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“Child, when are you coming to visit me? I don’t have forever left, you know.” She starts the conversation as she usually does, griping about how little I visit her.
“Mimi, I’m on bed rest right now. I can’t go anywhere right now.”
“Ptsh. Your generation is so weak. Child, when I was pregnant, I didn’t get the opportunity to lie around. There’s always something to clean.”
See? Even Mimi thinks bed rest is crap.
“I’d love to be at work, but my doctor has ordered me to lie down. I have to keep the baby safe.”
“You haven’t been putting your hands above your head, have you? That’s bad for the baby. You have to keep them below your shoulders.”
I cringe and squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m pretty sure that’s not real.”
“Pregnant one time and think you know everything.”
“Aren’t you the generation that used to inject pee into rabbits to test for pregnancy?”
“Not your Mimi. I always knew as soon as I could smell the peaches.”
I don’t know if this is a normal conversation or the start of dementia. “Mm-hmm,” I mumble not sure what else to say to that comment.
“First time I was pregnant, walked into my sister’s kitchen and clear across the room I could smell her peaches! It was the strangest thing. Once that baby was born, I made your papa buy peaches weekly and keep them in a bowl. Every single time I could smell them, I was pregnant.”
I guess that’s one way to get it done. This also reveals my grandparents had a lot of sex if Papa bought peaches every week. Yikes.
I cringe knowing she can’t see me. “Interesting.”
“Anyway, your mother wants to know when we can come visit since you never have time to come out here.”
Please, someone, send me patience. Is it normal to love someone so much that you also want to just shake them at the same time?
“Bed rest, Meems. I’d visit, but I’m not supposed to do much.”
“Then I suppose we should be coming out there to help you get ready for your baby.”
“No! No, I mean, you don’t need to do that. I have Nathan here helping me. And my best friend, Cami.”
“I’ll let your mother know, and we’ll come soon.” Click
The whole respect your elders thing can be a real crapshoot sometimes. The temptation is strong to dial her back up. Or my mother. I bring up her name on my list of recent contacts, but a resounding knock from my front door stops me short.
Busted?
It could be the mailman. Nath
an has proven again and again that he isn’t above using my spare key to get to me. I doubt he learned to knock patiently now.
The noise stops as abruptly as it began. I’m more than tempted to lie on my couch and pretend I’m not home. I also have a suspicion that whoever is on the other side of that door knows I’m here and isn’t going to just leave.
When the knocking starts again, my choice is decided for me.
“Coming!” I call out and hoist myself from the couch. The door hinges creak, and the person on the other side of the door is the last one I expect to see.
“Regina,” I greet and fail to mask the surprise in my tone. “Hi.”
Her pursed lips soften a tad as her gaze sweeps over my massive belly. “This doesn’t look like Nathan’s house to me. May I come in?”
“S-sure. Yeah.” I back up to give her access and shut the door behind her. Hoping to avoid being scolded by a member of Nathan’s family, I waddle back to my couch. “Make yourself comfortable.”
