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When I find them, I say, “Hey, sorry about that. Do you mind watching Dante while I go grab a water from one of the vendors?”
“Of course not.” Annie watches me with concern.
“You okay?” Val asks.
“Yep, just need to get this taste out of my mouth.” I give them a small smile and make my way to one of the vendors.
Once I’ve purchased the water and taken a few sips, I rejoin the ladies and the kids. My stomach feels more settled now and I no longer have the cold sweats.
“Why don’t we get out of this crowd?” Val suggests.
I nod. “Good idea.”
We lead the kids to another section of the park away from where the race festivities are. We’ll eventually have to make it over to the other side where the 5k ends, but we have time. The kids all run around on the grass, and us three women watch quietly for a few minutes.
“Are you pregnant?” Annie says it only loud enough that the three of us can hear. Not that the kids would notice—they’re playing tag and running around screaming.
I turn and look at them. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
I bite my lower lip. I’m afraid to hope for it because I don’t want another month of disappointment, but the fact that I haven’t been feeling well and I just threw up really makes me think I might be. This is exactly how my pregnancy with Dante started. The morning sickness arrived right away, but by the end of my first trimester, it was gone for good.
Annie smiles and claps her hands in front of her.
“Have you missed your period?” Val asks.
I shake my head. “It’s not due for another day or two. But I’ve been feeling off the past few days… and I just threw up.”
“Why don’t you go take a test? We can watch the kids,” Annie suggests.
“Yeah, we have time before we have to head to the finish line to meet the guys.” Val shifts her purse to her other shoulder. “They have those early result ones now that should be able to tell you.”
I bite my lower lip. Is this something I should wait to do with Carm?
I instantly put that thought aside, remembering the look of disappointment on his face when I took one a few months ago when my period was a couple days late. There’s no reason to put him through that for nothing. And I really want to know. I’ve never been a patient person.
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching Dante?” I ask.
Just then, Arianna comes up to Annie. “Mommy, Mateo thinks he can beat me in a race to the light pole over there, but then he won’t race me when I tell him to prove it.”
Annie places her hand on Arianna’s head. “Honey, if he doesn’t want to race you, then he doesn’t want to race you. Let it go.”
“Then he should stop saying he can beat me.” She huffs and crosses her arms.
“Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors!” my four-year-old shouts, clearly not really understanding how that game works.
I guess I should’ve known it would turn out this way. Everything is a competition between the three brothers, so it’s no surprise it’s rubbed off on our children.
“Dante, come over here.” I wave him over and he runs up to me. “Auntie Valentina and Auntie Annie are going to watch you for a few minutes while Mommy runs an errand, okay?”
He nods and looks back over his shoulder at his cousins, not caring what I’m talking about, just wanting to get back to playing with the kids.
“You be good for them, you hear me?”
He nods, and I kiss the top of his head before he runs off.
“Bye!” he shouts and joins the fray again.
“Thanks so much, ladies. I’ll be quick. I’m pretty sure there’s a drugstore a couple blocks from here.”
