“I saw those on the internet!” she exclaimed. Marty put on them on the seat of her walker. “I didn’t know you had them in stock. Someone didn’t tell me.” She side-eyed her husband.
“That’s because somebody has diabetes.” He side-eyed her back.
I wasn’t sure cream puffs were any worse for them than the number of carbs he usually bought, but that wasn’t my business. They’d both reached ages most humans dreamed of and were happy. They must be doing something right.
“I’m glad you came in, Evelyn.”
“Well, I’ve been promised some eye candy.” She was on a roll.
“He’s not here today. He had a big meeting this morning.”
“Guess I’m going to have to come back again.”
She cracked me up.
“I hope you do. If you need incentive, in two days, we will be having chocolate mousse puppies.” I hadn’t figured out a good name for them but knew full well the current one had a slightewwfactor to it. I needed to work on that.
“Well, will your eye candy be there?”
“I could ask.” We hadn’t discussed his schedule, but most days, he didn’t leave here for another half hour.
“Now, come around here and give me a hug.”
I walked around, and she let go of her walker with one hand and gave me as big a hug as she could without letting go completely. Marty was right. Her mobility wasn’t doing well, but it hadn’t altered her mood or humor at all.
“Wait a minute, Marty. You didn’t tell me,” she said.
I stepped back, not wanting to get between them.
“Didn’t tell you what?” He was just as confused as I was.
“About the baby.”
He looked to me and I looked to him and we both shrugged.
“You don’t know?” She grabbed my arm. “I should have said you’re pregnant first, I suppose.”
“How did you come to that conclusion?” She didn’t sound like it was one of her bad jokes, but maybe I was missing something.
“Because I could feel the baby when I hugged you.”
“You could feel the baby?”
“No one ever believes me.” She let out a sigh. “Just go take a test, and when you do, and it’s positive, I want you to thank me with chocolate mousse puppies.”
“And what if it’s negative?” I asked.
“You should thank me with chocolate mousse puppies.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “I’ll remember that.” She was getting puppies either way.
We chatted for a few more minutes, and they left. The entire time, my mind was reeling with what she’d said. I wanted to immediately dismiss it as an old woman who wasn’t fully there anymore. Only, she was fully there, and her comment wasn’t the only thing that signaled I could be pregnant.
I was exhausted. Smells bothered me. Sounds were having me want to curl in a ball and cry. And food didn’t taste right. By themselves, that could mean being sick, but pairing that with being knotted by my mate every chance I got without even asecond’s thought about prevention…there was a good shot she was right.
Sierra came over and grabbed my shoulder. “Sal just came in the back. You should go to the pharmacy because if you don’t, your brain’s going to be focusing on her words all day long, and you’re going to give customers the wrong thing, forget the yeast in the bread, or knock over the bucket. And don’t say you won’t, because I know you.”
“Fine. I’ll do as you say, boss.” She was smart. “I’m going to stop by and try to find Dante, too.”
