ASHANTI
“I want to eat ice cream.” I raised my brow at what Kristoff told me. We are cuddling on the couch while watching the closing ceremonies of Asian Games, and then, there he is, pouting at me and hugging my body tightly.
It was such an awful sight, to be honest. Kristoff and pouting should never be used in one sentence.
“But it’s the middle of the night,” I replied and he pouted even more.
I almost scoffed when I saw his face like that. Is he kidding me? Why is he acting like this right now? It was as if he is a baby or what.
Truthfully, he was like this for the past few days. It’s too extreme to the point that I think he’s the pregnant one. He’s the one with raging hormones and not me.
It’s too funny to even think about his expressions when he tells me that he likes pizza, ice cream, twin bananas, dragon fruits and what so ever.
I’ve searched the internet about this and it said to be a case of Couvade Syndrome. It happens when the partner experiences the signs of pregnancy, like me. Only, with Kristoff’s case, he’s expressing it more than me. Hey, I would be shocked if he told me that he’s having morning sickness, too!
“But, I really want ice cream, right now, baby,” he told me, insisting what he wants. “Don’t you want to eat something for our baby, too? Maybe our baby wants ice cream, too?” He wriggled his eyebrows and I just shook my head in disapproval.
“It’s late, Kristoff,” I told him. “And we both have work tomorrow.” I mused.
He sighed and watched the television, instead. He’s seriously throwing me a tantrum right now.
I ignored him until he turned the TV off. He stood up and he’s still not talking to me. I narrowed my eyes on him as he walked upstairs, to our room.
I sighed and followed him. Why do I feel like I’m the one who’s taking care of a pregnant husband and not the other way around? He seemed so moody and childish!
I entered the room and saw him preparing to go to bed already. He’s still not talking to me.
I sighed hard and walked to my side of the bed. “Kristoff,” I called him. Okay, let’s just say that I don’t like it when he’s not talking to me. Well, no one would like their boyfriends or husbands to ignore them because they want ice cream or anything and you don’t want them to have them.
He looked at me and I looked down. “Are you mad at me?” I asked.
I heard him sigh and then he held my hand. “When have I even gotten mad at you, Ashanti?” he asked me. “We’ve gone through a lot of things and I believe that you are the most important person in my life right now. So, no. I’m not mad at you,” he told me.
“Then why aren’t you talking to me?”
Tears were brimming in my orbits. I don’t know if this is because of what he just told me or if this is the effect of all the fighting hormones inside me.
He sighed once again before he placed his hand on my chin, lifting my head to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he told me. “I was mad at myself because I have been feeling these cravings that I thought it might have been bothering you right now.” He finished.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he told me before pulling me into a tight hug. “Next time, if I want ice cream, I’m just going to buy it myself and not bother you.” He whispered as I felt him kiss my hair.
I smiled and hugged him back as the tears fell down. Now I get the feeling of the pregnant women who cry at some useless things. Because I am crying at something I should not be crying right now. It sounds so weird but I am crying because of an ice cream. Please. I’ve never cried over an ice cream since I was nursery. And now I am.
“I love you,” he told me as he dipped down and kissed me passionately.
I couldn’t stop but feel the same sparkling feeling again. It never goes away. Whenever Kristoff touches me, kisses me, hugs me, I still feel the same feeling I felt the first time. Is this even possible? Wanting someone you already have? Because I do. I want Kristoff. More of Kristoff.
His hand traveled to my spine as we continued to kiss. I can feel all his emotions in this kiss. And I’m loving every single bit of it.
My hands automatically locked behind his neck as he deepened the kiss. He is hugging me tightly, like he doesn’t ever want to let me go. And I won’t. I won’t ever let go of this feeling I have with him. No one could ever let go of feeling perfect. Of feeling complete.
I felt him smile through the kiss and it all felt right.
“I love you, Ashanti. Never forget that,” he told me as he caressed my cheeks and connected our foreheads together.
I smiled and nodded. “I love you, too, Kristoff,” I replied and he planted a kiss on my forehead.
“I promise to give you and our baby everything I can to make you both happy,” he told me. I felt like I wanted to cry all over again. I’m naturally emotional, I know. But this is different. I’m utterly super emotional and I don’t know if this is even in the normal limits.
I’ve heard Kristoff tell me this line a number of times already but I still feel like I am the luckiest woman in the world. Well, maybe because I really am the luckiest one because I have him and he shows me how much I mean the world to him.
“Why are you crying?” he asked me with a softened expression as he wiped the tears falling from my eyes.
I smiled and shook my head. “Maybe I’m touched. Or maybe the hormones are setting in,” I replied.
He chuckled and pulled me into a tight hug. “Normal or hormonal, I love you the same. And I’ll love you even more with each passing day,” he told me.
I smiled. “I’ll love you to the moon and back and back and back,” I replied and he chuckled.
***
“Ashanti, Hunter is outside.” Min told me as I was segregating the folders for our business expansion.
