Chapter 2.4: Could It Be?

Claude and Varinia make time to jam together every day. It helps them feel more connected in a way that others don't always understand.

Michael really enjoys being handy at home.

Amira knows better than to practice spells outside her home. Or really anywhere near her home. She practices outside work instead.

And when she can't put out the fire she started she has to call her dad for help. Amira shines bright with the chill of the ice spell that backfired on her.

Claude's magic is not enough to quell the raging fires and soon he has to break out a fire extinguisher.
He pants as the last of the fires dies out, "What have I told you about practicing when you are tired and weak?"
"Don't." Amira replies sheepishly.
"Right."

Nothing can pull Michael away from his soaps, not even his mother in law gabbing away on the phone.

"Is there a grandchild on the way?" Varinia asks. "I have a feeling my sixth grandchild is coming. I mean if the noises coming from your room are anything to go by."
Michael chokes a little on his sandwich while a furious blush rushes across his face.
"What. . . ghmp. No. What?"
"Mom!"
"I really don't want to know." Claude admits.

Michael sleeps on the couch because that family dinner was just too awkward.

Amira builds a snowman while waiting for her coworkers to show up.

She takes a jog to Selma's after work. For some reason her stomach is just really unsettled.

"I got a promotion," Amira says,"Michael still doesn't really know what I do."
"You should probably tell him."

"So sorry to cut this short but I think Jess is up from his nap. I should tend to him."
"Let me," Amira says. "I haven't met him yet and I could probably use the practice."
Amira climbs the stairs quickly as Selma calls out behind her.
"Why would you need the practice, Amira? What are you trying to say? Are you pregnant? ARE YOU?!"
"I don't know." Amira calls down the stairs.
She can almost feel the beaming smile on Selma's face.

Jess calms down the second Amira picks him up.
"This isn't so bad. I could do this maybe. Probably? What do you think?"
Jess gurgles and smiles.
"That's a yes? It sounded like a yes."

The last inch of doubt over whether or not she was pregnant disappears when she rushes into Selma's bathroom and throws up for what feels like hours.
"Well I guess I don't have a choice now."
Amira washes her face and steels herself for what is to come.

"You look really good right now," Michael says.

"And now?" Amira asks?
"Are you? Is that?"

"I'm pregnant. I'm definitely pregnant."
"Oh my! This is real? You are!"
Amira just nods and grins.

"This is so awesome. Like so very awesome!"
"You're going to be a great dad."

Amira can't hold in the news.
"So, um, mom was right. I'm pregnant!"

"That's great, honey!"

Varinia writes a song for her grandchildren.

"Can we really do this? Is it going to work?"
"Of course it's going to work, Amira. We love each other and we'll love this baby too."

Amira has never been able to figure out how Michael always knows what to say to calm her down.

Time to fix up the house now that there's a baby on the way.

Five more. Just five more. I can do this. I have to do this.
Amira works out to help keep her figure.

This is how Varinia and Claude celebrate the news.

"Babe, you really did a great job fixing up that toilet!"
Amira gets excited over the smallest repairs.

Push! Power through!
Amira feels like this is labor training.

And it's not a moment too soon.