8.7: Get To Know

 NOTE: References, PG-15 or whatever age, I'm not an expert on ratings, you know the drill.

   "Are you sure it matches?" Maya asked me, nervously glancing at the crib I had just spent two hours assembling for our bouncing baby that would be arriving any day now. After our time in the cave together Maya did not end up pregnant, which cause her to be so upset she decided that she had to have a child right that instant and nature was wrong, so we, naturally, began acting like the horny newlyweds we were and tried every suggestion she'd turned down our wedding night until she was growing a human inside her. "I mean, it is blue and green, but the yellow..."

   "I think it looks perfect with everything." I smiled, trying to prevent a pregnancy meltdown. "At least we didn't get a pink one, then we'd defiantly get a boy and if we picked orange or something we'd get a girl."
   "That would never happen." She said, suddenly looking down at, well I'd say her feet but frankly she'd been complaining about not being able to see them for the last couple weeks.
   "Why not? With my luck, it seems possible."
   "No, no... Harbor I hate pink."
   "You do?"
   "Yeah." She continued looking down, as if this was the largest catastrophe ever. "Did you not know my least favorite color?"
   "Um..." I wasn't sure how to reply to the question. To be fair, Maya probably  didn't know mine, but bringing that up would cause her to say I was just trying to avoid the question. "I know your favorite one."

   "What is it?" She hopefully looked up at me.
   "Purple." It was simple, before she lost her powers her tail was purple, she had natural purple highlights, her seashell bras were all purple- she had to love the color.
   "No... Harbor, your favorite color is blue, right?"
   "No, it actually is green."
   "Oh... and mine is aqua, like the ocean." The silence that filled the air after she announced her favorite color was deafening. Why was this a large concern for her? I loved her, but I didn't understand her pregnancy brain a bit. Did any male?
   "It isn't a big deal, just a color."
   "Harbor, I don't know what your favorite color or food or anything really is."
   "We don't know much about each other..." It hit me like a brick wall. Normal married couples who were expecting knew basic, trivial facts like colors and parental info and which restaurant made you gag and whether or not you had an imaginary friend when you were a child. And we didn't. "But we can change that right now."
   "Harbor, we have so much and I still have to pick out a stroller."
   "I promise, we can do this quickly. You were upset that you didn't know my favorite color, and I love you and don't want you to be upset, so maybe... if we do this I'll feel better, okay?"
   "Alright." She said, smiling as she took a seat on the couch next to me.

   "Where do you want to begin?"
   "Parents. What were yours like?"
   "Well, my mother was insanely in love with gardening. She was even featured in this one magazine, Washington's Greener Gardens. She respected the Earth, recycled, was a vegetarian, carpooled, even did this one study on natural versus organic food."
   "You're from Washington? The capital?"
   "State. I lived in this tiny town, Appaloosa Plains."
   "So you're a small town boy?" She beamed, now she knew where my upbringing occurred and now she could tell people her husband was from Washington, the state. "What about your dad?"
   "Um..." I glanced down at my lap. "My father was an anonymous donor, see my parents are lesbians. Mother and mum loved each other an insanely large amount and they loved their children an insanely lot too, so I didn't really think twice about who my father was since it didn't matter, I already had two wonderful parents."
   "That's great! What were there names? And did anyone, you know make comments?"
   "People were pretty respectful to us... a few things were said, behind our backs, but I didn't care. Our family was happy, no matter what it looked like. My eldest sister's name was Basil, my mum's was Rosie, my mother's was Hazel, and my twin sister's was Wren."

