“You’re pregnant!”
“Shh,” I said, glancing around us.
“Oh, my God. Did Lockett knock you up?” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Wow. Just… wow. It is his, right? Does he know?”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I whispered, “Please don’t say anything. He can’t even walk right now, he is not going to be happy about this.”
“Girl, this is the gossip of the year,” she said, pulling out her phone.
“Whitney!” I hissed.
Brandon pulled at her arm. “Miss Gardner says gossip isn’t nice,” he said. “She says its bullying, Mom.”
She relented, sliding the phone back inside her expensive bag. “Okay,” she said, smiling at her son. “You’re right.” She turned back to me. “He is a good boy. That makes it a little easier, too.”
“Please don’t say anything,” I said, “I haven’t even had an official doctor’s appointment yet. I’m going to tell Lockett right after, but until then…”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” she said, holding up her hands. “Say goodbye to Miss Riley,” she said to Brandon.
“See you later!” He took off ahead of his mother, racing for the front doors.
“Oh, God,” she said, “Later, Katherine. Let me know how it turns out. I’ve been through this if you want to talk sometime.”
I clenched my fists as I watched her go. I hoped I hadn’t made a mistake thinking that we could have been friends, or at least friendly. Did she really want to help? Or was she just planning to fish for more gossip?
No. She’s a good mother, I shouldn’t be so suspicious . I usually gave people the benefit of the doubt, she should have been no exception.
I did feel guilty for spilling to her before telling my own sister. She’s next . Maybe she’d join me at the doctor’s. Lockett couldn’t even if I did tell him, but I didn’t want to go alone either.
○●○●○●○●○
“I’m pregnant.”
I expected disappointment. Shock. Even mockery.
I never expected my rough-edged punk sister’s eyes to fill with tears.
“Katherine!” she exclaimed, her jaw dropping. “Are you serious?”
“I think so,” I said, my own eyes filling up. “Don’t cry! If you cry then I’ll cry.” I wiped my eyes. “Will you come with me to the doctor’s? We should be done before you need to leave for work…” We were both home and the office was close-by. I’d waited too long and should have told her earlier instead of springing it on her minutes before I had to go, but it wasn’t until the last possible moment that I was able to work up the nerve.
“Of course!” She shook her head with disbelief. “I can’t even process this.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked, cringing.
“On the one hand it’s a shitty situation,” she said, “There’s no getting around that. Shitty all around. Lockett’s ankle, money, this apartment… on the other hand, it’s a baby.” She smiled though her eyes watered. “Is that dumb? I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask you what you’re going to do.”
“Keep it,” I said. That part was never a question in my mind.
“So I’m gonna be an aunt!”
“Don’t get too excited, yet,” I said, “I only did the drug store test.”
“Then come on, let’s get your gut looked at and find out for sure!”
I laughed with relief. I wasn’t sure I could count on my sister to not judge me, seeing as how I tended to be pretty damn judgmental toward her, but she was on my side. She was actually excited. I hadn’t expected that reaction.
Either way, just knowing that she was behind me helped in a big way.
The doctor’s office was just a few blocks away so we walked it in silence, lost in our own thoughts. Luckily the tidy little waiting room didn’t seem to busy, and the receptionist assured me that I’d be seen soon.
“Have you told anyone else?” Alexa asked when we settled into the
“Shh,” I said, glancing around us.
“Oh, my God. Did Lockett knock you up?” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Wow. Just… wow. It is his, right? Does he know?”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I whispered, “Please don’t say anything. He can’t even walk right now, he is not going to be happy about this.”
“Girl, this is the gossip of the year,” she said, pulling out her phone.
“Whitney!” I hissed.
Brandon pulled at her arm. “Miss Gardner says gossip isn’t nice,” he said. “She says its bullying, Mom.”
She relented, sliding the phone back inside her expensive bag. “Okay,” she said, smiling at her son. “You’re right.” She turned back to me. “He is a good boy. That makes it a little easier, too.”
“Please don’t say anything,” I said, “I haven’t even had an official doctor’s appointment yet. I’m going to tell Lockett right after, but until then…”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” she said, holding up her hands. “Say goodbye to Miss Riley,” she said to Brandon.
“See you later!” He took off ahead of his mother, racing for the front doors.
“Oh, God,” she said, “Later, Katherine. Let me know how it turns out. I’ve been through this if you want to talk sometime.”
I clenched my fists as I watched her go. I hoped I hadn’t made a mistake thinking that we could have been friends, or at least friendly. Did she really want to help? Or was she just planning to fish for more gossip?
No. She’s a good mother, I shouldn’t be so suspicious . I usually gave people the benefit of the doubt, she should have been no exception.
I did feel guilty for spilling to her before telling my own sister. She’s next . Maybe she’d join me at the doctor’s. Lockett couldn’t even if I did tell him, but I didn’t want to go alone either.
○●○●○●○●○
“I’m pregnant.”
I expected disappointment. Shock. Even mockery.
I never expected my rough-edged punk sister’s eyes to fill with tears.
“Katherine!” she exclaimed, her jaw dropping. “Are you serious?”
“I think so,” I said, my own eyes filling up. “Don’t cry! If you cry then I’ll cry.” I wiped my eyes. “Will you come with me to the doctor’s? We should be done before you need to leave for work…” We were both home and the office was close-by. I’d waited too long and should have told her earlier instead of springing it on her minutes before I had to go, but it wasn’t until the last possible moment that I was able to work up the nerve.
“Of course!” She shook her head with disbelief. “I can’t even process this.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked, cringing.
“On the one hand it’s a shitty situation,” she said, “There’s no getting around that. Shitty all around. Lockett’s ankle, money, this apartment… on the other hand, it’s a baby.” She smiled though her eyes watered. “Is that dumb? I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask you what you’re going to do.”
“Keep it,” I said. That part was never a question in my mind.
“So I’m gonna be an aunt!”
“Don’t get too excited, yet,” I said, “I only did the drug store test.”
“Then come on, let’s get your gut looked at and find out for sure!”
I laughed with relief. I wasn’t sure I could count on my sister to not judge me, seeing as how I tended to be pretty damn judgmental toward her, but she was on my side. She was actually excited. I hadn’t expected that reaction.
Either way, just knowing that she was behind me helped in a big way.
The doctor’s office was just a few blocks away so we walked it in silence, lost in our own thoughts. Luckily the tidy little waiting room didn’t seem to busy, and the receptionist assured me that I’d be seen soon.
“Have you told anyone else?” Alexa asked when we settled into the
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