Work Text:
Sophia found out she was pregnant in the bathroom of a twenty-four hour gas station because apparently the universe had a sick sense of humor.
Like genuinely. Out of all places.
She sat on the closed toilet lid staring at the little plastic stick in her shaking hand while the fluorescent lights above her buzzed loud enough to make her head hurt.
Two lines.
Two very clear lines.
“No, no, no, no—”
Her stomach flipped violently.
Which, okay, should’ve been her first clue these past two weeks. The nausea. The exhaustion. Crying because her toast burned. Crying because a cat ignored her outside Tesco. Crying because Manon had left her hoodie at Sophia’s flat and it still smelled like cigarettes and expensive cologne.
But this?
This was insane.
Sophia shoved the pregnancy test back into the paper bag like it personally offended her. She immediately pulled it back out again because maybe she hallucinated it.
Still pregnant.
“Oh my God.”
Her breathing got weird after that.
Fast. Sharp. Panicky.
Because what the hell was she supposed to do now?
She and Manon weren’t even technically official. Like yeah, they were together together, but neither of them had actually said it out loud. It was just understood. Manon slept at her flat four nights a week. Sophia had a drawer in Manon’s apartment. They didn’t see other people.
Still.
Manon was… Manon.
She smoked like a chimney, wore rings that probably hurt when she punched people, and spent half her nights sitting outside corner shops with guys named shit like Reece and Blade.
Not exactly “raising a family in the suburbs” material.
Sophia genuinely thought she might throw up.
Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped her phone trying to call Manon.
It rang twice.
Three times.
Then picked up with loud music blasting in the background.
“Yo.”
Sophia immediately burst into tears.
There was shuffling on the other end.
“Whoa— hold on.”
Muffled voices.
Then Manon, louder:
“Hang on, my girl’s callin’.”
The music got quieter. A door slammed somewhere. Silence except for distant traffic.
Then softer—
“Soph?”
Sophia couldn’t speak properly. Her chest hurt too much.
“I—” she hiccuped. “I’m pregnant.”
Dead silence.
And that silence lasted exactly long enough for Sophia to spiral.
“Oh my God, say something,” she snapped suddenly, tears pouring harder. “Don’t just sit there like you’re buffering, Manon.”
“I’m not buffering—”
“You literally are!”
“I’m thinking!”
“Well stop because you’re scaring me!”
Manon exhaled hard through her nose.
“Okay. Okay. You’re pregnant.”
“Wow thanks Sherlock.”
“Soph.”
“No because you’re acting weird—”
“I’m trying not to freak out ‘cause you’re already freaking out.”
Sophia covered her face with her hand and sobbed harder.
“This is so bad.”
“It’s not bad.”
“It literally is bad.”
“It’s scary,” Manon corrected carefully. “Different thing.”
Sophia laughed once through tears.
“Please don’t start sounding emotionally intelligent right now, it’s weird.”
That got the tiniest snort out of Manon.
“Where are you?”
“At a gas station.”
“…Why?”
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“Okay, okay.” Manon’s voice softened even more. “Breathe for me, baby.”
Sophia hated when Manon got gentle like that because it always made her cry worse.
“I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“You literally sell weed to teenagers.”
“First of all, rude. Second, not teenagers.”
Sophia let out another watery laugh despite herself.
Manon immediately latched onto it.
“There she is.”
Sophia sniffled. “This isn’t funny.”
“I know.”
Another pause.
Then quieter—
“You think I’m gonna leave?”
Sophia’s silence answered for her.
Manon clicked her tongue.
“Nah. Don’t do that.”
“You should though,” Sophia whispered miserably. “I mean look at you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re… you.”
“Damn. Brutal.”
“You smoke like a Victorian factory worker.”
“I can quit.”
“You hang around criminals.”
“I can stop.”
“You got arrested last summer.”
“That barely counts.”
Sophia finally looked up from the floor, exhausted already.
“You’re not taking this seriously.”
And that hurt Manon a little. Sophia could hear it immediately in the quiet that followed.
Then—
“Sophia.”
No jokes this time.
No teasing.
“I need you to listen to me for a second.”
Sophia wiped her face.
“I’m listening.”
Manon spoke slowly, carefully, like she was choosing every word before saying it.
“You’re scared right now, yeah?”
“Obviously.”
“And you think I’m gonna run because this is messy.”
Sophia didn’t answer.
