Bound By Her Bump

"I'm having a baby, " Annie said out of the blue, making Ella, her best friend, choke on her orange juice.

Annie was relieved that she let it all out to her best friend even though she wasn't sure about her reaction. It hadn't been easy keeping something this sensitive away from Ella.

"You're wha tjQuery" Ella asked in shock, her eyes not leaving Annie who was seated opposite her.

Annie sighed. She knew Ella heard her loud and clear but she didn't mind saying it again. "I'm having a baby."

"I heard you. I don't just understand how?.....I mean, I know how a baby is being conceived but when did it happen? I never knew you were seeing someone." Ella voiced out, looking as confused as ever. As far as she knew, Annie had been single for a while now.

Annie sighed. "I'm not seeing anyone and neither am I pregnant, yet."

Ella was even more confused now. She placed her glass cup which still had some juice in it on a small table beside her. They were seated in Annie's living room. "I want to believe you were only pulling my legs." Ella said.

Annie Davis shook her head. "I'm having him or her by Insemination. The procedure will be done tomorrow."

Ella couldn't believe her ears. She opened her mouth to give a response to what Annie said but no words came out. Her brain was finding it hard to process the reason behind her best friend's decision.

After a while, Ella spoke. "Okay, You win. I'm known for pulling expensive jokes on you but this is way more than all I've ever done to you." Ella said, hoping it was all a joke. But she wasn't that sure because Annie was looking very serious.

"None of this is a joke, Ella. This is something I've thought about and also acted on. I've been in contact with my doctor and the whole procedure started a couple of weeks back. Getting the right sperm donor, I also had to do a couple of tests, I've been eating according to the meal plan given to me and I've also been on prescribed medications. We are anticipating that the procedure will be successful on the first trial."

"I'm sorry for not opening up to you sooner. I had to come to terms with myself to know if this was what I truly wanted. You would have talked me out of it if I told you earlier."

"Of course I would have talked you out of it. What were you thinking Ann??? You're just 27 and already thinking about having a baby by Insemination. Who does that?"

"I did." Annie shrugged like it was no big deal.

Ella sighed, running a hand over her hair. "I mean, You're still young, Annie. You're smart, you're beautiful, You're attractive, You're the sweetest and kindest person I've ever known. You had no reason to think in that direction. You may not be dating anyone now but your soulmate will surely find you. You'll have your dream wedding and start a family with your prince charming. All you needed to do was to be patient." Ella explained.

"You should have believed me when I said I was done with men, " Annie said.

"Annie." Ella groaned. "Not anyone will be like the douchebags you've dated. There's someone out there who's meant for you."

"I don't want to dwell in that. I've made my decision. I wouldn't forgive myself if I go through with the procedure tomorrow without telling you. That's why I'm opening up to you now."

Ella sighed, burying her face in her hands. She spoke after a few seconds of silence. "You realize raising a child alone comes with a whole lot of responsibility. Are you sure you're ready for this? I want to be assured you know what you're doing. What if your baby grows up and asks for its father. What will you tell him or her?"

"I'm certain that this is what I want and Yes, I've prepared my mind for all of the responsibilities. I never imagined myself bringing up a child alone but it is what it is. Life is full of surprises. As for the baby asking for its father when he or she grows up, I have no idea what I will say to that but I know I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I'll love the baby so much and make sure he or she doesn't lack anything. I'm ready to start a family, I want to have a child."

Ella sighed. "If I could see any of your exes right now, I won't think twice before strangling them, especially that douchebag calle...."

"Please, don't mention his name." Annie interrupted, referring to her recent ex who used her and broke her heart. It took a while for Annie to get over it. She then made up her mind that all men were the same or perhaps, true love wasn't for her. So she decided to start her family alone. She would love her child with every strength in her and hopefully, her child would reciprocate the same feelings to her.

"You're not doing this because you feel lonely or because you're afraid you will end up alone?"

A sad smile tugged at Annie's lips. "I'm far from being lonely, especially when I have my type of job. I have you and my annoying but loving siblings so I know I'll never be alone. This baby will be the ray of sunshine I need in my life."

"I'm sure you've told mom. How did she take the news?" Ella asked. Annie's Dad passed away when she was nine years old. Her mother, Angela remarried and now she has two younger siblings, Claire and Jayden; the most troublesome fourteen years old twins ever. Despite the age difference, Annie had always loved her younger brother and sister.

"She freaked out just like you. I mean, she would have wanted her grandchild to be conceived naturally but she ended up respecting my decision.

