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A lot of my professors gave me the work I’d miss beforehand. I emailed everyone last weekend about extending my trip and got more work to keep up with. I’m not super behind, but the semester is winding down. Finals start in three weeks.
That has me excited, too. Once I’m finished with finals, I will officially be a second-semester freshman.
Which means Mark and John will no longer be my teachers, and we’ll be free to have our relationship out in the open. I can’t wait!
Last night at dinner, we had a long talk about everything. My favorite part was hearing the guys argue about what brand of crib we should get for the baby.
I love that they’re as excited as I am. It’s adorable to see them thinking about furniture and nursery colors. We don’t even know what the baby’s sex is yet, but we’ve already decided to paint the nursery green and put animals on the walls. I found the most adorable picture of a giraffe that is going to go right above the crib. Of course, we’re also going to put a picture of a moose in the nursery. It’s only right.
I wish we could get started right now. The fraternization rule is stupid. I understand why it’s there – the school doesn’t want teachers taking advantage of students, or vice versa. However, they should make exceptions for when a real romantic connection is made. I’m not trying to finagle better grades from John. I just love him!
The lecture room is empty when I arrive for English Lit. I knew I’d be early, but I couldn’t stand being in my dorm anymore. I text Jessica to let her know I’m already here. She’s not in class, but she says she’ll be over in a minute.
Jessica arrives right on schedule, carrying two coffees. She hands one to me.
“Oh, thank you, but I can’t have caffeine. It’s bad for the baby.”
“That’s why I got you decaf!” Jessica says proudly.
“Really? You’re the best! Thank you.”
I take a slow sip. Jessica got me my favorite, a caramel mocha swirl. I can’t even tell there’s no caffeine in it. I suppose I’ll be able to tell later when I’m super tired, but for now, I simply enjoy the delicious taste.
“So, guess what?” I say.
“What?”
“I made my first doctor appointment for the baby!”
Jessica squeals. “Oh my God, that’s so exciting! Will they do an ultrasound? Will you find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“I think they’ll do an ultrasound, but mostly, they’ll just be asking me questions and running tests to make sure I’m healthy and that the baby is doing well. It’s too early to know the sex.”
“Darn. I really want to know!”
“Me, too!” I nod. “John wants to wait, but Mark is on my side. We’ll probably find out and then just not tell John.”
“Do you really think you can keep it a secret?”
I shrug. “We’ll try. I don’t know if we’ll be successful.”
Jessica laughs. “I don’t get why people ever want to wait. You can plan ahead if you know the sex!”
“Exactly! I mean, I want to make sure we get plenty of neutral stuff so the baby isn’t always dressed in pink or blue, but it would be nice to know if I can buy dresses or tiny suits.”
“Your kid will be more stylish than me!”
“That’s not possible,” I say.
“True,” Jessica responds. “What about your parents? Have you told them yet?”
I bite my lip. “No, not yet.”
“Mari, you need to tell them. Aren’t you on their health insurance? They’ll find out when they notice the doctor’s charge if you don’t tell them ahead of time.”
“I know, I thought of that. I’m going to tell them on Saturday.”
Jessica takes my hand and squeezes it. “Are you nervous? Do you want me to come with you?”
I nod. “That would be great, actually. Mark and John said they’d come, but it might help to have a friendly face in the room. My parents have never met the guys, but they love you.”
“I’d be happy to join you. Just let me know when, and I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Jessica. I appreciate that.”
My chest feels lighter. I was really nervous about telling my parents. I still am, but at least now I’ll have Jessica to lean on. Between her, Mark, and John, I think I’ll be okay. I’m lucky to have such a great support system.
Other students start to file into the classroom, so our conversation has to get quieter. Jessica and I are sitting near the back, away from where most of the students usually sit. As long as we whisper, no one will hear us. I can’t risk another student recognizing Mark or John’s names and outing us to the school.
“Oh, hey, how did dinner go last night? You were passed out when I got home.”