“But I’m not.” Manon’s voice dropped softer. “You hear me? I’m not leaving you alone in this. I don’t care if we gotta figure shit out as we go.”
Sophia’s throat tightened painfully.
“I’m serious.”
“…Okay.”
“Nah. Say you heard me.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
“I heard you.”
“Good girl.”
Heat flooded Sophia’s cheeks despite everything.
Manon continued gently, “Now tell me where you are exactly.”
Sophia told her.
“I’m coming to get you.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I know.”
And there it was.
That terrifying loyalty Manon had once she decided somebody was hers.
Sophia heard voices in the background again.
One of Manon’s friends yelling, “You leavin’?”
Manon answered immediately.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“My girl needs me.”
Sophia’s chest did something stupid at that.
Then Manon was back.
“You eaten today?”
Sophia blinked.
“…No.”
“Christ.” Manon sighed. “Okay. Stay inside where it’s warm. Don’t cry yourself sick before I get there.”
Too late for that.
But Sophia didn’t say it.
Instead she whispered—
“I’m scared.”
Manon’s voice went impossibly soft.
“I know, baby.”
And somehow that made it feel a tiny bit less terrifying.
____
By the time Manon got there, Sophia was sitting on the curb outside the gas station wrapped in her cardigan like she was trying to disappear into it.
She looked miserable.
Eyes swollen red. Nose pink from crying. Hair messy from running her hands through it every thirty seconds.
Manon’s chest genuinely ached seeing her like that.
The black Audi rolled into the parking lot way too fast before braking crooked across two spaces because Manon parked like a criminal even on a good day.
Sophia looked up immediately.
Manon climbed out wearing all black as usual, hoodie half zipped, rings flashing under the station lights, cigarette tucked behind her ear instead of in her mouth for once.
The second she saw Sophia properly, her whole expression changed.
Softened instantly.
“Oh, baby.”
Sophia started crying again.
“Shut up,” she sobbed.
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You sounded sympathetic.”
Manon huffed a tiny laugh and crossed the parking lot fast.
Sophia stood up the second she reached her, and suddenly Manon had a crying girl crashing into her chest hard enough to nearly knock her back a step.
“Whoa— okay.”
Manon wrapped both arms around her immediately.
Sophia buried her face in the front of Manon’s hoodie, clutching fistfuls of fabric like she’d die otherwise.
And honestly?
Manon let her.
Didn’t tease her.
Didn’t joke.
Just held her tight and rubbed a hand slowly up and down her back while Sophia cried against her.
People walked past staring and Manon shot every single one of them a look nasty enough to keep moving.
Sophia finally mumbled into her hoodie, “I feel sick.”
“You probably are sick.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“Sorry.”
Manon guided her back toward the car carefully, one hand on her lower back like Sophia was made of glass suddenly.
“Did you throw up?”
“Not yet.”
“Yet?”
Sophia groaned miserably.
Manon opened the passenger door for her and Sophia just stared at her.
“What?”
“You opened the door.”
“…Yeah?”
“You never do that.”
Manon shrugged awkwardly. “Feels like I should now.”
Which was somehow both cringe and adorable enough that Sophia almost cried again.
“Get in the car before you start leaking tears again,” Manon muttered gently.
—
Ten minutes later Sophia was sitting in Manon’s apartment wrapped in one of her giant hoodies while Manon attempted to make instant noodles like it was a life-threatening military operation.
“You’re hovering,” Sophia mumbled from the couch.
“I’m observing.”
“You’ve checked if I’m breathing like six times.”
“Can’t be too careful.”
Sophia snorted tiredly.
Then immediately gagged.
Her face went pale.
Manon spun around.
“What?”
“I think—”
Sophia bolted upright and sprinted toward the bathroom.
“Oh shit.”
Manon followed instantly.
The bathroom door barely shut before Sophia got sick violently enough that Manon physically winced hearing it.
“Jesus Christ.”
Sophia groaned from the floor.
“I’m literally dying.”
“You’re dramatic.”
“I just threw up my organs.”
Manon crouched beside her carefully, holding her hair back while Sophia leaned miserably against the toilet.
The weird thing?
Manon didn’t even look grossed out.
At all.
Which Sophia honestly appreciated because she currently felt like the least attractive person alive.
“You still think this isn’t bad?” Sophia muttered weakly.
Manon grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cold water before pressing it gently against Sophia’s forehead.
“I think it’s bad for you.”
“Well yeah.”
“I think you’re doing all the hard parts.”
