The heartburn had become a persistent nuisance, and the fatigue seemed to sap every bit of Esaaba's energy. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, so when her friend Ruby stopped by one afternoon, she decided to mention it casually. “No matter what I eat, I end up with heartburn, and I’m constantly tired,” Esaaba said, her frustration evident.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s all the oily foods,” she suggested, thinking it through. “Are you eating well?”

Esaaba laughed softly, brushing off the question. “If I’m not, then Reggie’s to blame—he keeps bringing me junk food.”

“Then tell him to bring you a blood tonic, too,” Ruby joked, though she was genuinely concerned.

“No way,” Esaaba replied with a grin, “that’ll just make me eat even more, and I’ll gain weight. Maybe I’ll just start making turkey berry juice.”

Ruby looked at her closely. “You’re filling out a bit in the face,” she observed, playfully adding, “Guess you’re putting on that happy relationship weight!”

That evening, Reggie came over to visit, and Esaaba couldn’t resist sharing Ruby’s observation. “Apparently, I’ve gained the happy relationship weight,” she teased, giving him a playful 360-degree spin for inspection.

Reggie chuckled, glancing over her with a reassuring smile. “You look great—just a little glow, nothing drastic.” He knew how sensitive these conversations could be and hoped she felt comfortable.

They sat down to a dinner of chicken wings and rice that Reggie had brought, catching up on their day. In between bites, Esaaba mentioned Ruby’s theory that her fatigue and heartburn were because of all the oily food she’d been eating lately. Reggie laughed. “Since when is Ruby a doctor? Or did she pick up some medical skills from watching health shows on TV?”

They shared a laugh, and the conversation moved on. However, as Reggie drove home that night, he found his thoughts lingering on Esaaba’s symptoms. They had been together for a few months now, and he had noticed subtle changes—she looked a bit different, but he’d brushed it off as relationship bliss.

Arriving home, he opened the door to find Nancy sitting on the couch, waiting for him. He barely managed a greeting before blurting out, “I think Esaaba might be pregnant!” He expected Nancy to react with excitement, but instead, she sighed, a hint of exhaustion in her expression. “Well, that’s unfortunate because it seems I might be pregnant too.”

The weight of her words hit him, leaving him speechless for a moment.

Other Chap 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22