Mmabatho woke up to her phone buzzing. Another text from her delivery app letting her know she needed to add something to her cart to get free delivery. She groaned and pushed her blankets off, mentally reminding herself she still had groceries to buy in person.
An hour later, she was standing in the dairy aisle at Checkers, her bump hidden under a loose hoodie. She bent down to grab some yogurt, and as she stood up, she almost bumped into someone.
"Wow," a voice said, dripping in sarcasm. "Look who's walking around like life's perfect."
Mmabatho turned to see Kabelo. She sighed. Of course, it had to be him. He immediately zoom in on her belly.
"Wow, you're really out here being someone's rent-a-womb," he sneered. "Is this what you've become?"
Mmabatho rolled her eyes and put the yogurt in her cart. "Can't you say hi like a normal person?"
Kabelo laughed mockingly. "Hi? To someone who thinks popping out someone else's kid is a personality trait? Nah."
She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Are you done? Or do you need a few more minutes to embarrass yourself in public?"
He stepped closer, his tone venomous. "You think this makes you better than me? Carrying rich people's problems like it's a flex?"
"You done projecting your insecurities yet?" Mmabatho shot back. "I'm doing this because I want to, because it's my choice. Something you clearly don't understand."
Kabelo opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "And another thingâyou being bitter doesn't affect my paycheck or my peace. So kindly, Kabelo, walk away and keep your negativity to yourself."
Her words hit him like a slap. He muttered something under his breath and stalked off. Mmabatho exhaled, gripping her cart handle tightly to steady herself.
Later that afternoon, Mmabatho walked into the clinic's reception area. She had texted Sandile earlier to let him know she had an appointment, and as promised, he was already there, sitting on one of the waiting room chairs, scrolling through his phone.
"You're early," she said, sliding into the chair next to him.
"I figured I'd beat traffic," he replied, looking up with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," she said. "I had an annoying run-in with Kabelo earlier, but other than that, I'm fine."
Sandile frowned. "What did he want?"
"To be miserable and share it with the world," Mmabatho said with a shrug. "I handled it."
Before Sandile could reply, the nurse called out, "Mmabatho Phiri?"
The two of them followed her into the examination room. Dr. Eva greeted them warmly. "Alright, let's see how Baby Jabavu is doing today."
Mmabatho lay back on the table as Dr. Eva prepped the ultrasound machine. Sandile stood by her side, his arms crossed but his eyes glued to the screen.
"Cold gel incoming," Dr. Eva said with a grin.
"Ugh, I'll never get used to this part," Mmabatho muttered, flinching slightly.
As the wand moved over her belly, the grainy black-and-white image of the baby appeared on the screen. Sandile's face softened immediately.
"There's your little one," Dr. Eva said, pointing to the screen.
Sandile leaned in closer. "It still amazes me every time," he said quietly.
"Alright, let's listen to the heartbeat," Dr. Eva continued, adjusting the machine.
For a moment, there was only static, and Mmabatho's chest tightened. She glanced at Sandile, who was holding his breath.
Finally, the rhythmic whooshing sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room.
"There it is," Dr. Eva said, smiling. "Strong and steady, though it took a second. Nothing to worry about."
Sandile exhaled, visibly relieved. "Good. That's good."
As Dr. Eva wrapped up the appointment and handed Mmabatho a tissue to wipe off the gel, she glanced at Sandile, who still seemed lost in thought.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
He nodded but then, without warning, he leaned down and gave her a quick, almost awkward hug.
"Thanks for doing this, Mmabatho," he said, pulling back just as quickly. "It really means a lot to me. To us."
She was caught off guard but managed a small smile. "It's no problem, Sandile."
They walked out of the clinic together, and as they stepped outside, Sandile turned to her again.
"You scared me for a second there," he admitted.
"Me too," she said. "But the baby's fine. That's what matters."
He nodded, his expression serious. "If you ever feel anything off, you call me. No hesitation, alright?"
She smiled. "Alright, Sandile. Thanks for coming today."
"Of course," he said, holding the door open for her. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
As she got into her Uber, Mmabatho placed a hand on her bump. The day had been exhausting, but hearing the baby's heartbeat always reminded her why she was doing this.
As she entered her apartment, her phone started ringing, it was Khanyiswa
"Khanyiswa," Mmabatho answered cautiously.
"Hi, darling," Khanyiswa's overly cheery voice greeted her. "I have some fabulous news! I'm planning a gender reveal party for the baby. It's going to be grand, you know, very Jabavu-worthy."
Mmabatho's eyes widened. "A party? Is that really necessary?"
"Of course, it is!" Khanyiswa practically sang. "This isn't just any babyâit's Sandile's firstborn! Everyone needs to celebrate that."
"Okay..." Mmabatho replied hesitantly, not entirely sure how she felt about being the center of attention.
"Don't worry about a thing," Khanyiswa continued. "I'll take care of everything. I already have a vision. I'm thinking pastel blues and pinks, balloons, a grand reveal moment. Oh, and I'll get dresses for both of us. Trust me, you'll look stunning."
Before Mmabatho could protest, Khanyiswa added, "I'll call you tomorrow with more details. Bye!" and hung up.
Khanyiswa wasted no time. The next morning , she was on the phone with her go-to party planners, dictating the finer details of the event.
"The cake needs to have two layersâblue on one side, pink on the other. Make it elegant, not tacky," she instructed while sipping on her iced coffee at Grate.
Her next stop was a boutique. Khanyiswa spent what felt like hours trying on dresses, FaceTiming her stylist for advice. Eventually, she found a sleek pastel pink dress for herself and a flowy light blue maxi dress for Mmabatho.
As the day went on, she ran around town, picking out decorations, centerpieces, and tiny keepsakes for the guests. She even stopped by her favorite florist to secure the perfect arrangement for the party.
By the time Khanyiswa got home, she was exhausted but satisfied. She found Sandile in the living room, scrolling on his phone.
"Sandile," she called out, collapsing dramatically onto the couch beside him.
"What's going on now?" he asked, looking mildly amused.
"I've been planning the gender reveal party all day," she said, holding up her phone to show him the guest list she had drafted.
He scanned the names. "Your parents, my parents, Andile... Mmabatho's best friend Ona?"
"Of course," Khanyiswa replied. "I mean, the baby deserves to be celebrated by everyone who's important to us."
Sandile raised an eyebrow. "Famous friends? Do we really need them there?"
"They'll add glamour," Khanyiswa said nonchalantly. "Besides, it'll be fun. Trust me."
"Alright," he relented, chuckling. "As long as this doesn't turn into one of your influencer parties."
"It won't," she promised, but the glint in her eye said otherwise.
The two spent the rest of the evening refining the guest list, debating over who to invite and how many people was "too much." By the end of it, Sandile seemed more excited than he had let on.
Meanwhile...
Mmabatho, oblivious to all the chaos, was lounging on her couch, trying to wrap her head around the idea of a gender reveal party.
"Why do rich people always have to make things so extra?" she muttered to herself, shaking her head with a small smile.
Her phone buzzed again, and this time it was a text from Andile:
"How's mama bear doing? ð»"
She couldn't help but grin as she typed back: "Exhausted, and there's a gender reveal party now."
His reply came instantly: "Sounds like fun. I hope I'm invited!"
"Of course, you are. You're on the guest list," she sent back.
And as much as she wasn't looking forward to the spotlight, she couldn't deny she was curious to see what Khanyiswa had in store.