“Also?” said Kim, “Don’t wear your reindeer pants.”
Elly made an exaggerated sad face. “Well, he’s going to have to get used to them eventually.” They laughed and continued working on their pasta.
“So,” asked Kim, “What’s our week like?”
Elly felt the mood sober immediately. This week was Kim’s last week and the kick-off of wedding season. She groaned.
“This week is going to be absolutely horrible. I’m sure you remember that its Brooke London’s wedding. You know, our resident bridezilla? I’m buried in tiny details bordering on insane. I want to shake her. She’s giving me stress dreams in shades of wisteria. Thank God I have you for the weekend.”
Kim circled her plate with her finger. “I have something to tell you.”
Elly looked up in alarm. “Please do not tell me that you won’t be around this weekend.”
Kim frowned at her. “Elly, just LISTEN. I know that you don’t understand why I quit so suddenly…”
Elly interrupted her. “We don’t have to talk about this, we’ll just fight again.”
“Elly. Listen,” Kim said softly. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you more reason. It broke my heart not to. I can tell every time I look at you that it still bothers you. And I regret that I abandoned you to shop with our young apprentice.”
“Yes” said Elly bitterly, “That was…a new experience.”
“Elly.” Kim smiled and paused. “I’m pregnant.”
Elly sat in shocked silence. She noticed Kim’s water glass next to her wine glass.
“Oh my GOSH!” she shrieked. Her voice was so loud that restaurant patrons held their forks aloft and stared. She leapt up from the table and threw her arms around Kim, kissing her cheek. “What?! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!! A baby!” she put her hands on Kim’s flat belly. “How long? How far?”
Kim face was beet red. “Please sit down and stop groping me!”
Elly laughed and sat back down. She felt tears on her face. Elation mixed with love flooded her body. She looked at Kim in amazement.
“How did this happen?”
Kim laughed at her. “Well, by the sounds of your night on the doorstep with Isaac, you have an idea.”
“No, I mean, I’m sorry, I’m just so shocked! How far along are you?”
Kim smiled. “About three months. Don’t hate me.”
Elly gasped. “I DO! How could you not tell me?”
“Well, we only found out about a month ago. Sean and I were surprised, to say the least. We had no idea. I had felt…off, but just thought that I was moody. I started getting suspicious when I almost murdered Sean for forgetting to bring me Chinese food one night.”
“I love Chinese food…” murmured Elly.
Kim shushed her. “We went to the doctor, and found out that I was about two months along. Sean was thrilled, he’s wanted a baby for a while. I kept putting it off, as you know. He could not have been happier – he’s absolutely beside himself. But…it has taken awhile for me to get used to it.”
Kim paused and ran her fingers over the tablecloth. “I didn’t have an ideal childhood. My mom wasn’t really mom material. I took care of her most of the time, the reverse of the way it’s supposed to be. She was very unstable, very narcissistic. A terrible mother in most respects.”
Elly nodded. There had been many long conversations covering this topic between the two of them.
“I wasn’t sure I ever wanted a child. I always was afraid that I wouldn’t be a good mom, and that my child would suffer the same way I did. I’m still a very selfish person, Elly.” She took a deep breath and her watery eyes smiled. “I knew Sean wanted one and so I thought to myself that maybe someday – in the far future – we would talk about it. I didn’t expect to be pregnant. We were using protection.” She put her hands on her belly. “What I’m trying to say is that it was very, very shocking for me. I didn’t tell anyone right away because I didn’t feel the way that pregnant women are supposed to feel. I was scared and upset, and I felt more like weeping that jumping for joy. I felt like some sort of parasite was taking over my body.”
Elly took her hand. “Kim, you could have told me. I would have understood.”
“I know you would have. But I wasn’t ready to hear the words out loud. I needed time. Lots of time to adjust to this new idea. This new…life and the idea my body that wasn’t mine alone anymore.” She took a drink of water. “But then one day, I just woke up and went for a walk. I saw a little girl running around her front yard with her mom. I watched them for an hour. They probably thought I was a stalker. The little girl looked a lot like Sean –blond hair, deep laugh. She made me smile and when I got home…” Her eyes filled with tears “…I was in love with my baby. I really struggle to put it into words. It’s an overwhelming and totally encompassing love. And I knew right then that I wanted to spend every moment with this little person.”