Chapter Twenty One - Little Trouble

Life had become a strange mixture of routine and exhaustion for Tiara.

She had learned how to wake up before her body was ready.

She had learned how to work even when sleep still clung to her eyes, how to sweep the supermarket before the first rush of customers, how to mop around people's feet without getting in their way, and how to keep moving even when her back began complaining long before the day was over.

Her money disappeared almost as quickly as she earned it.

One part went toward the baby.

Another went toward food.

Whatever remained went into the small savings she guarded so carefully that even touching the envelope sometimes made her anxious.

She had bought most of the things her daughter would need.

Tiny clothes.

Pampers.

Baby creams.

A bath.

Other little things that had seemed unimportant until she found herself standing in a shop, staring at them and wondering whether her baby would need them too.

Then there was the room.

Food.

Transport.

Her clinic appointments.

Everything had become a calculation.

Not the kind that involved numbers written neatly in a book.

The kind that happened inside her head every time she reached into her pocket.

If I spend this much today, how much will remain?

If I buy this now, can I still afford that later?

She had become very good at making small amounts of money stretch.

She had also become very good at pretending she wasn't tired.

But by the time she reached seven months, even pretending was becoming difficult.

Her body had changed enough that there was no hiding how much work pregnancy had become.

Her stomach had grown round and heavy, and walking for long periods sometimes left her feeling as though she had been running even when she had barely crossed the supermarket.

Her lower back ached.

Her feet complained.

And there were mornings when she woke up already tired, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds and wondered if her body had somehow gone to work without informing her.

That morning was one of those mornings.

Tiara stood in the middle of Kira's Mart with a broom in one hand and absolutely no enthusiasm for what she was doing.

She stared at the floor.

The floor stared back.

She narrowed her eyes.

"You again."

The floor, unsurprisingly, remained silent.

Tiara sighed.

"Fine."

She dragged the broom across the tiles.

Once.

Twice.

A third time.

Then she stopped.

Her shoulders dropped.

"God."

She looked around the supermarket.

Nobody was paying attention to her.

Good.

She slowly lowered herself onto a nearby stool.

The moment she sat down, she released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

Her head fell back slightly.

"Five minutes."

She held up one finger as though negotiating with an invisible supervisor.

"Just five minutes. I am not asking for one hour."

Her stomach shifted beneath her clothes.

Tiara looked down.

"Don't start."

Another little movement.

She placed both hands over her stomach.

"You too?"

She shook her head.

"You are already stubborn and you haven't even entered this world."

Another movement.

Tiara stared at her stomach.

"Little Trouble."

She said it with such seriousness that she almost laughed.

"Yes. That's your name."

She rubbed her stomach lightly.

"Little Trouble, please. Let your mother rest."

The baby shifted again.

Tiara's mouth fell open.

"See?"

She pointed accusingly at her stomach.

"See what I mean? You're arguing with me already."

"Tiara."

She froze.

The voice came from across the supermarket.

Kira stood near one of the shelves with her arms folded.

Tiara slowly looked up.

"Yes, ma?"

Kira glanced at the stool.

Then at the broom lying beside it.

Then back at Tiara.

"Are you working or are you holding a meeting with yourself?"

Tiara immediately sat up straighter.

"I was working."

Kira looked at the untouched section of floor.

"Clearly."

Tiara pressed her lips together.

Kira was not a bad woman.

In fact, she had been fair to Tiara from the beginning.

She paid her on time.

She didn't insult her.

She had never treated her pregnancy like a reason to throw her out.

But when it came to the supermarket, Kira's softness disappeared.

Business was business.

If the shelves needed cleaning, they needed cleaning.

If the floor was dirty, somebody had to clean it.

And Kira had no patience for unnecessary excuses.

She pointed toward the broom.

"Come on."

Tiara pushed herself up with both hands.

"I was only resting."

"I know."

Kira's tone softened slightly.

"But you can't disappear every time you're tired."

Tiara nodded.

"I know, ma."

Kira studied her for a moment.

Then her gaze dropped briefly to Tiara's stomach.

"You're getting heavier now."

Tiara gave her a tired look.

"Thank you, ma. I noticed."

Kira's mouth twitched.

It was almost a smile.

Almost.

"You know what I mean."

"I know."

Kira glanced toward the entrance where two customers had just walked in.

"I'm not telling you to overwork yourself. But this place still has to run."

"I understand."

"And if you need to sit down, sit down. Just don't leave everything unfinished."

Tiara nodded.

"Yes, ma."

Kira picked up a cloth from the counter.

"And eat something. You look tired."

Tiara blinked.

"I'll eat."

"When?"

"Soon."

Kira gave her a long look.

Tiara sighed.

"Okay. I'll eat."

"Good."

Kira walked away.

Tiara watched her go.

Then she looked at the broom.

Then at the floor.

Then toward the ceiling.

"Even my boss has started monitoring me."

She picked up the broom.

"Everybody should just leave me alone."

A voice came from behind her.

"Who should leave you alone?"

Tiara turned.

Aria stood at the entrance, holding a small food pack in one hand.

Her eyes moved from Tiara to the broom, then to Tiara's face.

She immediately frowned.

"Why do you look like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like life has personally offended you."

Tiara stared at her.

"Life has."

Aria walked closer.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"That was too fast."

Tiara sighed.

"Why do you always interrogate people?"

