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She smiled at Cath.
“I understand this is your first baby.”
Cath nodded. “That’s right.”
“Trace assures us it’s his. He should know, but I’d feel better with DNA testing,” Edward said.
“Honey, this is not a court of law. I’m sure Trace and Cath know if it’s his baby.”
“Like with Cynthia?”
The comment stopped Darlene cold. She looked at Trace.
“It’s mine, Mom. And we’ve already taken steps to make sure you’ll have your fair share of spoiling.”
A waiter came to take their orders. Cath was grateful for the reprieve. From the unsettling looks by Trace’s parents, she could tell they were not happy with the situation. Nothing she could do about that. She felt slightly queasy, however, and hoped she’d make it through the meal.
“I understand you work for Trace,” Edward said after their orders had been placed.
“I do now. I did not when we were dating.”
“You’re not seeing each other now?” Darlene asked.
“We’re seeing each other.”
Trace flicked Cath a quick glance.
She kept quiet. If he wanted his parents to think there was still a close alliance between them, it wasn’t up to her to contradict him in public. But he could have clued her in prior to their meeting.
“Living together?” Edward asked.
Cath was startled at that.
“No,” she replied quickly.
Maybe she should set the record straight.
“Actually we’re discussing different options for when the baby comes,” Trace said. “We’ll let you know when we decide what we’re going to do.”
“When is the baby due?” Darlene asked.
“In early May,” Cath said.
The discussion centered on the coming arrival until their meal was served. Edward then asked Trace how the new position was going and the topic moved to Signals, Inc .
Cath was happy enough to let the conversation swirl around her. She still didn’t feel very well. She had an achy feeling low in her stomach and still felt queasy. She did not like this aspect of pregnancy. Finally she stopped eating, sipping her water. She’d love to have the meal over and be on her way home.
“Are you planning to keep working after the baby comes?” Darlene asked at one point.
“Yes. While I’m looking forward to having this baby, I love my job. I’ve invested a lot of years into this career.”
“I always found being a mother satisfying,” Darlene said.
“So does my mom,” Cath said with a smile, trying not to take Darlene’s comment as some kind of criticism.
Maybe Cath would feel differently at some point, but right now she couldn’t imagine not continuing her career. There was so much she wanted to accomplish.
The longer the meal continued, the more stressed Cath felt. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it any longer, the conversation changed. Noises were made about leaving. If she could just hold on a few more moments, she’d jump into a cab and head for home and peace and quiet.