"There's nothing I can say to talk you out of this. Is there?"

Annie shook her head.

Ella sighed. "I guess I have to start preparing my mind about being an aunt. I'll respect your decision and I promise to be there for you in every step of the way. You have my support."

Annie smiled. She joined Ella where she was seated and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you!"

"Don't mention. What time is the procedure tomorrow? You want me to come with you?" Ella didn't mind ditching work the next day to give her best friend all of her support.

"9:15 am. As much as I would want you in there with me, I don't think your Boss will be comfortable with the idea of you not showing up at work on a Monday morning." Annie smirked which earned a groan from Ella.

Ella works in a well-known company. The owner retired and appointed his son to take over and since then, Ella never fails to complain about how much of a pain in the ass he was.

"Dylan is not a problem, Annie. I can take an excuse from him."

"You don't have to Ella. I'll be fine. I will let you know how it goes." Annie said.

"You sure?" She asked.

Ella nodded.

"So, that means you won't be showing up at work tomorrow?" She asked Annie.

"I would when I'm done with my appointment. I'll probably try not to do too much. It all depends on my Doctor. If he insists I have to rest for the rest of the day, I have no choice but to obey."

Annie was her own boss. She owns a beauty parlour called Ann's Home. Alongside being a beautician and owning her business, She was also a Youtuber. She started making YouTube videos out of boredom and it turned to something she could not do without. Ann was known for uploading amazing contents on her channel and that made her subscribers yearn for more videos. Though she was not a popular YouTuber, she was doing quite well.

"I have a crazy human for a best friend." Ella voiced out.

Annie chuckled. "I love you too, sis."

Annie said her goodbye to Ella. She watched as Ella's car left her driveway and then she went back inside.

Before Ella left, they talked more about how busier and crazier their life was going to be in the future months, with the baby in the picture. To be honest, Annie was a little scared about the whole thing but she was even more scared about the fact that She may not get pregnant on the first trial of the procedure and if that happens, she would have to keep trying until it worked.

Annie switched off the TV, closed the windows, turned off the lights in the living room before heading to her bedroom. She took a shower, did her nighttime skincare routine and changed into something comfy.

She tied her now dried hair into a messy bun, reached for her laptop, a pen and a notepad, then she got comfortable on her bed to do some work.

The month was coming to an end which means Annie will have to pay her workers so she was trying to go through all invoices and also cross-check everything her accountant sent to her email.

She did that very quickly after which she started looking online for a bigger shop to rent. She was thinking of relocating her beauty parlour to a bigger place with more space. She got tired when she didn't find the shop that interests her so she eventually shut down her laptop.

Annie got comfortable under the duvet, reached for her phone and replied all pending messages.

She got tired after a while, said a short prayer and slept off.

••••••••••••

"So what did Doctor Myers say concerning the test you took? When will the results be ready?" Evelyn, Eric's mother asked Eric.

"I haven't heard from him mom but I should get the result latest by Wednesday, " Eric replied, connecting his glass of white wine to his lips.

Eric Ivan-James was the first child and only son of Evelyn and Austin Ivan-James. He was 30 years old and handsome as hell. He currently heads his Father's company alongside the chain of five-star hotels and investments he owns. Eric was one hell of a hard worker and what makes him unique was that he was very kind and he treated everyone with respect; A trait he got from his parents.

Because of his busy schedule during weekdays, he made sure he spent Sundays with his parents, had lunch and dinner with them and updated them with the latest developments concerning the company.

Right now, Eric was seated with his parents in one of the living rooms downstairs.

"I'm tired of hearing the same thing all the time so I don't think collecting the result will be necessary anymore, " Eric added.

"No dear. You should follow up with the result. Everything will be fine." Evelyn said with pleading eyes which earned a sigh from Eric, knowing he'll have to find time during the week to go collect the result.

To be honest, Eric Ivan-James was tired of it all. The depression started when he found out he had a low sperm count. Since then, he has been in and out of the hospital once every three months for some tests to keep up with his progress and also for treatment recommended by Doctor Myers.

Seeing that there wasn't any progress, Eric concluded he was not destined to conceive and that he would adopt a child when the time was right. But his mom found a way to make him go for his last check-up where his urine, sperm and blood samples were collected.

"Alright mom, I will go for the result this week." Eric heeded to his mother's plea which made her smile.

Before they could go further into their conversation, they were interrupted by Laura. Eric's youngest sister, the baby of the house.