Sophia looked up at her tiredly.
Manon’s jaw tightened a little.
And Sophia realized suddenly—
Manon looked scared too.
Not panic scared.
But helpless scared.
Like seeing Sophia hurting made her feel useless.
“You okay?” Sophia asked quietly.
Manon blinked.
“Me?”
“You look upset.”
Manon sat back against the bathtub with a sigh.
“You’re throwing up and crying and shaking and I can’t actually fix any of it.”
Sophia’s chest squeezed.
That was the thing about Manon.
Everyone thought she was cold because she acted like nothing bothered her.
But when she cared?
God, she cared too much.
Sophia reached over weakly and grabbed her hand.
“I’m okay.”
“You just threw up so hard I thought you were gonna pass out.”
“Okay maybe not okay okay.”
“Yeah.”
Sophia leaned her head against Manon’s shoulder tiredly.
There was a long silence.
Then—
“My stomach hurts.”
Manon immediately looked down at her.
“Hurts how?”
“Like cramps.”
“Bad?”
Sophia nodded slowly.
Manon looked genuinely alarmed now.
“How bad?”
“Like someone’s stabbing me.”
“Fuck.”
Sophia laughed weakly. “You saying fuck isn’t helping.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Manon immediately pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Googling.”
Sophia stared.
“You?”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“You hate Google.”
“Yeah well now Google’s about to become my full-time occupation apparently.”
Sophia watched as Manon frowned aggressively at her phone screen like she was personally threatening the search results into helping.
It was weirdly cute.
“Okay,” Manon muttered. “It says cramps can be normal.”
“Can.”
“…I hate that word.”
Sophia smiled for the first time all night.
“There’s my thug.”
“Don’t start.”
“You’re cute when you’re stressed.”
“I’m literally sweating.”
Sophia giggled softly.
Then immediately burst into tears again.
Manon looked horrified.
“Oh my God why are you crying now?”
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“Baby—”
“I think your noodles are burning.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.”
Smoke was absolutely pouring out of the kitchen.
Sophia cried harder laughing while Manon sprinted out yelling,
“ARE YOU SERIOUS?”
____
Pregnancy turned Sophia into the emotional equivalent of a Victorian woman with tuberculosis.
That was the only way Manon could describe it.
One minute Sophia was fine.
The next she was crying because a pigeon outside looked “kind of lonely.”
It was week nine when Manon fully realized she was cooked.
Absolutely finished.
Done for.
Because Sophia woke up at three in the morning, sat straight up in bed, and whispered:
“I need strawberries.”
Manon blinked awake slowly.
“…What.”
“Strawberries.”
“It’s three AM.”
Sophia’s lip started wobbling instantly.
And Manon, unfortunately, had already learned that wobbling lip meant incoming disaster.
“You know what? Forget it.”
“Soph—”
“No it’s fine.” Voice cracking already. “It’s stupid.”
“Baby.”
“I don’t even want them anymore.”
Now she sounded devastated about not wanting the strawberries.
Manon sat up fast.
“Nah, don’t cry. Don’t cry, I’ll get the stupid strawberries.”
Sophia sniffled. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“In the rain?”
Manon looked toward the window.
It was absolutely pissing down outside.
“…You’re lucky I’m obsessed with you.”
Sophia smiled sleepily for the first time all night.
And that smile genuinely made the miserable trip worth it.
Which was insane.
Because Manon used to think commitment was sleeping over twice in one week.
Now she was buying overpriced strawberries at a twenty-four hour shop while wearing pajama pants and slides in freezing rain.
Life came at you fast.
—
The sickness got worse before it got better.
Way worse.
Sophia threw up constantly.
Morning sickness was a scam name too because why was she vomiting at:
* 7 AM
* noon
* 4 PM
* midnight
* after smelling garlic bread once
Manon started carrying hair ties and gum in her pockets like a suburban dad.
Sophia also became painfully clingy.
Not in an annoying way.
In a sad way.
Like she always needed to touch Manon somehow now.
A hand on her arm.
Fingers hooked into her hoodie sleeve.
Legs tangled together on the couch.
Manon secretly loved it.
Would never admit that out loud though.
One afternoon Sophia sat curled up beside her on the sofa looking genuinely miserable while Manon rolled a blunt near the open window.
Sophia suddenly frowned.
“Can you not smoke that near me?”
Manon froze immediately.
“Oh. Yeah. Obviously.”