I smiled. “Okay. Tell him to come in,” I told her to which she nodded and opened the door of Hunter, who is smiling widely at me.
“What?” I blinked at him.
He rolled his eyes. “Is that how to treat a very important person?” he asked me.
“According to whom?” I asked back.
He scoffed at me. “Wow, the pregnant, hormonal Ashanti is back to being a tigress, I guess,” he told me as he sat in front of me.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I continued on what I am doing.
He just watched me do the things I have to do. Well, that’s what he usually does when he’s in my office. Either he annoys me or he watches me quietly.
“Oh, how is filming a drama?” I asked him.
He sighed. “Pretty fine because I’m not the lead,” he replied coolly.
“Since when have you been the lead?” I asked him, laughing.
He scoffed at me. “Why you gotta be so rude?” he asked me as he picked the folder that was thrown on the floor. “I am actually happy that I have never been the lead,” he told me.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have to spend so much time memorizing the script,” he replied. “You know how bad I am in memorizing.” He added.
I chuckled. “I have to agree with that,” I told him. “But then, I guess, you’re good enough to be a lead.” I smiled at him.
“I don’t have money right now, Ashanti.” He rolled his eyes on me.
“Hey! I was telling the truth!” I beamed.
He chuckled and shrugged.
“But really. You should get the lead role, too,” I told him. “So that when my baby comes out, I would have to tell him about his Uncle Hunter.” I smiled.
He rolled his eyes. “You have something to tell him,” he told me.
“Like what?”
He grinned. “I am the most talented member of Infinite?” He beamed.
I scoffed at his confidence. “Well, you can’t sing like Derek.” I countered.
“At least I can sing,” he told me. “Our vocals can’t rap or dance like me,” he boasted.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say,” I told him.
He chuckled and then leaned at my desk. “So,” he started. “You have any name for your baby boy?” he asked me. “Have you even told Kristoff that you’re having a baby boy?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t thought of anything,” I replied. “And I haven’t told him because he would just beam at me telling me that he won the bet on our baby’s gender.” I added.
He chuckled. “Even that? You’re so competitive, Ashanti,” he told me.
“I am not!” I beamed.
“Yes you are.”
“I am no—ouch!”
I didn’t continue what I was about to say because my stomach cramped and it hurt. I was holding onto my stomach as Hunter asked me if I am alright, or whatnot. I can’t hear anything.
“Oh shit!” Those were the last thing I heard before everything went black.
***
“Is my wife going to be alright?” I think that was Kristoff’s voice that I was hearing. I slowly opened my eyes only to see a different and foreign room. Maybe it’s the hospital because I can see a doctor. Then it all dawned on me. I was hurt and Hunter was the last person I heard and saw before passing out.
“Kristoff,” I called him weakly.
He urgently looked at me and hugged me tight. “Jesus! I’m so glad you are alright,” he beamed at me as he kissed my forehead. “Does it hurt anywhere?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I’m fine now,” I replied.
He closed his eyes and sighed in relief. “Thank God! Or I wouldn’t know what I would’ve done,” he told me.
I smiled at him then looked at the doctor. She’s smiling at me. So, maybe there is no bad news?
“You’re lucky, Mrs. Marx,” she told me. “You were rushed in the hospital in time, so we were able to save you and your baby, easily.”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I told her.
“However,” I began to feel nervous as she started her clause. “I would have to put you on bed rest for a few days and monitor for you and your baby’s condition.”
I nodded. Do I even have a choice? If I didn’t go to bed rest then it would be detrimental for me and the baby.
“You can rest now.” The doctor smiled and she left me and Kristoff alone.
Kristoff looked at me and held my hand tight. “Hunter called me when he was rushing you to the hospital and I zoomed to here,” he told me. “If it was not for him, I would’ve lost you and our baby.” I could see sadness written all over his face.
“I’m fine. We’re fine now.” I assured him.
“I know and that’s what I’ve been so thankful of since I got here,” he told me. “I’m sorry, Baby.” He uttered. “I’m sorry for not being there when you were in pain.”
I smiled and shook my head. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” I told him. “I’m happy that you’re the first one I saw when I opened my eyes.”
He sighed and kissed my hand. “From now on, I will take care of you,” he told me.
I smiled and nodded. “I know you will.”
Then he narrowed his eyes on me. I was taken aback.
“On the other hand,” he started. He is looking at me seriously.
“What i-is it?” I stammered.
He continued to look into my eyes. “I won the bet,” he told me. “I knew our baby would be a boy. And you’re a bad girl for not telling me about it!” he beamed.
I stifled a laugh as I looked back at him. “Are you happy now?” I asked.
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, very,” he replied. “At least I know that our baby will be a boy,” he told me.
“Why do you want our baby to be a boy?” I asked.
He smiled. “I want our first born to be a boy so he would be there to protect his younger sister. So, he would be able to protect you,” he told me and I couldn’t help but smile. Kristoff is such a hopeless romantic.