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All I could think about was how in the world I was going to tell Anderson. Although I didn’t know for sure, something told me he wasn’t at a point in his life where he was ready to be a father. Hell, I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to be a mother.
Sure, I’d thought about having children before, but I would have preferred having them under happier conditions. Planned conditions. In other words, not under an unexpected happenstance that had caused a rift between my brother and his best friend.
Libby returned with a glass of wine and sat back down beside me. “Sorry I can’t offer you any.”
Despite my mood, a genuine laugh left my mouth. “Oh Libby, what am I going to do?”
“You’re just going to take things step-by-step,” she said. “First thing’s first, have you told Anderson?”
I shook my head. “That’s all I can think about. I don’t know what to say.”
“How do you think he’s going to react?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, does he strike you as a family-oriented man? Have you ever heard him talk about wanting kids before?”
“No. No to both of those.”
“Have you ever heard him say that he doesn’t want kids?”
“Well, no…”
“So technically, you’re on neutral ground. That’s a good thing. Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.”
“I guess I never looked at it that way,” I said after a pause.
“You know there’s only one way to find out then, right?”
I nodded. “I’m going to need time to get to that point though.”
“Take all the time you need,” Libby said after taking a sip of her wine. “And you can stay here for as long as you need.”
“Thanks.”
“I think you should tell him sooner than later though,” Libby said. “Your absence at the office is bound to start raising some eyebrows, especially his.”
“If he asks you about me, please don’t tell him anything,” I said. “I just need some time…”
“Of course,” Libby said, giving me another hug.
“I think I need some more ice cream too,” I said. “You know, since I can’t have any wine.”
Libby laughed.
CHAPTER 25
Joanna
While I knew Libby had a point in suggesting that I should tell Anderson about my pregnancy sooner rather than later, it was far easier said than done. As the days went by, I still couldn’t work up the nerve. His calls remained unanswered, and my resolve continued to waiver.
“Talk to him,” Libby had said to me one day after she’d returned from work. “He asked me about you today, you know. He’s worried. I can tell.”
“I’ll tell him soon,” I’d said, although I had been saying that for several days already.
The next thing I knew, Sunday evening had arrived and I had Libby’s house to myself. Her cousin had come to town, and the two of them were going out to dinner and catch up with each other.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Libby had offered. “It’ll be fun, and it’ll do you some good to get out the house.”