She got up without hesitation and moved toward the balcony.
Sophia watched her quietly.
“You’re not annoyed?”
“Nah.”
“You quit smoking inside.”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t even complain.”
Manon shrugged like it was nothing.
But honestly?
It wasn’t nothing.
She’d been smoking indoors since she was like sixteen.
Now her apartment permanently smelled like air freshener because Sophia said cigarette smoke made her nauseous.
Sophia’s eyes softened.
“You’re trying really hard.”
Manon looked uncomfortable immediately.
“Don’t make it weird.”
“It’s cute.”
“I’ll literally leave.”
Sophia laughed softly.
Then winced suddenly.
The laugh turned into a pained hiss.
Manon dropped everything instantly.
“What?”
“My stomach.”
“The cramps again?”
Sophia nodded, face pinched painfully.
“Fuck.”
Manon crouched in front of her immediately, hands careful on Sophia’s thighs.
“You need hospital?”
“No, no. Just hurts.”
“Baby, you’re sweating.”
Sophia looked close to tears again.
“I hate this.”
And there it was.
The thing Sophia barely admitted out loud.
She hated pregnancy.
Not the baby.
The pregnancy itself.
The constant pain. The nausea. The hormones making her feel insane.
Manon’s expression softened completely.
“C’mere.”
Sophia let herself get pulled into Manon’s lap carefully, curling up against her chest.
Manon rubbed slow circles against her stomach absentmindedly beneath the oversized shirt Sophia stole from her months ago.
“You know,” Manon murmured, “you’re kinda hardcore.”
Sophia looked up tiredly. “What?”
“You’ve been throwing up for like two months straight and you still haven’t killed anybody.”
“That’s true.”
“I would’ve become a supervillain week one.”
Sophia smiled weakly.
Then her eyes filled with tears again.
Manon groaned dramatically.
“Oh my God, not again.”
“I can’t help it!”
“You cried because the Uber Eats driver looked tired yesterday.”
“He did look tired!”
“You cried because your tea got cold.”
“It was upsetting!”
“You cried because I called you pretty.”
Sophia covered her face. “Okay that one was embarrassing.”
Manon grinned finally.
There she was.
That was the girl she liked seeing.
Not terrified Sophia.
Not hurting Sophia.
Just Sophia.
Soft and dramatic and adorable.
“You are pretty though,” Manon said quieter this time.
Sophia peeked at her through her fingers.
“I look awful.”
“You look pregnant.”
“That’s not better.”
Manon gently pulled her hands away from her face.
“Soph.”
“What?”
“I mean it.”
Her thumb brushed softly under Sophia’s eye.
“You’re pretty.”
Sophia stared at her.
Then immediately started crying again.
Manon fell backward against the couch cushions dramatically.
“I’m actually losing my mind.”
Sophia laughed through tears.
“Sorry.”
“You cry every six business minutes.”
“I’m hormonal!”
“You’re terrifying.”
Sophia cuddled closer into her chest with a sleepy little sigh.
Manon wrapped both arms around her automatically.
Outside, rain tapped softly against the windows.
Inside, the apartment was warm.
Quiet.
Safe.
And for the first time since finding out about the baby—
Sophia didn’t feel terrified.
Just tired.
Manon pressed a kiss into her hair absentmindedly.
“You okay?”
Sophia nodded against her hoodie.
“Yeah.”
Then quieter—
“I’m glad it’s you.”
Manon went still.
Sophia almost never said vulnerable things directly.
Which meant this mattered.
Manon swallowed once.
“…Yeah?”
Sophia nodded sleepily.
“You make scary things less scary.”
That hit Manon right in the chest so hard it physically hurt a little.
So naturally she coped the only way she knew how.
“With my sparkling personality?”
Sophia snorted.
“With your criminal tendencies.”
“There she is.”
____
By the second trimester, Sophia had reached a new stage of pregnancy.
Which was crying less…
…but complaining way more.
“My back hurts.”
“Mhm.”
“My boobs hurt.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m hungry.”
“There’s food in the fridge.”
“I don’t want fridge food.”
Manon looked up from her phone slowly from where she was sprawled across the couch.
“What the hell is fridge food?”
Sophia crossed her arms over her bump dramatically.
“Food that’s in the fridge.”
“That is literally all food.”
“No it isn’t.”
“Baby, respectfully, yes it is.”
Sophia glared at her.
Then immediately frowned.
“…Wait no, cereal exists.”
