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“Still not an answer,” Lacey teased.
Pippa sighed and sank deeper into the sofa as she chewed her food. “As soon as this baby comes into the world safe and sound, we can start planning the wedding, and not a moment sooner.”
I blinked at her tentative schedule. “You don’t want to take a month or so to recover from childbirth?”
“Nah,” she shook her head. “I have the rest of my life for that. I want a big wedding with a big white poofy dress. Elegant and upscale, but in a barn, and with lace and shimmery silver and gold everywhere. Oh and hay on the floor.” She smiled and it lit up her entire face. She was overflowing with that in-love-and-happy-with-my-life glow that made me as jealous as I was thrilled for her.
But I couldn’t help getting excited as her wedding theme started to coalesce in my mind. “Oh, and a second chance theme,” I piped in. “You know like twice baked potatoes, fried chicken in one course and then chicken fried steak in another. You know, making things better the second time around?”
“Oh my god, I love it!” Pippa squirmed excitedly in her seat. “Like a miniature menu, but extended for the sake of elegance?”
“You’re the bride-to-be,” I assured her with a smile and turned to my meal. Everything was delicious, southwestern eggrolls, stuffed mashed potatoes, risotto balls and butter poached asparagus. “Damn this is so good I might have to make use of that gym membership I’m still paying for.”
“Why?” Lacey shuddered visibly. “If I had those curves I wouldn’t add one ounce of muscle to them.”
I laughed. “I’m trying to avoid gaining ounces that quickly turn into pounds.”
“Carlotta, Pippa and I have talked about ourselves nonstop, we didn’t even think to ask about you. Horrible friends,” she sighed, tears forming in her eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a reason I’ve been so quiet. Because I have no life outside of work and you girls, and therefore, there is nothing to tell. Nothing at all.”
Pippa sighed, but a moment later her face twisted in pain and a low growl escaped.
I pushed to the edge of my seat and set my plate down, worry turning to acid in my belly. “Pippa, are you all right?”
She nodded after exhaling forcefully. “I’m fine. I just think that I’m going into labor!” The last word came out on an agonized shriek. “Yep, definitely labor.”
Lacey gasped and her hands started to shake. “Labor? Isn’t it too soon for that?”
“Soon?” Pippa spluttered. “This baby is three days overdue Lacey, so no it’s not too soon. It’s well past due thank you very much.” She started to breathe too fast and I stood, going to her side right away.
“Slow down your breathing Pippa. Easy and slow,” I tell her deeply inhaling and then exhaling slowly. “Yes, just like that. Exactly like that.” Her eyes were wide, filled with worry and so many other emotions I couldn’t name them, all while focusing on her breathing.
“Carlotta, I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” I smiled and tried to ignore my own growing fear . “You’ll be fine. Women have been doing this for millions of years, and you’re tougher than most women I know. Just keep breathing, in and out, slowly. Deeply.”
She did as I did, taking her time breathing slowly.
“Hey Lacey, can you grab the bag in the closet by the door and put it in my car?”
Lacey stood and nodded, moving a few steps before she froze. “Wait, I can’t drive your big ass car.”
I smiled. My pearl-white Escalade was a monster if you weren’t used to driving her, but it was perfect for carting around things for events, and I loved her. “Well, seeing as my only experience with childbirth is television, I figured you’d sit in the backseat and keep Pippa on the right track.”
“Oh. Right.” She nodded absently and went to do as I asked.
Pippa laughed. “She can spend a week in a South American jungle, but childbirth makes her squeamish.”
“I think it’s a little different when you’re the one giving birth,” I told her and stood, holding my forearm out for her to use.
“Thanks,” she groaned and doubled over in pain. “Damn, they really undersold the pain of the contractions.”
I laughed and wrapped one of her arms around my shoulder as we made our way to the door. “Just think about the cute as a button baby you’ll get from all this pain.”
She nodded, and after a minute or two of maneuvering her into the back of my Escalade, Pippa was settled in the back with Lacey beside her while I hauled ass towards the hospital.
My thoughts remained half on Pippa being in labor, while the other half of my brain thought of all the things that were of no use to me in this moment. Such as the fact that I was forty-two years old and alone. No, not alone, I was childless. It wasn’t something I expected to regret so soon, but with each passing day, as my relationship options dwindled, that became less and less of a possibility for me.
