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“I changed my mind. Will you?”
“What kind of look will I get when I say I packed a bag just in case?”
I laugh softly and push him out of the room, closing the door behind me. “Go get it, then.” While he’s gone, I go into my bathroom. I was going to change into pajamas, but one quick look in the mirror and I need a bath. How, out of the three of us, did I end up being the one needing a shower? Why didn’t Marc tell me that there was flour and icing all over my body? I wonder how much of this transferred onto the couch. I should probably check before bed because it shouldn’t sit there all night. Shower first, though.
Sylvia dropped the girls off first thing this morning, so they’ve been wearing me out all day. It’s been great, so no complaints. I’ve missed them.
“Elizabeth?”
“I’m washing off all the food.”
“Okay. I’ve locked up the house. Last chance to get me to do something for you before I get in bed.”
“Can you make sure I didn’t get anything on the couch? I didn’t realize I was so messy.”
“Done.”
I take my time in the shower, and he’s scrolling through his phone when I walk out of the bathroom. He sets it aside when I crawl in next to him after setting my alarm and plugging my phone into the charger.
“I’m glad you came.”
“Me too. Stella finally likes me,” he exclaims with
glee, squeezing me too tight.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m not thanking you because if you’d have told me what her favorite cookie was to start with, I could’ve won her over before now.”
“Still would’ve been with my help,” I point out.
“Whatever,” he mumbles. “Go to sleep and dream about me.”
“You go to sleep and dream about me.”
“Always do.”
I doze off with a smile on my face and Marc’s arms and legs locked around me as if he needs to keep me from escaping. I almost feel as if I should tell him he doesn’t have to worry about that, but then he might loosen his hold, and I don’t want that. He can hold me tight and I’ll enjoy it.
“You’re pregnant? But we’re so careful. This is too soon! I’m too young! I don’t want a kid, Liz. Oh my god, we’re so careful.” He buries his face in his hands and is eerily still from where he’s hunched over on the couch. I knew he would be shocked and possibly upset, but I didn’t expect that he’d be flat-out distraught. Roger lifts his head. “Let’s give it to Scott and Sylvia.”
“What?” All I can do is stare at him.
“This is not in the cards for us, Liz. And you know how much this would mean for them.” He nods his head like this is all making sense and is exactly what we should do. “We should let them adopt the baby and I’ll finally get the vasectomy.” His eyes narrow a bit, like this is my fault because I’ve been the one who begs him not to do the procedure, hoping he’d change his mind one day.
“But this is our baby.”
“That we don’t want and have done almost everything but abstain and have the procedure to prevent from making.”
“Why don’t you want kids?” God, how many times have I asked him that since he proposed?
He sighs because he’s sick and tired of me asking. “I’ve told you; I just don’t. Kids are awesome, but I don’t want to raise any. I want two responsibilities in life: me and you. That’s it, Liz.”
“So, you honestly think that after spending nine months with me pregnant, that we’ll be able to hand this baby over to Scott and Sylvia and go on about our lives? That we’ll be able to be aunt and uncle instead of mom and dad and that it won’t be weird?”
“We can make it work,” he says with definiteness.
He’s out of his mind! He doesn’t even want to think about the possibility of keeping our baby. He didn’t even ask me what I want! He made the decision himself. What he hasn’t thought about is how this is my body and I’m carrying this baby and it’s ultimately my decision, and there is no way in hell I’m being hasty. I know that much. I also know that I already want to rebel against the idea of giving this baby up, even to my brother- and sister-in-law. I turn and walk out of the house, ignoring his shouts, even though there’s a sinking feeling in my gut.
