Amiyah #2
“Girl,” I said, laughing softly, “don’t start screaming in my ear.”
“Too late!” Lena shouted so loud that I jumped. “Amiyah Monét Patterson, if you don’t tell me why the hell you just sent me a picture of a baby like you about to drop a pregnancy announcement, I swear I will come to your job and tackle you in front of HR!”
I burst out laughing, tears forming before I even realized it. “Lena, calm down! It’s real, okay? I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Her voice cracked between shock and glee. “Like, for real pregnant? Not late-on-your-cycle-and-panicking pregnant, but there’s an actual baby inside you pregnant?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding even though she couldn’t see me. “Thirteen weeks. The doctor just confirmed it. I saw and heard the heartbeat.”
There was a pause on the line, and then a squeal so high-pitched I had to pull the phone away.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! My best friend is having a baby! I’m about to be Auntie Lena! I gotta sit down, I’m lightheaded. Jesus, I wasn’t prepared for this level of joy before noon.”
Her dramatics had me laughing through my tears. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m ridiculously ecstatic!” she said. “Now wait, you’re on the pill! You’ve been on the pill forever! How did this even happen?”
I groaned, rubbing my forehead. “That’s the thing, I don’t even know! I take it faithfully, Lena. Every single day, same time, no skips. I had an alarm set, Lena. A whole alarm. I’ve been consistent for years, and somehow this still happened.”
She gasped. “Girl, this baby said, ‘I don’t care about your alarm, I’m destiny.’”
I laughed again, shaking my head. “Exactly, apparently, the universe had other plans.”
“Clearly,” she said, still cracking up. “This baby already got your energy, kicking the doors open unapologetically, but meant to be.”
Her laughter softened, turning tender. “Mi, this is beautiful. Scary, yeah, but beautiful.”
I sighed, letting the silence stretch for a beat.
“It is. But I’m nervous too, not just about them, but about…
everything. I keep thinking about what people are going to say.
About me, about us, about raising a baby in a poly relationship.
People already don’t understand us as adults, how are they gonna see us as parents? ”
Lena hummed quietly, and I could practically hear the shift in her tone. Her voice went calm, steady, the way it always did when she was about to drop some real wisdom.
“Let me stop you right there,” she said.
“If you really believe in what you live, in polyamory, in consensual non-monogamy, in all that truth you talk about, then you have to believe it’s just as valid, just as whole, and just as worthy of family.
Polyamory isn’t chaos, it’s care. It’s not broken, it’s community, it’s a village.
The world might not understand that yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, and you can’t hinge your wants and desires on the same world that doesn’t blink an eye at world hunger and school shootings. ”
Her words hit me deep, the way her truth always did.
She kept going, her tone fierce but loving.
“Think about it, Mi. You’re building a family surrounded by love, not confined to patriarchy and performance.
Your child’s gonna grow up watching people who honor communication, choice, and respect.
What could be healthier than that? Half the people judging don’t even like their partners or their parents. ”
That made me laugh through my tears. “You really had to go there.”
“Oh, I went there,” she said proudly. “And I’ll stay there. You, Calla, and James? That baby’s about to be wrapped in more love than most people could imagine. And when the world starts talking, you tell them to mind their monogamous business.”
Her certainty made my heart ache in the best way. “You always know what to say.”
“That’s my job,” she said simply. “You’ve carried loneliness long enough, Mi. Maybe this baby’s your reminder that love gets to take up space in your life now. Real love, messy, complicated, infinite love. You deserve that.”
I pressed my hand to my chest, the tears finally spilling over. “Lena…”
“Them pregnancy hormones got you crying, and now I’m about to cry too,” she warned, sniffing. “I already look a mess.”
I laughed, the sound catching somewhere between joy and release. “You’re foolish as hell.”
“Foolish as hell, but I’m also an auntie, so there’s that,” she said, smiling through her voice. “Now, when do I get to start planning the baby shower? I’m thinking something fun, something ‘you.’ Maybe a Naruto theme? Little onesies that say ‘Future Hokage’?”
“Lena, stop,” I said, giggling. “It’s too early for that.”
“It’s never too early for me to cause chaos,” she said matter-of-factly. “Just tell me when to book the venue, because we are celebrating, period.”