“Thank God. We cracked the case.”
Sophia rolled her eyes but still waddled over to collapse beside Manon on the couch.
And yeah.
Waddled.
Because at five months pregnant, she officially had the tiny pregnant walk now.
Manon thought it was the cutest thing she’d ever seen in her life.
Would die before admitting that out loud though.
Sophia rested her head against Manon’s shoulder tiredly while Manon absentmindedly rubbed circles over her stomach through her hoodie.
It was instinct now.
Always touching her somehow.
Always checking on her.
Always there.
Sophia looked down at the bump quietly.
“You nervous?”
Manon’s hand paused.
“A little.”
“That’s the least convincing answer ever.”
Manon snorted softly.
“Okay. Yeah. I’m freaking out a bit.”
Sophia tilted her head up.
“About what?”
Manon hesitated.
Then shrugged awkwardly.
“What if I suck at this?”
Sophia blinked.
“You?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nah.” Manon looked away toward the TV. “I mean… look at me.”
Sophia immediately sat up straighter.
“Oh my God, not this again.”
“I’m serious.”
“You literally take care of me constantly.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“You’re grown.”
Sophia stared at her for a second.
Then burst out laughing.
Manon frowned immediately.
“What?”
“You’re saying that while reminding me to take my vitamins every morning.”
“That’s because you forget.”
“You made me a doctor’s appointment yesterday.”
“You would’ve rescheduled it.”
“You bought me those weird crackers because I threw up.”
“You liked the crackers.”
Sophia grabbed Manon’s face dramatically with both hands.
“You are literally already acting like a parent.”
Manon looked genuinely caught off guard by that.
Sophia softened.
“You quit smoking inside.”
“…Yeah.”
“You stopped hanging around those sketchy idiots every night.”
Manon rolled her eyes. “Reece isn’t sketchy.”
“He has a face tattoo.”
“He regrets it.”
Sophia smiled a little.
“My point is… you changed stuff without me even asking.”
Manon went quiet.
Because that part was true.
She stopped getting into dumb fights.
Stopped disappearing for entire nights.
Started answering Sophia’s calls immediately every single time.
Started thinking before she did reckless shit because now there was always this terrifying thought in the back of her head:
What if something happens to me?
And honestly?
That scared her more than anything.
Sophia squeezed her cheeks gently.
“You’re gonna be good at this.”
Manon looked at her for a long second.
Then smirked slightly to cover up how emotional she suddenly felt.
“You think our kid’s gonna come out mean?”
Sophia gasped dramatically.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You absolutely would teach a toddler how to roast people.”
“That’s an essential life skill.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Manon grinned.
Then her expression softened again when she glanced down at Sophia’s stomach.
The baby kicked suddenly.
Sophia jumped.
“There— did you feel that?”
Manon’s eyes widened instantly.
“Wait.”
Another kick.
Manon froze completely.
“Oh my God.”
Sophia laughed at the look on her face.
Because Manon genuinely looked stunned.
Like somebody had just handed her the moon.
“That’s crazy,” Manon whispered.
Sophia’s chest hurt a little seeing how careful she looked.
Manon pressed her hand more firmly against the bump, almost nervous.
Then quieter—
“That’s our baby.”
Sophia nearly cried on the spot.
Again.
Which wasn’t shocking anymore.
“Don’t start crying,” Manon warned immediately.
“I’m not.”
“You’re making the face.”
“I can’t help the face!”
Manon laughed softly.
Then leaned down without thinking and pressed a kiss against Sophia’s stomach through her shirt.
The room went silent.
Sophia stared at her.
Manon blinked.
“…What?”
“That was really cute.”
“Shut up.”
“You kissed the baby.”
“No I didn’t.”
“You literally did.”
Manon pointed at the TV aggressively.
“Look. Commercial.”
Sophia started laughing so hard she snorted.
—
The gender reveal was tiny.
No explosions.
No weird forest fire-causing nonsense.
Just Sophia and Manon sitting in the car outside the doctor’s office because Sophia said she didn’t want a crowd staring at her if she cried.
Which honestly was fair considering she cried at insurance commercials now.
Sophia held the envelope with shaky hands.
“I’m nervous.”
“You’re nervous about everything.”
“That’s true.”
Manon drummed nervous fingers against the steering wheel.
“You opening it or what?”
Sophia looked over.
“You open it.”
“What? No.”
“Please?”
Manon took the envelope slowly like it might explode.
