Eva watched as the next couple stepped up before the registrar, giving him their names so that he could write them down in his big black book and insert them into the generic ceremony that was about to take place.

After a horrible trip, where she was nauseous most of the day, they had arrived at the register where their wedding was to take place.

It wasn’t exactly what she had envisioned.

The room was old, the stained glass windows casting a colorful pattern on the wooden floors, the smell of cigarette smoke heavy in the air. While the surroundings were not awful, it was the thought that neither Eva’s family nor her friends were here to witness the event. Eva had always pictured her wedding with her in a beautiful gown and her father walking her down the aisle to the man that was to love her forever.

Instead she was stuck in a white long-sleeved gown that was the only one big enough to fit her baby bump, the material itchy against her hyper-sensitive skin, and no family in sight.

Not only that, they were being herded to the registrar desk like cattle. They were couple number twenty-one.

Nothing about this day was special; nothing at all.

And she was not even getting a religious wedding. Well, she was, but not in a traditional ceremony, or in a traditional chapel, or anything similar.

Willing the tears away, Eva leaned over to him. “I—I don’t want to do this today.”

He looked over at her, his eyes lit with surprise—and something more Eva could not understand. “What?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t want us to get married like this.” She wanted to make it right with her father, make this entire pregnancy something to be celebrated. “Can’t we just hold off a few more months until my father gets used to the idea?”

He frowned and pointed at her protruding belly. “You don’t have a few months, Eva.”

He was right. She didn’t, but no one said they couldn’t have a wedding after the baby was born. Wrapping her arm around his, she laid her head on his shoulder. “I just—this doesn’t feel right.”

He moved away from her instead of comforting her and she could tell that he was upset. “What do you mean this doesn’t feel right? We planned this, remember?”

Eva swallowed. She had never seen him mad before, not at her at least. “I-I mean, I just think we should wait, that’s all. What’s the hurry?” Maybe if they did wait, she could get her father to warm up to the idea and everyone would be happy again.

He sighed loudly and shook his head, a chuckle escaping him. “I knew you would get cold feet. I knew you didn’t love me enough to go through with this.”

“I love you,” she insisted, wrapping her arms around him. That wasn’t the problem at all. “I-I’m sorry. You’re right. This is the right thing to do.”

“There’s my girl,” he said, some of the anger leaving his expression. “This is the right thing to do, Eva.”

She nodded, though in her heart, she still had doubts. She didn’t want to lose him and wanted to trust that he was marrying her because he loved her.

Hugging him tighter, she hoped that he was right, that this was the right thing to do.

Because she had no other choice.

“Twenty one?”

“That’s us,” he responded.

Eva removed her arms from around him, standing up as he did. She swallowed her fears and followed him to the registrar, attempting to smile as the dour faced man looked at them both, his eyes flickering to her bump barely concealed by her dress.

She could only imagine what he was thinking and her cheeks flushed. Yes, she had experienced sex outside of wedlock. Yes, she had enjoyed it immensely. And yes, she was pregnant.

But this was different.

Their case was not like the rest.

She loved him and he loved her. Their child would be born in a loving household. They were making this official so that the child could have two parents, two loving people who clearly loved each other as well.

“Please join hands,” the registrar said, clearing his throat as he opened the book before him.

Eva’s hands trembled as she turned toward him and took his hands, forcing a smile as he looked at her.

This was going to work. She just knew it.