PREGNANT BY A STRANGER

Parturition

I am eight months pregnant, and it's impossible to do any kind of activity; in fact, even breathing is a struggle.

“Kami, where are you?”

“Here, Joel!”

“You came very early.”

“Yes, I wanted to share some ideas I have for the children's names.”

“That’s great, I still haven't found names worthy enough.”

“I hope you like my idea for the girls' names. Since they will probably be the only girls in the family, I will treasure them like my jewels. So, I think it’s fitting to name them Sapphire and Gem Fuente Mayor.” Hearing my brother's words moved me deeply. I love that he has so much affection for my children. I repeated the names he suggested, “They are beautiful, brother. I agree with those names.”

“I’m so glad, Kamila. It’s an honor to be the one to name them, and I have an idea for the boy. It’s a strong name, full of character, just like he will need to help me take care of his sisters: Leandro Fuente Mayor.”

“Ha, ha, ha, you’re obsessed with protecting the girls from men, and I love that name. So, it’s decided. Thank you, brother. I was worried that when the children were born, I would have to call them Baby One, Two, and Three.”

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny, brother. Be honest, you’ve been looking for names for seven months and came up with nothing.”

“You can’t imagine the weight you’ve lifted off my shoulders! Let’s go home! Gabi is waiting for us.” Upon arriving, I take my sister to the backyard, where Gabi has prepared a big surprise.

“Surprise!” When I see the beautiful baby shower Gabi organized for me, I can’t help but cry. She truly is one of a kind, the sister life gave me.

“Daughter, do you like it?”

“I love everything, Mom, thank you.”

“Hello, daughter, your belly is huge.”

“Yes, Dad, I can’t take it anymore. I’m praying for Monday to come so they can perform the C-section.”

“Kami, my friend.”

“Thank you, Gabi, everything looks beautiful.”

“It’s the least you deserve.” The few guests, who were employees of the companies, started to arrive. I got up from the wheelchair to take some photos and cut the three-tier cake. It was a beautiful cake: one tier blue, another pink, and another lilac, each with a baby theme. I received a lot of gifts, which I opened to take photos with the people and thank them. Finally, I arrived home, exhausted. The nurse helped me change and get into bed, and my phone rang.

“Hello, Fani.”

“Hello, Miss Kamila, good evening. Sorry for the hour!”

“It’s okay, tell me, do you have news?”

“Miss, I decided to call you because it’s the safest way to tell you what I need to say.”

“You’re scaring me, Fani!”

“The detective contacted me after months of investigation.”

“Please tell me he found him.”

“It’s more complicated than that. The detective said that person does not want to be found. Once he progressed with some information, he started receiving threats. At first, he ignored them, but then he received an envelope with personal information about him, which was a clear threat to stop investigating. There was a note saying, ‘Stay away, you are looking for a very influential person who values their identity. If you value your career, back off.’ So, he sent me the information and said we should forget about this matter for our own good. There are two kinds of highly influential people: some are politicians, and others are underworld leaders. Both types are very private about their information. If you are relevant to them, they will find you when they decide to.”

“Fani, my hopes are crushed. I really wanted to find the father of my children, but now I see it’s an impossible task. Thank you for everything, dear. I will be a single mother! I just wanted to inform the stranger of the existence of his children, but I won’t put our lives at risk. If he made the effort to erase the videos, it means he knows who I am. It’s his business whether he investigates me or not. I think he must be used to having one-night stands and then erasing the evidence. I’m almost sure he’s just a married man trying to cover up his infidelity, probably a businessman.”

“Miss Kamila, I’m very sorry I couldn’t help you. Now, I think the best thing is to forget about this and focus on your upcoming delivery. Don’t worry, your children will grow up surrounded by love.”

“That’s right, Fani. Goodbye, have sweet dreams.” I am very disappointed, and my tears start to fall. I am determined to be a single mother, and that’s not a problem for me, but I wanted to know their father’s name because they will grow up and ask about him. Crying so much, I fall asleep. The urge to pee wakes me up. I get up, go to the bathroom, and when I lie down again, I feel the urge to pee. I check the time, and it’s five in the morning. I get up and feel my legs get wet. “Alicia, Alicia!”

“Miss, what’s wrong? Oh my God, your water broke! Let’s sit you on the bed while I wake up the staff and call your doctor and family.”

“Ouch!”

