Zheena wasn't sure if it was seasickness or the early signs of pregnancy. What she was sure of was that she needed to have a little chat with her new husband. Given that she was fairly certain she was pregnant, and they had yet to consummate their marriage, she'd definitely have some explaining to do.
He was out for his morning SCUBA dive,
so she sent him a text to join her on the houseboat when he was finished.
She was striking her best awkwardly uncomfortable pose as he entered. "I need to tell you something,"
she began, tentatively.
"Okay,"
he replied, an obvious concerned confusion in his voice."Last night,"
she began, "when I left the wedding ceremony early, I felt sick to my stomach. It hasn't passed. And I don't think it's nerves or seasickness."
"Are you trying to say you're having second thoughts about our marriage?"
Alfonso asked."Oh no,"
she replied quickly, "Heavens no! It's just...when I first arrived in town, I didn't know anyone. I was lonely. Vulnerable."
"Okay,"
he said, encouraging her to continue, but obviously concerned about what he was about to hear."The first person I met who really took an interest in me was Akoni Kahale."
"The merman?"
asked Alfonso."Yes,"
she said, her voice breaking slightly as if she was about to cry. "He...he took advantage of me...and I think I'm carrying his baby now!"
Alfonso pulled her into a comforting embrace.
"It's alright,"
he assured her. "It's not your fault. He took advantage of your sweet nature and innocence. We'll just raise your child as our own and no one has to be any wiser."
Zheena smiled in delight at how completely her Alfie was wrapped around her pretty pink finger.
Later that day, she spun into her maternity wear confirming that she was, in fact, pregnant.
She and Alfie were going to go forward as if the indiscretion had never happened. She even went to court to dispute the allegations of cheating that had been lobbied against her.
She lost, of course, because the allegations were true. However, she had to put on a good show for Alfonso. She had gotten Alfonso's promise that he wouldn't confront Akoni about what he thought had passed between his wife and the merman, but she thought it was in her best interest to make sure Akoni knew what had happened.
"I'm pregnant. It's your baby,"
she said to him once she was inside.
"And what does your precious Alfonso think of that?"
he asked."He thinks you seduced me and took advantage of me before he and I had met,"
she replied rather casually.
"Well, other than the timeline, isn't that exactly what happened?"
asked the merman, a twinkle in his eye."Umm, no,"
she replied, perhaps too assertively, "that's not at all what happened. I chose that one time to be with you simply to have the baby. It's nothing more than that."
"Are you sure?"
he asked, taking her hands in his and looking her in the eye. She was trying to deny it, but somehow she found herself sitting on the couch with him.
Kissing.
Then they made their way upstairs...
Zheena wasn't quite sure if she felt elated or disgusted with herself as she left. However, she was distracted from such thoughts as her phone rang.
It was Christopher Collins, one of the handsome human men she'd already picked out to be a future baby daddy. He was hoping they could get together soon.
She was going to need to learn to juggle. Quickly!
