Epilogue
Pulling a healthy blue orchid with fresh blooms from the moving box, Chastity set it gently on the bedroom windowsill of their new apartment. Cool fall rain dribbled down their window’s cornice, obscuring the bustling activity of Denver in a gloomy hue of gray. Despite the chill of the autumn air outside, Chastity glistened with sweat and the remnants of rainwater as she unboxed more items, swishing her hips to a country song blasting through her phone speakers.
Barrett was due to come home at any minute.
Home .
The word still warmed her every time she thought about it.
Even after a few months of dating, the thought of seeing him still made her giddy. Her legs ached from lifting, kneeling, and, best of all, adventurous sex. They had christened every room of their apartment, except for their walk-in closet -- but she still had plans to change that.
Singing along with the tune, she unpacked a framed picture of her and her parents at her high school graduation. She hesitated before propping it up on an end table beside a picture of Barrett and his late grandmother. She flattened the box and tossed it on top of the pile of cardboard to be recycled.
It was official.
They were living together.
Cohabitating. Living in sin, as her parents would say.
But nothing about being with him felt sinful. Their life together was unconventional, and everything she dreamed loving someone could be.
Their modest, new place was already shaping up. The warm-colored bulbs in the inset fixtures bathed the place in a golden hue. Her sparse furniture blended well with his, and the leather and cream-colored walls gave off a cozy feeling. Glancing at the new appliances and freshly painted walls, she felt grateful Barrett earned such a comfortable wage at Man Maid . His job made their new life possible.
Molly sniffed the pile of boxes and looked at Chastity approvingly. She climbed on the leather couch and nestled her face into a couple of fluffy throw pillows Chastity had excitedly picked out with what little she had left from her last check and her half of the first, last, and security. She felt like an adult, finally living her life with someone who adored her just as she was.
It finally felt like she was in the right place at the right time. Barrett made her feel like she belonged.
Her job hunt had taken less time than she’d anticipated, thanks to a glowing recommendation from Marcy’s dad at the bridal shop. Her new part-time gig at a similar boutique would provide just enough hours to help pay her half of the bills and grant her enough time to do her last semester of college over, finally earning her degree as a doctor in Veterinary Science. Her first day of work would start in two days, and her classes would begin the week after. Until then, all that lay between her and seeing what Denver had to offer was the rain.
Suddenly, the alarm on her phone went off. She stood still as stone, having momentarily forgotten about the test on the bathroom counter. She walked slowly as if she could sneak up on it and face reality at her own pace.
A wash of dread and excitement flowed through her in equal measure. She forced her feet to move across the plush carpet through their bedroom and into the en suite bathroom.
Her legs weakened at the sight. She grabbed onto the towel bar for support, wanting to crumble the moment she saw the results.
Two pink lines.
She buried her head in her hands, unsure whether to ugly-cry, puke, or scream with joy. Smoky wove her way through Chastity’s legs, offering her warm, feline comfort in a moment of need. She lifted Smoky and held her against her chest, heart rate slowing at the sound of the animal’s purr.
Just then, she heard the jingle of keys in the lock and the front door opening, soon followed by heavy footfalls.
“Wow!” He whistled. “Baby, the place looks amazing!”
She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Her body had shut down. Her legs were pillars of cement, eyes unable to focus on anything but the positive pregnancy test on the counter. She quickly tried to figure out what to do, what to say, but the thoughts jumbled in her head.
“Chastity?” he called, searching the apartment. She could hear the sly smile in his voice without even seeing it. “Where are you? I want to show my undying appreciation. In the closet, perhaps?”
If the situation had been any different, she would have laughed, but it suddenly seemed like the furthest thing from her mind.
She couldn’t keep this from him. Maybe he had already sensed it.
Something in the air. A feeling.
He had to somehow know that their lives had just changed.
“Found you.”
Her ears rang, barely registering the faint words from his lips.
After a few moments of clothes rustling nearby, Barrett tossed his briefs at her feet.
“ You. Closet. Now, ” he ordered playfully, like a sexy caveman.
When she didn’t move, his tone suddenly changed.
“Baby? Something wrong? You alright?”