"Because you people don't know how to talk."

"I am talking."

"You are hiding."

"I am not hiding."

Aria leaned closer.

"You're doing that thing again."

Tiara frowned.

"What thing?"

"That thing where you pretend you're fine because you don't want anybody to worry about you."

Tiara looked away.

Aria clicked her tongue.

"Come here."

"I'm working."

"You've been working since morning."

"I know."

"And you've eaten?"

Tiara said nothing.

Aria stared at her.

"Tiara."

"I'll eat."

"When?"

"Later."

Aria slowly lifted the food pack.

"I brought food."

Tiara's eyes moved toward it.

Then back to Aria.

"What is it?"

"Food."

"I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because I need to know whether it's good food."

Aria scoffed.

"You're lucky I love you."

Tiara's lips twitched.

"I know."

Aria handed her the pack.

"Take it."

Tiara accepted it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Tiara looked down at the food.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Aria noticed the way Tiara was standing.

"You're tired."

Tiara gave a small nod.

"A little."

"A little?"

Tiara looked at her.

"Okay. A lot."

"That's better."

Tiara leaned against the shelf.

"I don't know what's happening to me lately."

Aria's teasing expression disappeared.

"What do you mean?"

"I get tired so quickly now."

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"Sometimes I start something and halfway through, I just want to sit down and disappear."

Aria listened.

Tiara continued quietly.

"And then I feel guilty because I know I still have things to do."

She looked around the supermarket.

"I don't want Kira thinking I'm becoming lazy."

"She doesn't."

"She does."

"She doesn't."

"She looked at me like I committed a crime because I sat down."

Aria snorted.

"Kira looks at everybody like that."

Tiara almost laughed.

"She really does."

"Exactly."

Tiara looked down at the food pack in her hands.

"I just don't want to start feeling sorry for myself."

Aria's expression softened.

"You're allowed to be tired, Tiara."

"I know."

"No, you don't."

Tiara opened her mouth.

Aria pointed at her.

"Don't argue."

Tiara closed it.

Aria nodded.

"Good."

Tiara looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"You enjoy ordering me around."

"Very much."

"Terrible person."

"Thank you."

Tiara shook her head.

Then her expression changed.

"I've been saving money."

Aria nodded.

"I know."

"For the delivery."

"I know."

"I've bought almost everything already."

"That's good."

"But I still want to keep something aside."

Aria understood immediately.

"For emergencies."

Tiara nodded.

"I don't know how everything will go."

She picked at the corner of the food pack.

"I just want to have something if I need it."

Aria pulled the stool closer and sat down.

"That's understandable."

Tiara looked at her.

"But sometimes I think about it too much."

"Then stop thinking about it for a while."

Tiara gave her a dry look.

"Oh, wonderful advice."

"I know."

"Very helpful."

"I'm brilliant."

Tiara let out a quiet laugh.

Aria reached for her hand.

"You're doing what you can."

Tiara looked down at their hands.

"I know."

"And you're not lazy."

"I know."

"And you don't have to prove every single day that you can handle everything."

Tiara stayed quiet.

The supermarket continued around them.

A trolley rolled past.

Someone asked for the price of an item.

The refrigerator hummed steadily from the corner.

Outside, cars passed in quick bursts, their sounds rising and fading beyond the glass doors.

Everything continued moving.

But for those few seconds, Tiara didn't.

She simply sat there.

Breathing.

Thinking.

Trying not to be too hard on herself.

Then she looked down at her stomach.

"Little Trouble."

Aria turned.

"What?"

Tiara patted her stomach.

"That's what I call her."

Aria stared at her.

Then her face slowly brightened.

"Little Trouble?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she has been disturbing me since she entered my life."

Aria burst out laughing.

"Tiara!"

"What?"

"You named your own child trouble?"

"She is trouble."

"She hasn't even been born!"

"Exactly. Imagine what she'll do when she starts walking."

Aria covered her mouth, laughing harder.

Tiara tried to maintain a serious face.

She lasted three seconds.

Then she started laughing too.

"You're encouraging me," Aria complained.

"You're the one who asked."

"I didn't know you were going to insult an unborn child."

Tiara rubbed her stomach.

"Little Trouble, don't mind this woman."

Aria pointed at her.

"See? You're already teaching her bad things."

"She will learn from me."

"God help that child."

Tiara laughed again.

The tension in her shoulders finally eased.

Aria stood and held out her hand.

"Come."

"Where?"

"You're eating."

"I know."

"Now."

"Aria—"

"No."

Tiara stared at her.

Aria stared back.

After a few seconds, Tiara sighed dramatically and took her hand.

"You're very troublesome."

Aria pulled her up carefully.

"Look who's talking."

Tiara gathered her food and adjusted her clothes.

As they walked toward the back of the supermarket, she glanced down at her stomach.

"Come on, Little Trouble."

She shook her head.

"Your mother is trying."

Aria looked at her.

"She really is."

Tiara glanced sideways at her.

For once, Aria wasn't joking.

Tiara looked ahead.

The tiredness was still there.

The worries hadn't disappeared.

Neither had the bills, the savings, the appointments or the questions waiting for her in the months ahead.

But she didn't feel quite as overwhelmed by them.

Maybe that was what having someone beside you did.

It didn't remove the weight.

Sometimes, it simply made the weight easier to carry.