DJ
His manager had been ringing him a couple of times now, but DJ ignored all of it. He wasn’t sure he could even think straight after coming face-to-face with the love of his life and her ghosting on him the second time. He had been trying to connect with Kyle the entire time too, while he paced around the unit like a restless lion in a cage.
It took two hours before Kyle finally returned the call.
“You wouldn’t believe who I just met outside your unit, Kyle,” he began. “My hands are fuckin’ trembling right now like you wouldn’t believe. Jesus Christ.”
Eight months. Eight gruelling months of worrying about her, waiting for a call that never came, or a message he never received. And then suddenly, this. It felt like destiny played a hand and it frazzled his mind and nerves.
“Wait. What exactly happened?”
He waved his hand in the air, dismissing the unnecessary details of their meeting. “A delivery for Yanna arrived that she had to pick up at your doorstep.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize the package would come so soon. I’ll have to give a good rating to that store.”
“And you didn’t pay for it, asshole,” he grumbled at how he missed the chance to prolong their meeting.
“Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it to arrive today.”
DJ nodded, his mind scrambled from that brief moment with Yanna. “What is she doing here? Does she live nearby?”
“Yes. She moved into the building a couple of months back.”
“You actually know this and didn’t tell me? Are you even my friend?” He bristled at the fact that Kyle could have at least eased his longing and worrying by sharing a bit of information about her. It wasn't like he was going to ambush her. DJ knew when to push and not to when it came to her.
Kyle chuckling in the background annoyed him even more. “I’m dating her best friend. And they both specifically told me to keep my mouth shut. My loyalty is with my girl.”
“No. Your loyalty is with whoever makes your dick throb,” DJ hissed, making his friend laugh even more.
“Point taken. But hey, you get to see her, right? Wasn’t that what you wanted? I made your dreams come true, bro. You get to spend your vacation free of charge, play video games and have a shot to be with her again.”
The thought of it alone made his chest swell with hope. Earlier, the urge to rush to her side and enclose her in a tight embrace was so overwhelming, he remembered closing his hands into fists to stomp it down. He was glad to see her again, looking radiant as ever. And oh how he missed her. So much it hurt. And Yanna disappearing on him the second time was as painful as the first.
Maybe there was no second chance for him anymore. That he was only waiting in vain for her to come around.
DJ scrubbed his face with his free hand. “Is she… is she married?”
“Nope,” was the quick answer.
“In a relationship? Seeing someone, anyone?”
“You better ask her that yourself.”
His heart sank at the possibility that she was already with someone else. It would be a walk in the park for her to replace him with someone new. Someone better than a country boy like him. And the thought was a bitter pill to swallow.
But DJ needed closure. And he would dedicate the rest of his vacation leave doing just that so he could finally move on. “What’s her unit number?”
---
Yanna
“I swear, I didn’t plan that!” Rhea reassured her for the nth time since she picked up the call. “Before we left, Kyle just told me his friend is staying in his unit for a week. I didn’t know it was DJ, okay?”
“Bullshit. I’m not buying that, Ri.” Yanna knew her best friend like the back of her hand. She and Kyle played a hand for her and DJ to meet countless times until they started going out. The whole thing reeked of their names on it.
“Watch the language, Yanna. The baby can hear it,” Rhea berated her. Yanna breathed through her nose to calm herself down. “If it’s any consolation, neither of us told him about the baby.”
“Like I could still keep that from him when I look like I’m hiding a watermelon under my clothes,” she muttered. In hopes of flushing out the heat she felt upon seeing DJ and how he seemed to fill his clothes nicely reminding her of their time spent in heat, she had quickly changed into something more comfortable when she quickly left Kyle’s unit back to hers with the delivery boy in tow.
“Well, maybe it’s time for you to come clean and tell him about it.”
“See. This is why I know you had a hand on this. You’ve been nagging me to tell him about the baby in forever.”
“For the nth time. DJ. Needs. To. know.” Rhea stressed each word for effect leaving Yanna speechless. “I told you, I don’t want my grandson growing up not knowing his father, okay?” she insisted and when Yanna remained silent, she went on. “If this didn’t happen, do you really think you’d have the guts to tell him? You're almost due and you had not even tried. When are you planning to reach out? When the baby cones of age?" she scoffed. "Stop running away from this. You can be mad at me and Kyle all you want but we’re just concerned for the baby’s sake.”
“So you finally admit that you planned all this.”
“No. Because Kyle did it, not me. And I’m not even sorry that he partly meddled because frankly speaking, it's been a long time coming. I’ll make it up to you when we get home, okay? I’ll bring home lots of Old Town Coffee.”
“I can’t drink coffee, in case you forgot. And I plan to breastfeed, so anything I drink should have moringa in it to boost milk production.”
“Oh-kay, noted. I’ll look for some here.” There was a pregnant pause before Rhea spoke again. “Relax, Yanna. Or at least try to. I’m not saying that you get back with him. If you don’t want to, that’s okay. But don’t take away DJ’s right to know about his son.”
“Okay,” Yanna exhaled in resignation. “Yeah. Maybe I should go back to Kyle’s unit and come clean.” As if on cue, Yanna heard soft, tentative knocks on her door. As a response, the child in her womb stirred. “Oh, god. He’s here.”
“The baby?!” Rhea gasped. “The baby’s about to come out?!”
“No, DJ. I think.” She quietly padded to the door so she could look through the peephole and her instincts was spot on. “Oh, god.” Rhea cheered her on one last time before they both hung up. And with a deep breath followed by a gentle kick of the baby in her womb as if cheering her on, she turned the knob and pulled the door open. “Hi,” she breathed.
“Hi,” DJ greeted back. His hair was a mess as if he had run his hand through it numerous times. Her fingers itched to run them through his locks that were longer now, or against his jaw with a dusting of stubble.
“Would you like to come in?” she finally asked and saw his shoulders sag in relief at her invitation.
“I-I’d love that.”
Yanna opened the door wider and motioned for him to follow. His eyes never left her face as she led him to the couch where he tentatively sat. He was clad in a white Henley shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and slippers--his staple get up. It wasn’t imagination or a product of her longing that he appeared more fit, muscles peeking from under the sleeves. She felt relieved that the eight months they were apart benefitted him well. Physically.
She mirrored his position on a winged sofa across him. When she leaned back, his eyes finally rested on her bulging midsection.
“You’re pregnant.”
It wasn’t a question. Not even an accusation. It was a mere statement of an observation.
DJ had always been transparent and Yanna could easily read his thoughts before he verbalized them. But for the first time, she waited. She waited when his eyes scanned her hands resting calmly on her belly, no doubt, looking for a wedding band, looking for answers to the myriad of questions he had. It lingered there for a few minutes--his eyes on her hand and she tried to remain still while he figured things out.
And then his gaze flipped to hers. There was hurt, and wonder, and hope--warring emotions apparent at how he stared at her, practically begging her to confirm or deny the worst of his thoughts.
Yanna gave him a small, uncertain smile at the same time the baby moved. “It’s yours, DJ. The baby is yours.”