Page 62 of My Girlfriend is Not the Father

‘It’s huge, right?’ Lucy clicked on the blinker.

‘It’s not huge at all.’ Such a lie. Her belly was crazy huge. How could bodies shift so quickly? Jade swore that Lucy’s belly grew every day. Yes, Lucy was fun and sweet and easy-going. But she was also a woman, fed the same societal messages as Jade, and Jade wasn’t sure if agreeing with Lucy about her massive belly was a smart girlfriend move. ‘It’s just … it’s so much more prominent than even last week. I’m just amazed at how much it’s … grown.’

Lucy turned down the heat. ‘So, it’s huge?’

‘Stop.’ Jade laughed as Lucy navigated towards Main Street. When Lucy pulled Betty Yellow into the parking spot and killed the engine, Jade jumped out to get to Lucy’s side of the truck. She held her arm out as Lucy carefully climbed out of the truck. ‘This is the first time I’ve seen you hop out of the truck.’

‘I was thinking about that earlier. Is hopping bad? What if it shakes the baby too much?’ Lucy pulled her scarf tighter around her neck. ‘I’m going to ask Drew later. I swear he studies pregnancy as much as he studied for his master’s.’

Jade held the door for Lucy. She hadn’t been to a movie theatre in forever, and the savoury scent of freshly popped popcorn was already making her mouth water.

‘Hmmm … I’m so hungry.’ Lucy clapped her mitten-covered hands. ‘It smells so good.’

Jade pulled off her gloves and shoved them in her purse while searching the menu. She really should eat healthy, but damn if those blue raspberry slushies don’t get her every time. She dug for her wallet when someone tapped her shoulder.

‘Hey!’ Mason tugged Jade in for a hug while Drew scooped up Lucy.

Jade really liked the fathers. Getting to know them these last few months, she understood why Lucy felt such a bond. Drew was funny and light-hearted, reminding Jade a bit of Lucy. He had a carefree energy, whereas Mason was more serious. But they were both overwhelmingly protective of Lucy.

‘Holy … what is happening here?’ Drew stared at Lucy’s belly. ‘I saw you less than two weeks ago.’

Lucy rubbed her stomach like she was trying to release a genie from a bottle. ‘I know, right? It’s pretty cool.’

Jade bit back the urge to ask the men if Lucy’s belly growth, along with her ramped-up sex drive, was normal. She moved aside for a group beelining for the concession stand and checked her watch. ‘We better grab some snacks if we want to make the show in time. Don’t forget, we have to factor in two bathroom breaks for Lucy just to cover the walk down the hall.’

‘I’d like to say that’s not true, but it’s totally true.’ Lucy tugged on her ponytail and peeked at the menu. ‘Will you grab me a hot dog, popcorn with extra butter, Twizzlers, and water? A big one. Oh, maybe some nachos with cheese? You all want to share that one with me?’

Mason and Drew raised their eyebrows.

‘Don’t you dare judge me. I’m eating for two.’ Lucy pulled her fists in and ducked like a boxer with a scrunched nose.

‘Wow. That’s intimidating.’ Mason grinned. ‘No judging … but I better help Jade.’

Jade mouthed a silent thank you.

As they waited in line, Mason loaded his arms with candy from the shelf and pushed his slipped frames up his nose. ‘Think they have apple slices? We should offset this sugar intake with something absent of red #40.’

‘I sincerely doubt it.’ Jade tugged the strap of her cross-body and eyed the menu. ‘How are you and Drew doing with all this baby stuff? I feel like I never get a chance to talk to you one-on-one.’

Mason’s expression softened. ‘I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.’ They moved a foot up in line. ‘Now, ask me how we’re doing at picking out a stroller, and we have a whole other issue. I did a thorough evaluation of all the brands on the market, cross-referenced safety, durability, reliability and costs, and chose the best one.’

Jade withheld her smile at Mason’s very serious, definitely not-joking-around tone. ‘And?’

‘And Drew doesn’t think it’s cute enough. Honestly, who cares what it looks like? It has all the capabilities we need, and the functionality is superb. I married a diva.’

Now his smile returned. They set the items on the counter as a bored teenager rang up their loot.

Mason paid for the items and stuffed his wallet back in his pocket. ‘How are you doing?’

So much better than last month. ‘Great. Lucy seems to have a burst of energy, so we’re going to enjoy that as long as possible. And the puking stopped, so I’m calling that a win.’ Jade gathered the items and took a long, sugary sip of blue raspberry slushie. Just like drinking frozen cotton candy – delicious.

Mason slowed, then came to a full stop. ‘No … how are you doing? Not how is Lucy.’

The sincerity in his voice created a surprising lump in Jade’s throat, and she felt pink rise to her cheeks. With the exception of Amanda, who seemed relatively unfazed by Jade’s girlfriend’s pregnancy, once people in the salon had heard the news, every question they shot at Jade revolved around how Lucy was feeling, changing, or how Jade felt in relation to Lucy’s state.

The situation with Shayna had broken Jade, and she’d been in a funk for weeks. She had very few people to talk to about what happened, except Lucy, and she didn’t want to drone on when Lucy was in the middle of a life-changing event. Of course, her stylists had noticed Shayna’s departure. But when they asked her about it, Jade mumbled something along the lines of Shayna leaving to pursue other opportunities. Even with Amanda, Jade only brushed the subject.

‘You know, today I’m actually super excited.’ Jade took another sip of the slushie and winced at the instant brain freeze. She shoved her tongue against the roof of her mouth to alleviate the burn. ‘The Minneapolis Times contacted me to do a story on—’