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I pull the car over briefly and, just like I’ve done many times since August, I navigate to her contact. I’ve never pressed called.
This time, though, I do.
25
KIRA
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
Orlie has calledme three times. Two months and I haven’t heard a thing and now he’s called me three times.In a row.
I reject each call. I’m busy. Preoccupied, surrounded by family and close friends. Everyone is wearing silly Halloween costumes, including me. I’ve opted for a classic witch. It allows me to wear a raggedy old dress that hangs in such a way that no one could construe I have a bump even if they tried. However, it’s a bit counterintuitive, considering part of the reason this celebration is even happening is because of me.
Everyone here knows I’m pregnant. It’s not just the family, but the close friends. The Solace in-crowd, including Lola and Victoria. From there, the connections build in concentric circles to add up to about thirty people in the room.
Gillian practically insisted that this afterparty be turned into a celebration of my pregnancy.
I just don’t feel particularly celebratory. I’m going to be a single mom. Not that’s something to be ashamed of, in the grand sense.
I do feel ashamed, though. Cast aside by the person Iknowis the father of the baby, my very own boss who made it seem like maybe there was a future in us…
It’s deeply painful.
Still, I’m trying to enjoy these early stages. At least the ones where I’m not aching in some form.
I’ve made it four months. Past that first trimester. Past the higher chances of loss.
This baby is sticking around for the long haul. My teensy.
That’s what I call them. “My teensy”. I don’t yet know the gender, but what I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that my baby is a tiny little thing. Size of a pear.
Although, when I think about it, a pear isn’t tiny. You can hold a pear in your hand. A pear doesn’t just disappear. See what I did there? Disap-pear?
Look, I’m going to have to make up for the lack of dad jokes in my baby’s life.
There is the chiming of glass. My dad stands at the front of the room; he decided to partner costume with me and go as a warlock. Although he’s shed most of his costume at this point. Getting way too hot in the elastic beard and wool robes. The beard is now around his neck and he’s discarded his pointy warlock hat on a table nearby. “I’d like to make a toast,” he says, holding up a glass of champagne.
A waiter walks around with glasses of champagne, distributing them quickly. As he plows toward me, I start to feel nervous to reject it.
“We’re fine, thanks.” Gillian swoops in before the server can meet me, waving him off.
“Thanks,” I say.
She wraps her arm around my waist and tucks me into her side. I’m self-conscious she can feel the new thickness of my waist.
“I just want to thank everyone for coming here to celebrate Axel and Gillian’s success with the Seton Playground. And anamazing grand opening.” Dad smiles. “But the real reason we’re all here tonight is to celebrate my daughter Kira.”
The room turns toward me. I want to disappear into Gillian’s side completely. And she knows it, which is why she squeezes my arm tightly.You got this,her support seems to say.
“I’ve always been proud of Kira’s accomplishments. She’s bright, witty, and no-nonsense, which in our family is hard to come by.”
“Daddy,” Amy chides.
I stifle a laugh. Her sass is always funny, but it’s even funnier in her little jungle explorer costume. Both she and Hunter look like they’re ready to delve into the Amazon rainforest to discover the latest species of spider, The Jessarachnid. I helped Amy sew the eight arms into Jessica’s little dress.
“I’m just speaking the truth.” Dad looks at me from across the room. “Kira’s the last one to leave the nest.”
I immediately feel the waterworks pricking at my eyes. It’s not hard to get me to cry these days. But when it comes to my dad…well…