Without a word, Chastity broke out into a sob, clutching Smoky tighter against her chest. “I am so sorry.”
“Whoa, what’s wrong?” His voice was comforting as he wrapped her in a tight, naked embrace. “What are you sorry for? Did you break something? It’s just stuff, we’ll replace it.”
Her teary eyes glanced down, and she nodded at the plastic stick balanced on the corner of the counter. Barrett followed her eyeline. His body suddenly grew rigid.
After a silence that must have lasted a full minute, another sob rocketed through Chastity’s body.
Barrett broke out in a small chuckle. In a few moments, it grew louder. Before long, Chastity pulled away, glancing at him like a madman as his body shook with laughter.
He recomposed himself and looked her in the eyes, face pulled into a wide smile, eyes prickling with tears of his own. “I’m… gonna… be a Dad?” He hooted, his voice now an excited shout, “Oh my God! Chastity… we’re gonna have a baby!?”
Chastity was stunned by his reaction.
“I… guess so .”
Barrett shot away from her like a spring, sprinting excitedly around the apartment. “We’re having a baby! Holy shit! What the… how ? When ? We’ve gotta… oh my God !”
Chastity followed the sound of his shouts.
“Ahhhh!” he screamed, followed by another deep laugh. The smile on his face was infectious.
Molly’s eyes lazily watched Barrett’s naked body dart across the apartment like a dog with the zoomies.
Reaching out to still him, Chastity felt a laugh bubble up in her own chest despite her simultaneous wash of terror.
His eyes widened, smile wiped away in an instant as her tears registered. “Oh, no, no, no. Please, Chastity… tell me you want to keep it.”
After a moment, she nodded.
“ Yes !” Barrett screamed, fist pumping toward the sky. He snatched up Smoky and held her in the air, hollering, “I’m gonna be a Daddy!”
Chastity looked down at his butt, at the tattoo of the bumble bee in a ghost costume on his firm cheek, and laughed through the tears. With parents like them, their child would certainly be wild .
Barrett placed the cat on the bed and scooped Chastity in his arms. “It’s gonna be a boy. I can feel it!”
“ Barrett !”
“I’ll love it whatever it is!” The smile on his face was the biggest and brightest she’d ever seen in her life. “We’re enrolling it in karate, especially if it’s a girl. She’s gonna be a dude-magnet.”
“Let’s not enroll our child in anything just yet. One thing at a time.”
He blurted a joyful exclamation of sounds again and then clutched her arms in his hands. “This baby is going to be a part of you and me.”
Her expression turned gravely serious. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Ouch. Okay, no offense taken, I guess,” he said in a mocking tone, head bobbling with attitude.
She elbowed him gently in the ribs. “Not the part about you . I meant… what if she turns out like me ?”
“What do you mean?” He paused. “Sassy and drop-dead gorgeous?”
“What if she’s… bipolar ?” Her voice wavered with concern, hands drifting down to her still-flat stomach.
“You mean he’s ,” he joked. Then, his expression softened. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had loosened from her multi-colored ponytail. “Then… nothing. I will love her-him-it , just like I love you . And who better to help our child through it than a mom who has dealt with the same thing head-on?”
He tipped her chin up and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’re brave. You’re a badass. And you don’t take shit from anyone. I’d be proud to watch our child grow up just like you.”
“Thank you.” She sniffled.
“Baby, I’m fucking crazy about you.” He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the entirety of his world — his past, present, and future -- all encompassed in them.
“ I love you ,” she whispered into his neck, feeling anxiety give way to slight relief and even a little excitement. “If this anything like us, we’re gonna have our hands full.” She joked.
Molly sauntered over to Smoky’s side. The contented animals stood, watching their enamored owners start a whole new adventure.
For the first time since she could remember, Chastity was surrounded by love and acceptance. The world spun in a way that finally made sense to her, some greater plan at play finally taking shape before her amber eyes.
Barrett knelt down to kiss her stomach, and Chasity giggled. Lifting her shirt, he spoke to her stomach. “Hello in there. I’m Barrett, but you can call me Daddy. I know we don’t know each other, but I want you to know that I already love you, and I can’t wait to meet you.”