   "You're so sweet. I'm so lucky that our squishy little child is going to have grandmothers and aunts so amazing... I doubt my parents will visit. I mean, they can't walk on land since I have the ring and they banned me because of seeing you..." The conversation lulled and I defiantly was not going to tell her that Wren disappeared the summer after high school graduation, the only clues to her whereabouts was a phone call claiming she won a vacation to Maine. "Hydrilla was my mother's name and Biden was my father's."
   "Nice names."
   "I suppose... not nearly as good as our child's will be, though."
   "Phoebe is she is a she, Levi if he is a he, right?"
   "Phoebe Janes or Levi Janes. The ring is nice, isn't it?"
   "Yes it is." I said, affectionately patting her bulging tummy. "And I can't wait to find out which one it'll be."
   "Ya know what my favorite food is? And it isn't like kelp or tuna or something you'd expect a mermaid to like. It's Smucker's grape jelly."
   "Really?" I chuckled. "Is jelly a food?"
   "Well, white bread is carbs and jelly is fruit and peanut butter is protein, so ya if you make a sandwich it is. Only leave off the peanut butter, because I've got this ridiculous allergy."
   "You're allergic to peanut butter?"
   "Yeah. Kinda weird, right? Mermaids don't have it, yet I can't eat it."
   "Good think I hate peanut butter... I love ravioli, though. Favorite food ever."
   "Ever? In the history of the world?" She asked, as she slid her hand from mine, onto my upper arm, sliding closer to me.
   "Ever." I replied, speaking softer.

   "Ever is a long time." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, holding her close to me. "But I suppose I could probably love you forever." She teased me.
   "You suppose? I suppose too."
   "Good. Because it isn't any fun supposing about love if you're the only one who does it." You know when couples have moments of emotion and they feel the inexplicable urge to broadcast said emotion? We had one of those moments.

   "I'm feeling so horny." Maya said, after we'd kissed. "You know, that's exactly what you said the night our little darling was conceived. Harbor, can we do it?"
   "It...?" I repeated. I loved Maya, but logically she was eight and three fourths months pregnant and it involved lifting and grunting and things I didn't think were great for people in her current state. "Maya, I can't be on top because I might hurt the baby, you can't because I haven't gone to the gym in three months and have lost a bit of muscle mass, and against the wall... same reasons."
   "Are you calling me fat?" She scoffed. "I am perfectly capable of it, thank you very much."
   "I'm not calling you anything other than pregnant! And I just, I mean I'd love to, but for your health and the baby's..."
   "What, is Mister Harbor Janes so excellent at it that he'd knock the life outta me?"
   "Could you please not joke about that?"
   "Sure, sorry... hey, what if we, you know? You asked once and I said no, so maybe all fours could work? Besides, it isn't exactly bending me over the counter backside ac-"
   "Oh gawd, Maya."
   "What, I'm feeling all horny because of these baby hormones. Please? I've already been pretty blunt. Please don't make me go into further detail."
   "Why would you think it is any different- Wait. Are you okay with it?"
   "Yep. Just said I was."

   "Well..." She began to rise, looking at me with an unreadable look. She took a step forwards, but instead of smoothly waddling she stepped onto her own foot, causing her to stumble. I hopped up and grabbed hold of her, keeping her from hitting the floor or coffee table.

   "My hero." She whispered, holding onto my waist. "See, you're so charming? I practically feel my ovaries bursting with material instincts."
   "So, is that still a yes? One more time before we've got little feet pitter pattering around?" I looked into her icy, ocean blue eyes, waiting for a response. She was so gorgeous, hopefully the baby would inherit her looks instead of mine. Blonde hair, a delicate porcelain skin tone, a nose that turned up at the end that was adorable. And curves- her curves were something to lust after. If the baby looked anything like her, I'd have plenty of stress when she, or he, turned into a young adult or high school student. "Maya?" I asked, wondering what had taken her so long to reply. Maybe she was lost in thought, like I had been?
   "Harbor."
   "Yeah?"
   "I don't think we're getting one more time."
   "Wait, did your-?"
   "Yes... hospital. Now." And with that the panic began setting in. We were no longer going to be Harbor and Maya plus one, we were going to be Harbor and Maya and Phoebe/Levi.