Training, Daddy (Inner Harbor 2)

I pat her arm. I don’t share my internal struggle.

“Honey, of course I do.” Piper might have the perfect body, but she was batshit crazy with hormones from Milo’s baby taking over her body during this symbiosis.

“You hesitated.” Right there was the crazy coming out in full force. I wasn’t willing to jeopardize our lifelong friendship with her hormonal mood swings, which is why I kept a spare Snickers bar in my purse for her in case of an emergency.

I fish to the bottom of my purse and hand her the chocolate bar.

“Eat this. Satisfy whatever embryo has taken over my best friend’s rational mind.”

Piper tears the package open moaning on the first full bite. “Milo says the baby is close to a grapefruit in size. This has peanuts, but I don’t give a fu-crap.” She mumbles between mouthfuls of chocolate, nougat, and caramel. I roll my eyes at the almost curse word.

I swear she’s having twins. Every time they go for the ultrasound the technician can’t get a clear picture. It doesn’t help that neither Milo nor Piper want to know the sex. I would have been crazy not knowing what to expect after nine long months.

“I trust the both of you implicitly, you know that I do.” I wring my hands over and over, but the anxiety doesn’t ease. Milo saved Maisy’s life. He was the catalyst in curing her cancer with his treatment protocol. If anything, I owe him a debt of gratitude. At the least, the life of my next born child, but Piper beat me to it by the looks of her pregnancy glow.

“You are so going. Besides, I told him you would go and made Milo set it up.” Her pout doesn’t change my mind one bit. She thinks I need to leave the house and meet a man worthy of me. She might be right but I don’t feel right leaving Maisy to pursue something I’m not even sure I want. It’s been a long time since I shared anything with anyone other than my daughter and my best friend.

A man was an enigma I wasn’t ready to crack.

“Come on Diana, it’ll be good for you.”

I hated when Piper got bossy.

“I am not going out on a date!” I stalk away from Piper pacing back and forth hoping the physical activity will calm me down. It doesn’t, and I look crazy doing it. Now who was jeopardizing our friendship, huh? “Besides, look at you.” I wave my hand around swirling in the direct vicinity of her belly. Her very pregnant belly.

“Yes, dear heart, what about me.” Piper smiles indulgent and smirking.

I sigh.

“I’m worried Maisy’s newfound energy will tire you out. What if Milo has an emergency call and has to rush in to the hospital leaving you all alone.” All the possible scenarios run through my head with a thudding thawp-thwap-thwap of the anxious helicopter parent I’ve sadly become. Cancer will do that, turning something ordinary into the surreal and strange.

“Yeah, and look at you…” Piper waddles toward me trying to pinch my ass. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are hanging out in your tower like Rapunzel with all that gorgeous hair.” She leans in, “Mom I’d like to fuu–”

I jab a finger in her face interrupting her. “Watch your mouth!”

“Fudge?” She covers the curse with a smile and hands me a dollar from her purse. We started a curse jar when Maisy was a baby. Now that Piper is pregnant she’s probably helped to put away enough for Maisy’s first car.

“Ugh. You! You need a hobby.” Wagging my finger at her I back up a step. Am I mad? No. Not really, but I should have known that Piper, even eight months pregnant would be a master manipulator even if she was sleeping close to 16 hours a day lately and only rousing to eat and complain. Between her husband sexing her up nonstop and her narcoleptic tendencies, I miscalculated her being too busy for meddling. I should take Milo to task, but I fear my superhero is equally as tired as Piper waiting for this baby or set of babies to arrive. Since they’ve been setting up the nursery I’ve saved some of Maisy’s baby things just in case this one becomes a plus two like my intuition is telling me.

“Besides incubating a human? Johanna asked me to come supervise the boxes arriving from Arizona.”

I turn to look at her. “What boxes?” We had a baby shower planned at the house.

“My parents sending stuff from their trip. Johanna said it’s filled the garage and the dining room this time.” Piper shrugs but I know I’ll have to call her sister to figure a plan B for the shower.

Wonderful.

“Momma?” That little voice I love with all my heart tugs on my arm smiling.

“Yes, baby?” I crouch down holding out my arms and pick up her little body that could still use a little more weight since her remission. She’s warm and snuggly and I’m so grateful for every moment I have with her. A date could wait another ten years if I could have all that time enjoying each developmental milestone with her. I fear she’ll always be fragile looking despite her wanting to run and jump into danger faster than I can catch her.

“You look mad at Teetee Piper.” She sucks her thumb which I should tell her probably needs a washing after playing on the playground. I reach for the anti-bacterial gel, but realize it’s not in my bag because Piper is holding it in her hands gloating.

I sigh.

“I’m not mad at Aunt Piper, pumpkin. I’m just… ah… telling her…” I’m at a loss for words because Piper won’t stop smiling conspiratorially.

“Yes, pumpkin, your momma was just telling me that you can stay with me and Uncle Milo for a sleepover this week.”