20. Mustaf

"No, I've got it," I insist with a tone of finality.

"Mustaf, I"m hardly even showing," Meiko says gently, trying to reach for the box again.

I turn, pulling the box in my hands even further away from her. "Listen here, sweetness," I start firmly. "You need to take your perfect little ass back into the house and focus on unpacking. My job is to carry everything in, and yours is to tell me where to put it."

After Meiko found a house the right size for our budding little family, I bought it outright and we started moving in right away. It's a bit more modest than I probably would have gone for, but I did convince her that three stories with yard space was non-negotiable.

She huffs and sashays back inside. God, I just love it when she does that. A smile spreads across my face at the sight of it.

I take a moment to look up at the house. I can imagine our little half orc, half human child scurrying around in the front yard and jumping down the porch steps. Building a home, a family… These are things that I wasn't sure I'd ever have. Now that I do, there's no chance I'll be missing out on it.

I take a deep breath and turn back to the task at hand, carrying the box into the house. As I enter, I see our friends gathered in the living room, chatting and laughing. Meiko is sitting on the couch, surrounded by Sandra, Macia, and Lalaine, while Dragan, Fordan, and Maui are standing nearby, looking at some of the unpacked items.

"Hey, there he is!" Fordan exclaims, clapping me on the back. "How"s the move going?"

"Good, good," I reply, setting the box down on the floor. "Just a few more things to bring in from the truck."

"Need any help?" Dragan offers, flexing his muscles playfully.

"I think I"ve got it," I say with a chuckle. "You guys just make yourselves at home."

I head back outside to grab another box, lost in thought about our decision to wait until after the baby is born to get married. Meiko and I have talked about it at length, and we both agree that we want to focus on preparing for the baby"s arrival and getting settled into our new home before adding the stress and expense of a wedding to the mix.

As I"m carrying the next box inside, I overhear Macia asking Meiko if we"ve set a date yet. I put the box down next to the others and join the group in the living room. My arm automatically makes its way around my fiance's waist, resting on her hip.

"So, we have an announcement to make," I say, looking around at our friends" expectant faces. Meiko smiles nervously at me, and I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We"re having a baby," Meiko blurts out, a huge grin spreading across her face.

There"s a moment of stunned silence before our friends erupt into cheers and congratulations. Everyone is hugging and high-fiving.

I look at Meiko, her smile glowing with a mix of embarrassment and glee. I glance between her and my supportive friends, overwhelmed with a happiness that pricks my eyes with tears. I pull her closer, my heart swelling with admiration.

Once the initial excitement has died down a bit, Meiko continues. "We"ve also decided to wait until after the baby is born to get married. We just want to focus on preparing for the baby"s arrival and getting settled into our new home."

There"s a moment of quiet as everyone takes in this news. Dragan is the first to speak up. "That"s totally understandable. Congratulations, you two."

The others chime in with similar sentiments, and I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. These are our people, I think to myself. And their reactions only prove that they're the right people to have in our lives – in our family.

Speaking of, it doesn't take much longer for our parents and my siblings to show up. Meiko, warming up to her rambunctious almost-in laws, greets them with open armed hugs. My mother compliments the glow of her skin, causing her to blush.

"This is a good house," Dad exclaims, pulling me into a bear hug. "Meiko did a fine job picking it out."

My siblings all follow suit, hugging us and offering their congratulations.

Meanwhile, Meiko"s parents have also arrived, and they greet us with more reserved smiles. They"re clearly trying to make an effort, but I can tell they"re still a bit uncomfortable around my family though their smiles are a bit more genuine than they once were.

As if on cue, our mothers head straight for the kitchen, chatting animatedly as they start unpacking the dishes and utensils. I can hear them talking about recipes and comparing notes on their favorite cooking techniques. Much like the last time they were together, it's more of a competition than the friendly exchange of information.

Meiko stands off to the side, chewing on her lip as she watches our parents interact. Unable to keep myself away, I walk up behind her and wrap her in my arms. She relaxes into my chest with a sigh, the movement as natural as if we weren't a facade. I even plant a kiss in her hair.