“Those are contractions, breathe deeply. I’ll be right back.” I ran like crazy calling the staff. They took care of the calls while I fetched the bags. The bodyguard carried Miss Kamila to the car, and we headed to the clinic.

“How are you, daughter?”

“In a lot of pain, Mom.”

“Don’t worry, it will pass.” We took Kamila to the room where they checked her vital signs and prepared her for surgery.

“Joel, I want you to come in with me!”

“All right, sister, I won’t leave you alone.” They prepared me to enter, and I held my sister’s hand.

“We’re going to start, Kamila. Relax, the babies will be fine. Let’s begin.”

“Will I have the honor of receiving them and cutting their umbilical cords?”

“Yes, you will be a father to them.”

“That’s right, Kami. I already have four children.” A cry was heard.

“You can cut the umbilical cord. It’s a boy!”

“His name will be Leandro Fuente Mayor.” They took him away because he was premature and needed to be checked. The second cry was heard. I cut the cord, and it was a beautiful blonde girl.

“Her name will be Sapphire.” Then came the third, smaller than her siblings. She was so pale she could almost be albino.

“Her name will be Gem.” They took them away, and I went with them while they finished Kamila’s surgery. I watched them being placed in incubators and connected to some wires. They were beautiful. The boy had light blonde hair, almost ash-colored. Sapphire’s hair was bright blonde like the sun, and Gem’s hair was almost white. Unlike her siblings, her eyebrows and eyelashes were barely visible because they were so blonde. She looked like a diamond. I felt proud of them. They were quite healthy in weight and just needed to stay under observation until the specialist checked them. I went home where my family was waiting.

“Family, we have three more blondes, and without a doubt, these children must be the offspring of a Greek!”

“How is Kamila?”

“Everything went well. They will bring her to a room soon.”

“Thank God, I now have four grandchildren!”

“That’s right, Dad, and with how beautiful the girls are, you’ll have a lot of work with the boys.”

“True, son, they should be nuns!”

“Father, I agree with you.”

“Stop the nonsense, old man. If my father had thought like that, I wouldn’t be your wife or the mother of your children, and you wouldn’t have those four grandchildren. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, my love, you’re right, but don’t scold me in front of our son.”

“Ha, ha, ha, relax, father-in-law, Joel is used to it.”

“True, Dad, you’re not the only one who gets scolded!”

“Relatives of patient Kamila Fuente Mayor, you can go to room 410.”

“Let’s go, I can’t wait to see Kamila.”

“Daughter, I’m glad you’re okay. Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Mom.”

“Congratulations, princess. Today you gave me two more princesses!”

“Thank you, Dad. Have you seen them yet?”

“No, only I have. We have to wait for the specialist to check them, but don’t worry, they are healthy and strong. Sister, without a doubt, they are Greek children.”

“Congratulations, Kami, I’m so glad everyone is okay.”

“Thank you, Gabi. Now I will need a lot of your advice.”

“With pleasure, though I’m still learning. I’ve only been a mother for eight months.” Joel and I went out for a moment. It was nine in the morning. We bought gifts for Kamila and the babies, then breakfast for everyone, and returned to the clinic.

“Wow, what beautiful arrangements! Thank you, parents. Here’s breakfast, take advantage and eat.”

“I want to sleep for a while.”

“Rest, we will be here taking care of the babies.” When the nurse came with the triplets.

“God, how beautiful. If my son is blonde and handsome, Kamila’s children are no less. But little Gem is something out of this world. She shines like a diamond, with hair almost white and skin so pale, she is almost albino.”

“God, what a beautiful baby. Her beauty is almost unreal. You will be Grandpa’s little diamond.”

“If these babies are Greek, those roots cannot be hidden. The father must be very handsome.”

“Yes, mother-in-law, that’s why Kamila went crazy, ha, ha, ha.”

“Well, daughter-in-law, it would have happened to me too, ha, ha, ha.”

“We’re here, remember?”

“Oh Joel, stop being jealous. You can’t deny that the children are beautiful.”

“That’s impossible to hide. The strangest thing is that all three possess an exotic beauty, yet they look so alike—the shape of their mouths, eyes, eyebrows—but one has ash blonde hair, another bright yellow, and another almost white.”

“Mother-in-law, Sapphire will have hair like Goldilocks, at least in color.”

“Can I hold my babies?”

“Yes, daughter, of course.” Holding all three on my chest, I smiled happily. They are perfect. “Welcome to the world. Now it’s us three against the world. I swear I will protect you with my life.”