It Wasn't Meant To Turn Out Like This

How someone could manage to look absolutely miserable and completely content at the same time, Brian would never know, but he knew Mayza pulled it off with aplomb. Maybe it was a fairy thing.

The SUV sat idling in downtown LA traffic, a seemingly constant force, at least from what Brian observed during their visits to Los Angeles from Huntington Beach. He had always thought of Huntington Beach as sort of a big town, but now he realized there were far bigger cities to live in. And, as Brian had grown accustomed to lately, he sat watching Mayza out of the corner of his eye. He constantly caught himself just staring at her for no particular reason. He wondered if she ever felt creeped out about it, but didn’t want to ask just in case she hadn’t noticed. He didn’t want to voluntarily bring to light the fact that he did a creeper stare at her daily.

There was only one month left until Mayza’s due date. Brian felt as though the last eight months had flown right on by, but Mayza told him she felt the complete opposite. She rarely complained, but she was more than happy to admit that she would be happy once the pregnancy was over. As Dr. Wright had suggested, she had put Mayza on bed rest for the last two months of her pregnancy. Mayza had no complaints about that either; she barely found the energy to drag herself out of bed each morning. Mayza’s stomach continued to enlarge; it had reached, roughly, the size of a medium-sized beach ball. All during the night, their baby girl shifted and kicked, sometimes hitting Mayza so hard Brian felt it.

Thus, why Mayza looked so absolutely miserable. She was exhausted; her back hurt; her stomach hurt; her joints hurt. Her very blood seemed to hurt. Brian hated seeing her this way. But Mayza never complained, and despite looking physically miserable, she kept up a positive mindset. Overall, she turned out to be a very pleasant pregnant woman.

Brian pulled open the door into Dr. Wright’s building, allowing Mayza to step in first before following behind. As they sat down in the waiting room, the two of them ignored the usual stares. Always, every person in the waiting room would first stare at the obviously pregnant fairy, and then they’d stare all the more after making the connection that the human man with her was the father.

They didn’t have to endure it long. Within a few minutes, the receptionist took them to an exam room, where they found Dr. Wright waiting there with an ultrasound machine. Mayza lifted herself up onto the exam table, the paper crinkling under her as she rolled up her shirt so Dr. Wright could apply the cold gel.

Mayza and Brian watched the screen with the normal look of awe as Dr. Wright moved the wand around on Mayza’s stomach to look at the baby. No matter how many times they saw the black and white image of their baby, it would never become less awe-inspiring.

“Well, the baby is still developing just like a human baby,” Dr. Wright said after a few moments. “There’s still no certainty that the baby, once fully-grown, will be human-sized, however. Well, she looks to be developing quite alright.” Dr. Wright pushed a button to take a picture and handed Mayza a paper towel to wipe off the gel. “How has Mommy been doing?”

“She hasn’t been letting me sleep,” Mayza began. “I spend most of my days lying down because my knees and back hurt too much if I get up and do stuff.”

“That’s perfectly alright,” Dr. Wright answered with a nod. “With your petite frame and the baby’s size, it’s best for you to relax as much as possible. Oh! That reminds me!” Dr. Wright sat up straighter in her seat. Brian and Mayza exchanged a curious glance before focusing on Dr. Wright. “For this last month of your pregnancy, I want you to stay here rather than return home. It’s a long drive from Huntington to LA, and none of us knows what’s going to happen. I would prefer to be able to keep a close eye on you; I have a second bed set up in your room so Brian can stay as well. If you two need a minute to discuss, I’ll gladly leave the room.”

“I’m fine with it if Brian is,” Mayza answered, looking around at Brian. “I mean, I’m not sure if you need to be in Huntington for band stuff or anything. I know the band can’t get very far without their lead guitarist.”

“It’s only a month,” Brian said with a shrug. “We’re not working on any big projects right now. I think they can function okay without me being there all the time. Besides, if something comes up, I can head to Huntington. It’s not that far.”

“So it’s a yes then?” Dr. Wright asked.

“Yes,” Brian said.

“Awesome,” Dr. Wright said, rising to her feet. “I already have a room set up for you two just in case you agreed. If you’ll follow me...”

Mayza slid down off of the exam table and Dr. Wright led the way onto the second floor of the building. It looked like the second floor was made up of hospital rooms for patients to stay in. Dr. Wright stopped about midway down the hall and opened a door to the left, stepping back to let the couple in first.

It looked more like a five-star hotel than a doctor’s office to Mayza. In the center of the room, against the left wall, two hospital beds were set up right next to each other. There was a large, wall-length window in the far wall looking down on LA traffic. The walls must’ve been sound-proof; Mayza heard nothing of car honks or the sound of running motors.

“Please, get comfortable,” Dr. Wright said, smiling as she realized they liked the room. “I’ll get your blood pressure and such later on this evening.” She left the room.

“You’ll have to go home and pack some clothes for us,” Mayza said, turning to Brian. “I can call everyone and tell them what’s going on.”

“Alright, babe,” Brian said. He cupped Mayza’s cheek in his hand, first bending to kiss her forehead, then pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. She waved as he stepped from the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

!!!!!

Mayza sat in an armchair facing the window when Brian returned later that afternoon with two suitcases of clothes and a smaller bag with their toiletries inside. Mayza looked around and smiled at him. Brian returned the gesture as he put down the suitcases. He walked over to the armchair and stood beside it, staring down at the traffic below that Mayza must’ve been watching.

Mayza braced both hands against the upholstery-covered arms of the armchair and shoved herself to her feet, not an easy feat given the size of her stomach. She pushed Brian down into the armchair before settling herself on his lap. She leaned back, relaxing into his chest, as Brian rested his hand on her stomach. Mayza rested her hands over his, feeling completely content and safe in Brian’s arms.

“You know, the baby needs a name,” Mayza pointed out, turning her head to look Brian in the eye. “Why don’t we name her now?”

“Okay,” Brian answered with a nod. “You go first.”

“Bree?” Mayza asked.

“Possibly. Rebecca?”

“Too common. Pearl?”

Brian laughed. “Like the whale off of Spongebob? I think not.”

“Diamond then.”

“You really want to name our daughter after a precious gem?”

“Sapphire.”

Brian frowned down at Mayza but then chuckled at her smirk. “I don’t know. I think I like Mae.”

“Despite the similarity to my name, I do agree,” Mayza answered. “And Christine. Christine Mae.”

“I like Mae Christine better,” Brian said. “It rolls off the tongue easier.”

“Mae Christine,” Mayza tried it out. “You know, I agree. Mae Christine Haner.”

“Mae Christine Haner,” Brian breathed into Mayza’s ear, rubbing her stomach gently with his hand. “Have I told you yet today that I love you?”

“A few times,” Mayza answered.

“Mind if I do again?”

“Not at all.”

“I love you so much, Mayza.”

“You know what? I love you too, Brian Haner.”