by Molly Bryant
“Hell yes, up top,” Ben held his hand in the air, I gave him a high five across the table. “Congratulations,”
“You too,”
I knew with the way things turned out with Maria, Ben, my family and the wedding that the next eight months is going to be just as crazy. All I can do is smile, hang on tight to the loves of my life and go along for the ride.
~
“Oh my God,” Maria was breathing hard, her sweat was beading on her forehead. “It's so damn hot,” she groaned.
New York was experiencing one of the worst heat waves in years, and to top it off it was July and Maria was due two days ago with our baby girl. The air conditioner was working at top capacity and to me, I was freezing sitting next to her on the couch in a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt.
“Go check the thermostat please, baby,” she patted my thigh with her swollen hand.
“Be right back,” I kissed her cheek softly.
I checked the thermostat and it was seventy-four in the loft as we have kept all the curtains closed and hadn't left in a few days. I was starting to feel bad for her as it was already set to sixty-nine and the degrees weren't dropping any lower. Secretly, I was thankful.
“It's at seventy-four,” I said as I came back into he living room and plopped onto the couch next to her.
“Really?” she looked at me. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” I kissed her cheek again nervously. For the last few days she has been extremely hasty with me.
“Do we need to make you an eye appointment, Ethan?” she looked at me from the corner of her eye. Oh, God.
“Oh, uh...” I stuttered not wanting to say the wrong thing. “I had one two months ago, remember? I'm okay, babe,” I grabbed her thigh.
“I think you need to go read it again,” she said snidely. “It has to be like eighty or something,”
“Babe, I-”
Ding dong...
“Good, whoever that is can check the damn thermostat,”
“I promise you I can read it,” I shook my head as I walked to the front door. I had no idea why she was being so grumpy other than it is pregnancy related stuff. Without Maria knowing, I put a call into her doctor to tell her of Maria's sudden mood changes, which she laughed letting me know it was normal at the end of pregnancy. She reassured me that when the baby is born, it will stop.
I opened the door to an upset looking Ben and a very sweaty Vanessa who's bangs were sticking to her forehead.
“Hey, sis,” I smiled. “Hot out there isn't it?”
“Move,” she glared at me, walking past while bumping into my shoulder. “Watch it, over-sized load walking here,”
My eyes traveled from a waddling Vanessa who was due with my niece three days ago then back to Ben who closed his eyes and sighed. “I'm dying, I swear to God I am dying,”
“Yours too, huh?” I smirked.
“I thought she was in a bad mood until the air conditioner broke then she turned into the damn devil,” he walked in and I shut the door behind him. “Seriously, I thought I saw her irises turning red when she was threatening the service men on the phone,”
“Seriously?” my eyes went wide.
“Yeah, and to make matters worse, they can't fix it until tomorrow afternoon,” he gave me a hopeful look. “Can we stay here until they fix it? It's too hot for Vanessa,”
“Please, I could use your company,” That was an understatement.
“Ben?”
“Yes, honey,” he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.
“It's hot in here, will you check the thermostat? I don't think my brother can read,” she yelled from the couch.
“It's seventy-four, I just checked it,” I whispered.
“Watch and learn,” he wiggled his brows. I followed him to the hallway and gestured my hand to the blue lit seventy-four without saying a word.
“It's a sweltering seventy-seven and on it's way down to a chilling sixty-five,” he hollered from over his shoulder.
I heard two sighs coming from the couch. “Thank you, Ben,” Maria smiled.
“How the hell-” I couldn't believe that she didn't bite his head off.
“Tell them what they want to hear,” he winked.
We walked into the kitchen and I grabbed a cold beer out of the fridge for both Ben and I. We popped the top and drank the entire bottle while staring at each other as though it was a competition. We slapped the bottles on the counter top with a sigh.
“Ethan!”
“Benjamin!”
They said at the same time. We turned around as saw both of them standing there behind us with their hands on their severely swollen bellies, both sweaty as hell looking like they peed their pants.
“Ladies,” Ben sighed. “Peeing your pants is not the way to cool off,”
“My water just broke,” they said in unison, then gasping they looked at each other. “It's time!” they shrilled, standing there rubbing each others bellies excitedly.
For the love of God.
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