When the young couple sat on the table to eat, the lady was hardly touching her food. With her hand stroking her protruding belly, she ate very slowly, seemingly lost in thoughts. Before leaving for church in the morning, Sharon had commented something in the lines of Kiara's dresses being too tight and therefore needing to be replaced by more comfortable clothes. On the previous night, the couple had had a long conversation concerning their marriage. Jeremy was proposing that they proceed and get legally married, even if it was a very small function with only their parents, Jacob and Nesisa. Kiara had flatly refused the idea, stating that she was not comfortable with her big belly, thus she needed to give birth first, regain her beautiful figure and then have a big wedding.
Jeremy was not sure what exactly made her very quiet. She had not spoken a word to him since morning, and the young man was becoming confused.
"Are you angry about the dresses? Mum did not mean it in a bad way, I think she is concerned that most of your clothes do not look comfortable," he said, not sure whether he was triggering something else or not.
"I am not angry," Kiara whispered.
"What is it then, my love?" Jeremy pulled his chair closer to hers.
"I am just stressed," she said.
Jeremy thought about it for a while. He did not like seeing the love of his life like that. For the past three months, Kiara had been sweet and lovely, laughing and joking most of the times. But she had her bad days. On such days, she would seem lost in a world of her own, and sometimes she cried a lot, without explanation of why she was crying. On that morning, she had snapped back into the crying Kiara; the Kiara that Jeremy did not like at all. Not that he hated her; no. He wished there was something he could do to help, yet there was nothing. He felt sorry for her. Sharon and Jeremy went all out to try and cheer her up, suggesting movies or other activities, buying some foods that she liked, doing anything to make her happy, but it hardly ever worked if Kiara was in one of her bad moods.
When he asked her what was stressing her, Kiara said she also was not sure, but she felt depressed.
They were silent in the room, each person attending to their own things.
Sharon got home late in the afternoon, and when she came in, both Jeremy and Kiara greeted her happily, as if all was well with them.
"Guess what I got," Sharon smiled brightly. "Look, I passed through that new boutique. I wasn't aware that they would be open today, but they were. And I bought you a lot of maternity wear. I hope you like them, my child."
Kiara took the bags and slowly pulled out a snow white dress.
"Go and try them on!" Sharon beamed happily.
Kiara and Jeremy went to the bedroom and she tried them on while he assisted her. One dress after the other, Kiara was coming out and showing Sharon the dresses, for Sharon was standing just outside the room.
"Lovely…I like this one!" Sharon continued to comment on the clothes.
There were seven dresses in all, and although Sharon and Jeremy thought they all looked very beautiful, Kiara did not seem to share the thought. In front of Sharon, she appreciated the gifts and said her thank you's, but when they were alone in their room, she said,
"I don't really like the dresses, they make me look too big. They're too big."
"I don't think they are too big, babe. They have room for the baby, so that both of you are comfortable."
She shrugged her shoulders and was about to pick her t-shirt to wear when Jeremy suggested,
"Why don't you wear one of the new dresses, so that mum can see that you like them?"
"I don't have to wear them even if I like them. I will wear them on another day." she responded in a rude tone.
Jeremy was stunned. Kiara was not a rude person, she always spoke kindly and nicely, and when she was rude, it really hurt her boyfriend.
She dressed up and marched out of the room.
Left alone, Jeremy picked up his phone and called Jacob. After their greetings and other small talk, he asked how Nesisa was.
"She's doing great. Our little boy will be here soon, we're both excited!"
"Does she get moody?"
"Huh?" Jacob did not hear what his brother said.
"Moody. Does she have mood swings?"
"Moods…not really. She has her good and bad days, but it's not bad at all. How is Kiara? Is she getting too moody?" Jacob laughed a little.
"Don't laugh! I don't like how you always laugh at anything and everything!"
"Ok ok I'm sorry bro. .."
"Some months ago, Kiara confessed to me that she got drunk and spent the night in a friend's apartment…" Jeremy went on to explain the whole story in detail.
"OK," Jacob seemed to be in deep thought. He went on, "So, have you forgiven her?"
"I have, of course. My worry now is, what if she is keeping another secret from me?" Jeremy waited anxiously for Jacob's response.
On the other end of the call, Jacob remained silent for a while, and then spoke, "Do you think she might have done something more than just drinking?" he asked.
"I don't know. The Kiara that I know would not have done anything. I trust her. I trust her with my life, but then, she has changed."
"It could be just pregnancy," Jacob tried to comfort his brother.
"I hope so. Sometimes I feel like going back to Kevin and asking him what else could have happened on that night. Because according to what I saw, she changed on that day."
"Do you think she might have been with another man?" Jacob asked.
Jeremy laughed out loud and said, "no ways. Cheating…not a chance. I am suspecting things like drugs….the two waitresses could have introduced her to drugs…I don't know."
"Have you spoken to the two waitresses?"
"I don't even know their names, brother. That's the reason why I am thinking of visiting Kevin again. And then I will have to find a way of getting the waitresses' names."
Jacob remained silent for almost half a minute. Knowing that his brother was digesting on the issue, the younger brother waited patiently.
"I think it's best for you to wait," Jacob finally said. "Let her give birth first, and then if she does not change after giving birth, you can proceed with the investigations. We might stress ourselves over nothing when it is just pregnancy playing tricks on her."
"Ok brother."
"Wait, on the night when she slept over at the friend's apartment, was she already pregnant, would you know?" Jacob asked.
"Umm, I am not sure. But on that same day, we…we made love. It was more like comfort sex, if I am to be honest. She was seriously depressed and she came home to me, and we ended up….you know."
"I see," Jacob was silent. "Was there something usual, like the smell of alcohol, or bruises, wounds or …"
"Bruises? Why on earth would she have bruises and wounds?" Jeremy was astounded by his brother's question.
"I don't know. I'm thinking, what if someone forced himself on her.?"
"Impossible!! Kiara would have told me. You mean rape? You seriously think she can be raped and not tell me such crucial information? No way!!" Jeremy's voice was raised.
"Ok, calm down my brother. I am just trying to look for a solution to this. I didn't mean to upset you. I think for now let us leave this matter. Mum did tell us that pregnancy does things to ladies. This is a passing phase, let's not dwell too much on it. Just support her through it all. Love her and stand by her."
"Ok brother, I understand…"
***.
Dear Kimmy
When I was about to walk into our room, I heard a part of Jeremy's phone conversation. I cannot be sure who he was talking to, but it must be Jacob. He spoke something about going to see Kevin.
Oh I have never been this scared. What will Kevin say? Kevin knows too much, and I will have to silence him.
How will I silence him? For how long will he keep my secret? Won't he blackmail me?
Oh dear Kimmy, I messed up! I messed up big time!
***.
And as she lay on the bed, with Jeremy holding her hand, both of them could not help but smile on hearing their child's heat beat.
"It's a very healthy baby," the ultrasonographer mentioned with a smile.
"Please remember not to mention the sex."
"I won't," she laughed.
"When is our baby due?" Jeremy asked excitedly. "The previous scan stated December the 29th."
"Ok Iet me check for you," the lady continued to do a few other things and then she sat down in front of a huge screen in the room. "Yes, that's correct. December the 29th"
"I can't wait," Jeremy chuckled.
"Me too," Kiara smiled brightly.
When they were leaving, the ultrasonographer handed over a sealed envelope, with the baby's gender. The plan was for Kiara to go keep it until they decided how they wanted to do their gender reveal, and then they were going to hand over the envelope to the responsible person.