Sophia immediately grabbed her wrist.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“What if it’s a boy?”
“…Okay?”
“I don’t know how boys work.”
Manon stared at her.
“Sophia. You grew up with two brothers.”
“That’s different. They were already house trained.”
Manon burst out laughing.
Sophia covered her face.
“Oh my God, what if we accidentally raise an iPad kid?”
“That’s your biggest concern?”
“Yes.”
“That’s insane.”
Sophia groaned dramatically into her hands.
“Just open it before I throw up.”
Manon carefully pulled the paper out.
Looked down.
Then blinked.
A slow grin spread across her face.
Sophia’s stomach flipped.
“What?”
Manon looked up finally.
“It’s a girl.”
Sophia stared at her.
Then immediately burst into tears.
“Oh my God, there it is,” Manon sighed affectionately.
“A girl,” Sophia cried.
“A very dramatic little girl apparently.”
Sophia laughed through tears and covered her mouth.
Manon looked back down at the paper again like she couldn’t stop checking.
A daughter.
That word hit differently.
Sophia grabbed her hand suddenly.
“We’re having a daughter.”
Manon looked over at her.
Really looked.
At the watery eyes.
The growing bump.
The terrified excitement.
The girl she accidentally fell completely in love with somewhere along the way.
And for once—
Manon didn’t dodge the feeling.
Didn’t joke.
Didn’t hide behind sarcasm.
She leaned over carefully and kissed Sophia soft and slow.
Sophia melted immediately.
When they pulled apart, Manon rested her forehead against hers.
“Our kid’s gonna be cooler than everybody else’s kid.”
Sophia laughed wetly.
“She’s literally not even born yet and you’re already making her insufferable."
"Exactly."
____
Sophia’s water broke at 2:14 in the morning while she was arguing with Manon about mozzarella sticks.
Specifically whether or not mozzarella sticks counted as a “real dinner.”
“They absolutely do,” Sophia said from the couch.
“They’re fried cheese.”
“And?”
“And that’s not nutrition.”
“You eat gas station hot dogs.”
“Those are packed with protein.”
Sophia opened her mouth to argue again—
Then froze.
Manon frowned immediately.
“What?”
Sophia blinked slowly.
“…Uh.”
“What?”
“I think my water just broke.”
Silence.
Manon stared at her.
Sophia stared back.
Then—
“Oh my God.”
“Oh my God.”
Everything after that became chaos.
Manon grabbed the hospital bag they’d packed three weeks ago “just in case.”
Sophia waddled around panicking while holding her stomach.
Manon panicked worse.
“Okay, shoes, shoes— where are your shoes?”
“Why are YOU yelling?”
“I’m stressed!”
“You’re stressing me out!”
“Well stop having contractions then!”
Sophia looked personally offended.
“Manon, I literally cannot.”
“Right. Sorry. My bad.”
The drive to the hospital was the fastest Manon had ever obeyed traffic laws in her entire life.
Mostly because Sophia threatened to murder her if she crashed while she was in labor.
—
By the time they got checked in, Sophia was already crying.
Not screaming crying.
Just overwhelmed crying.
Because hospitals were stressful and contractions hurt and she was exhausted and scared and emotional all at once.
A nurse asked gently, “Pain level?”
Sophia looked dead inside.
“Like… spiritually devastating.”
The nurse laughed.
Manon stayed glued to Sophia’s side the entire time.
Didn’t leave once.
Not for food.
Not for coffee.
Nothing.
Every time a contraction hit, Sophia crushed Manon’s hand hard enough to probably break bones.
Manon never complained.
Even when Sophia hissed:
“You did this to me.”
Manon nodded solemnly.
“That’s fair.”
Eventually the nurses got Sophia settled and gave her pain medication.
Then more medication.
Then the epidural.
And honestly?
That changed everything.
Within like thirty minutes Sophia looked dramatically more relaxed, slumped comfortably against the hospital bed with sleepy eyes.
“Oh,” she mumbled. “Okay. That’s better.”
Manon laughed quietly from beside her.
“You were threatening violence an hour ago.”
“I still might.”
“Yeah, there she is.”
Sophia blinked slowly at her.
“You’re pretty.”
Manon snorted.
“You’re drugged.”
“No but like. Extremely.”
“That’s the meds talking.”
Sophia pointed at her lazily.
“You’re wearing the chain I bought you.”
Manon instinctively touched the silver chain around her neck.
