing."
"What? Do you have a fever?"
"No. I'm mad."
"Did you confront him?"
"No, but I think I was a banana, and he sucked on me the night of my party as a monkey would."
"Wouldn't that be the other way around?"
"Oh, my God. NO! I—I don't wanna... Not his penis. No—I can't imagine his penis. It's a blank page. No balls, nothing."
"You can't imagine nothing. Poor man has something down there."
"You're supposed to talk sense to me, Zoey!"
"You just compared yourself to a banana. I think common sense is long off the table.."
"I will sleep trying to imagine his penis."
"Ask him then. What is the worst thing that can happen?"
"I can't ask him to show me his penis. What if it's curved? I'll laugh in his face."
"No! I meant ask him if he slept with you!"
"Oh!"
"Why would it be curved?"
"I've seen one before. Can we get back to my problem? What am I supposed to do?"
"Ask him. Worst-case scenario, he's the dad and he doesn't want to get involved. Isn't that what you wanted?"
It is. Mia wanted someone to give her a baby. If Oliver's the father, then she'll somehow be glad. Because she knows he's not some jackass like Jon, who told her in front of everyone that he doesn't want her and only seeks sexual intercourse with her.
"You're right," Mia says. "Best case scenario, he doesn't have a penis and this nightmare can be over."
"That's the best-case scenario in your mind?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Let me know how it ends."
"Okay." Mia hangs up on Zoey and takes a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Sally's voice startles Oliver. He didn't know when she came. She sits by his side on the couch, and he sighs, lifting his head.
"Yes," he says in a low voice.
"You sound like when you first moved to America."
He looks at her. "What?"
"You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
She puts her hands on Oliver's shoulders. "Maybe I can help."
"I don't think this is the right time."
"Trust me." She starts massaging him and Oliver actually starts getting relaxed.
Mia exits the bathroom and enters the living room again. She sees the wild documentary is still on and she can't help but smile.
Suddenly two heads emerge from behind the couch. Sally on top of Smith, their bodies entwined with each other.
"Hey," Mia says. "You have a penis."
"What?" Oliver asks.
"Let me check," Sally says and looks down. "Oh. I hadn't noticed before," she teases.
Oliver pulls himself together. "How long have you been standing there?" he asks Mia.
"I just came," Mia says.
"I didn't," Sally jokes again, and Oliver frowns.
"Let me see it too," Mia says.
Oliver's face gets pale. "What?"
"Let me see it for a second," Mia insists and walks around the couch. Oliver jumps over the couch to avoid her.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asks as Sally watches them with a grin on her face. She's enjoying this.
"Let me see it!" Mia says, following him. "You've seen me breastfeed. I wanna see your dick."
Oliver keeps dodging her and walks around the couch as Mia chases him. "Have you lost your mind?" his voice gets louder.
"Yes. I wanna see your banana. Show it to me."
"No! This is sexual assault."
"Just flash me for a second!"
"Mia! Are you still horny?"
"Take a picture and send it to me."
"No!"
"Let me cup you."
"Jesus! No!" He rushes to the door and exits the house.
Mia walks back to her room with her tail between her legs. She asked Oliver if he would eat her and now, he's eating his girlfriend. Why are these two so horny?!
The next morning, Mia wakes up to the cries of Christian. She feeds him. He's getting used to breastfeeding which is relieving for Mia. The only thing that gives her comfort is no matter what, her baby will always be loved by her. She will show him unconditional love, even though she has never been loved or shown how to love. She knows how much she craves it. She knows what she wanted all these years from her family or my friends. Reassurance, presence, patience, understanding, communication. Her son will have all of these from her.
Mia exits the room with Christian in the baby carrier, laying on her chest and stomach. No one is up so she can escape the house peacefully.
She goes for a walk to empty her mind. Everything will be okay; she keeps reminding herself. She gets too far from the house, and it makes her feel more at peace. As she stands in a park and watches the kids play, her phone starts buzzing. She checks her pockets. It's Isla.
"Hey!" Isla says.
"Hey. What's up?"
"Guess who's selected as the head of the filmmakers?"
"Nate?"
"No! Me!"
"Oh, my God! I'm so happy for you!"
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"I thought you'd be sad... because of Whoosh."
"I may have been fired from there, but nothing will make me happier than your success."
"Thank you."
"So, what are we doing to celebrate?"
"We're gonna celebrate at Eve's. It's going to be just the filmmakers. No one from the other departments. So, you guys can come too."
