"Are you running a fever?"
"I don't think so. See if there's any ginger ale left in the fridge. I want to sip something."
He was back quickly, and handed the glass to her. She sipped it and then smiled up at him. "I'm already feeling better. Wow, that really hit me." She started to sit up, but he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Just stay down for a few minutes. You scared me. I need to catch my breath." He was kneeling down and took her hand in his.
She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "I think I'm okay. I got so frustrated, I was popping chocolates like popcorn. I just ate too much sugar. Don't fret."
He nodded. "What got you that frustrated?"
"Something special for us. Here, I'm okay now, let me sit up." She sat up and leaned back against the sofa. "I know we decided not to do a tree, but stockings sounded like a good idea to me for our first Christmas together. There, on that side table. Bring those here."
Eric found the stockings and turned back to her, holding them up. "Maggie, these are wonderful! I've never seen anything like them."
She beamed at him. "They did turn out pretty good. Major pain to make, but we'll have them forever. Then we can add to them, once we have children."
"Which will be a while into the future, but we'll be ready to add more stockings by then," Eric said.
Maggie said, "We never talked about having kids. I want them."
"I do too, but later. We have plenty of time, and we both are talking about school. It makes sense to wait a few, maybe five years or so, is what I'm thinking."
She nodded. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense. But how many kids?"
"More than one. Don't get me wrong, I was perfectly happy as a child. But I think it is good to have more than one."
"Sounds good to me. For now, though, let's hang up the stockings."
Soon he was sitting next to her, arm around her shoulders, as they gazed at the stockings. Maggie was very happy with how they'd turned out, and Eric really did seem to like them.
"I hate to bring this up, but I'm starving," Eric said. "I'm going to go heat up the food I brought."
"You know, I think I could eat something now. Did you say you brought mashed potatoes?"
"Yes, but are you sure?"
"Yeah, no gravy, just the potatoes."
"Stay right here, and I'll bring them to you."
Maggie watched him walk away and sighed. He really was gorgeous. It seemed impossible that he was hers. He had his hair pulled back again with the leather tie. She had begged Lucretia to engrave a silver ring for his hair that she could give him for Christmas. Lucretia had agreed as long as she promised not to bring up wedding and engagement rings until after the first of the year.
"How's the choir doing?" she asked after dinner.
"Very good. You'll be at the Grainger house that second night we carol, right?"
"Yes. I think Frank said something about hot apple cider and something good to eat for you guys. His is the last house on the tour, right?"
Eric nodded. "Yeah, he sent word to choir practice for everyone to plan on food and drink at his house when we're done. Frank's a good guy."
"What about where we're going to live? Do you want to stay here in Sully Point?" she asked.
"I think it's going to depend on whether we go back to school and if so, when. The earliest we could probably get into classes would be the fall of next year. Why don't we live here until then?"
"Here? In this apartment?"
"You think it's too small for the two of us? We've practically been living together here already."
"I think it might be nice to find something a bit bigger. A place we could come back to, if we do move away, for holidays and vacations. A place we could grow into, when we start having children."
"Which will be a long time in the future, but I get your point." Eric nodded slowly. "I hadn't thought of it, but it would be nice to have a place to call home, and not something temporary. I can call Linda Firestone, the real estate broker I used for the building. I'll bet she can find us something."
Maggie punched him gently in the arm. "If you think I'm going to go house hunting right before Christmas, you're nuts. Don't even bother that poor broker until after the beginning of the year."
He laughed. "You're right, I wasn't thinking." He ended up yawning on the last word.
"Let's go to bed, love," Maggie said. "I think we're both wiped out tonight."
As they settled into bed, both on their sides, him behind her, she decided that spooning was one of the more enjoyable aspects of being part of a couple. Feeling his arm around her, his body against her body, his warmth making her feel sleepy and cozy and warm, she murmured, "I love you, so much."
She felt him kiss the top of her head. His fingers linked with hers, tucking their hands up against her body.
"Go to sleep, darling. Know that I love you."
When she woke up in the morning, Eric had already left. There was a note on his pillow, telling her he was off to Julia's Place for an incoming shipment of computers. She laid back on the bed for a moment--and suddenly jumped up and raced for the bathroom. After being thoroughly sick, she stumbled into the kitchen for a glass of ginger ale.
She sat carefully at the table, feeling fragile and vaguely worried that she might be coming down with something right before Christmas, when it hit her. It couldn't be, she thought. She sat completely still and stared at the refrigerator. There was a calendar on the front of it. She started counting back to when she and Eric had first had sex. The nervous fluttering in her stomach now had nothing to do with being sick and everything to do with fear.
She managed to get up and go back to the bathroom to open the medicine cabinet. With trembling hands, she took the container of birth control pills out and stared at them. The count was off by one day. During all the excitement of the first days of their love, the time spent with Eric--somehow she had managed to forget to take a pill. It wasn't too much chocolate making her sick. She didn't have the flu. It wasn't even stress. Big tears splashed down her face as she looked into the mirror. "I'm...I'm...I'm pregnant," she said to her reflection. Wide shocked eyes looked back at her. She had no idea what to think or how she felt, besides being stunned.
