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“Food… ugh.”
“You need food. The baby needs food.”
“I know,” Steph said. “This kid had better know how much I love him or her.”
Josie grinned. “At least we get to find out what you’re having.”
“That makes up for the intense sickness,” Steph said.
Josie laughed. There was no use in trying to point out anything good to Steph. Rightfully so though. In the last few weeks she’d popped. She was showing exactly how someone twenty weeks pregnant should be showing. And she was still getting sick each morning. The doctor said that was normal and that, once again, everyone is different.
Truthfully, the entire situation was nothing but a giant ball of stress that rested on Josie’s back, but she had something that nobody else had.
Reese.
She had no idea what it all meant quite yet, but his company was welcomed and needed. They saw each other at the strip club all the time, flirting with their eyes, but it was at night, once the world had settled enough that they finally got together. Reese would come over and check on Steph. Bring her something to eat. Hang out with her. Talk about Laszlo. He even brought some old pictures a few nights ago that made Steph cry. Reese had a way to calm Steph and make her face her reality, which was more than Josie knew she could do. Josie knew she was too motherly with Steph. That was only because she was genuinely scared for her.
Once Steph went to bed, Josie got Reese to herself.
And she took full advantage of it.
The reminder of what she had been missing in life angered her at first, but Josie told herself that she would just have to do it more often with Reese to make up for all that lost time. Plus, the things he could do with his hands, mouth,his body, it was enough to make her numb to anything that resembled reality.
Josie made breakfast for Steph and got herself ready to go into work.
Steph sat on the couch and forced herself to eat.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Josie said to Steph. “Please take care of yourself. We have your appointment later, okay? Please be excited. You get to find out if you’re having a girl or a boy.”
Steph smiled. “I know. I haven’t decided what I would like more.”
“Let’s just go with a happy and healthy baby. Nothing else matters besides that.”
“I know that, Josie. I’m not as stupid as you think.”
“Whoa. Who said you’re stupid?”
“The way everyone treats me. Because I’m eighteen.”
Josie let out a slow breath. “I know. And if I do that to you, I’m sorry. I care about you. I love you, Steph. I want you to be happy. And this is a new journey.”
“I got a job.”
“What?”
“I got a job.”
“Where?”
“One of the diners,” Steph said.
“You’re twenty weeks pregnant…”
“And I got a job,” Steph said. “I need to make some money. I need to work. A friend of a friend’s father owns the place. He understands my situation. He’s willing to work with me. And he knows that when I can’t work anymore, I won’t.”
“You…” Josie paused. What she wanted to know was why it took getting pregnant to finally get a job. Why it took this situation to smarten up. But those were questions that never had answers. “I’m proud of you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Josie started to walk away but paused. She retreated to the living room and plopped down next to Steph and hugged her. They were silent, and Josie could feel Steph holding back tears.
