Page 93 of Rigid

“Are uhhm. Are you and your dad friends?”

She looked at me like my head was on fire, and then laughed. “Yeah. Like, best friends.”

“That’s cool,” I said.

“What about your dad and you?” she asked.

“He left when I was little.”

Her nose wrinkled. “That sucks. What about your mom?”

“She uhhm. She was…she is a drug addict. I left home when I was thirteen and moved in with my aunt and uncle. So, I really didn’t spend a lot of time around her.”

Her eyes dropped to the floor. “My mom was, too. She died.”

“I’m so sorry.”

She shrugged. “That’s what happens. I mean, it sucks, but it happens. Drugs are stupid. I’m glad her and my dad got together, even if it was just for a little while. I mean, if they didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, you know. So, that’s cool. But yeah. Drugs are stupid.”

“They sure are.”

She scooched toward the arm of the couch and then turned to face me. “Are you excited about the baby?”

Her eyes made her level of excitement clear, which shocked me. I smiled. “I am. More every day.”

She rubbed her hands together. “What do you want?”

“Oh. I don’t know. I just want a healthy baby.”

“Everybody says that.” She chuckled. “You have to want one or the other a little more. Which one? I want a baby sister.”

Hearing her say sister made me feel like she’d truly accepted the situation wholeheartedly. “Are you excited about being a sister?”

“Oh, man. Am I? Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have brothers and sisters, but not so much brothers. Unless I already have a sister, that is. Either would be cool, though.”

“I think I’d like a daughter,” I whispered. “But don’t tell your dad.”

“I think he wants a boy.” She pressed her index finger against her lips. “I’m not saying a word.”

I widened my eyes and shook my head. “I don’t want to make him mad.”

“Girl power.” She raised her hand and turned her palm to face me.

I slapped my hand against hers. “Girl power.”

“This is going to be so cool,” she said. “When can we find out what the sex is?”

“Like three months or so.”

“I can’t wait.”

I was excited too, but the longer we talked the more excited I became. After half an hour of talking about babies, we were in the kitchen making milkshakes and discussing the fallacy of love.

Eddie took a slurp of her milkshake, and then wiped the corners of her mouth with the tip of her finger. “Love? I think initially that it’s a conscious acceptance of a person being satisfactory. You know, as far as attraction goes. Yeah, this guy’s hot, or whatever. So, the girl decides she’s attracted to said person, and she gives him a chance.” She shrugged. “Then, they hang out. He thinks she’s cool, she thinks he’s cool, and they bone or whatever. He decides he likes boning her, she knows she likes boning him, and one day he pulls a douche move, and they break up.”

She gulped another drink of her milkshake. “Happens all the time. Anyway. Then, she thinks about being with him, and how cool it was to lay around and watch Netflix on the couch. And she tries to forget about him, all she can remember is what it was like when they boned. So, she sends him a text and says, what’s up? He’s watching football with his brahs, and he sees the text and says, check this out. Talia sent me a text. His buddies say, brah, you should so go bone her. When the football game is in the fourth quarter, dude sends her a text and says, not much, wanna hang out? And she gets all excited, and they hang out and bone again. The next day, they declare they’re in love.”

I chuckled. “Just like that?”