I wiped my eyes, grinning. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said softly. “And don’t let fear steal this from you, Amiyah. You’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to be a mama in whatever shape that takes. This baby is already surrounded by love. That’s what matters most.”
When we hung up, I sat in the parking lot for a long while, her words echoing in my chest.
Then I looked down at the sonogram again, tracing the faint outline of the tiny life growing inside me.
“Your Auntie Lena’s wild,” I whispered, smiling through my tears.
“But she’s right. We got this.” I decided to head to Parties-R-Us and plan a very cliché baby-themed night for my dinner with Calla.
I had spent all day trying not to panic.
The apartment smelled like baked ribs and garlic butter, the candles were lit, and the table looked like a Pinterest board gone soft and silly.
It was baby-themed, which made me laugh at myself a little.
“Baby Back Ribs,” “Little Meatballs,” “Tiny Taters,” even “Mama’s Mac and Cheese.
” It was cheesy, it was apparent, and it was precisely the kind of cliché I needed to make this night feel real.
I kept telling myself to breathe. To keep it light.
Not to cry before she even walked through the door.
When Calla arrived, the energy in the room shifted instantly. She filled every space she entered, and tonight was no different. She looked stunning in something simple, her hair pulled back, her makeup soft, her scent wrapping around me like a memory I never wanted to forget.
She took one look at the table and smiled. “Wow,” she said, laughing softly. “You really did all this?”
I nodded. “Yep, all by myself.”
“It’s adorable,” she said, walking over to press a kiss to my lips. “And you look gorgeous.”
That made me blush, even after everything we’d done, after every time she had seen me bare in more ways than one.
Dinner was easy at first, full of warmth and conversation.
She told me about her day at work, about her siblings, about something ridiculous Calil said that made her laugh until she cried.
I told her about a new project I was working on and how I couldn’t stop thinking about our weekend in New York.
But the whole time, I could feel her eyes on me. Every so often, I’d glance up and catch her staring, really staring, like she was trying to memorize me.
“What?” I asked finally, smiling but nervous.
Her lips curved into something soft. “You just look beautiful tonight.”
I tried to play it off with a laugh. “You always say that.”
“And I always mean it,” she said quietly. “But tonight, it’s different, you’re glowing.”
Her words sent a shiver through me. I smiled, pretending to tease her. “Maybe it’s just the lighting.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head slowly, her gaze sweeping over me. “It’s you.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight.
After dinner, she started clearing the dishes, insisting I sit. “You cooked, so I clean,” she said, always the caretaker. I smiled and let her, my heart pounding.
Then she reached for the bottle of my favorite wine and poured herself a glass. “Want some?”
I froze. “No, I’m good.”
She looked at me like I’d just spoken a foreign language. “No wine? Since when do you turn this down? This is your favorite.”
I shrugged, trying to act casual. “Just don’t feel like it tonight.”
Her brows knit together for a second, but she let it go. She took a sip, then walked over to the couch and sank into it. “Come here,” she said, patting her lap.
My heartbeat kicked up. I wiped my palms on my jeans, then walked over and climbed into her lap, straddling her. Her hands found my hips immediately, her touch grounding, her eyes searching.
“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked softly.
I wanted to speak, but my throat locked up. I could feel the tears building before I could stop them.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I whispered.
Her body went still under mine. “Okay,” she said carefully. “You’re scaring me a little. What’s going on?”
I shook my head quickly. “You’re not going to hate me, right?”
“Hate you?” she said, her voice breaking a little. “Amiyah, I’m in love with you. You can tell me anything.”
That made it worse somehow, the tenderness, the truth in her tone. My chest hurt from holding everything in for so long.
“I love you too,” I said, my voice shaking. “That’s why I didn’t know how to tell you. I don’t want to lose you, Calla. I don’t want to lose us.”
Her expression changed instantly, fear flashing through her eyes. “Are you breaking up with me?” she whispered. “Because if you are, I can’t—”
“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head hard. The tears finally broke free, hot and uncontrollable. “No, I’m not leaving you. I’m pregnant.”
The words hung between us, heavy and fragile.
Her body went completely still. Her breathing slowed. She stared at me like she was waiting for me to take it back.
“What did you just say?” she asked quietly.
I wiped my face with trembling hands. “I’m pregnant, Calla. I found out for sure today. I’m thirteen weeks.”