"Everything okay?" I ask, nuzzling into her.

"Yeah, just feeling a bit overwhelmed," she admits. "It"s a lot to take in, you know?"

"I know," I say, squeezing her tighter. "But we"ve got this. Like I said,we"ll figure it all out together."

Meiko turns in my arms and gives me a small smile. "I know we will. It"s just… I didn't realize how different our families are."

"I get it," I say, nodding. "But that"s what makes us who we are. And I think our families are more alike than you realize."

As we resume unpacking boxes in the living room, Meiko pulls out a small, ornate box and hands it to me.

"What"s this?" I ask, curious.

"It"s a family heirloom," she explains. "Grandma passed it down to me before she got sick."

I open the box to find a delicate silver necklace with a small, intricately carved pendant. "It"s beautiful," I say, admiring the craftsmanship.

Meiko smiles. "Thank you. She always wore it, and she told me it was good luck."

As I hand the necklace back to her, I notice that she"s looking at it with a wistful expression. "What"s wrong?" I ask, concerned.

"It"s just… I wish she was doing better," she says softly. "She's so wise and kind. I want her to be here to see us start our family. Not in a hospital bed."

I pull her into a tight hug. "I know, sweetness. But she'll be okay."

We come across more and more of each other"s treasured possessions, sparking moments of laughter and understanding. I learn that Meiko has a secret love for cheesy romance novels, while she discovers my embarrassing collection of air guitar trophies from high school.

"This is great, I don't know what you're talking about," she giggles, trying to evade my attempts at taking one of the trophies out of her hands.

Hiding it behind her back, she expects that to be the end of it. Rather than giving up, I wrap both arms around her and grab hold of it. Our faces are a mere breath away, and I can feel the pounding of her heart as it beats against my chest. She takes her bottom lip into her mouth as her gaze drops to my lips.

Everything around us fades. I take all of her in – the sharp line along her jaw, the curve of her cheeks, the crow's feet at her eyes when she smiles. It's me, her, and our child. The thought fills me with ecstasy, love, and… belonging.

What if this was real?

Just as we"re about to share a tender moment, the sound of clanging pots and pans coming from the kitchen interrupts us. We exchange a confused look before heading towards the source of the commotion.

As we enter the kitchen, we find our mothers standing on opposite sides of the island, each brandishing a spatula like a weapon. Meiko"s mother is trying to teach my mother how to make her famous teriyaki chicken, but it"s clear that my mother is having trouble following the instructions.

"No, no, no, Elora!" Meiko"s mother exclaims, waving her spatula in the air. "You must let the sauce reduce for at least ten minutes before adding the chicken!"

"But I don"t want to burn the sauce," my mother protests. "This is why we should just toss this out and cook what I brought."

Meiko and I exchange an amused glance before the sound of our fathers' conversation floats into the mix.

"So, erm, Alton, how's the golfing been?" my father asks, clearly trying to make small talk.

"Oh, you know, trying to keep in the lead," Meiko"s father replies politely. "My fellow golfers are quite competitive, you know."

"Perhaps we could go a few games?" my father suggests.

Alton nods and chuckles. "Only if we start with human golf if orc golf is as difficult as you say. "

Meiko and I exchange an amused glance before she leans in closer to me.

"I think our fathers are trying to bond," she whispers, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah, it"s adorable," I whisper back, grinning.

"No, this is an orcish tradition, and it needs to be served first," my mother insists stubbornly, drowning out the sound of my father as he attempts to explain his most recent course.

"Oh, boy," Amina says as she walks by me, shooting me wide and knowing eyes.

With my hand on the small of Meiko's back, I guide her toward our brand-new living room sofa.

"Take a seat, yeah?" I murmur. "Give your feet a rest."

"But there's so much we have to do!"

I ignore her protests, sitting beside her, pulling her feet onto my lap, and giving them a light massage. She sighs contentedly and lets her head rest on the couch. The gentle smile on her full lips widens to the sound of Amina and Omar jumping into our mothers' feud, only to egg them on.

This is quite the family we're creating.