"I thought you would have gone." She said, taking a seat beside Eric. Laura had taken an excuse to go complete her homework as soon as they finished dinner. The soon to be fourteen years old had taken a shower and was already in her pyjamas.

"Not yet, but I'll soon be on my way, " Eric replied.

"My birthday is fast approaching Eric, " Laura announced to her brother with a puppy dog face. Eric nodded, encouraging her to say what was on her mind. "I want to throw a party."

"We've talked about this, Laura. You threw one last year, I think you should keep it cool this year." Evelyn, Eric and Laura's mother said, making Laura groan.

"Honey, please let her have one this year. You know she will keep disturbing us if we don't allow her." Austin, Eric and Laura's Father pleaded which earned a playful glare from Evelyn.

Laura was always getting what she wanted. She had her Dad and brother wrapped around her little fingers which made it so hard for them to say NO to her demands.

"I don't support her having a party, " Evelyn replied firmly.

"Mom said no party, cupcake. How about you spend your day with me? Your birthday falls on a Saturday, we can go out and do anything you want, just the two of us."

"That's fine with me. Thanks Eric; I love you!" Laura said with a huge smile before wrapping her arms around Eric, giving him the best hug ever. She was sure her elder brother was going to spoil her. That was why she loved him so much.

Eric chuckled "You're welcome."

"I have to go now. It's getting late already." Eric announced, rising to his feet.

"Goodnight Son, we'll keep in touch." Austin hugged his son.

"I'll be expecting you next week, " Evelyn said as she hugged him too.

After the hugs, Evelyn, Laura and Austin escorted Eric to his car.

"Drive safe, my love, " Evelyn said one last time before Eric got into the driver's seat and drove away.

The whole family was protective of Eric, most especially Evelyn because he was her only Son.

Laura was the first person to walk back into the mansion, followed by her parents, Evelyn and Austin who walked in, hand in hand. Even after thirty-two years of marriage, their bond was still as strong as the day they first met each other.

Ivan-James's mansion was a very big one with an amazing view in front and a garden at the back. The Mansion was a two-storey Mansion with seven bedrooms, three living rooms, a gym, kitchen, study rooms, a library, theatre and the two dining rooms.

Eric lives in his apartment which was a forty minutes drive away from his Parents mansion but Laura who was still in high school lived in the mansion with her parents.

The drive to Eric's apartment was very quiet. He couldn't help but wonder how lonely his life was. Nothing would make him happier than having a family of his own. A wife who will love him more than anything in the world and a child or children to call his own.

Annie woke up a few minutes past seven to meet up with her appointment which was set for 9:15 am. She would rather get there early than late.

She said her morning prayer, arranged her bed and then did a little cleaning after which she had breakfast. She hardly had any appetite because of how nervous she was but she had to eat something according to the Doctor's instruction.

Annie tried her best to eat as much as she could, cleaned the dishes after which she went to take a shower and prepare for the day.

•••••••••

"That will be all dear. Remember to avoid stress, worry less, follow your meal plan and take your medications. It's normal if it doesn't work at first, you can always try again." Doctor Myers said calmly to Annie who was seated on the hospital bed in a pale blue gown.

She nodded.

The insemination was done a while ago and Annie couldn't explain how she felt. Her heart was beating twice faster all through. She tried to stay calm but it was just so impossible.

"When will I be able to know the outcome?, If I'm pregnant or not." She asked nervously.

"You can check in two weeks. I'll give you two tests before you leave."

Forty-seven-years-old Doctor Myers went out of the room to give Annie some privacy to change back into her clothes. She did that very quickly after which she left for Doctor Myers office. He gave her a flyer which contained the necessary things she needed to know about and also the pregnancy sticks. She thanked him and left the hospital.

As soon as Annie pulled up in the driveway of her beauty parlour, a call came in. It was her best friend, Ella.

"Hey, How did it go?" Ella asked over the phone, slightly worried.

"It went well but it will take about two weeks to know if the procedure was a success."

"It will be fine, " Ella assured.

"Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself." Annie sighed. "I'm so nervous. I pray it's successful" She said, placing her right hand on her belly.

"I'm sure it will and your child will be so lucky to have you. No doubt you will be an amazing mom, Ann."

Annie smiled sadly. "You always know what to say to comfort me."

"I'm being very hopeful since this is what you truly want and as for being an amazing mom, I have no doubt about that. You're amazing with Claire and Jayden. I think this baby will be more than lucky to have you."

