Chapter 17
Hollis
“Did you take your test?” Mickey asked as she placed hers in the cup along with the others.
Yup, we were playing pregnancy roulette.
My damn idea and now I was regretting it as I nodded.
My chest hurt so bad from my nerves rattling my entire body that I swore I couldn’t breathe.
It was a miracle that I’d held my shit together when Luke was here.
I hit Kay up last night, asking her to get him out the house this morning, knowing she would come through. She had me on standby so I would know when he was on his way back.
“I’ma go first,” Callie said, getting up from the side of the tub.
And yes, we were posted up in the bathroom, CJ included.
Cami and Mickey were watching a movie and we had the baby monitor Mickey brought playing I-spy since we were upstairs.
We knew one for sure would be negative. Callie’s because she was cut and burned. She humored me anyway, participating in my antics.
Yes, I’d lied to Luke about my plans for today. My original plan was to cook his food before his game, then go to the house, but when I woke up the third day in the row not feeling good, those plans were cancelled.
I immediately hit the group chat with 911 and they came through.
“I don’t know why you’re nervous; it’s me who should be. Burkeley has been on my ass about giving him another,” Mickey said as the timer went off just as Callie reached for one, but I stopped her.
“Wait! We need to mix them the hell up! They’re in order still,” I shouted, going for a plastic bag underneath the sink, grabbing the cup, dropping them inside, and shaking them around, thankful the caps were still on.
Callie rolled her eyes as she huffed, popping her hip out. I didn’t care about her annoyance, this was a serious situation.
“There,” I said, offering the open bag to her.
“I don’t think it matters. What’s going to be is done, but whatever.” She pulled out the first one, keeping it turned down. Johnni reached in next, all smiles like this shit was a game.
Mickey followed and I went last.
I blew out a heavy breath as I counted down from three.
We turned them over at the same time and I was holding a negative one.
“Oh shit!” I heard as I looked at Johnni who was showing Callie her test while Mickey was quiet too.
“Mickey, what you holding over there?” I asked.
“A negative.”
“Okay, me too. Johnni?”
“A positive.”
“I’m positive too,” Callie said with me and Mickey both looking at each other with matching horrified expressions.
“Okay, so that’s two negatives and two positives,” I said. “So one more round with just us three.” I pointed to Johnni and Mickey.
When Mickey’s face scrunched up, I got nervous all over again.
“No need, I was thinking of a way to tell y’all. I found out a month ago. When you came up with the idea, I thought you knew, not that somebody else was pregnant.”
“Oh not somebody, it’s the renewed newlywed,” Johnni said, looking at me with a goofy ass smirk.
Mickey gasped and I had no idea why, her overly dramatic ass. I swore motherhood changed my girl.
“Are you serious? Hollis, you’re pregnant! Oh my gosh. We’re going to be pregnant at the same time, it’s going to be so fun. And ooh, Raja and Dalia can be both of our care team,” she shrieked, rushing and choking the shit out of me.
“Which one of you heffas set me up?” I whined as Mickey released me.
“What? Um… you do know this was your bright idea, right? How’d somebody set you up by taking a pregnancy test? Or better yet, impregnate you other than Deacon?” Callie asked with her head hung to the side and a perplexed expression deep in her eyes and brows as her mouth curved up.
I shook my head. “Nope, definitely a scheme that Todd set up to come at me with the bullshit because ain’t no damn way.
And that man just told me I need to be telling y’all we made a baby before he left.
I laughed in his face and said the only thing I need to be speaking on is giving us a second chance. ”
This time when Mickey’s gasp filled the room I didn’t even react because I knew it was warranted, while Johnni voiced her opinion.
“I fucking knew it! You couldn’t wait to leave us this morning once he got up. Sneaking kisses and shit, we heard the lip smacking. Y’all wasn’t quiet nor slick.”
“Not to mention you’ve been M.I.A these last couple of weeks, and I mean, silent as hell over this way,” Mickey added while Callie just smirked since she already knew.
“Yeah, well…so what. Y’all knew I was over here—"
“Being fast in the ass and now having your husband’s baby. Like damn, y’all ain’t waste no fucking time this go ’round, huh? My question is though, what happened to your faithful birth control?” Callie added, headed for the door with us all falling in line to leave my bathroom.
My eyes bugged as my mind suddenly tried to remember the last time I took it. Since being back with Luke, my whole life had been upside down and nothing made sense beyond us making it work. This man had me back in his web of love and just going through the motions of our life together.
