Dr. Stud

It’s not until we are practically within the city limits that Didi actually seems to work up the courage to talk about logistics.

“So, are you going to stay with your parents?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.

“I’ve been staying at the cabin, actually…”

But maybe I shouldn’t. I pause, weighing it against the possibility of staying with my mother, under her eagle eye, while I ruminate over my choices. I mean, I haven’t figured out if I’m planning on staying pregnant. I’m sure my mother would like to make that decision for me.

“My mother’s in the hospital,” Didi announces uncomfortably, her eyes flickering up toward the rearview mirror to make sure the Uber driver who picked us up at the airport isn’t listening. He is a older guy, sort of looks like a farmer with a wrinkly, tanned neck the color of a leather handbag. He just stares out the windshield, bored and listening to his talk radio.

“Yeah… Actually, my mom told me about that. I’m really sorry.”

“Well, I guess we all saw it coming.”

I pause, giving her room in case she wants to say something else. Didi doesn’t talk about her mother too much, and she never has. In middle school, she was embarrassed by her outbursts. In high school, she went out of her way to please or impress her, but it never seemed to work. Things would seem fine, then her mom would change suddenly, becoming furious in the middle of dinner. Shrieking. Throwing things.

“Why don’t we both stay at the cabin?” I suggest. “There’s a futon in the living room. It pulls out. It’s a bed. Got a whole ocean in the backyard.”

She smiles at me gratefully. “Really? You don’t mind?”

“It’ll be just like the old days,” I smile back.

Didi gazes out the window, happy at least for the moment. When the palm trees part and Main Street appears in the distance, she taps my leg excitedly.

“Home sweet home!” she chuckles.

I realize she hasn’t been back before now either. I hope this will work out for both of us.

Chapter 20

Joe

“You know what?!” Didi hollers from inside the shower while I brush my teeth. “You should get some prenatal vitamins! And ginger beer! I hear that’s good for your puking.”

“I already got the vitamins!” I holler back.

She pokes her head out of the shower, licking beads of water from her upper lip and squinting at me.

“What did you say? I couldn’t hear you,” she says.

“I said I got the prenatal vitamins last week. I drove all the way to Naples to get them, too, so I couldn’t run into anybody. And ginger beer gives me gas. I think I will just stick with the oyster crackers.”

“Suit yourself!” Didi sighs as she pulls her head back into the shower, snapping the curtain closed.

“Hey, can you hurry up?” I yell as loud as possible. “I want to get there before the UPS guy. Those crates should be coming today.”

The water snaps off and Didi pops out, fully naked and gleaming. She throws out her arms and jiggles her boobs back and forth just to annoy me.

“Can you not, maybe?” I ask her as I trudge out of the room, feeling slightly overstuffed.

I know that I am not showing yet, exactly, but my waist disappeared. I always feel like I’ve just had a heavy meal, just gotten way too full. And I’ve got at least six more weeks of morning sickness to look forward to, according to these books. It’s crazy.

“You know, they say that having a baby makes you way less uptight,” Didi announces as she comes out of the bathroom in a pair of lime green culottes and a speckled top.

“Oh, they do, do they?” I ask as I stuff everything I will need for today into my bag.

“That must be later in the pregnancy, huh?” she smirks.

“I’m not uptight.”