alone?”
It took a little more negotiating on my and Zak’s part, but eventually both Ellie and Levi agreed to stay with us through the weekend at least. I could see Ellie was concerned that it was going to be more difficult to keep her secret with Levi living in such close proximity, but the only way he would agree to stay was if Ellie did as well, and it was obvious her concern for his safety trumped any degree of discomfort she’d be forced to endure.
I went upstairs to check on the kids while Levi and Ellie were preparing to leave to pick up their things. Scooter had finished his homework and was watching a movie on his television and Alex, who had completed her assignments also, was busily writing in her journal.
“Levi and Ellie are going to be staying with us for a few days,” I told Alex.
“Because of the killer?”
“Yes, because of the person who’s been going around shooting people. I’m putting them in rooms on the first floor, so they shouldn’t bother you even if they stay up late or get up early.”
Alex stopped writing and closed her book, setting it on the bed next to her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. Anything.”
“It’s really not my business and it’s okay if you tell me so.”
“Okay. What’s on your mind?”
Alex bit her lip before she responded. “Is Ellie going to have a baby?”
To say I was shocked by the question was putting it mildly. I certainly hadn’t said anything that would cause Alex to think Ellie was expecting and I was certain Ellie hadn’t either.
“Why do you think she might be?”
“Today, when we were sewing, she kept putting her hand on her stomach. At first I thought maybe she wasn’t feeling well, but then I noticed she’d smile a tiny little smile every time she did it. I still wasn’t sure, but then her shirt hung open just a tiny bit when she bent down to pick up the scissors she dropped and I could see the top snap on her pants wasn’t fastened. It occurred to me that she might be pregnant, but I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to ask her.”
I was faced now, I realized, with a dilemma. I didn’t want to lie to Alex, but Ellie’s secret wasn’t mine to tell. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I formulated my response.
“Sometimes adults do things that cause them to find themselves in complicated situations they aren’t sure how to deal with. It’s usually best to let them work through the issue they face in their own way and on their own timeline. It’s also important to keep the confidence they may have afforded you as long as you’re asked to keep it.”
“So Ellie’s pregnant, but she’s too scared to talk about it and she made you pinky swear not to tell.”
“Basically. But now that you’ve guessed you can’t tell anyone either. Not even Scooter.”
“I won’t. I promise.” Alex cuddled the baby otter, which had been sleeping on her bed while she worked on her journal. I wasn’t sure where Alex’s cat had gone off to, but I’d need to remind her that the resident cats might hurt the baby, so she needed to be sure to keep it in its crate when she wasn’t feeding it.
“Has the baby finished his dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think I’ll put him away where he’ll be safe.”
Alex handed me the tiny otter. “I know this is a dumb question, but how did Ellie get a baby when she isn’t even dating anyone?”
I kissed Alex on the top of her head. “That, my girl, is a question for mature audiences only.”
“I hope she’s going to be okay.”
I cuddled the otter to my chest. “Yeah, me too.”
Zak and I settled into our room after everyone else had settled into their own for the night.
The fact that Alex had picked up on Ellie’s secret due to her probably unconscious tendency to touch her stomach indicated that Ellie might have a problem keeping her secret from Levi with the two of them spending so much time together over the next few days. I’d have a chat with her in the morning
It took a little more negotiating on my and Zak’s part, but eventually both Ellie and Levi agreed to stay with us through the weekend at least. I could see Ellie was concerned that it was going to be more difficult to keep her secret with Levi living in such close proximity, but the only way he would agree to stay was if Ellie did as well, and it was obvious her concern for his safety trumped any degree of discomfort she’d be forced to endure.
I went upstairs to check on the kids while Levi and Ellie were preparing to leave to pick up their things. Scooter had finished his homework and was watching a movie on his television and Alex, who had completed her assignments also, was busily writing in her journal.
“Levi and Ellie are going to be staying with us for a few days,” I told Alex.
“Because of the killer?”
“Yes, because of the person who’s been going around shooting people. I’m putting them in rooms on the first floor, so they shouldn’t bother you even if they stay up late or get up early.”
Alex stopped writing and closed her book, setting it on the bed next to her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. Anything.”
“It’s really not my business and it’s okay if you tell me so.”
“Okay. What’s on your mind?”
Alex bit her lip before she responded. “Is Ellie going to have a baby?”
To say I was shocked by the question was putting it mildly. I certainly hadn’t said anything that would cause Alex to think Ellie was expecting and I was certain Ellie hadn’t either.
“Why do you think she might be?”
“Today, when we were sewing, she kept putting her hand on her stomach. At first I thought maybe she wasn’t feeling well, but then I noticed she’d smile a tiny little smile every time she did it. I still wasn’t sure, but then her shirt hung open just a tiny bit when she bent down to pick up the scissors she dropped and I could see the top snap on her pants wasn’t fastened. It occurred to me that she might be pregnant, but I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to ask her.”
I was faced now, I realized, with a dilemma. I didn’t want to lie to Alex, but Ellie’s secret wasn’t mine to tell. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I formulated my response.
“Sometimes adults do things that cause them to find themselves in complicated situations they aren’t sure how to deal with. It’s usually best to let them work through the issue they face in their own way and on their own timeline. It’s also important to keep the confidence they may have afforded you as long as you’re asked to keep it.”
“So Ellie’s pregnant, but she’s too scared to talk about it and she made you pinky swear not to tell.”
“Basically. But now that you’ve guessed you can’t tell anyone either. Not even Scooter.”
“I won’t. I promise.” Alex cuddled the baby otter, which had been sleeping on her bed while she worked on her journal. I wasn’t sure where Alex’s cat had gone off to, but I’d need to remind her that the resident cats might hurt the baby, so she needed to be sure to keep it in its crate when she wasn’t feeding it.
“Has the baby finished his dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think I’ll put him away where he’ll be safe.”
Alex handed me the tiny otter. “I know this is a dumb question, but how did Ellie get a baby when she isn’t even dating anyone?”
I kissed Alex on the top of her head. “That, my girl, is a question for mature audiences only.”
“I hope she’s going to be okay.”
I cuddled the otter to my chest. “Yeah, me too.”
Zak and I settled into our room after everyone else had settled into their own for the night.
The fact that Alex had picked up on Ellie’s secret due to her probably unconscious tendency to touch her stomach indicated that Ellie might have a problem keeping her secret from Levi with the two of them spending so much time together over the next few days. I’d have a chat with her in the morning
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