Chapter 5 #2
As I headed to the adjacent parking garage where the public restrooms were, my phone chimed.
I must have pulled it out of my pocket too quickly, because it slipped out of my hands, bouncing a couple of times on the pavement before landing face down.
I groaned, hoping the screen hadn’t cracked even more.
I bent to pick it up, but a woman beat me to it.
“Here,” she said, handing it over. Then, suddenly, her pretty face pinched. She braced herself against the closest wall and doubled over, clutching her stomach.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I grabbed her elbow to support her.
“Whew! Sorry, yeah, I’m fine—just nauseous. I think I stood up too fast.” She chuckled at herself as she rubbed her stomach. “I’m still in my first trimester. I hate how it can just hit you out of nowhere like that.” She took a couple slow, deep breaths.
“Oh, you’re pregnant! So am I.” I gave her a friendly smile as I instinctively touched my belly. “It was like that for me too. It does get better, though—I’m just starting my second trimester and it’s happening a lot less. I’m Savannah, by the way.” I raised my hand in a little wave.
“I’m Jenna.” She smiled back, but her smile seemed weak.
“Why don’t you sit down for a minute. Catch your breath.” I gestured toward the stairway that led up to the second floor of the garage. “I just need to use the restroom real quick. I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks.” She sat down delicately.
When I emerged from the restroom, Jenna looked up and smiled.
“Better?” I asked.
“A little, thanks. It’s nice of you to help me. So … how far along are you?”
“I’ve just hit twelve weeks. And you?”
“I’m around eight or nine weeks.”
“Yeah, that’s right when the nausea started hitting me hard. What really helped was upping my protein.” It felt good to be the one dispensing advice for once.
Jenna and I walked together back toward the produce stands, chatting about pregnancy and commiserating over our worst symptoms. I introduced her to Ellie.
“You know, you look really familiar,” Jenna said, looking at me closely. “Who’s your OB/GYN?”
“Dr. Quinlan, at the Women’s Care Clinic downtown.”
“Aha! That must be it! I see Dr. Quinlan too. I’ve probably seen you around the clinic sometime.”
The three of us browsed the booths together, munching on samples and adding items to our shopping bags.
Ellie bought a cup of dark roast from a local coffee vendor, then said she had to get going.
“Unfortunately, I got called into work today. Jenna, it was great meeting you—you and Savannah should come visit me at work sometime. I’ll feed ya! ”
“I’d love to.” Jenna smiled.
“Actually … if you’re not busy now, I’m starving,” I said. “Would you want to join me at the bistro for lunch?”
“That sounds great.” This time, her smile seemed big and genuine.
I returned it. It would be nice having someone to swap pregnancy talk with.
Ellie was the perfect best friend, and she would always listen to anything I wanted to talk about, anytime—but it could be really nice to also have someone who was going through everything right alongside me.
At the bistro, Jenna and I sat at the bar. Ellie took our order and brought us ice water with lemon.
“Still feeling okay?” I asked, sipping my water.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Food will definitely help. Thanks again for inviting me.” Jenna glanced down at my hands. “So … have your fingers been swelling up too?”
She was clearly fishing a little to see if I had a partner, but I didn’t mind.
“Oh … I’m not married.”
“Me, either—no judgment here. So, what’s your situation?”
I laughed and took another sip of water. “It’s a long and complicated story.”
Jenna’s eyebrows rose eagerly. “Oh? Tell me.”
I told her about my short and casual fling with Max, the surprise of the pregnancy, and how we were trying to form a friendly co-parenting relationship for the sake of our child.
Jenna’s eyebrows rose even higher. “Wow. What’s his name? Where’d you meet him?”
“Max. And actually, I met him right here at the bistro. Sitting in this very spot.”
“No kidding. So how did he take it when you told him you were pregnant?”
I continued the story for Jenna, enjoying the way she hung on my every word when I told her about Madison wanting to meet me, and how overwhelming her desire to be helpful was proving to be.
“Ellie says I should bring it up with Max, but I don’t know. What if that drives him away from his child?”
“Wow. That’s tricky,” Jenna said as Ellie delivered our lunch.
“Oh, is Savannah telling you about Madison?” Ellie asked with a smirk.
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, and it sounds like a lot.”
“Boundaries,” Ellie sang out as she walked off to help another customer, and I looked back at Jenna. Ellie made it sound so simple, but it sure didn’t feel that way.
“So … what about your situation?” I asked.
