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I stand. “I’m just going to get some water. Anyone need anything from the kitchen?”
I bolt to the bathroom, barely making it in time. I rinse my mouth out, and as I leave the washroom, I feel Lily’s familiar hand on my back.
“When are you going to tell him?” Lily whispers conspiratorially.
I chuckle, then groan as she wipes my face with a cool, wet cloth. “I swear, you’re a witch or something.”
She snorts. “You’re so green at the gills, it was hard to miss. Are you alright?”
“Better now. I’m sorry, it’s just some smells…”
Lily nods. “Believe me, I know the drill. How far along?” She can barely contain the excitement in her eyes, and I start to tear up. Of course, everything makes me cry lately, but it’s good to see someone else as happy as I am.
“Just eight weeks. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure, but I went to the doctor yesterday.” I take the ultrasound still-shot from my pocket and hand it to her. Lily stifles a squeal.
“Oh, how wonderful!” she exclaims and hugs me.
When she lets go, I can see she’s starting to cry, too.
“I can’t wait to have a baby around. So, when are you going to tell Alex?” she asks brightly. She retrieves a lemon from the fruit bowl and a knife from the block.
“How do you know he doesn’t already know?” I lean my back against the counter and cross my arms.
She squeezes juice from half the lemon in my ice water and points at my husband through the doorway with the tip of the knife. “That is not a man who knows he’s about to be a father.”
I laugh. Alex is so absorbed in his food that I’m pretty sure he hasn’t even noticed we’re gone. I take the photo and the glass and head to the table.
“Honey?” I begin when I get settled back down in my chair. “Alex?”
“Hmm?” He glances up with raised eyebrows.
“I have some news.” I slide the glossy black square across the table and watch his face shift from thoughtful to amazed, with every expression in between.
If I had been worried that this international diplomat would be inscrutable with his poker face, Alex dispels that fear completely.
“Yes!” he yells, pumping his fist in the air. He gets down on his knees next to my chair.
“You’re going to be a father!”
Wrapping his arms around my middle, he talks to my flat belly. “Hi, little one! It’s your papa!” I dissolve into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
“He doesn’t even have ears yet!” I say through my giggles.
“She can feel vibrations, I’m sure. That’s a form of hearing,” he insists.
I look at Lily for help. She shrugs and shakes her head with a huge smile on her face.
“How long have you known? How far along are you? And are you alright?” he asks rapid-fire.
“I just found out yesterday. I’m eight weeks along. And I’m wonderful.”
“She’s sick as a dog,” Lily interjects.
“We’ll do whatever you need to help you feel better.” He has his phone out already, looking up remedies.
“Of course, you’ll have to stay off the horses until the baby comes,” he says.
I feel my eyes widen and my cheeks grow hot. “That’s what the doctor said, too,” I say forlornly. “But I twisted her arm. If Water just trots, it’s okay. I had to promise to be careful.”
