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Instead, I typed, So you took Teddy? Good uncle.
Adam’s reply came while I drove the short distance to my condo, and I sat in the parking lot to read it.
Yeah, I’m a great uncle. But now he won’t sleep, and I’m the tired one.
Adam sounded crankier than usual and decidedly less patient, so I texted a fast response. Hope he settles down. Need anything?
I expected him to say no, just like his sister had when I’d asked her the same question. I’d had to call the previous evening with the blood work results, which confirmed a pregnancy. She’d revealed her plan to use a fellow single mom friend’s help with childcare so she could get the ultrasound done, but she had turned down further assistance from me.
To my surprise though, Adam replied quickly. Actually, yes. Left a bottle of my headache-prevention med at your place. Bottle here is empty. Whoops. Could you bring it by?
Absolutely. I didn’t have to think about my response. I couldn’t even imagine a time when I wouldn’t want to help Adam. Alarm bells kept ringing in my brain, warning that I was already coming to care far too much for him and his family, but hell if I could turn off my concern now. Hurrying inside, I grabbed the bottle, which was low. I’d need to remind him to get a refill. I packed some energy water and cans of soup too, just in case he was on the verge of a headache.
Back at the car, I had a text from Ramona with an ultrasound pic attached.
Can’t stop looking at this. Can’t show anyone else yet. They estimate around nine weeks along. Still don’t know what I’m going to do.
Oh, hell. My double agent feeling increased. This was huge news, yet I had no choice but to keep it from Adam.
Let me know how I can help, I texted back, not entirely sure what else to say. She wasn’t mentally in a place to accept congratulations, and I didn’t want to be too admiring of the ultrasound while she was still figuring out her next steps.
There was still no reply by the time I reached Adam’s place. I arrived to find a hyper Teddy playing a video game hooked up to the living room TV and a tired-looking Adam on the couch.
“You doing all right?” I asked after stowing the pills for him in his medicine cabinet. “Your daily med won’t stop a migraine already in progress. Do you need the big guns?”
“Nah. I’m just tired. Thanks for bringing the meds by.” Adam yawned big as Teddy whooped at something on the TV.
“I hope Teddy lets you sleep.” Standing by the couch, I rubbed Adam’s meaty shoulder.
“Me too,” he groaned and stretched into my touch. “Can’t go getting a headache with him here.”
I had a feeling one might already be on the way, so I increased the intensity of my massage.
“You might not have a choice.” It was my turn to be the stern one. “You’ve been burning the candle at both ends.”
“I know. I know.” Adam made a dismissive gesture that said he wasn’t planning any changes. “I haven’t had a bad one since starting the new med. I’ll be okay as long as I can get some decent rest tonight. Any ideas on how to get Teddy tired?”
I might not have known the most about elementary-aged kids, but I knew one thing that sometimes worked for me. “Movie? That’ll get him sitting and not bouncing around at least.”
“You pick one?” Adam made pleading eyes at me, and his reluctance for me to leave told me he was hurting more than he’d let on.
“I can do that. Teddy, let’s switch off the game,” I ordered as I found the remote for the TV. “We’re going to watch that new superhero movie the streaming service keeps advertising.”
He made a sour face. “My friend said it’s the worst one. Boring.”
“Please.” The fact that it was getting panned in reviews for slow pacing was exactly why I was picking it. That, and I liked the franchise, but it wasn’t the sort of thing I’d watch on my own. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“Bet you fall asleep partway through anyway. Mom couldn’t even make it through an episode of our favorite show last night.”
I was counting on him being the one sleeping, but I nodded sympathetically. “Risk I’ll have to take.”
I cued the movie as Teddy settled down on the floor with his sleeping bag and a stack of pillows.
“I’m worried about Ramona,” Adam whispered to me as the movie started. “Sleeping in front of the TV isn’t like her.”
“Traveling takes a lot out of a person,” I hedged, looking out the window like the inky night might have answers for me.
“Her blood work was normal?” he pressed.
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
