~Juilana~
...
She sent her letter to the VP at school to finalize her dropping out of her former University from the course Business Administration. She applied for a scholarship to study perfumery abroad and landed a job at a fast food restaurant to have money at hand as a foundation for her to study abroad.
As she worked hard to achieve her goals, Juliana began to feel a sense of purpose and direction. She knew that her mother was no longer with her, but she also knew that she would always be with her in spirit.
But as the days turned into two weeks, Juliana thought about how today would be the last day for her to work at the fast food restaurant. She knew that to make something for herself, she had to take little steps to make it big.
"Have you eaten anything today?" David, the owner, asked Juliana.
"No," Juliana replied, dropping the tray she had used to serve a customer.
David looked at her with concern.
"It's time for your break. Let someone else take over."
Juliana nodded, and David handed her a taco.
"You look pale. You should at least eat something."
Juliana took a few bites of the taco but suddenly felt nauseous before rushing to the toilet. Nora, David's wife, saw her and walked up to her while handing her a water bottle Juliana rinses her mouth and pours it out on the washing hand basin they both walk out of the toilet and Nora says.
"Sweetie, are you okay? How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," Juliana replied. "Maybe I came down with the flu I have been feeling sick lately."
Nora looked skeptical.
"Are you sure it's the flu? Maybe it's something else."
Juliana remembered her night with the stranger and thought she hadn't had much time to give it much thought. She thought about the fact that she wasn't on birth control and didn't take any contraceptives either because of the turn of events. She felt a pang of uncertainty rise at the back of her mind.
"I'll check for a test later," Juliana said, perfectly knowing what Nora was saying.
Nora nodded.
"Maybe you should go now. You look pale, and it's better late than never. Take a day off Juliana you need it okay."
Juliana nodded, walked off to the changing room, took off the uniform, and thought that she would inform David and Nora about her quitting later. She put on her baggy black jeans and cropped white top and packed her hair in a ponytail with a band.
She decided to walk to the women's store, seeing as her house, the diner, and the store weren't that far apart. She walked to the women's store and chose a pack of pregnancy tests from the shelves. She walked up to the cashier and paid with cash.
She walked home, followed the instructions, peeing on the stick, and waited for the results. When she saw the two lines, indicating that she was pregnant, Juliana was shocked. She took two more tests, and each time, the result was the same.
Juliana cried for what felt like an hour but was just thirty minutes, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. She thought about her mother and her words of encouragement she had said: "Whatever you do, you're my daughter, and you should take pride in whatever you decide to do."
Juliana decided to have some sour tangerine, seeing as that was what she was craving. She went out and bought some, went to her kitchen, took a plate and knife, and peeled the tangerine. When she was done peeling, she ate it and decided to go to a doctor tomorrow.
As she sat in her living room, lost in thought, Juliana fell asleep.
The next day, Juliana went to see a doctor. She asked how long she had been pregnant, and the doctor replied that she was eight weeks along. Juliana was stunned. She had never thought about having a baby before.
The doctor told her that she was having twins, and Juliana felt a mix of emotions. She was scared, but she also felt a sense of responsibility. She had the most wonderful thing anyone could ask for inside her, and she was going to take care of them. She could handle it all. After all, she was a Knight, and they would see that mummy would risk it all for them.
She thought, "Is this how my mother felt about me?" And all this love and joy from the little ones inside her made her smile. She rubbed her tummy, thinking, "My babies would be loved with or without a father. They had me, and they need no one else."
She remembered his face, but all she knew was his scent.
The doctor recommended that Juliana take some exercise classes and consider calling the father of the babies, as that would make the pregnancy classes more less consuming. Juliana declined, saying that she was alone and the babies' father wasn't in their lives.
The doctor looked stunned, seeing as she looked barely 19, but he uttered nothing. He didn't know what was going on in this young lady's life.
He wrote down some exercises that could be done alone and some medicine to take if morning...sickness got worse it would at least calm her nerves and they were filled with vitamins to help the baby. Juliana took it and thanked the doctor.
As she left the doctor's office, Juliana touched her stomach, feeling a sense of wonder and uncertainty. They were her babies, and she would have them and love them like the whole world because they were her world.
A couple of weeks later, Juliana sat in front of her computer, her hands nervously drumming on the desk as she waited for the email that would change her life. She touched her stomach, now slightly rounded with her twin babies, and said, "Babies, I hope I get in."
Just then, her inbox notified her of a new message. Juliana's heart skipped a beat as she saw the email from the Perfume Corporation Institution. She opened it, and her eyes scanned the page until she saw the words: "Miss Juliana Knight, you have been sorted into the Perfume Institution of NA Corporations you are admitted into Auckland university and will intern in NA corporation when done with your studies thank for reaching out to us in New Zealand and we are happy to have you miss Knight."
Juliana was overjoyed. She had done it! She was going to pursue her dreams and create a better life for herself and her babies.
Two months flew by in a whirlwind of preparation. Juliana gathered all the necessary documents, sold her belongings, and said goodbye to her friends and landlord. She handed over the keys to her house, sold her bike, and packed her bags.
As she stood outside her house, Juliana felt a pang of nostalgia. She remembered all the memories she had made there, and now she was leaving it all behind to start anew. She looked up at the sky and said, "Mom, I hope you're watching over me."
Juliana touched her stomach, feeling a sense of protection and responsibility towards her unborn babies. She took a deep breath she had this she would wow the whole world with her innovative way of scents she thought, she hailed a cab got in, and headed to the airport.
As she arrived and waited for her flight to the university of Auckland, New Zealand, Juliana felt a mix of emotions. She was excited to start her new life at the prestigious Auckland University, where she would study perfumery and create a brighter future for herself and her babies she knew when the baby started to show more she could handle it she could juggle them both her world and her dreams and when they were born she could handle taking care of them and if not and the road seems tough she would take care of it like she always did.
Juliana flight was finally called by 10:30,she boarded the plane, took her seat, and fastened her seatbelt. As the plane took off flight attendant brought refreshments like snacks and biscuits she ate seeing as she was always hungry done eating she watches a kids cartoon believing the babies needed to hear on parental guidance movies so she got stuck with cartoons for months now but it was worth it fir her little angles,Juliana decides to sleep for a while but her mind strays as she closes her eyes she felt a sense of liberation wash over her.
She was leaving her past behind and embarking on a new journey, one that would bring her joy, success, and a sense of fulfillment for herself and her babies.