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I smile facetiously.
“But what if it’s a boy?”
Bella thinks for a moment.
“Then I want you to name him Bellarmine. Or Ignatius because you know my real name is Isabella.”
I stare at her with mock horror.
“Bellarmine? Ignatius? OMG, Bella, you know I can’t!”
She giggles.
“Of course you can’t because those are ridiculous names. But seriously girlfriend, tell me more. So what do you and Hunter do when you’re together? Besides the badump-de-dump of course.”
I laugh out loud then because being with my friend is always so fun. We can talk about anything and everything, and the girl talk is absolutely hysterical, as well as being comforting to my soul. But suddenly, nausea hits and my hand leaps to my mouth. Oh my God, the world is tilting on its axis and I’m going to throw up.
Without saying another word, I jump from my seat and run to the restroom. I barely make it into a stall before my breakfast makes an appearance. The ugly green liquid has brown chunks in it, and looks absolutely poisonous swirling in the toilet. But I can’t help it and vomit a few more times, tears squeezing out from my eyes as my stomach heaves. When it’s finally is empty, I lean against the cold metal divider of the stall and take a few deep breaths. I’m dehydrated and feel a bit faint, but at least it passes quickly.
I stand up slowly, exit the stall, and check my reflection in the mirror. My image is pale, and my hair sticks to my forehead in a sweaty mess. What has gotten into me? Why would I throw up for no reason like this? Quickly, I rinse my mouth with water, wash my hands, and splash my face. When I emerge from the bathroom, Bella is waiting for me, a concerned look on her face.
“Are you okay?”
I nod, a bit ashamed.
“Yeah, I’m so sorry. I’ve been feeling a bit sick lately and it really sucks.”
Bella frowns. “I’m sorry, girlfriend. Do you have a fever? Aches and pains? Seriously, you should have told me if you were sick. We could have rescheduled.”
I shake my head.
“No, it’s just some kind of stomach bug, don’t worry. Plus, it passes pretty quickly. I usually vomit in the early afternoon like today, but then I feel fine.”
Bella bites her lip and pauses for a moment. “Faith, is there a possibility… I mean, are you pregnant?”
My eyes widen. “Um, I don’t think so,” I stammer. “I hope not.”
My best friend keeps her voice low. “I’m only asking because your symptoms are exactly the same as mine when I realized I was pregnant with Howie. And seriously girlfriend: mayo dip for sweet potato fries? That sounds disgusting. Are you having any other weird food cravings?”
I stare at Bella. There’s no way I could be pregnant. Hunter and I use protection religiously for that very reason. But suddenly, I remember the first time when we were together, when I went to his house after getting the hundred dollar tip. We didn’t use a condom then, but it was only once!
I wrack my brain, trying to remember my last period, but nothing blips. OMG, I should have had it about two weeks ago, but now I realize it never came, and it’s probably been almost two months now since my last one. I turn to my friend with frightened eyes.
“Oh, God, Bella…”
She squeezes my hand comfortingly. “It’s going to be okay. We don’t know for sure. We can get a test and figure this out.”
I try to steady my breathing but it’s no use. Now that Bella’s mentioned the possibility, I know I must be carrying Hunter’s child. Oh god. What is he going to say? I don’t know if Hunter wants kids, let alone with me, and we’ve only been together for a few months. It was going so well, but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to be parents!
My friend’s voice breaks into my swirl of thoughts.
“Hey, don’t worry, Faith. You will handle this.”
I turn to her with tears in my eyes.
“Yes, but what if Hunter doesn’t want the baby? Or me?” I manage in a choked voice.
Bella’s mouth sets in a firm line.
“Then he’d be a fool, and you’re better off without him. But, if he did make that mistake, you know your dad and I will be here for you.”
I laugh in a choked tone. “Dad’s going to kill Hunter, and then he’ll kill me. That’s what Marcus will do.”
Bella smiles. “Don’t worry, I think he’s softened up a bit. I’ll make sure of it. He is my husband, after all, and the father of my child.”
I nod gratefully.
“Thanks Bells.” Then I take a deep breath. “I’m getting ahead of myself,” I say in a trembling voice, more to myself than to my friend. “I shouldn’t freak out this until I’ve gotten a test.”
