1.13 Day 13

Everything tastes like failure. 

Nozomi barely manages to throw up into the toilet. I nearly stabbed a guy, she reminds herself, it must be gnawing at me more than I thought. 

After she cleans herself up, she tries her hand at some macaroni. 

But it still seems that everything she touches dies. 

She decides to go for something she can't burn. 

As Nozomi eats, she thinks about her sudden bout of nausea. True, she's upset about last night, but that's never made her sick before. 

Wait- why do women normally feel nauseous? 

There's no time to lose- she needs to find out if this nausea is just nausea or a symptom of something more...serious. 

Taras wakes up alone. He makes the bed on autopilot, hoping Nozomi isn't doing anything rash. After the night before, he wasn't sure how she would react. 

Her failed gig last night is the farthest thing from her mind right now. 

Pregnant. 

She and Taras are going to be parents. 

Taras claps happily; he just got promoted! 

He is now Taras Zorin, Vague Visionary. 

Nozomi hears the front door click. 

She has to tell him the news. 

"Nozomi, you're home already?" Taras asks, clearly surprised. He takes in her pjs and serious expression and assumes something bad must have happened. Did she not got any tips? Did she try to audition for another gig? Did that guy she nearly stabbed decide to sue!?

She glances away nervously. She knows Taras wants children! 

So why is this so hard to say?

She swallows the lump in her throat.

"Taras, I'm pregnant."

His reaction wasn't what she expected. 

"Oh, I see..."

***

"A new house?" Nozomi repeats, "Why would we need to move?" 

"You're about to have a kid! Where's it gonna go, the washing machine?" Somer replies. Nozomi can practically hear her rolling her eyes. 

"Well, we'll just have to see," Nozomi snaps, partially echoing Taras's overjoyed reaction at their impending parenthood. Somer sighs, already having heard Nozomi bitch about this countless times. 

"Cut him some slack, he was probably just surprised!" 

However ambivalent Taras might have seemed, he definitely makes up for it. Nozomi only has to hint her back is hurting and Taras is ready with a massage. 

His newfound enthusiasm is a bit infectious. As he talks about baby names and first wand sets, Nozomi finds herself smiling and imagining along with him. 

I'm going to be a mother, Nozomi thinks for what must be the hundreth time. She feels herself slowly grin. 

I can't wait. 

AN: Blah, blah, blah, sappy happiness. I find these scenes really difficult to write without coming off as really cheesy, but Nozomi and Taras in game are quite enthusiastic parents.