“Oh …” Jenna’s expression clouded over, and she looked down at her lap. “To be honest, I’m not really sure.”
“Oh—are things not good with the father?”
“Things have been … strained lately. I’m not sure how interested he is anymore, to tell the truth.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“We hadn’t been dating long either when I found out I was pregnant. I’m not really sure how he feels about the baby anymore these days—or about me.”
It struck me at that moment how much this woman and I were sharing, considering we’d known each other less than two hours. Pregnancy really does bond women, I thought.
I reached over and touched Jenna’s hand.
“Well … what I’ve come to realize these last few months is that there are all sorts of crazy ways babies come into this world.
Some planned, some not. And there are all kinds of mothers, and all kinds of fathers.
Me, I never even knew my father. He left when I was a baby, and it’s been just me and my mom ever since, but—it’s been great.
She and I are really close, and we’ve made our own way.
So, I figure, if she did it, then I can do it too.
I’m with you, though—I’m definitely scared about doing this on my own.
But we’ve got to stay strong, right? For our little ones.
Because they need us.” I gave her an encouraging smile as I stroked my belly.
She smiled back, but I could still see some doubt and sadness behind her blue eyes. She tucked a lock of her long pale blonde hair behind her ear as she took a sip of her water. “We’ll see. But thank you.”
Jenna and I talked for a little while longer as we finished our lunches. Then, after saying goodbye to Ellie, we headed out and went our separate ways.
It was a gorgeous afternoon, and the delicious lunch had fueled me. The fresh air felt good in my lungs as I walked home. As I turned onto my block, my phone rang—Max. I smiled. “Hey!” I answered.
“Hey, Savannah. I just wanted to call and see how you and our little peanut are doing.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Not too bad, actually. I’m not getting sick as often, and I’m feeling less tired. My first trimester is over as of this week.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. And I’m so glad you and Madison seem to be getting along. That …” His voice went husky. “It means a lot to me.”
I bit my lip. Now I really didn’t want to bring up my concerns.
“Yes, she’s been very … um … helpful,” I said.
He laughed. “Do I detect a note of sarcasm there?”
I laughed too. Maybe this was my opening? “Well, to be honest … it has kind of been a lot.”
“I’m sorry. I know she can come on a little strong. She just … really wants to be involved. Honestly—between you and me—I think she’s a little jealous.”
“Jealous?” Huh. That had never occurred to me.
“Yeah. Even though you and I aren’t a couple, we’re sharing something that she and I … don’t get to share. So, I think she feels a little left out.”
I felt a tug in my chest at his words. “I can understand that. But … if she could just ask before dropping by … and maybe not text me during work hours? That would be great.”
“I’m sorry, Savannah. She means well—she really does. I’ll talk to her about it, though.”
I sighed with relief. “Thank you, I appreciate that. But please tell her I’m very thankful for the gifts and groceries.”
“I will.”
“Anyway … I’ve been meaning to tell you—they scheduled my twelve-week checkup for Thursday at noon. I’m going during my lunch break.”
“Oh, that’s great! We’d love to join you.”
Shit. I bit my lip again. “Oh … well … um … if you don’t mind … maybe it could be just you? I’d feel really uncomfortable with a big crowd.”
The line went silent for a moment. “Madison is really excited to come to the appointments, though. She’s been talking about it for weeks.”
Shit shit shit. I’d been so proud of myself just seconds before for actually asking for some boundaries. And now …
I could hear Ellie’s voice in my head, encouraging me. This would be a great place for a boundary. Draw one here too. You’re this baby’s mother. You can say what you do and don’t feel comfortable with.
“I understand,” I began, “but, Max, I’m just not comfortable with it. I hope you can understand. My mom is coming, and if you want to come too, that’s okay with me. But not Madison. It’s nothing personal! It’s just … a comfort level thing. It’s my body, you know?”
Max sighed. “Okay … well, I’ll let Madison know. And yes, I’d love to come if that’s alright. Why don’t I pick you up from your office and drive you?”
I exhaled quickly. Wow—that wasn’t so bad. “That would be great, actually, since I usually walk to work. Thanks, I’ll text you the address of my office.”
“Alright, it’s a date. I’ll pick you up around eleven-thirty.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for checking in. And … thanks for understanding.”
As I walked up the front steps of my building, I took a deep, cleansing breath, proud of myself for being honest with Max.
Hopefully Madison doesn’t take being uninvited too badly.