“…Yeah.”
“You like me soooo bad.”
Manon rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
Then Sophia frowned suddenly while looking down at herself under the blankets.
“My boobs are gonna be ruined.”
Manon blinked.
“What?”
“They already got bigger and they hurt all the time.”
Manon tried — genuinely tried — to look sympathetic.
She failed almost immediately.
“…Respectfully, I’m gonna miss them.”
Sophia stared at her in disbelief.
“You are actually unbelievable.”
“What? I’m mourning.”
Sophia started laughing so hard the monitor beside her beeped faster.
“You’re horrible.”
“I’m being honest!”
Sophia shook her head, still laughing.
“I think they get even bigger after the baby.”
Manon went completely silent.
Sophia watched the exact moment that information improved her mood.
“Oh,” Manon said thoughtfully.
Sophia pointed accusingly.
“That literally cheered you up.”
“I support women’s rights.”
“You support boobs.”
“That too.”
Sophia laughed so hard she nearly cried again.
One of the nurses walked in right as Manon was grinning smugly at Sophia’s chest.
The nurse looked between them knowingly.
Manon immediately straightened up like she hadn’t been caught being stupid.
Sophia giggled into her pillow.
—
The labor itself ended up surprisingly smooth.
Long.
Exhausting.
But smooth.
Manon stayed beside Sophia the entire time, one hand locked with hers while the doctors and nurses coached her through pushing.
“You’re doing so good, baby,” Manon kept saying softly.
Sophia, sweaty and exhausted, glared at her weakly.
“I hate you a little.”
“Understandable.”
Another contraction.
Another push.
Then suddenly—
A cry.
Tiny.
Sharp.
Real.
Everything stopped.
Sophia froze.
Manon froze harder.
And then the nurse lifted up the baby girl for just a second before bringing her over.
“Oh my God,” Sophia whispered immediately.
Manon actually looked stunned speechless.
Which basically never happened.
Their daughter was tiny.
Red-faced.
Angry at the world already.
Perfect.
Sophia started crying instantly.
“Oh no,” Manon murmured automatically.
“I can’t help it.”
“I know.”
But Manon’s own eyes were suspiciously shiny now too.
The nurse carefully placed the baby against Sophia’s chest.
Sophia looked down at her like she couldn’t believe she was real.
“She’s so little.”
Manon leaned closer slowly, almost nervous.
The baby’s tiny hand curled instinctively near Sophia’s chest.
And Manon completely melted.
Like visibly.
Sophia looked up and immediately started laughing softly through tears.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You’re doing the face.”
“What face?”
“The one where you’re trying not to cry.”
“I’m not crying.”
“You absolutely are.”
Manon sniffed once.
“Shut up.”
Sophia smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.
Then she looked back down at their daughter again.
The room felt warm.
Quiet.
Safe.
And suddenly all the horrible parts —
the sickness, the cramps, the fear, the crying —
felt far away.
Because now there was just this tiny little person.
Their tiny little person.
Manon leaned down carefully and kissed Sophia’s forehead first.
Then the baby’s tiny head.
And softly, like she still couldn’t believe it herself, she whispered:
“Hey, pretty girl.”
___
Taking the baby home was somehow more terrifying than the actual birth.
At least in the hospital there were nurses around constantly.
At home it was just:
them,
a tiny human,
and vibes.
Bad vibes, mostly.
Manon spent twenty minutes trying to figure out the car seat while muttering threats under her breath.
“This thing is built by Satan.”
Sophia sat nearby in a wheelchair holding the baby and laughing so hard her stitches hurt.
“You’re literally sweating.”
“It keeps clicking wrong.”
“A nurse already showed you.”
“The nurse had witchcraft abilities.”
Eventually they got the baby strapped in correctly after Manon watched three YouTube videos and nearly lost her mind.
The whole drive home she kept glancing in the rearview mirror every four seconds.
“She breathing?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“She made a noise.”
“She’s a baby, Manon.”
“That sounded concerning.”
Sophia looked over sleepily from the passenger seat.
“You’re panicking more than I am.”
“Because you’re on painkillers.”
“That’s fair.”
Honestly, Sophia was weirdly calm after giving birth.
Exhausted?
Absolutely.
But calm.
Maybe because after nine months of throwing up, crying, cramping, sweating, waddling, and feeling like her organs were being rearranged daily—
holding her daughter finally made everything click into place.
The apartment looked completely different when they got back.
