Less Children

For the first time in months, days seemed to have started actually passing by. Time was finally allowed to be just that for Sophia, as she found comfort, understanding and distraction in the company of Sage, Jamie and Mark. She found a strong, rebellious person into the mother-to-be/teenager Sage, who had herself been a teenage couple’s daughter. Jamie was, above everything, a very comfortable person, with the nicest of ways of being and the kindest humor. Mark proved himself to be amusingly ironical, yet respectful to a large extent, a young man so polite, smart and pleasant.

Sophia had found friends. And that was deeply good. She could finally watch days go by without worrying so much, and that was how the yellowish, sunny days of September succumbed into the first days of October. Sophia could finally look at her belly, smiling, without the terrible fear that she might not love her child. She now knew that she would love it no matter what, no matter who had fathered him/her. In her head, the child would have no father, but a mother that would love him as much as if it had two fathers and two mothers, great grandparents and a handful of friends that would make the greatest of aunts and uncles.

One particularly sunny, beautiful Sunday afternoon, as Sophia was reading in her room, on the cushioned bench by the window, her attention was distracted, briskly, by one or two pebbles hitting the window inches from her face. She looked down to see Sage, Jamie and Mark, together with a picnic basket, a couple of blankets and other items specifically brought for a rather weird picnic, as it was held in October. The party of three, feeling incomplete motioned Sophia downstairs.

Biting her lip, she gave up and laughed softly, rushing to pick up a thing or two she deemed useful: a hooded blouse, a little pillow, her book and the camera. While picking up a bottle or two of orange juice, she filled in her parents on her plans for the rest of that Sunday afternoon and paced out, as fast as she could.

The peculiar sight of the four buddies going on a picnic in the month of October was nothing short of enjoyable: two beautiful young women, all complete with the pregnancy glow and two young men, strong and protective of the graceful beings around them.
The picnic location was fairly close – a large, green park, welcoming of such parties. The boys set up the blankets, gentlemanly helped the girls sit and set off to playing childish, yet amusing games, blowing soap bubbles and playing cards, as they laughed their way through the afternoon. The funniest of pictures were taken, pictures showing the happiest of faces and the prettiest of young men and women.

“You know what’s the best part of expecting a boy and a girl?” Sage asked, as she swallowed a cherry.
“You mean, besides having to get out two big things through a hole almost physically too small for them?” Mark joked on. Sage drew her tongue out at him and continued, as if there had been no interruption.
“I can pick two names, and don’t have to worry that I don’t get to use my ideas of girls names and boys names.”
Sophia found the statement fairly funny and allowed herself to let out a giggle.
“So do you have the names already?” she asked Sage and Jamie.
“Sort of. We’re thinking of naming our baby boy Stephen Callum, and our baby girl Eva Rose,” Jamie said, very excited.
“Ah, well that’s cute. They’re both so special, just like your children are going to be…” Sophia said, smiling.
“What about you? Have you thought what you’re going to name your kid?” Mark asked Sophia.
“Nope. I mean I don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl. I don’t wanna end up naming my boy Lily, or my girl, Adrian.
“Ha ha. It’s a smart thing though, not wanting to know the sex of the baby. It makes the expectation even bigger, and the surprise better,” Mark said, ending with a cheerful grin.

That evening, as she made her way inside her room, Sophia felt warm inside. She had actually made friends. That was of a huge importance to her, being ever so grateful that she had been able to find people that wouldn’t judge her without knowing her story. None of her new friends knew anything about the way she had become pregnant, but they didn’t stress the matter either, confident that at the right time, they would be told.