"That's cool. I'll see ya."
As Mia's heading back home, she sees a food truck which she always buys egg sandwiches from. She hears her stomach growl and decides to approach the food truck. After two people in the line, she gets her money out of her pocket and stretches it to the man inside the truck.
"Hey, Eduardo," Mia says, and he turns to look at her.
"Hey."
"An egg sandwich, please."
"Coming right on." He makes her a sandwich and then hands it to her. "Is that your son?" he asks, and Mia nods.
"Yes. Remember my big stomach? I was pregnant."
"I never assume women are pregnant."
"You assume they're just fat?"
"No! I never said that!"
Mia grins. "I was joking."
"Dad, look at my high score!" a child says from inside the truck, and Eduardo looks back at him. Mia curiously tiptoes to see the kid, but she can't.
"You have a kid?" she asks, and Eduardo nods.
"Yes, remember my stomach?"
Mia laughs. "You have another kid there?"
"That's rude! It takes time to lose pregnancy fat."
"You're right. I still have them too."
"Dad! Come on!" the kid says again and comes to the counter to see Mia. It's a boy about seven to eight years old. He stares at Mia and waits for her to leave so he can talk to his dad.
"I'll see you later," Mia says to Eduardo and starts walking to her apartment.
Mia gets ready for Isla's celebration night and wears something that fits her. She needs to get back to her job and buy new clothes. Otherwise, she won't be able to live like this. She wears makeup and puts on jewelry. Ian has agreed to come and babysit. Mia feeds Christian and changes his diaper so there's not much left for Ian to do.
Oliver has tried to overcome his fears and talk with Mia, but he is not sure whether Mia has heard him, or if she is going to ever forgive him for keeping it a secret for this long. He feels cold and his stomach keeps twisting.
The doorbell rings, and Mia exits her room to open the door. It's Ian. At first, he looks sad but when he sees Mia, his expression changes. He looks her up and down and smiles.
"You look so beautiful," he says.
"Thank you, hon. That's what I needed to hear. I feel too old."
"You're only thirty, Mia."
"I know. Thirty and a mother."
"What's the big deal about being a mother?"
"It's... complicated. Why did you look sad when I opened the door? Don't you want to babysit?"
"No. That's not it."
"Then what?"
"I gotta get back home tomorrow. I hadn't told mom—I mean Linda and dad about coming here."
"Okay."
"You're not mad at me, are you?"
"No, Ian. I'll never be mad at you. You're my precious little brother." She hugs him tightly.
"Are you okay?" he asks when Mia doesn't let go of him.
"Mhmm."
"Is everything okay?"
Mia nods again and pulls back from him. "Everything's fine. I gotta go now. Christian's fed and changed. He's now asleep."
Ian's gaze falls behind her. "Hey, Oliver," he says, and Mia turns her head around to see Oliver. He's not dressed and looks distressed.
"Hey," Oliver says to Ian.
"Why are you not dressed?" Mia asks Oliver.
"I'm not coming," Oliver says casually.
"Excuse me?!"
He coughs. "I don't feel good at all."
"Why? Have you caught a cold?"
"I don't know." He goes to the kitchen, and Mia follows him.
"Let me see if you have a fever," Mia says and touches his forehead. "You don't."
"I'll be fine."
"I asked Ian to babysit."
"Okay."
"You can't stay home with him," Mia says. He looks at her with a frown and waits for her to elaborate. "I can't trust you with my brother. You're gonna dab him again!"
Oliver clenches his teeth. He can't believe Mia would be worried about such a thing. "I never dabbed your brother!" he says. "Jesus. I can't believe I'm using dab as a word."
"I'll ask him to leave then."
"I'm not an animal, Mia. I'm not gonna jump your brother. I told you, nothing's gonna happen between us."
"What if he jumps you?"
"Listen to yourself."
"If anything happens between the two of you, I will find out."
"Mia..."
"Christian will tell me."
"Christian's two months old."
"Almost three months! He talks."
"What does he say?"
"Err... That he likes my left breast more than the right one."
Oliver rolls his eyes. "Get out before I puke on you."
Mia gets away from him, hugging herself. "I spent hours getting ready. Don't you dare."
"Then get out!"
"Okay!"
Mia sees Ian sitting on the couch, watching TV. She approaches him and gets her voice lower. "I'm leaving, Ian. Goodbye!"
"Bye!" he says without looking back at her.