one thing that she wants most in this world? With the only thing that’s lacking from her life? A long awaited, wanted, and worked-for child?
“There was another reason why I wanted to have breakfast with you,” she says modestly.
I gasp. I knew there was something else going on! “You are, aren’t you?” I’m quite suddenly beside myself with excitement.
Slowly, confirming my assumptions, she nods.
“ Oh my god !” I scream loudly, forgetting entirely about our public setting. In my peripheral vision I can see nearly every patron in the vicinity turn to stare at us, but my inappropriate noise level fails to register within me. I scream again, out of my mind with delight. I jump to my feet and hug her in her seat as she laughs, overjoyed. Then I crouch down next to her seat and instinctively put my hand on her lower belly. I can’t feel anything , I think, before chiding, duh , Gem , it ’ s probably the size of a pea !
“Uh, people think you’re touching my crotch,” Amber murmurs, eyeing the nearby tables.
But I simply don’t care what they think. I can’t believe it — my best friend is having a baby!
“Are you really?” I whisper, looking up at her, having to make sure.
“Yes,” she smiles. “Finally,” she adds, beaming down at me.
So this is what it looks like to see someone’s dream come true , I think. She couldn’t look any happier if she tried.
“You’re going to have big boobs. At last,” I tell her and she grins back, nodding happily. “And the shopping! Think of all the shopping we can do,” I shriek. Jeez , I need to calm down; but I don’t want to. I’m so, so happy, and my heart is beating overtime. “We can go to lamaze classes,” I say exuberantly, momentarily forgetting that she’ll be doing that with Seamus. “You’ll find out if sex is really better while you’re pregnant. And then…then you’ll have an actual baby…for the rest of your life.”
“For the rest of my life,” she nods.
I stand and return to my own seat, staring across at her, at them, with the dorkiest smile slapped across my face. I can ’ t believe it! It’s the last thing I expected to find out, especially now, after being with her for the best part of an hour. “Why didn’t you tell me the very second you saw me?”
“I wanted to hear about your weekend,” she says earnestly.
“ What ?” I exclaim. That’s inconceivable!
“Yeah, chicken, you have loads of things to tell me, I only have one thing to tell you: I’m pregnant,” she smiles. “I have no other information than that.”
But, you must , I think. “ How ? When? You’ve got to have some details?” I push for more.
“Well, a week last Friday my period was late,” she shrugs, “a day or two is usually no big deal, but then the wine tasted funny at dinner at yours…”
My eyes grow wide, remembering her telling me that in the moment.
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so Seamus and I agreed to wait a few more days. Except, of course, I couldn’t. I took the first test on Monday morning, it was positive, and I casually handed it to Shay. After that he was as excited as I was, so over the last week I’ve taken a few more,” she says nonchalantly.
“How many?” I grin.
“Uh, fifteen,” she says sheepishly. “I wanted to be absolutely sure,” she hastens to add.
“I’d say now you are,” I laugh, allowing her incredible news to sink in.
“According to most of them, I’m five weeks along,” she tells me. “So, if you stop taking the pill today ,” she starts, and I shake my head, laughing again.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I say.
“But I don’t want to do it alone! I want our kids to grow up together and get married!” she paints me a pretty picture. “Whether they want to or not,” she adds, shamelessly.
I reach across the table and take her hand in my own. “Amber, I’m very, very, very happy for you, but I don’t want to have children.” Not now , I think once
“There was another reason why I wanted to have breakfast with you,” she says modestly.
I gasp. I knew there was something else going on! “You are, aren’t you?” I’m quite suddenly beside myself with excitement.
Slowly, confirming my assumptions, she nods.
“ Oh my god !” I scream loudly, forgetting entirely about our public setting. In my peripheral vision I can see nearly every patron in the vicinity turn to stare at us, but my inappropriate noise level fails to register within me. I scream again, out of my mind with delight. I jump to my feet and hug her in her seat as she laughs, overjoyed. Then I crouch down next to her seat and instinctively put my hand on her lower belly. I can’t feel anything , I think, before chiding, duh , Gem , it ’ s probably the size of a pea !
“Uh, people think you’re touching my crotch,” Amber murmurs, eyeing the nearby tables.
But I simply don’t care what they think. I can’t believe it — my best friend is having a baby!
“Are you really?” I whisper, looking up at her, having to make sure.
“Yes,” she smiles. “Finally,” she adds, beaming down at me.
So this is what it looks like to see someone’s dream come true , I think. She couldn’t look any happier if she tried.
“You’re going to have big boobs. At last,” I tell her and she grins back, nodding happily. “And the shopping! Think of all the shopping we can do,” I shriek. Jeez , I need to calm down; but I don’t want to. I’m so, so happy, and my heart is beating overtime. “We can go to lamaze classes,” I say exuberantly, momentarily forgetting that she’ll be doing that with Seamus. “You’ll find out if sex is really better while you’re pregnant. And then…then you’ll have an actual baby…for the rest of your life.”
“For the rest of my life,” she nods.
I stand and return to my own seat, staring across at her, at them, with the dorkiest smile slapped across my face. I can ’ t believe it! It’s the last thing I expected to find out, especially now, after being with her for the best part of an hour. “Why didn’t you tell me the very second you saw me?”
“I wanted to hear about your weekend,” she says earnestly.
“ What ?” I exclaim. That’s inconceivable!
“Yeah, chicken, you have loads of things to tell me, I only have one thing to tell you: I’m pregnant,” she smiles. “I have no other information than that.”
But, you must , I think. “ How ? When? You’ve got to have some details?” I push for more.
“Well, a week last Friday my period was late,” she shrugs, “a day or two is usually no big deal, but then the wine tasted funny at dinner at yours…”
My eyes grow wide, remembering her telling me that in the moment.
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so Seamus and I agreed to wait a few more days. Except, of course, I couldn’t. I took the first test on Monday morning, it was positive, and I casually handed it to Shay. After that he was as excited as I was, so over the last week I’ve taken a few more,” she says nonchalantly.
“How many?” I grin.
“Uh, fifteen,” she says sheepishly. “I wanted to be absolutely sure,” she hastens to add.
“I’d say now you are,” I laugh, allowing her incredible news to sink in.
“According to most of them, I’m five weeks along,” she tells me. “So, if you stop taking the pill today ,” she starts, and I shake my head, laughing again.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I say.
“But I don’t want to do it alone! I want our kids to grow up together and get married!” she paints me a pretty picture. “Whether they want to or not,” she adds, shamelessly.
I reach across the table and take her hand in my own. “Amber, I’m very, very, very happy for you, but I don’t want to have children.” Not now , I think once
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