“Good,” he beams up at me.
“You want to join your brother on the moon-bounce?”
Before he has a chance to answer, I scoop him off the ground, throw him over my shoulder, and carry him to the moon-bounce. There, I throw him inside so he can play with his brother.
“I think they like you more than me,” Ben says, and he bites his lip as if in frustration.
“Who wouldn’t?” I joke.
The lunch is, of course, phenomenal. The chefs, again, have outdone themselves. Ben and Janet let the kids continue to play while we all eat and chat.
As we eat, I talk about everything but the pregnancy. It is constantly on the very tip of my tongue, but the words just don’t follow. And it’s not that I am nervous. I just don’t know how I am going to break the news.
I am sitting beside Carrie, and I love how easily she, Ben and Janet all get on. It’s as if they have been friends for years. I reach under the table and take her hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. I instantly notice that her hand is clammy and cold. Sweaty even.
“Are you okay?” I whisper, making sure that Ben and Janet are distracted by the kids.
“I don’t feel good. I need to go to the bathroom.” Without another word, Carrie pushes her seat back, hops to her feet and scurries across the yard.
“What was that?” Ben asks.
“I don’t know. I’ll be right back.”
I jump to my feet, hurry across the yard and inside. Once inside, I head straight for the bathroom door, which I see to be closed. “Carrie?” I say as I reach it. “Is everything all right?”
The obvious sound of vomiting echoes through the door. “I’m fine,” she yells out back to me. “Just a little—” She stops again, having been cut off by another bout of vomiting.
She assures me again that she is fine and that I should just get back to Ben and Janet. I do, but I walk away from the door with some trepidation. I hate knowing that she is sick and in need of help. I want to be in there with her, holding her hand. Sure, it is only a little sickness from the pregnancy, but I still think of that as a pretty big deal.
I pull up my seat and fall into it. I don’t even look at Ben or Janet. I’m too lost in my own head.
“So,” Ben begins. “How long has it been?”
“What?” I ask, and I look at him for the first time.
He wears a goofy, knowing smile. Which he shares with Janet.
“How long has she been pregnant for?”
“What do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I am so obviously lying, but I don’t know what to say.
“Please,” Ben says with a smirk. “You don’t think I recognize that look on Carrie’s face? She’s in there right now, blowing chunks.” Janet smacks Ben on the arm. “Ow. You know what I mean, though. She is pregnant. I’m right, aren’t I?”
I look from Ben to Janet and back to Ben. They both have insufferable, all-knowing smiles, and I know that there is no point lying to them. More than that, there is no reason to. I want to tell them the truth and have wanted to for a while. This may as well be the way that they find out.
“Yep, she’s pregnant,” I admit. “With our baby.”
A tremendous weight falls from my shoulders as I tell them. The two clap and cheer, and Ben hold up his glass as a toast. I raise my glass too, smiling as I do, and I wonder why I was ever so worried in the first place. Both Janet and Ben are so happy for me, and I am happier than I ever thought I would be in my life.
Chapter 41
CARRIE
Sitting across the table from Amy, I can’t help but think about how different this meal is from the one that Blake and I had with Ben and Janet.
That was a much quieter affair, even with the children. There were a few drinks that I avoided. There was light banter and an all-around enjoyable time. But Amy is a whirlwind. She stormed into the house, screaming at the top of her lungs about how much she had missed me, even though I went for lunch with her only the week before.
She demanded I give her a tour of the house and then was adamant that the two of us get smashed. I was able to oblige the first, but I had to work to dodge the second. I’d managed to avoid the subject of not drinking in front of her so far, but I was telling her tonight that I was pregnant.
Our dinner is far louder than either Blake or I had anticipated, either. She chose the music, and it is blaring. She also bought vodka for us to drink, which Blake is drinking for the two of us, and she is even hinting that we go out after.
Although Blake is obviously a little put out by Amy’s behavior, I can’t help but laugh. This isn’t really what Amy is like, not usually, anyway. She is just excited to see me and wants to get the most of me in while she can. She is only here for the weekend.