Drama Momma (Surprisingly Perfect Sequel)

Pieces

Chase called and texted, but I didn't answer. It was way too much work. I didn't want to talk to anyone. All I could do was obsessively scroll through my phone with Chrys, looking up forums and stories of parents that had kids with DS.

Chrys helped me tell Mom when she got home, and she was totally supportive about it too. Chrys thought Chase would come around, but Mom's words were a little less loving and a lot more vulgar.

"If his own daughter 'isn't good enough' for him, then he shouldn't have one at all!" she said. "Forget him. You don't need him."

I spent the week shopping for super cute girl outfits online. I looked up toys and essentials for babies with DS and ended up buying every single thing. Downs or not, my little lady was still going to be my princess.

Mom took an extended weekend so she could be there for my amniocentesis. Now that Chrys was starting her college classes, she had a lot less free time.

On Thursday, we went to the uniform store so I could get fitted for what I'd be wearing to Hudson Prep.

We ordered everything in L, XL, and 2XL sizes so I'd fit. We put on the XL first and it was a little big, so I'd be at least rocking a large for a month or so. I'd been wearing XS for my whole life. It was super weird ordering clothes that big.

I took a few pictures so I could send them to Destiny. She was still crazy upset that I wouldn't be at school with her, but wanted to see my new uniform anyway.

I had to wear dress pants, which thankfully the uniform store put elastic in, along with a white shirt and a blazer.

The blazer was black with a navy blue trim, and also had the Hudson Prep crest on it. I also had to wear a tie, which thankfully was a clip on.

When I saw myself in the mirror, I felt like I didn't even know who I was. A year ago I was chilling at the pool with Destiny and about to go on my secret first date with Chase. I was rocking crop tops and high-waisted shorts.

Who the heck was this pregnant girl in a uniform staring back at me? My life used to be so simple, but now it had a million different little pieces that were scattered everywhere.

"Well, what do you think?" Mom asked.

"Does it really matter? I have to wear it no matter what," I said.

"I think you look really cute in it!" she said, taking a quick picture.

"You better not post that," I said. "Can I put my regular stuff back on now? My feet are killing me in these loafers. How am I supposed to walk around in these all day?"

"We'll have to grab some insoles. Don't worry. Let's just go have lunch."

I got back into my normal maternity clothes and we went to the checkout counter with a ton of stuff. Even though Mom had so much more money from her promotion, she still cringed when she saw the final price.

Hudson Prep's uniforms were hella expensive compared to my clearance stuff from Target. We left the store with bags full of uniform stuff and then went to the nearest burger joint because I was craving a chocolate milkshake. 

After lunch and a quick stop for ice cream, we went back home. I walked past the living room to find Chrys on her laptop with a textbook next to her. The boys were busy jumping away in their jumpers, giggling up a storm.

"Hey, there's a package that came for you. I left it in your room!" she called after me.

"Yes! I bet it's that super cute set of bibs I ordered!" I said, gleefully running down the hall and to my room.

Sitting on my bed was not the cardboard shipping box, but something much more handsome. On the other side of the room was something I'd always wanted but never been able to have: a massive fish tank, probably fifty gallons or so.

Chase smiled and got off the bed. He was holding a big bouquet of multicolored daisies, my personal favorite. 

"Chase? What the hell is all this?" I asked.

"I just wanted you to know how sorry I am, and I feel like I couldn't only express it with words. I needed...something a little more extravagant," he said.

I was so excited that I was literally about to pee myself. That or, because my little girl was already starting to get too comfortable on my bladder. I

could hear the footsteps of Chrys and Mom slowly creeping up behind me so they could watch all this.

"O-M-G Chase, seriously? I can't believe you'd do something like this for me!" I ran over and we kissed. "Well I mean, I can, because you're well, you."

I walked over to the fish tank. There were two squiggly loaches burying themselves in the gravel. A big albino suckerfish was staring at me as it hung upside-down on a piece of driftwood.

A snail was crawling along the heater, and a group of long-finned guppies with polka-dotted tails were zooming everywhere.

"I never want us to have a fight like that again. I know when you're in relationships they're bound to happen, but I'll do whatever I can so they don't," he said, turning me around and taking both of my hands in his. "I was a complete idiot a few days ago. I should've never acted like that. And I'll do my best not to ever again."

"So does all this mean you still want to stay together and stick this out? You want to raise our daughter together?"

"I always did. This diagnosis is really unexpected and hard for me to deal with, but if   you're keeping her, then that's that. I can't change your mind one way or another." He smiled. "We'll get through this, together, and I'll love my little girl no matter what."

I hugged him, a little bit tighter this time. "I knew you'd be back."

"And I'll never leave," he said.

I looked at the view: my new fish tank, my boyfriend, my family right behind me, and the feeling of my little girl kicking away.

The daisies on my bed were a bright pop of color against my comforter, and something about them made a lightbulb go off in my head.

I held onto my bump with both hands. My baby girl was rolling all over the place. It was like she was thinking the same thing.