Engagement

I admired how far ultrasound tech had come in this perilous version of the future. Back in the regular old 2020's you'd see a whole lotta nothing in an ultrasound unless you had both a good technician and a cooperative baby. In the latter months of 2069 you get a crisp 3D image that you can pan around and see from different angles and distances. My son came in picture perfect HD as the AutoDoc slid the instrument across Gloria's swollen belly.

"Scans show that you, Juan, ARE THE FATHER!" the AutoDoc announced and the pair of us frowned at him, "Sheesh, tough crowd. The sprog looks good. On track for the due date. We could induce now if you wanted to, not like I'm doing anything these days with Señior Regenerator being my only usual patient."

"Isn't it too early?" Gloria asked the surgery room inhabiting AI.

"Not at all. We could have incubated the fetus at any point in the development, just a sliding scale of costs the earlier it happens." The AutoDoc explained.

"We're good." Gloria shook her head and the Doc wiped the jelly off her belly and she slid her shirt back down over our growing son.

"Suite yourself. I personally recommend drugs. We do some chemical prep and I'll hand you a baby so quick, easy, and painless that you'll be too shocked to even understand it's over." The AI offered and I agreed with him.

Mother Nature is an awful bitch that wants to kill you and everyone else. Our brains let us rise above, and we should. Always.

"Now that sounds far more appealing than whatever artificial womb you were planning earlier." Gloria nodded with the conviction of a woman who knew better.

As we left the medical center in my office Gloria rubbed her belly with a happy look on her face.

"What are your thoughts on this." she asked for what felt like the thirtieth time since she revealed the pregnancy that I already knew about due to my optic's power.

"Same thing as last time." I shrugged, "Just going with the flow. Not really worried or anxious."

It's good that this is Gloria's second child because my lack of concern would really mess with the head of a first time mother. A good portion of it can just be played off from the decreased risks of childbirth for anyone with decent money in this day and age, and with my kind of money and access there really isn't any cause for concern at all; even so, new dads are supposed to be concerned about everything when they care about their partner and offspring. It's been there done that for me and I just don't want to fake it. Thank God it's not V or Ciri pregnant.

Or another ho coming to El Coyote Cojo to try to pass off their gremlin as mine to mi mama. 'Look at him, cabron! He's brown like you! Look at the eyes! Dis is yo son!' My pull out game is too strong for that bullshit. I've got that in common with Michael Jackson. All the hos claim I am the one, but the kid is not my son. Hee-hee-hee.

I am in this case though.

Ironically, we are having lunch with my mother now that I think about it. Despite being so street-wise and skeptical; for whatever reason, she has always been incredibly easy to convince of my paternity. Probably that part of her that yearns to be an abuela. Half the time the hardest part of dodging these skanks is getting her to hand the baby back to the ho when I crack out the rapid paternity test and slay her play in the first act with the cold hard weapons of science.

El Coyote Cojo looked damn good after I had my drones spray some AI generated art on the walls post Tyger Claws attack. I'd repaved and repainted the entire neighborhood after the real money started coming in. The inside never changed though, no matter how many eddies I pumped into the neighborhood.

We sat at a table under one of the hanging orange lights that mama reserved for us - a necessity considering how packed this place has been ever since I figured out the secrets of the beef. We'd always done good business, but now people waited in line outside to get in most nights.

I sighed as the waitress working our section brought us lemonades, the old woman sitting across from us daring me to order an alcoholic beverage in front of my pregnant girlfriend with her eyes.

"How was the appointment?" Mama asked and she and Gloria had a great time going over all the pictures Doc printed of my son while I started on the chips and dip at the table.

"Ooooh, little Rudolfo!" Mama cooed at the pictures.

At least someone had some enthusiasm for this stage in our lives.

When the pictures finally returned to Gloria's wallet mi mama's expression became far more serious.

"And when is the wedding? You aren't going to have the baby out of wedlock. Not in this family." she insisted, but I am pretty sure that all the babies she would have loved to have been mine would have been bastards and she would have been cool with it.

And what about the other women I maintain lasting relationships with? Who am I kidding, this is Night City and I have money. I can pay someone for the inconvenience of filing my multiple marriages and make anyone who causes any hassle over it disappear so I can work with their more cooperative replacement.

"I'll ask Padre when he's available." I told her, causing Gloria to hiss.

"Isn't there someone else you need to ask something before getting your scheduling done?" she gave me the evil eye.

"Should probably ask Jackie to be my best man. Then get him, Jaunie, and Pedro fitted for their tuxes as groomsmen." I patiently tipped toed around what she wanted and she knew it.

"Juanito, have you not asked Gloria to marry you?" Mama engaged her 'not amused' voice.

"What? That's crazy." I deflected and took another sip of lemonade while both of them fully directed the power of their disappointed faces at me.

The expectation and passive aggressive behavior of mi mama and baby mama filled me with determination. I would not break under scrutiny. I wouldn't. But their faces were so disappointed and they were somehow gaining support from around the room. I could feel Pepe judging me from his place behind the bar.

"Bah! Fine!" I shouted, "Gloria, will you marry me?"

"Finally!" Pepe yelled and raised his hands into the air as everyone in the bar started cheering.

If Gloria wanted to say no, the peer pressure certainly wouldn't make it easy. She actually looked pretty uncomfortable with all the attention, which is weird from a former stripper, but I guess a separation between business and personal attention.

Despite squirming in her seat too long, Gloria finally nodded and said, "Yes."

And the crowd began their cheers once more as I grew to level 49.

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Another domestic scene for Juan. I need one more for V to complete the set.

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