Reena - Birthday

The minute I wake up, the first thing that catches my eye is the ring. It sits almost perfectly on my  finger and gives off this warm glow. I smile the more I look at it, remembering how Reed gave it to me last night as a birthday gift. I really hadn’t expected anything because he had asked what I would have liked and I told him nothing. I was happy enough as it was and nothing really came to mind anyways.

But the moment he woke me up and gave me that little box, I was speechless. It got worse when I opened it and he told me it was an heirloom, and how I deserved it just as much as anyone and even more so because I was carry his daughter.

Reed makes me so happy, it’s become so hard to think of my future and not see him in the picture. I pray the love I have for him now, only grows stronger.

“We’re gonna be late if you don’t get up now?” Reed voice booms from the bathroom and he steps out, in a low riding jeans that draws attention to his tight muscles.

He catches me looking and smiles, “We’re definitely going to be late if you keep looking at me like that.” Reed walks over and kisses me on the scarf tied round my head.

“Seriously, you have less than twenty minutes to get ready.”

I give him a smile and run my hands along his jawline, “Thank you.”

He catches my hand and kisses me there, “You are welcome.” Then he pulls me up from the warm bed and puts his hands on my belly. “I’ll be downstairs, there’s something I have to tell my mom.”

“Okay.” He kisses me then and leaves the room and I go into the bathroom to get ready for another day of school.

When I make my way downstairs, Reed is at the table with Sheldon. As soon as he sees me he shoots me a big grin and opens his arms. “Happy birthday!!”

I give him a bright smile and move in for the hug but I’m stopped by Reed’s mom who instead engulfs me into her arms. “Happy seventeen birthday Reena.”

I mutter a thank you and when she lets me go, I’m drop my face so she doesn’t notice the look of surprise on my face. “The breakfast will be complete in two.”

“How come I’m not getting a special breakfast? I’m a young growing man, I need to be fed.” Reed eyes stay lock on me while he says this.

She turns to look at him, “Well, for one you’re not pregnant and it isn’t your birthday.”

I move to Sheldon and he stands and gives me a big hug, repeating happy birthday. When I sit, Mrs. Max puts down a huge plate of pancakes, eggs and bacon alongside a bowl of strawberries and grapes, and pats me on the head. “Eat up Reena, or you’re going to be really late.”

“It’s her birthday, I’m sure they’ll give her a pass.”

Reed and I laugh at this and Sheldon stares, confused. “They haven’t let up even though she’s pregnant, you think they’ll care that it’s her birthday?”

He nods his head in agreement as he swipes a pancake from my plate. Reed does the same thing.

As I eat, I listen to both of them talking about the basketball season and who seems to be the teams to beat if they’re to have a shot at winning the title this season, and their last and final year of high school. Both really want to win because they think it would make them immortals.

“Can you imagine if we made it to the finals, and won? Man, my dad would be so proud.”

“Mine too.” Reed gets a slap at the back of his head and he scowls at his mom.

“Your father and I are already proud.” She points a long finger a Sheldon and narrows her eyes, “Your father is proud of you, more than you know it.”

“God mom, we didn’t mean it like that.”

She ignores him and returns to the sink. “Too bad.”

I giggle at them and continue eating my breakfast until I’m finish and ready to leave. When we get to the car I get in the back and put my legs on the seat, they’ve began to ache and today they seem more swollen than usual.

“Seatbelt Reena.” I pop an eye open and look at him, “Now please.”

I put the seatbelt on and he starts the engine.

“So, Reena,” Sheldon says from the front seat, “what we going to do today?”

“Learn.”

He laughs a little, “Don’t get smart with me, this is a serious question.”

“I just want to take a nap really, that’s all.”

“Well you can take that nap after we get back from dinner.” I look up and catch Reed looking at me before is eyes divert back to the road.

I laugh a little, “As you wish.”