Annie smiled. "Thanks."

"So should I come over this evening, mama bear?" Ella asked.

Annie chuckled at the sudden nickname "I don't mind."

"Okay then, we will see in the evening. Don't bother preparing anything. I'll bring some Chinese food along. You're allowed to eat Chinese right?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, I'm allowed for tonight. How's your Boss?" Annie teased.

"He's a pain in the ass. You should see my office this morning. You would mistake it for a flower shop."

"Aren't you lucky he bought you flowers?"

"A bouquet of red roses would have been enough. He didn't need to go overboard."

"You won't forgive him, will you?" Ann chuckled over the phone.

"Well maybe. I just want to stay away from him but I don't think it's possible because he's my Boss."

"He likes you Ella and I think you're being too hard on him. Pity the poor guy, please."

Ella sighed "I will think about it."

"Alright dear, I have to get to work. My customers are waiting."

"Okay boo. I'll see you later." Ella ended the call.

Annie reached for her handbag from the backseat and helped herself out of the car. Entering her beauty parlour, She was not surprised by the number of customers that were already there. She replied to the greetings of her Staff and also greeted some of her customers. Some were there to do their nails, some came for spa treatment and the others were there to make their hair. Annie entered her office, placed her bag on a table and got to work. She started attending to her customers knowing it was going to be a long day.

•••••••••••

"There's a problem Doctor Myers." Nurse Silvia panicked as she stepped into Doctor Myers's office.

"What is it?" He asked her

Nurse Silvia said nervously "Nurse Belinda handed you the wrong semen for the insemination." The middle-aged nurse was seriously panicking as she knew they were all in trouble.

"What jQuery ?" Doctor Myers rose to his feet. Every sperm was labelled before and after they were tested and treated. He couldn't wrap his head around what went wrong.

"How did you let that happen?" He asked, irritated. No doubt they were careless.

"There was a mix up with the tag."Nurse Silvia swallowed painfully.

"Then whose sperm did I use for the procedure earlier?"

"The one you used belongs to the Billionaire, Eric Ivan-James."

Doctor Myers plopped down on his office chair in defeat. He took off his reading glasses, tossed it on the table, then massaged his forehead with his fingers, trying to send away the headache that was building up there.

He knew Eric had a low sperm count and if it was truly his sperm he used for Annie, there was a very high probability that the whole process was a waste.

"You nurses should have been more careful. What in the hell do you expect me to tell both patients? Do you even have an idea of the type of trouble we are in? We could be sued!!!" Dr Myers said in anger.

"I'm so sorry, sir. It was truly an honest mistake. There's something else you should know too." The nurse said.

"Which is?" Dr Myers asked, clearly pissed about the whole situation. He wondered what could be worse than what she just told him.

"I think Mr Eric is cured. The last time he came in for the test, we collected samples of his blood, urine and semen. The blood and the urine test showed that his sperm count has increased. Just for us to do the final confirmation with his semen sample, we discovered there had been a mix-up and you've used it for the procedure instead."

"Go get me the result." Doctor Myers demanded. Nurse Silvia obeyed and was back in no time. "This is it, Sir." She handed him the result.

He collected the papers from her, put on his glasses and went through it. Indeed Nurse Silvia was saying the truth. Eric's condition has improved. His treatment over the years finally paid off.

"Don't get too excited because we are all going down for your mistakes. I would start praying if I were you all. You're free to go." He dismissed Nurse Silvia.

Doctor Myers skipped lunch. He used that period to think of a Solution. Annie and Eric were like his children. He couldn't betray either of them and neither does he want to end up in jail or losing his license.

After weighing the pros and cons, He decided he was going to go by the truth even though he would be going against his professional ethics and by doing so he would speak to Eric first.

He reached for his phone and dialled Eric who picked up almost immediately.

"It seems you were expecting my call, Son."

"Something like that. Good afternoon, Doc Myers."

"Good afternoon, Son. Hope you're good?"

"Yeah. I was about to call you for the test result. But if there's no improvement I think I won't bother coming over to collect them."

"I have good and bad news, Eric." Dr Myers mumbled.

Eric's heart fell. He knew the bad news was about him not being cured. He had no idea what the good news was. "Okay?!" Eric answered, unsure as to how to react.

"Can you come to see me at the hospital today?" He pleaded.

"Okay Doc, I'm on my way, " Eric said.

"Alright, I'll be expecting you." Doctor Myers said.