Knocked Up(20)

So far, she hadn’t disappointed.

Tears of gratitude welled up in Tawny’s eyes. Suzette was the only thing close to real family she had, and she was so lucky to have her.

Thoughts of Luke threatened to take over her brain and she shooed them away, focusing on her plate again.

"No, no way. If I eat any more, I'll explode." She put her hand on her stomach, still a little surprised but contented by the rising swell.

Suzette rolled her eyes, but then the waitress walked by and filled their water cups.

"Excuse me," Suzette drawled, "could we get another order of waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream? Maybe with some extra strawberries this time?"

"Suz--"

"Ssh," Suzette hushed her. "You need to get your fill. You're eating for two."

The waitress gazed down at her, and finally Tawny conceded. "Fine. Yes, more waffles please, but you can hold the extra strawberries."

"You got it, sugar.” The waitress walked back through the swinging metallic kitchen doors and Tawny followed her with her eyes, silently pushing down her guilt at adding to the woman's list of orders on an already busy Sunday morning.

Half the town was crammed into the diner, all sipping coffee and sharing gossip over the place's signature overdone eggs and underdone toast. She was on the point of changing her mind again, if only to give their booth to one of the people waiting outside, but then Suzette distracted her with more chatter.

"I can't believe today is the big reveal."

"Huh?" Tawny asked, then forked some of her friend's eggs off her plate.

"We get to find out the sex of the baby. Jeez, can you even believe it?" Suzette clapped her hands together in glee.

"No, I guess I can't." Tawny breathed deep out her nose, trying to calm her sizzling nerves. They would also get to see if everything was all right with the baby health wise so far, and every time she thought about it, she felt ill. “Time’s going by so fast."

"But you've thought about names, right?"

Tawny groaned and covered her ears. "Please, not this discussion again."

"Come on. How am I supposed to plan a baby shower when I don't know what the baby's name is going to be? Of course, I'm thinking Suzette for a little girl."

"Funny. I wonder why,” Tawny muttered.

"I'm only worried that living up to the name might be a lot of pressure for such a little person." Suzette pointed her fork at Tawny, then said, "You could go with a family name?"

"Absolutely not. I don’t even talk to most of my family. And besides, my mother is named Gertrude, my grandmother is Constance and my other grandmother was Philomena."

Suzette wrinkled her nose. "Well, Philomena isn't so bad. Phil for short."

"Drop it," Tawny said. She’d had months to get used to the idea of this pregnancy and still it sometimes seemed like a daze. Picking out names or cribs or tiny little clothes... it was all just so overwhelming. In fact, whenever she thought of her appointment this afternoon, of lying on the table and seeing the baby's heartbeat, of discovering whether the tiny little person inside her was a boy or a girl, she was torn between a wave of excitement and sheer, utter terror.

"You could name her after you,” Suzette offered.

"What makes you so sure it's going to be a girl?"

"You're right. It doesn't have to be a girl, but boys’ names are so much trickier. You could name him after your father?"

"No, I think not. My dad's name is Thaddeus."

"Seriously? Your parents are named Thaddeus and Gertrude? Where did they meet, the 1920’s?" Suzette grimaced and Tawny couldn't help but laugh.

"I was thinking maybe William. I like that name."

"Hm," Suzette hummed. "William could be good. It's a good, strong name. Or…Luke!"

Tawny's heart pounded in her throat at the sound of the name. "Luke? No, no way. Don't be stupid. I don’t want word to get out that he’s the father so that seems like a really dumb way to try to hide it,” she reasoned. Although some twisted part of her couldn’t help but picture a little Luke with blue eyes and dimples, and her heart skipped a beat.

"No," Suzette hissed, and then Tawny noticed how her friend's gaze was fixed at a point just over her shoulder. "I mean Luke. He's here. Standing in the doorway."

No way.

Her pulse went wild as she tried to sit perfectly still. Silently, she warred with herself over whether to turn in her seat and see if he had seen her, or to ignore him with the hope that maybe, miraculously, he wouldn't notice her. She had to admit, the odds weren't good. The diner sat less than a hundred people total, and her booth was one of only ten or so along the wide glass walls that lined the front of the building. She was exposed from nearly every direction. She could, she supposed, head over to the bathroom, but then what if he saw her walking and noticed her bump?