Orlando
The coughing and choking sounds woke Orlando as Dani sat up abruptly. Sitting up with her, he was scared as fuck because she was still trying to catch her breath. But the brown liquid coming out of her nose and mouth had him grabbing his phone. “Breathe, baby,” he said, patting her back and fumbling with his phone because he was still half asleep. “I’m calling 911.”
He heard her catch her breath harshly, but she shook her head. “No,” she said hoarsely. “I’m fine.”
“What do you mean you’re fine?” He asked as he hit the nine. “What’s that brown shit coming out of your mouth and nose?”
“Chocolate milk, I think.” She licked her lips as she got out of bed, wiping her face with her shirt. “Yep, I had some before falling asleep.” She glanced around. “Last night? What time is it?” She started to the bathroom. “It came up my throat and nose. Oh my God, worst feeling ever.”
Orlando stopped dialing, getting out of bed as well. “You sure you’re okay? What the hell was that about?”
“I don’t—” In the next instant, he heard her throwing up. She wasn’t dry heaving like she said she was yesterday because he could hear the loud gushes of liquid she was spewing into the toilet.
He could kick himself now for not following up yesterday after he heard her then. His pounding heart had him tapping on his dialer again. “I’m calling, babe. Something’s wrong with you.” He walked to the doorway of the bathroom and saw her on her knees at the toilet, throwing up more of that brown stuff. “You were out so hard last night when I came into the room. I didn’t have the heart to wake you even so you could change. But this isn’t like you. We at least need to get you to urgent care.”
She shook her head even as she continued to throw up. “No,” she said between heaves.
“I’m calling your sister then,” he said, feeling completely helpless. Maybe her mother hen sister would know what to do because he was at a loss, and Dani was being uncharacteristically stubborn. She held up her hand when she had another break in heaves and shook her finger no. She finally took a few very deep breaths with no more throwing up or heaving.
His heart raced as he stood there worried sick. “Baby, please.” He got down on his knees next to her, rubbing her back. “You’re not well.”
She finally turned to him, sitting back against the tub with her hand on her sweaty forehead, and she closed her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“How can you say that?” He squeezed her leg as he too sat down on the floor next to her. “Look at you.” She opened her eyes, but the minute they met his, she closed them again. “Baby, you’re scaring me.”
“Don’t be scared.” She rubbed his leg but still didn’t open her eyes. “It’s nothing bad.”
“How can you know that?” he asked as his heart continued to pound, and he felt so tortured. “You wake up choking with shit coming out of your nose and mouth and then throw up like crazy. You looked so drained yesterday too.” His voice actually broke with that last sentence, and she opened her eyes and looked in his, sitting up a bit straighter.
“No, no,” she said, shaking her head caressing his face. “It’s not that bad.”
Feeling his heart spike, he searched her eyes. “Something’s wrong with you and you hadn’t told me?”
She squeezed her eyes closed again before slumping her shoulders. “I can’t be sure, Orlando. But I think I’m pregnant.” Nearly choking on his own saliva, Orlando coughed loudly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“What?” he said, turning to her. “Sorry?”
“This is so unexpected, and I know it couldn’t have come at a worse time, but I have all the symptoms, and we haven’t exactly been careful.”
Orlando stared at her for a moment in shock. But then he got up on his knees and cradled her face. “What are you talking about, Dani? I’m marrying The Baby Whisperer because this is it. Even with us right next to a toilet full of puke, your shirt full of that brown shit you spewed from your nose all over your shirt, whether you’re pregnant or not, I’m asking you to marry me, right here, right now. Will you? Please?”
Her face scrunched as her bottom lip began to quiver, and her eyes filled with tears. “Yes, of course, yes! But you’re not mad?”
“Are you kidding me?” He kissed her. “If you’re pregnant, you’ll not only be the adoptive mother to my son, who I see every day how much you live for, but you’ll now be the biological mother to my next baby. I’m ecstatic. I just pray it’s why you’re feeling this way and it’s nothing else.” They took a quick passionate shower together before the baby could wake then lay down in bed again since the baby hadn’t woken before she passed out again. Orlando took advantage of her passing out to go out and buy a home pregnancy test. He called his mom on his way and asked her to pray it’s why Dani wasn’t feeling well at all.
When he got back, Dani was already in the kitchen with the baby. “I was about to text you to see where you were.”
He pulled the pregnancy test out of the bag in his hand. “Figured we needed some confirmation.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Can’t believe you’d think for a minute I might be mad.”
“Well, Oreo isn’t even one yet.”
“I don’t give a shit. Babies come when they come, and I plan on being with you forever, so what does it matter?” She smiled, her eyes welling up as he handed it to her. “Go take it. I’ll finish up here.”
She walked out of the kitchen, test in hand as Orlando took over breakfast with Oreo. Less than ten minutes later, she was back in the kitchen, looking completely broken up, and his heart spiked. “What?” he asked as he pulled the baby out of his highchair, feeling his insides knot up.
“Oreo’s gonna be a big brother.”
Pulling her to him, he hugged her hard, kissing her head. “This is so much better than what I’d begun to think this morning when I almost called 911, baby. You got this. We got this. Thank you.”
She looked up at him. “Thank you?”
“Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.” He smiled, kissing her lips again. “The perfect girl, the love of my life, and The Baby Whisperer is having my baby. What the hell else could I’ve asked for. My life is complete.”
She stared up at him in disbelief. “My life is complete, too.” She sniveled. “I love you so much.”
“I love you more.”
The End