“Peachy,” Rachel said.
“Bloated, and in pain,” Mary said, scrunching her face up. “Ouch.”
Branson sat beside Mary, putting his hand on her stomach. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. Maybe our baby is telling me that I’m about to be a terrible mother?” she asked. “He … or she keeps kicking me.”
Branson kept his hand on her stomach, and Aria was watching her friends. He looked worried.
“I want to take you to the hospital to see if this is normal.”
“The baby isn’t due for another five weeks. I can wait to go to the hospital.”
“Mary, sweetie, you’re pregnant, and you’re struggling here. Let me take you to the hospital, just so I know you’re okay.” Branson kissed her hand. “Please.”
“And if there’s nothing wrong?”
“I’ll rub your feet, and we can watch your favorite romantic movie tonight, deal?”
Mary took a second to think about it. “Deal.”
“Can you guys cover for me?” Branson asked.
“Cover for you?” Aria asked, getting to her feet. “We’re a family, right? We’re coming with you. Show you support in case Mary decides to change your mind.”
“How can I change his mind? I’m a beached whale here. I can’t even touch my toes. Branson has to help me get dressed in a morning. Do you know how horrible that is?” Mary asked.
Helping Mary to her feet, Aria shook her head. “Nope, and I hope I don’t have to find out any time soon.”
They took Chris’s and Eli’s cars toward the hospital. Aria was so nervous, especially when the nurse in the emergency room took Mary straight through.
Chris and Rachel were snuggled up against each other on one set of chairs. Aria leaned against Eli.
“It’s kind of surreal, don’t you think?” she asked.
“What is?”
“All of us, in the hospital. Four of us already married, we’re engaged, and a baby is on the way.”
“It sounds like one of those crazy assed soaps that are on during the morning.”
“We’re all still kids,” Rachel said. “I can’t believe Branson and Mary are going to have a baby. It’s going to be so tiny, and they’re going to be parents.”
“We’ll make awesome uncles and aunties.”
Aria smiled. “I intend to spoil her or him, whichever they have.”
“I want to know what sex our baby is,” Eli said.
“Why?”
“So I can get a nursery ready. It has been driving Branson crazy picking neutral colors.” Eli rubbed at his eyes.
“I saw the nursery the other day. It looked amazing. You did a really good job.”
“Thanks, babe. Branson needed some help. He’s finishing school during the week, working in the evenings, and then at weekends he’s doing everything he can to catch up,” Eli said. “It was the least we could do to help.”
“There’s so much stuff. I know he’s freaked out,” Chris said.