Johnni and Mickey snickered, covering their mouths as they shook their heads in unison with CJ trying to mimic them.
“You’re thinking too hard over there. Trust us, we get it. Now, go make that man’s food while I get these girls changed for the pool. Their movie is over.”
“Ooh, I’ma make an order for some groceries or something. I’m thinking a small party for real this time. We gotta celebrate,” Mickey said, going for her phone while Johnni chased down CJ who was now following Callie as he attempted to say pool.
“Damn, y’all heard everything, huh?”
“Yes,” they all said at the same time as I grabbed my phone, texting Kay to let her know she could send him home.
I quickly thought about just blurting the shit out when he came back, but changed my mind. Naw, I wanted him to focus on his week of games and come home to the news. I huffed, hopping into gear, going to the kitchen where Johnni joined me.
“Talk to me. Are you good?”
I nodded then shrugged.
“I mean, it’s what I always wanted. No, correction, what Luke and I always wanted. I wanna freak the fuck out about timing of everything, but we’ve already lost so much being apart, and like Luke said, this is our shit.”
“Exactly, you’re going to be good. Just like you told me and Mickey, you’re not going to be alone. You’re surrounded by family and friends. Welcome to the mommy slash wife club,” she gushed while I grabbed the ground turkey from the refrigerator along with the trio of peppers and onions.
“I ain’t there yet. Slow down, heffa.” We shared a laugh while I got busy on my husband’s pregame food.
The guys had been on the road for a couple days now and I was missing Luke like crazy.
Instead of laying around the house, I called up Johnni and Angie, who also were husbandless this week, to come hang at Jimmy’s house then grab lunch afterwards.
Yes, Luke offered to pay for a professional company, but I had been enjoying going through everything.
On the days when Luke wasn’t home, I usually came alone, but I didn’t want to be by myself today. I was happy they both agreed to come.
“Are y’all still planning to sell this place once everything is settled with the estate?” Johnni asked as we packed up little knickknacks Jimmy collected over the years.
“Yeah, I guess. Girl, I don’t know. That’s a conversation Luke and I haven’t brought back up. I mean, between the house in Chandler and I still have the condo, we don’t need another property. The condo is enough of an added bill.”
“Wait, a minute, you have a condo? Where and why?”
“Oh, my office away from the office. Some days I work from home but not home. It helps me not to feel stuck to a desk.”
“And your job is cool with that?” Angie asked, while Johnni and I shared a look. I hadn’t forgotten she didn’t know what I did for a living, but now I was torn on the truth.
You can’t be torn, Hollis. She can’t know.
And just like that, my decision was made.
“Oh yeah. I’ve been there so long my boss doesn’t care as long as I get the work done.”
“And what do you do? Girl, I don’t work, but if I had the luxury of picking and choosing when I wanted to head in, maybe I would.”
I waved her off as I wrapped newspaper around the base of a lamp and placed it in a box labeled living room shit.
“Girl, boring ass office work. I’ve been with the same company since I graduated college. I got so comfortable there that I make a lot of my own rules.”
“Well damn, that’s nice as hell. Why not just use this house as your office then?
I mean, I’m sure the bills aren’t nearly as much as whatever you’re paying for a condo.
That way you two can keep it. It’s an older house, but it seems to be in good shape,” Angie said, grabbing a picture of me and Luke during his prom. He was a grade above me.
“Oh my gosh, you two have truly been together forever, huh?” she said, admiring the photo, changing the subject, which I was happy about.
I looked over at the picture and smiled.
“Yeah. That was the night he pre-proposed.” I snorted, shaking my head at that memory.
“Hollis, I know we got time before I can legally give you my last name, but I promise on everything, I’ma marry the fuck outta you one day. Consider this a pre-proposal.”
Pressing my lips together as we sat in Jimmy’s old school car, I stared over at Luke holding a gold ring that had a heart on it and a small accent diamond, wondering how he’d afforded it. It was so pretty.
“Boy, what is a pre-proposal? It’s either you asking or not.”
“I’m asking. Naw, fuck that, I’m telling you what the hell is gon’ happen. I’ma put this ring on until the day I can swap it out when I put my last name on you. Now give me your hand. Asking all those questions and shit like you don’t want to marry me.”
“Aw, a pre-proposal sounds so romantic and shit,” Johnni said as I playfully rolled my eyes.
“Girl, romantic my ass. He went from asking to telling me I would marry him.”