"Okay, okay, just settle down. You might not be," she said out loud. "Just because you're suddenly craving chocolate and desserts, and you cry at the drop of a hat, that doesn't mean anything. First, buy a pregnancy test. But not anywhere in town! Just go do that first." She nodded firmly at her reflection in the mirror, and wiped her eyes.
She got dressed, grabbed her coat and purse and was out the door in a few minutes. She drove to the mall and bought three pregnancy tests--just to be sure.
The whole time she couldn't stop thinking about what Eric would say. He'd been so clear about their future when discussing it last night, talking about how they had plenty of time, to not rush into having kids. At least he wanted kids! That was something. But, right now?
And what did she feel about it? All she really knew was that she felt confused, stupid, and scared.
* * * *
Eric took a satisfied look around the pentagon-shaped room. Everything had arrived on time. Now they had to start deliveries or they'd never get them all out for Christmas morning.
"Julia? Have you got the finalized list?" he called out.
Julia walked into the room holding a clipboard. "Got it. I'll be staying here for the ones who are picking up their own. Cody's on the way over with the van. Our volunteers should be arriving right about now." She turned at the sound of the bell on the door. "Hello, Mrs. Newton."
Eric saw tiny Mrs. Newton come into the shop. Her face was lit up. "Is it true? They're really here?"
"Yes, they are. You're sure you don't want us to deliver it to you?" he asked.
"Oh Mr. Stanton, I'm plenty strong enough."
He looked at her. She was five feet one inch, maybe. A single mother whose husband had died in Afghanistan, she had two children, o
ne who was in Kindergarten and one in second grade. "First off, call me Eric. My father is Mr. Stanton. How about this--we send someone with you, just to carry it in. I know you can set it up once you have it inside your house, but it's snowy out there. Okay?"
She tilted her head to one side. "You're a nice man, Eric. Even if you do worry too much. But sure, if you have someone to come out with me, then that's cool. I just want to tell you what a great thing this is that you're doing. I want my kids to have every advantage I can give them, but I couldn't give them this. You're making a huge difference in their lives, so thank you."
Eric could feel his face flushing with embarrassment. He'd never done anything like this before. He'd always been so wrapped up in his work. The gratitude he was getting around the computer giveaway was surprising to him, and he didn't really know how to respond to it.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Newton. I think it's terrific that you're determined to expose your kids to computers early on. That's the best way."
Julia handed Mrs. Newton a several pieces of paper. "Here's the list of computer classes we'll be running that includes the higher level ones. There's also a list of software. Let us know if you want or need something immediately. Eventually we'll get around to everyone."
"Thanks to you too, Julia. You guys are great. Now--which one is mine?"
"Right over here," Eric said and pointed to a box with her name on it. One of the volunteers came in and they put the desktop computer and flat-screen monitor into her car, then the volunteer drove off with her. Some wanted desktops and others were getting laptops, based on preference.
"First one out the door," Julia said. "How does it feel?"
"Weird. And good. I've never given anything away or helped out anyone in any kind of charity. It felt odd to have her thanking me. I have so much now. It's really the least I can do, to give something back."
Julia beamed at him. "Exactly. Cody and I look at having money as a reason to do good. What's it there for, if not to be used?"
"Yeah. That's a good point. Okay, I'm going to get this thing on the road. I want to check in with Maggie in a while. She was sick last night."
"Stomach bug?"
"I'm not sure. She was sick but then she got better and ate. She thinks it was because she overdid eating chocolates."
"Maggie? Eating chocolate again? You know, that is so strange because she can be such a stickler for eating healthy."
"All I know is that she was sick and I want to make sure she's okay. I'm going to get some guys to start loading these up."
* * * *
Maggie sat on the side of the tub, staring at the wall. Three different tests and they'd all come back positive. According to them, she was pregnant. All because of one missed pill. She and Eric had not used condoms because they had both been without lovers for a long time and knew they were healthy. With her being on the pill, they of course had assumed they were covered.
What to do now was the question. She could think of only one thing.
"Mom?" she said into the phone, and then burst into tears.
Fifteen minutes later she was calmer.
"Can you come now, Mom? You and Dad? Get Sam to, I don't know, send a Lear jet or something for you?"
"Of course we can. I'll call Sam as soon as we hang up. We'll figure this out together, so wash your face and keep yourself busy. We love you."
"Thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you. Love you, too." She ended the call, splashed water on her face, and walked into the kitchen. Now she was starving, so she made some scrambled eggs and toast. She didn't have any decaf coffee, but hot chocolate sounded like a good idea.
Sipping her chocolate, later, while she worked on knitting a sweater for Sam, she realized that tonight was another practice session for the carolers. Eric would be gone all day with the computers and then out with the choir. That, she decided, was a very good thing. She needed time to sit with this, to figure out her own feelings before telling him anything. She knew she had to tell him, but she dreaded it. He had a vision of their life together, their future, and because she had forgotten to take a pill, it was going to be a very different future.
Would he want a child now, at this time? She didn't think so. And even if he said he did, how could she really trust that he meant it? She didn't want him to resent the baby even unconsciously. But that was all beside the point in this moment. Her feelings had to get sorted out first.
