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“Honey, you only had a glass of champagne.”

“I think we’re allergic to alcohol,” he replied, picking at breakfast. “You know Roberta was a drunk. She goes to AA meetings three times a week.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t know that,” Geri said, saddened. The Saint family had had their share of heartache. “When was this?”

“I grew up with it,” Jake replied. “My brothers can’t drink, either. I mean they do, but they shouldn’t. Leon probably has a problem. Ava told Candy that he drinks a six-pack every night when he’s home.”

“Speaking of problems, Candy is a problem. She’s like the town crier of the Saint family.”

“Do you think so? I figure she’s sharing stuff for the good of the person she’s gossiping about.”

“Jake, it feels wrong to me. I’m sure when Ava told her about Leon drinking, she didn’t think the whole family would end up knowing about it. I hope Candy repeated it out of earshot of Big Mike, because that poor man has had enough.”

“She might have said it in front of him.”

“Then it’s up to you to set the record straight.”

“I don’t want to defend my brother. That will only enable him.”

“I’m not saying to defend Leon. Tell Candy to stop sharing confidences. Or if you don’t want to tell her, ask Joey to say something to her. The parents don’t need to know every hurtful thing their kids are doing.”

“How do you know this?”

“I just know it as a future parent. And from seeing my own folks suffer when my brothers went through stuff that they didn’t need to know, but some well-meaning friend or relative decided that they needed to because they wanted to hurt them.”

“Do you think Candy wants to hurt my parents?”

“I’m not sure. I do know she thinks she’s smarter than everyone else because she’s a doctor.”

“Candy is a snob,” Jake said, snickering. “We all wondered how Joey ended up with her.”

“It’s his bod,” Geri said, laughing. “The lot of you Saint boys. I can’t wait for the summer. I heard you all make a fascinating sight on the beach.”

Someone shouted, “Look, a whale!” and all conversation about Candy ended. On the port side of the ship, the passengers in the dining room crowded at the windows to watch a whale and her baby.

Jake’s arm snaked around Geri’s shoulder while they watched, his hand over her belly with fingers splayed, protecting it.

“Mine,” he whispered, and she nodded.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m happy, too.”

“Finish eating before they clear our plates. I feel like taking a nap and it’s only ten in the morning.”

“That’s the whole purpose of this trip. Just to rest.”

He managed to get toast and coffee down, and they took fruit and went back to their stateroom. Getting into opposite sides of the bed with their iPads, they’d spend the day reading.

Around three, after they’d slept for several hours, Geri woke up with a stomachache. She sat on the side of the bed, dreading having to take a poop with Jake practically outside the bathroom door. As she creeped out of bed, thankfully, he was snoring rhythmically. In the bathroom, she flipped on the exhaust fan, but when she pulled her pants down, she saw drops of blood. Wiping, there was a little more on the tissue. She sat there for a while and realized what she felt was like menstrual cramps.

A wave of fear washed over her. How sad if she was miscarrying. She’d rest until they returned to San Diego the next day and see a doctor then. It was so early; she hadn’t seen a doctor yet but had planned on going at six to eight weeks. Saying a little prayer, she hoped the baby was okay. Blame crept in. In the mirror, the face hanging before her was already heartbroken.

Back out in the stateroom, Jake was still sleeping. The small refrigerator held water and the fruit they’d taken from the dining room. She sat at the table overlooking the water and ate an orange, waiting for Jake to wake up. Her brain hurt. If she lost the baby, how would it affect her relationship with Jake? The urgency she’d felt about them being together would no longer exist.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” she mumbled, on the verge of tears.

Women spotted all the time when they were pregnant, right?There’s nothing to get upset about,she thought. Not yet, anyway. Stop being so negative.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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