peering at it.
“It’s a baby’s T-shirt,” his wife, Tina, answered matter-of-factly.
“What would Hannah want with such a thing?” Hannah’s mum asked, her voice loaded with confusion.
A silence fell; the only noise was the cawing of a couple of magpies high up in the eucalyptus trees. Even the CD went silent for a few moments as one song stopped to give way to the next and lightbulbs went off in everyone’s heads.
“Are you pregnant?” Tina asked after what seemed to Hannah like the most awkward pause in the history of the world.
“Yes.” The word slipped out on a whisper, her head offering a tiny nod of assent. She’d always been hopeless at lying and doing so now would only make an announcement next week harder. “I am.”
Her mother swore, something she never did, downed the contents of her glass and said, “I tried my best with her, I really did, but is it my fault she had glandular fever the semester they did sex education at school?” She thrust her glass sideways. “Shaun, fetch me a refill.”
“Congratulations,” said about five voices at once. All contained forced enthusiasm and none were from her immediate family.
Suddenly the veranda seemed to close in on her. She had to get away from all the staring, judgmental eyes. “I’m sorry everyone.” Letting the T-shirt and paper fall onto the deck, Hannah turned and fled down the back veranda steps.
She ran down the middle of the beautifully manicured garden, way down the back, past the work shed her father made furniture in before the business had grown too big, and headed for her old playhouse, which now stood deserted among some fruit trees. Man, it was hot. She wiped the pooling sweat off her brow as she ducked to enter the little house, wishing for a drink of water. The furniture she’d had in here as a kid was long since gone and she knew her nephews sometimes used the place, pretending it was an army hideaway. The scruffy camo-style cushion on the floor most probably belonged to them, but it would be the perfect place to rest her butt for a few hours because right now she couldn’t imagine wanting to go back into the main house any time soon.
The look on her mother’s face and the acidic tone of her voice would be forever imprinted on Hannah’s mind. She’d anticipated the disappointment; it was why she hadn’t come clean straightaway and why she’d wanted to find the perfect time and way to tell her parents. She’d had time to gather excitement about this baby and she hoped, in time, they would see it as a blessing, not a curse.
Hannah jumped about a mile in the air, somehow stopping short of hitting her head on the low ceiling, as a knock sounded at the door. As a child she’d longed for someone to come knocking and play—her brothers always favored the fort their father had built—but now she just wanted to be alone.
“Can I come in?”
Matt
. Despite everything that had just happened her body tingled and zinged all over at the knowledge of how close he was. She didn’t know whether it was her mind or her libido that said, “Sure. Just push on the door.”
Less than seconds later, she saw the top of his head as he stooped in through the door. “I’m so sorry, Hannah.” He knelt down beside her, his face a vision of anguish and regret. “I thought everyone already knew. I saw the lady who makes the tie-dyed stuff in town the other day and I remembered how much you liked it. Oh, I’m a dick.”
She contemplated telling him she’d forgive him if he let her run her fingers through his thick black hair. If he kissed her as he’d done the other day. “It’s okay,” she said instead. “It’s totally my fault. I
should
have told them by now.”
“Why didn’t you?” he asked, leaning back against the wall. He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around as if he were settling in for the long haul. With two grown adults, there wasn’t a lot of legroom in her tiny playhouse.
Hannah bit
“It’s a baby’s T-shirt,” his wife, Tina, answered matter-of-factly.
“What would Hannah want with such a thing?” Hannah’s mum asked, her voice loaded with confusion.
A silence fell; the only noise was the cawing of a couple of magpies high up in the eucalyptus trees. Even the CD went silent for a few moments as one song stopped to give way to the next and lightbulbs went off in everyone’s heads.
“Are you pregnant?” Tina asked after what seemed to Hannah like the most awkward pause in the history of the world.
“Yes.” The word slipped out on a whisper, her head offering a tiny nod of assent. She’d always been hopeless at lying and doing so now would only make an announcement next week harder. “I am.”
Her mother swore, something she never did, downed the contents of her glass and said, “I tried my best with her, I really did, but is it my fault she had glandular fever the semester they did sex education at school?” She thrust her glass sideways. “Shaun, fetch me a refill.”
“Congratulations,” said about five voices at once. All contained forced enthusiasm and none were from her immediate family.
Suddenly the veranda seemed to close in on her. She had to get away from all the staring, judgmental eyes. “I’m sorry everyone.” Letting the T-shirt and paper fall onto the deck, Hannah turned and fled down the back veranda steps.
She ran down the middle of the beautifully manicured garden, way down the back, past the work shed her father made furniture in before the business had grown too big, and headed for her old playhouse, which now stood deserted among some fruit trees. Man, it was hot. She wiped the pooling sweat off her brow as she ducked to enter the little house, wishing for a drink of water. The furniture she’d had in here as a kid was long since gone and she knew her nephews sometimes used the place, pretending it was an army hideaway. The scruffy camo-style cushion on the floor most probably belonged to them, but it would be the perfect place to rest her butt for a few hours because right now she couldn’t imagine wanting to go back into the main house any time soon.
The look on her mother’s face and the acidic tone of her voice would be forever imprinted on Hannah’s mind. She’d anticipated the disappointment; it was why she hadn’t come clean straightaway and why she’d wanted to find the perfect time and way to tell her parents. She’d had time to gather excitement about this baby and she hoped, in time, they would see it as a blessing, not a curse.
Hannah jumped about a mile in the air, somehow stopping short of hitting her head on the low ceiling, as a knock sounded at the door. As a child she’d longed for someone to come knocking and play—her brothers always favored the fort their father had built—but now she just wanted to be alone.
“Can I come in?”
Matt
. Despite everything that had just happened her body tingled and zinged all over at the knowledge of how close he was. She didn’t know whether it was her mind or her libido that said, “Sure. Just push on the door.”
Less than seconds later, she saw the top of his head as he stooped in through the door. “I’m so sorry, Hannah.” He knelt down beside her, his face a vision of anguish and regret. “I thought everyone already knew. I saw the lady who makes the tie-dyed stuff in town the other day and I remembered how much you liked it. Oh, I’m a dick.”
She contemplated telling him she’d forgive him if he let her run her fingers through his thick black hair. If he kissed her as he’d done the other day. “It’s okay,” she said instead. “It’s totally my fault. I
should
have told them by now.”
“Why didn’t you?” he asked, leaning back against the wall. He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around as if he were settling in for the long haul. With two grown adults, there wasn’t a lot of legroom in her tiny playhouse.
Hannah bit
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