Page 32 of Rigid

“It doesn’t…never mind. You look great now, and that’s all that matters.” He stepped to the side and waved his arm toward the living room. “Come in.”

I slipped past him, and upon seeing his living room, stopped and stared. It looked totally different than the last time I had visited.

“Oh my God, this looks fantastic. Everything’s new.”

“I got bored.”

An awesome display of retro contemporary furniture was neatly fitted into his small condo. I found the various shapes and colors exciting, and wished my apartment looked the same. I considered sitting on the white leather sectional, and then opted for an orange fabric chair that had a wide seat cushion, high arms, and a very shallow back.

“That’s great to look at, but it’s terrible to sit in,” he said.

I sat down, and immediately agreed. I pointed toward a turquoise leather chair across from the sectional. “What about that?”

He nodded. “It’s fun.”

I tossed my purse on the coffee table, sank into the turquoise chair, and looked around the room. “This is awesome.”

“Thank you. Would you like something to drink?”

“Water?”

“You’re so easy.”

If you only knew.

He returned in a moment, and handed me a bottle of water and a glass. “What’s going on? I know you didn’t come over for a glass of water.”

“I need an opinion.”

He smiled and sat down on the sectional. “You came to the right place.”

Dressed in black and gray spandex exercise pants and a dark gray Under Armour shirt, he reminded me of Dwayne Johnson. He even cocked his eyebrow the same manner, and I often wondered if he practiced in front of the mirror.

I took a drink from the bottle, and then poured the glass full. As I watched the bubbles come to the surface, I considered how I wanted to start the conversation.

I’d spent the last hour and a half feeling a wide range of emotions. Initially angry, my anger soon changed to fear. Then, I felt content. Happy. Somehow, I became satisfied that I could handle the situation. Throughout it all, though, there was one constant.

I was alone.

I picked up the glass and gazed into it. “I’ve got myself into a situation.”

“I’m sure we can figure it out. Want to enlighten me a little more?”

I nodded, but didn’t immediately respond. I didn’t know if I could. There was a big difference between silently accepting my pregnancy and speaking about it.

“I uhhm.” I looked up, inhaled a deep breath, and then gave the news. “I’m. I’m pregnant.”

He smiled and raised his glass. “Congratulations.”

Of all the things he could have said, he said that. At first, I was shocked. Then, I was grateful. He knew I’d been out of a relationship for a few months, and I would have expected his reaction to be one of shock. His immediate acceptance was reassuring, but seemed out of place.

“Thanks,” I said, my voice thick with sarcasm.

“You don’t sound happy.”

“Should I be?”

“I think so.” He sat up straight and locked eyes with me. “Do you know how many people it takes to make a difference in this world?”