Chapter Text
When Julieta’s monthly was late, she had immediately begun to hope that it wouldn’t come back. Not for several months at least, when she would finally have her greatest treasure in her arms, wrapped in a tight bundle as she hugged it close.
She wanted a baby more than anything in the world, and she and Agustín had been trying for months. As time passed, the woman had found herself getting more and more restless, the wait becoming excruciatingly painful each month when it was confirmed she did not have a baby growing inside of her. Each time she saw the first sign of spotting, she burst out into sobs as she feared she would never become a mother.
So, when she realized her cycle was three days late, she began to pray that it would never arrive. Those days were the worst, tension in the air as she went on with her regular chores, praying that her cycle wouldn’t come, that it wouldn’t catch her off guard. As much as she hoped it was a pregnancy, she wasn’t stupid, it could very well be a false alarm, and that would crush her heart if she had gotten her hopes up too much.
Yes, she still couldn’t keep herself from imagining the possibility.
When five days had passed with no sign of bleeding, she couldn’t keep the tension bottled up anymore, feeling like she was carrying the heaviest secret ever known. She couldn’t carry it alone, the absolute torture of not knowing. It was obvious from a mile away that something was bothering Julieta, the woman could see that other people gave her strange looks all throughout the day, including Agustín. So, when she and Agustín had retired to their room for the night, she told him.
“Is everything alright, mi amor?” he had asked her as he’d let her hair down from her bun, running his fingers through it as he placed a soft kiss against her side. “You’ve been acting distant the last few days.”
“My cycle is five days late,” she tells her husband, and with those words, she sees how he temporarily tenses up before a smile spreads across his face.
“Really?”
She nods.
“It’s still too early to know for sure, remember the scare we had when we were twenty one? It could just be late and nothing more, but I… really hope it’s not just false hope this time. I want a baby with you, and not knowing if I’m actually pregnant is
torturous
. I don’t know if I should be happy or not, because if I celebrate now and my monthly comes tomorrow, I’ll just be even more devastated.”
She feels Agustín’s warm embrace against her body as he presses a reassuring kiss against her lips. Afterwards, Julieta nuzzles her face into his shoulder, wanting to get as close to him as possible.
It felt nice having told him, not having to bear this secret by herself. She hadn’t exactly planned to tell him like this, her plan having been to knit a pair of baby socks the moment she was sure, and then gift them to him and make him put the pieces together. It was a sweet thought, a way that would have really surprised him and filled him with joy, but as the anxiety had grown in her, she realized she didn’t want to do this alone, not when she was still afraid it was only false hope. And the moment she had told him, she realized it had been the right decision, even if it wasn’t as sentimental as what she had planned. She felt like she needed it, his support through whatever happened was too important, too needed. Agustín would be by her side as they figured out if it was a pregnancy or not, she wouldn’t have to do it alone. He would be there for her every step of the way.
(Maybe with the next one, she could tell him by giving him socks…)
And days kept passing. Julieta was always constantly anxious, afraid of seeing blood on her sheets when she woke up in the mornings. But nothing. With each passing day, her excitement and hope grew, as she got more and more sure about the possibility that this actually could be a pregnancy.
When her cycle was two weeks late, she happily cried into Agustín’s arms, almost completely sure they were being blessed with a baby, even if it was still a little early to tell. And during all of her excitement, her husband showered her with love, making sure there was not a dull or unhappy moment throughout her days in order to make her temporarily forget about the suspense.
Julieta had already found herself growing attached to the baby that might not actually be growing inside of her, her whole being filled with nothing other than pure love and admiration. Each night, she dreamt about their future together, her and Agustín together with at least half a dozen children running around and causing havoc. Hearing them call her mamá as she let them help her in the kitchen, and laughing as she imagined Agustín falling over as the tiny lives tried to climb on top of their father to get a piggyback ride even after they’d grown too big.
Then the morning sickness hit, and it truly got confirmed. Julieta was so nauseous to the point that Agustín had to lead her to the bathroom himself every morning, and afterwards the woman had to lay down on the floor, her head spinning violently as Agustín dutifully made sure to clean everything up. He was so patient and kind to her during those moments when she felt like the grossest woman alive, nausea so bad to the point that she needed to lay still for minutes, because any simple motion could cause it to become too much.
But as much as she despised morning sickness, it filled her with the greatest joy ever known to man. After the fifth day in a row of Agustín having to take care of her, they were confident… Julieta was pregnant.
They were having a baby, a tiny little life was currently growing inside of her body. A life that would become a whole new human, they were bringing a whole new person into existence, a person who would have their own wants and needs, interests, likes and dislikes. No matter what kind of person the child would become, Julieta had already fallen completely in love as her mother’s instincts took over, she would do anything for her child, no matter how hard it might be.
When Julieta felt good enough to stand up and had managed to brush her teeth, Agustín carefully led her back to their bed, letting her lay down and rest.
She ended up crying, embracing her husband as tight as she could as she pressed several quick kisses over his cheeks. His laughter filled the air, and when Julieta parted, she felt Agustín’s hands grab her own as he squeezed her tight.
“We’re having a baby,” she tells him, the words still feeling like nothing more than a fever dream, something she’s been trying to reach for so long, afraid that she would never get. But here they were, with Julieta’s cycle missing and her suffering from morning sickness. “We’re actually having a baby.”
“Corazón… you have no idea how happy this makes me. We’re going to start a family.”
He kisses her knuckles, and then her forehead, and Julieta feels the warmth inside of her body like a soft glow.
“You’re going to be an amazing father.”
“The baby is going to love having you as their mother.”
“Can you imagine? Before we know it, we’re having a baby in our arms.”
Agustín kisses her again, and Julieta feels his hand as he lets it rest on her belly, where she is currently growing a physical manifestation of their love for each other, a perfect combination of the two of them. Just thinking about it almost made her heart ache in pure happiness. She couldn’t wait, feeling the excitement of watching herself grow and to feel the baby’s first kick and movements inside of her.
“A baby, our baby.”
“Our baby.”