I catch the smile on his lips before he turns to Sheldon and continue their basketball talk. I almost doze off when I feel the car stop and Reed hands are jerking me awake. “Babe, let’s go.”

He helps me from the car and I stand there resting a bit on him until the drowsiness leaves. “You okay?” He asks and I nod, “I’m fine.” I move off him and he takes my bag from the car, and locks it.

Sheldon comes around and ruffles my hair, “Let’s go birthday girl.”

Together we move on to the school and Sheldon is the first to leave us, I kiss Reed bye and make my way up the stairs to my literature class. The teacher doesn’t make a fuss at my lateness when I enter the class and scurry to the back and sit.

No one really pays me mind, not like before when my stomach was just showing and it was going around the school that I was pregnant for Reed Max. I guess everyone’s gotten used to it.

As the class drones on, the teacher tells us what to expect on the final paper and gives us sheets of paper outlining the poems he expects us to know by the end of the month.

“Now, don’t forget its five poems the least that you must know. Nothing less, and if you want to go beyond that five, well be my guess. Just make sure, that you know everything about them.”

The bell rings and everyone starts putting away their stuff and moving to the door. When I get outside I see a familiar face, Isla, I try to avoid her seeing me but it doesn’t work. She comes across and pulls me from the crowd. I shrug her off.

“Isla, please. I’m not in the mood for another one of your―”

“No, it’s not that.”

I move off but she pulls me back, “No please, wait.”

I stop, “Fine, what is it?”

“I know Reed must’ve told you about me seeing him.”

“Yes, he did.”

She nods and drops her head, “I just wanted to apologize, to you.” She raises her head, “I passed my place, I tried to get him to break up with you again and well, it didn’t work. So, I guess you’ve won.”

“I’ve won?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, I finally see that he really loves you.”

I roll my eyes, “You do know this isn’t a game, right?”

“I know that now.” She smiles at me and looks down at my belly.

“So, is it a boy or girl?”

I don’t answer immediately, but then I think it can’t hurt to tell her. “I don’t know, Reed’s hoping it’s a girl.” I look down at my stomach and put my hands there. When I look back up, Isla is still staring but her face has lost all colour.

“He gave you that ring?”

I look at my finger before putting it behind me and trying to move, but she puts a hand on my shoulder, stopping me, “Give it to me.”

Startled, I stop and stare at her before speaking. “What?”

“That ring, it belongs to me.”

I push her hand off me and stand up a little straighter, “Are you engaged to him?”

Her eyes grow dark and a tear slips down her face. “Isla I’m sorry but he gave it to me.”

She shakes her head, “It belongs to me, it’s my ring.”

I stand there for a few seconds before I walk pass her, she grabs my hand and I pull from her grasp. “Isla, let me go.”

And so, she does, I land on the floor and I immediately grab my stomach. A little pain shoots up my back and I grind my teeth.

“Oh, my God, Reena I’m sorry.” It’s Isla, “Are you hurt?”

I open my eyes and there are people kneeling beside me, looking concerned. Isla steps moves closer and puts her hand on my back, “Please go away, I’m fine.”

I try to stand with the help of the others but the pain rips at the bottom of my belly and I settle back down on the floor. Someone holds my shoulders and when I open my eyes, it’s Sheldon.

“Reena, what happened?”

He turns and notices Isla and his face grows furious. I place my hand on his shoulder and he looks back at me, “I’m fine, just a little pain.”

The pain is still there and when I drop my head and try to take deep breaths, then I hear Reed’s voice, frantic. “Reena.”

“I’m okay.” I say and he holds up chin.

“What happened?”

I look around and Isla is no longer here but the crowd has since thicken, I drop my gaze back to the floor while Sheldon tells him Isla is at fault. It doesn’t take long before the pain subsides and I tell them to pull me up.

“Babe, you sure?”

I nod. “I think we should go see my doctor, just to be sure.”

He nods in agreement and we leave to go to the hospital, with Sheldon in tow.

***

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