Page 99 of Ascension

The visit moved quickly after that: bloodwork, vitals, and gentle questions about symptoms.And then I was lying back on the exam table, staring at the ceiling as the ultrasound wand pressed lightly against my abdomen.

The screen flickered.

And then, there it was.

A tiny flicker of movement. The steady, rhythmic pulse of a heartbeat.

My breath caught.

“There’s your baby,” the technician said softly, smiling. “Looks like you’re further along than you thought, you’re thirteen weeks. You’re entering your second trimester.”

I couldn’t speak. My eyes blurred instantly, tears sliding down my temples. Thirteen weeks. All this time, life had been quietly growing inside me.

I reached for the screen, tracing the faint outline with my fingertip. “You’re real,” I whispered.

The technician printed out a few images and handed them to me with a kind smile. “Congratulations, Mama.”

Those words nearly undid me.

Mama.

I hadn’t heard anyone call me that before. It felt foreign and sacred at the same time, like something ancient had just been passed down to me. When I left the office, the ultrasound pictures were clutched tightly in my hand. I sat in my car for a long time, staring at them, my heart a storm of emotions.

I wanted to be happy. I was happy. But fear crawled up my throat.

How would they react?

Would Calla look at me with love or shock? Would James see this as a burden he never asked for? Would I lose them both?

A tear slipped down mycheek as I wiped at it quickly. “Get it together,” I whispered. “You can’t fall apart now.”

I took a deep breath, the kind that starts in your chest and ends in your bones. I already knew what I needed to do. I was going to tell Calla first. Not as a way of softening the blow, but because I needed her. Her calm, her control, her strength. She was my anchor, and if I was going to navigate this storm, I wanted to do it standing beside the woman who made me feel safe in my own skin.

I glanced down at the pictures again, the smallest smile tugging at my lips.

“Guess it’s time to tell your other mama,” I whispered softly.

As the reality of what was happening continued to sink in, I felt less anxious and nervous since seeing those pink lines. As I was leaving the office, I took a picture of the sonograms and sent them to Lena. As soon as I saw the timestamp go from ‘delivered’ to ‘read’, I knew my phone was due to ring in five… four… three… two…

Right on cue, my phone lit up, and I had to take a deep breath before answering.

“Girl,” I said, laughing softly, “don’t start screaming in my ear.”

“Too late!” Lena shouted so loud that I jumped. “Amiyah Monét Patterson, if you don’t tell me why the hell you just sent me a picture of a baby like you about to drop a pregnancy announcement, I swear I will come to your job and tackle you in front of HR!”

I burst out laughing, tears forming before I even realized it. “Lena, calm down! It’s real, okay? I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Her voice cracked between shock and glee. “Like, for real pregnant? Not late-on-your-cycle-and-panicking pregnant, but there’s anactual baby inside you pregnant?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding even though she couldn’t see me. “Thirteen weeks. The doctor just confirmed it. I saw and heard the heartbeat.”

There was a pause on the line, and then a squeal so high-pitched I had to pull the phone away.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! My best friend is having a baby! I’m about to be Auntie Lena! I gotta sit down, I’m lightheaded. Jesus, I wasn’t prepared for this level of joy before noon.”

Her dramatics had me laughing through my tears. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m ridiculously ecstatic!” she said. “Now wait, you’re on the pill! You’ve been on the pill forever! How did this even happen?”