Rings

Butterflies, Every Single Time

Carina kneaded a fresh batch of dough, waiting for Maya to get off work. She wanted to make the night extra special and knew a homemade Italian meal would add to the magic. And she opted for Maya's favorite, lasagna.

Once everything was in the oven, Carina went around the apartment, lighting candles while dancing to the music flowing through the air. A mix of old music she grew up on and songs from Maya's childhood that she insisted Carina learn.

The second Maya walked in the door, Carina skipped to her side and pulled her into a tight embrace, unable to contain her excitement. Maya took in a deep breath of Carina, her favorite thing to do when she came home, and instantly noticed the candles and the delightful smell of her wife's cooking.

"Shit, did I forget something?" Maya asked as the ambiance of their home washed over her. "Our anniversary isn't for two months... What am I missing?"

"You're not forgetting anything." Carina placed a gentle kiss on Maya's lips. "You will see in a bit."

Carina walked off to the kitchen when the timer for the lasagna went off, swaying her hips to the beat of the song. Maya didn't hesitate in enjoying the view, biting her lip as she focused on Carina's ass that seemed plumper than usual.

"Wait, can I have my ring?"

"Oh, the rings are on the counter. I didn't want to get them messy while I cooked."

Carina carefully watched her wife as she stepped into the kitchen, where her ring sat next to a pregnancy test. Maya's eyes widened as she glanced back and forth from the counter to Carina, unable to fully comprehend or move.

"You're..."

"Si," Carina smiled wildly as she pulled the lasagna out of the oven.

Maya stuttered as she picked up the test, pushing her ring to the side. The stick showed a positive result. Suddenly all the emotions hit her at once as she dropped the test and jumped up and down.

"Oh my god, we are having a baby! Come here"

Carina tossed her oven mitts and ran to Maya's side, leaping up into her arms and wrapping her legs around Maya's waist. Maya twirled them around the apartment as she was blinded by the abundance of love she felt for her wife. Carina held on tight while Maya's hands traveled all over her body.

Their lips crashed into a messy kiss as Maya set Carina down on the counter. She kept her legs locked behind Maya's back to keep her put, though Maya would never want to step away from this moment.

"Holy shit, I can't even think. I'm so excited for us..." Maya got lost in Carina's eyes. "We are having a baby," she whispered again.

"Si, we are." Carina smiled.

"How far are you?"

"About eight weeks. I kinda lost track of time because I didn't want to get my hopes up. I made Jo do a bunch of tests to make sure, but I wanted to wait until you were there to do the ultrasound."

Maya looked down at Carina's stomach, trailing her fingers along the soft fabric of Carina's top. "There is a baby in there." When she looked back up at her wife, there were tears in her eyes. "I love you so much I don't even know how to express it. Love isn't a big enough word."

"Ti amo," Carina smiled. She was in the same lovestruck trance as Maya. "Baciami."

Maya wasted no time reconnecting her lips to Carina's and ran her hands up to caress her wife's face and lost them in brown locks. They only pulled away when the need for air became more apparent.

"We are going to be mamas," Carina said with tears in her eyes.

They had tried so many times that Carina started to think it wasn't going to happen. So many false alarms and flat-out failures that Carina didn't trust the three tests she took at the hospital and made Jo run another three. But now it was finally happening.

Caria steadied herself on the counter and shifted her weight back, so she wasn't fully leaning on Maya. But, in the process, she knocked both of their rings to the ground.

"Sorry!" She said with her teeth clenched together and her eyebrows raised.

Maya just laughed as she picked them up. She carefully examined both rings, looking for the slight nic on hers from when she was drunk and tried to open a beer with it. She cried about it the following day when she was sober, but it was so small it was only noticeable when someone looked for it.

"See, sometimes the scratch helps. It's not a completely bad thing."

"Let's not talk about it while I am already an emotional mess, please."

"Sorry," Carina whispered while she kissed the top of Maya's head. She watched Maya struggling to discern the two rings from each other; there was still a flood of emotions flowing through her body as her hands trembled. The shakiness eventually made Maya drop the rings. "Let me see them."

Carina held out her hands as Maya bashfully gave up and handed the rings over. Then, with a quick look over, she could see which was which and slid her own ring in place. Carina took Maya's hands in hers, made sure Maya looked into her eyes and locked her feet behind her wife again.

"You make me the happiest human in the world, and I can't wait to share that with our little bambini. You are going to be the best mama any child could have."

The words touch a special place in Maya's heart, where she usually kept her insecurities locked away in the dark. Carina had the key; she always knew what to do or say to break down any defenses Maya had guarding her parts she didn't want to acknowledge even for herself. Yet here was her beautiful and perfect wife easing her insecurities before they had a chance to grow into something bigger.

"I didn't think it was even possible to love you more than I already do."

Without another word, Carina tugged Maya's silicone ring off and replaced it with the gold band. Maya's knees went weak as her whole body tingled with love and excitement. The place she felt it the most was in her stomach and heart. It almost felt like they were doing summersaults in her body.

Carina saw Maya's eyes flutter as she got lost in the moment and took the opportunity to pull her in for a kiss. One so full of love and passion, she was left speechless when they finally pulled apart.

"Butterflies, every single time."