Slumping in my chair with a pout, I shoot Drew my dagger eyes. Never get in between a pregnant woman and her food.
“Excuse me…” A lady, sitting at the table behind us leans over with a smile. “I couldn’t help but notice the bump. How far along are you?”
“Thirty-four weeks,” I respond, politely.
Marie—as she introduces herself—is married to Buddy, and they have two children. Her children keep themselves busy coloring the kids’ placemats with the crayons the restaurant provides.
We get to talking, and somewhere during our quick chat, I mention we’re having twins.
“Twins! Congratulations,” she gushes, grinning. “We had Bodhi via invitro four years ago, and then Cara naturally about two years ago. Two’s a handful, but we were running out of time. I’m pushing forty next year and having kids is something we always wanted.”
Marie looks great for someone pushing forty with two young kids. Okay, there’s probably a hint of Botox happening since one side of her face doesn’t move. But nevertheless, for someone raising two young children, she has a great figure from what I can see behind the table, and her hair’s on point.
“Buddy works in the city, so it’s been hard relying on him for the day-to-day things. I’m a stay-at-home mom now, left my job as a paralegal,” Marie opens up, leaving me no time to get a word in. “You’ve got to have a good support system, or you’ll go insane. My mom and dad live about three streets away, and Buddy’s parents are in the next suburb over. Plus, the godparents.”
Buddy nods, agreeing with his wife. He seems like a man of few words, shifting his gaze to the large television screen which hangs at each corner televising some baseball game.
I look at Drew for reassurance. “We haven’t thought about godparents yet. We’re not exactly practicing any faith.”
“Oh, you must. Finding good godparents can be tricky. You’ve got to get in early,” Marie warns us. “It’s a big decision, and you’ll want to make sure the godparents have the same values in case… you know?”
“I guess Mia and Troy?”
“Please…” Drew rolls his eyes, uninterested, “… they can barely hold their marriage together. I’m thinking your brother, Kane, and his wife.”
“Kane, really? The guy can barely get out of bed in the morning let alone be responsible to raise kids. What happens if anything happens to us? Who would the kids go to?” I begin to panic.
“Your parents,” Drew states.
“Over my dead body.”
“There’s no one else,” he reminds me. “Perhaps this is something we should discuss in private.”
Marie laughs, patting my shoulder. “It’s okay, we had the same argument. Now schooling, get in early. We started to enroll Cara because places fill up fast.”
“Isn’t she two?” I point out, glancing at the little girl with a pacifier in her mouth.
Marie nods, opening her mouth until Drew cuts her off. “We may be moving, so no point looking in the city.”
It takes a moment for me to catch up. We had discussed moving to a bigger home, but I assumed it would be within a reasonable distance to the hospital.
“Um, where are we moving to?”
Drew takes a long-winded sip of water, adding to the procrastination. “I’ve been offered a role as the head of CCU.”
I almost leap for joy until I realize I can’t physically leap. “Oh wow! Babe, you never told me that—”
“It’s in Australia.”
My brain has a momentary lapse. “Australia? As in down under a million miles away, Australia?”
He nods, barely making eye contact.
“Australia… as in throw a shrimp on the barbie, large spiders and crocodiles, Australia?”
Still unable to look at me, he twists the napkin in his hand, nodding at my question.
“Whe… when did you find out?”