Softer somehow.
There were tiny socks draped over the couch. Bottles on the counter. Baby blankets folded badly by Manon because folding was apparently not a skill she possessed.
It felt domestic.
Which was insane considering six months ago Manon’s living room looked like a location cops would raid on television.
Sophia settled carefully onto the couch with the baby asleep against her chest while Manon hovered nearby like an anxious guard dog.
“You know you can sit down, right?”
“I am sitting.”
“You’ve been standing in the same spot for ten minutes.”
Manon ignored that.
Instead she stared at the baby suspiciously.
“…She’s really tiny.”
“She’s seven pounds.”
“That’s tiny.”
Sophia smiled down at their daughter.
“She has your attitude already.”
“How can you tell?”
“She frowned at the nurse earlier.”
“Proud of her.”
Sophia laughed softly.
The baby squirmed a little in her arms.
Immediately Manon tensed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she moved.”
“She looked upset.”
“She literally just exists dramatically.”
“Relatable.”
Sophia looked over at Manon properly then.
God.
She looked wrecked.
Dark circles under her eyes. Hoodie on inside out. Hair messy from running her hands through it all day.
And somehow Sophia had genuinely never loved her more.
Which was crazy considering Manon still smelled faintly like cigarettes half the time and argued with strangers for fun.
“You okay?” Sophia asked quietly.
Manon blinked.
“Yeah.”
“You look emotional.”
“I’m sleep deprived.”
“Mhm.”
Manon finally dropped onto the couch beside her with a tired sigh, immediately curling one arm around Sophia’s shoulders automatically.
Then she looked down.
Paused.
“…What the hell.”
Sophia frowned. “What?”
“Where did your stomach go?”
Sophia looked down at herself.
Okay.
To be fair?
She’d noticed it too.
Not completely gone obviously, but after all the swelling and the giant bump for months, her body had changed weirdly fast afterward.
Even the nurses commented on it.
“Maybe my body got tired of being pregnant.”
“That’s not normal,” Manon muttered. “You had abs like three business days ago.”
Sophia snorted.
“I did not have abs.”
“You absolutely did.”
Manon narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“You’re telling me I suffered through nine months of emotional warfare just for you to bounce back immediately?”
Sophia smiled innocently.
“Genetics.”
“That’s evil.”
Sophia laughed quietly.
Honestly though?
She still felt fragile.
Her body hurt. Her boobs hurt worse somehow. She was exhausted constantly.
But emotionally?
She felt lighter.
Like the fear was finally over.
The baby made a tiny whining noise suddenly.
Both of them froze instantly.
Manon whispered:
“What does that mean?”
Sophia burst out laughing.
“You’re so scared of her.”
“She’s unpredictable.”
“She’s two days old.”
“Exactly. No established patterns.”
The baby started crying softly.
Manon sat upright immediately like somebody activated sleeper agent programming.
“Oh my God.”
Sophia was still laughing while carefully picking the baby up.
“Relax.”
“How are you relaxed?”
“I don’t know. I think my brain broke during labor.”
Manon watched quietly while Sophia soothed the baby against her chest with sleepy little murmurs.
And again —
that expression.
That soft completely wrecked look Manon got now whenever she looked at Sophia and the baby together.
Sophia noticed immediately.
“You’re doing the face again.”
“What face?”
“The in love one.”
Manon rolled her eyes automatically.
“Don’t start.”
“You are though.”
“Maybe a little.”
Sophia smiled softly.
That was another thing that changed.
Before the pregnancy, Manon danced around feelings like they were landmines.
Now?
Not perfect.
Still awkward sometimes.
Still hid behind sarcasm constantly.
But she said things now.
Small things.
Honest things.
Like:
Text me when you get there.
Eat something.
I missed you.
Come here.
And sometimes, late at night when the baby finally fell asleep and the apartment was quiet—
I love you.
Usually mumbled into Sophia’s hair like saying it too clearly might kill her.
Tonight, the apartment glowed softly with warm lamp light while rain tapped against the windows.
The baby finally settled asleep again against Sophia’s chest.
Manon moved closer carefully until her head rested against Sophia’s shoulder.
The three of them curled together on the couch.
Tired.
Messy.
Still figuring everything out.
But happy.
Really happy.
Sophia looked down at their daughter sleepily.
“She kinda saved us, huh?”
Manon was quiet for a second.
Then she looked at Sophia.
“No,” she said softly.
“You did.”