A few days earlier, Zick's life had been perfectly normal. Due to a series of rather chaotic events and a terribly agitated boss, she hadn't noticed certain symptoms.
It was unclear why the thought of pregnancy, after all the times she'd been with Don, didn't even occur to her.
Well, it was too late now to consider contraception now...
Actually, Don probably wouldn't have agreed to it, preferring to do it raw. To feel her enough... Anyway...
As she left the bathroom, Zick couldn't even look at Don, who was surprised by her behavior.
"Zick. Honey. What's going on?" Don wasn't about to ignore the little creature's strange behavior and terrified expression.
That's right. Despite Zick's best efforts, she couldn't hide her expression.
"It's nothing. Stomach problems. I've been eating too much instant food lately, and it must have been bad for me." Forcing a smile onto her face, Zick glanced briefly at Don's suspicious expression and quickly looked away.
She felt that if she looked directly into his eyes, she would burst into tears and tell him everything. But what then? How would Don react? What if he got angry? What if he rejects her, or worse, forces her to abort the baby?
"Ugh," Zick groaned, trying to hold back the dark thoughts and tears that welled up in her eyes.
"Does it hurt that much? Wait, I'll get you something for your stomach." Don tenderly embraced Zick, carefully lifting her into his arms and gently laying her on the bed.
"Rest. I'll be right back." Kissing her forehead, he quickly left the room.
Zick immediately buried her face in her hands.
"What now, what now, what now!!! I need to talk to someone."
With trembling hands, she grabbed her phone and typed a short message to Sophie and Diana. She asked for a meeting about something important.
A moment later, Don returned to the room with pills and water. Zick pretended to swallow them and lay down, to take a nap. Don smiled tenderly at her, patted her head, and left the room.
Some time later, Zick received two messages from the girls about the time and place of the meeting. Unfortunately for her, she had to wait two whole days.
Fortunately, Don had to go away on business for a few days, and she could meet up with her friends without interruptions or his questions.
Trying to hide her concern throughout the day, Zick's behavior didn't escape the observant Don.
"Are you still feeling bad? Maybe we should go to the hospital and get some tests done." Don leaned over Zick, observing her behavior. And of course, at his question, the girl widened her eyes in fear and quickly denied it, covering herself with her hands.
"There's no need!" She started too strongly, but it was too late.
Seeing Don's suspicious look, she took a deep breath and added much calmer.
"The stomach pain is gone. Unfortunately, bloody time is approaching now, so I'm a little irritated. I'm fine. Really." With that, she placed her hand on the man's cheek and gently kissed him on the lips.
"Don't overexert yourself. If things get worse, go to Rick and be sure to call me. I'll try to sort everything out as quickly as possible."
Don kissed Zick on the forehead and returned to his duties with his subordinates. Fortunately, the rest of the day passed quickly, and evening arrived, when Don had to leave.
"Take care of yourself and call if anything happens. Call even if nothing happens. I miss you already. The thought of leaving you alone overnight..." Don didn't want to let Zick go from his embrance.
"Yes, I know, I know. I'll be shivering without your wonderful warmth and unearthly body. Now go and come back quickly. I hate falling asleep without you."
Somehow, Zick managed to sound convincing and bid her love farewell with a passionate kiss.
As soon as the cars disappeared in the distance, Zick slowly made her way to her room, locked the door, and entered the bathroom. There, she turned on the shower, sat on the floor, and hugged her knees as she began to sob.
The quiet sobs grew louder, filled with bitterness and regret. Her breakdown continued until she had no strength left to cry. She felt very tired, so she slowly got up from the ground and went to lie down on the bed.
Sleep came instantly. Her tearful face and puffy eyes looked depressing.
Fortunately, Zick slept through the night without any nightmares or nonsense related to the baby and Don. However, when she woke up the next day, she was greeted by the rather unpleasant sight of her face in the bathroom.
"Hmm. How can I explain this to the others without them telling Don?" She was already trying on a baseball cap to confuse them into thinking this was her new look when her phone buzzed.
The message was from Don, and after reading it, she was very happy. Don told her to rest and take a break from work. He also wrote that maybe she could meet up with some girls to cheer herself up, which was the perfect solution.
"Even if you leave me, I still love you," Zick said to herself as she replied to his text and kissed the phone screen.
What she needed most now was a conversation. Otherwise, the stupidest possible scenario began to unfold in her mind. Muttering under her breath, she paced nervously around the room, impatiently awaiting the meeting the next day.
"Maybe I'll just run away. Why should I wait for Don and listen to him how he breaks my heart? Maybe it's for the best... I have money. I'll go somewhere far away, give birth and raise our child there. Don will quickly forget about me and find someone better..."
Hot tears began to fall from the girl's eyes. As she uttered these words, she realized it would be hard to leave this man.
It was true that his profession was very dangerous, and enemies could learn of his weakness... but... who said a gangster couldn't be a responsible and loving father?