She did like kids, even if she called her nephew, Joshua, a little monster on occasion. But she'd expected to be having them in the future, several years down the road. She was young, she had time. Only the time had become now. A baby. A baby made up of bits of her and bits of Eric. She set her knitting aside, and placed her hand where she thought the beginnings of a baby might reside.
"Hey, you in there. No matter what happens, you've got me. And I love you. How could I not? So don't worry about anything. And if you could chill out on the making me throw up thing, I'd appreciate it."
A new person, growing inside her, made out of their love? Of course, she loved it already, a being made of love.
She felt better, having figured out that she did want the baby. When her mother called back, she was calm.
"We can't get there until day after tomorrow, honey," her mother said in a worried tone. "Everybody everywhere is all booked up. We need to wait for the snow to subside and then we'll drive down. We've got that monster four-wheel drive that Sam gave us last year for Christmas. We should be fine."
"Mom, I'm better. I've realized a few things. No matter what, I am keeping this baby. Wait until the roads are really cleared before coming out of the mountains. Take a couple of days. If you don't get here until Christmas Eve or even Christmas, that's okay. Really."
"But I don't want you to be alone."
Maggie laughed. "I won't be. I have the whole Grainger clan, and Sam and Anna are right here. I'm not alone. Plus, there's Eric."
"You'll tell him?"
"Yes. He should know. I don't know how he'll react, but he's a good man."
"All right, dear. But talk to Anna, or someone there, if you feel you can. It's good to share this kind of news."
"I don't want it to get out around town yet. But maybe I'll talk to Sam and Anna. They can keep a secret. Be careful driving down."
"We will be. I'll let you know when we set out, but call me any time, day or night."
She set her phone down after the good byes feeling confident she'd be able to handle things. Her parents would just be reinforcements of security during what could be a shaky time. But she was a grown-up, especially now! She was going to be a mother. What a strange idea.
Eric called a few minutes after that. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm pretty good. I had some breakfast and everything is fine."
"Are you sure? Your voice sounds kind of funny?"
"Funny?"
"Sort of strained, higher than usual. Do you want me to stop by in between deliveries?"
She took a deep breath and let it out, and tried to put confidence in her voice. "No, really, I'm okay. I've got some gifts to finish up, so I'll be taking it easy here. How are the deliveries going?"
"Wonderful. People are so excited. It ends up making me excited for them. The look on their faces just gets to me."
"You're doing a good thing, Eric. In fact, I told my mother you were a good man only moments ago."
"Your mother? Did they get their travel plans worked out?"
"They should get here on Christmas Eve or the next morning, depending on the weather."
"I can't wait to meet them. I know they must be terrific people."
"How can you know that?" she asked curiously.
"They made you. You came from them. And you are terrific, so they must be."
Maggie felt the tears start.
"Maggie, are you there?"
"Yes," she sniffed. "I think I might be allergic to this yarn. It's given me the sniffles."
"Sorry to hear that, darling. Take c
are of yourself and I'll see you around supper time."
"You have choir practice."
"I'll bring a pizza over before practice, how's that sound?"
"Great."
"Gotta go. I love you," Eric said.
"And I love you," she replied.
She set the phone down and proceeded to bawl for five minutes. It occurred to her that her hormones must be going wonky, but maybe this was abnormal, to be crying so much. She called Doc Watson and got an appointment for the afternoon. It couldn't hurt to be sure everything was okay.
Picking up her knitting again, she wondered if Anna was free later on. The she remembered today was the day she was to pick up the engraved silver hair clip for Eric's present. She got dressed and left her apartment, feeling odd at the thought of carrying around the beginnings of a living being inside her. The thought was a bit disturbing, considering some of the science fiction she'd read.
Lucretia's hair was messed up, and her face was flushed. "Maggie! There you are. I've finished it and I still can't believe you talked me into it. Check it out before I put it in the box."
Maggie took the silver piece from her. Beautifully-shaped leaves decorated the edges of the silver hair clip, which was really a half-circle with a clip on the underneath side. A guitar was lying on its side. Maggie was amazed at the level of detail in the engraving.
"Lucretia, it's perfect. You did an incredible job. Way better than I expected."
"Good," she said tiredly, but looking pleased. "Now give it here and let's put it in a pretty box." She handed it over to Maggie with a smile. "It was a good idea. Simple, yet elegant. You have a Merry Christmas."
"Thanks so much, for everything. Merry Christmas!"
Tucking the box away in her coat pocket, Maggie decided to get an early lunch at Deb's Deli. She was hungry again. Until she walked in the door. One of the smells in there got to her immediately, and she did an about-face and left the deli. Smells! That was what had gotten to her last night, the smell of the meat loaf and gravy. She walked down the street to the bakery and cautiously poked her head into the door, sampling the air. Everything smelled wonderful in there, and she went in eagerly. After much consideration, she chose almond-cherry tart, and a few chocolate eclairs. Carrying her bakery box, she went around the building into the back and climbed the stairs, mouth salivating for her treats.
Love Promises (Sully Point, Book 4) Page 12