by Katie Ashey
“With the baby coming, we need to make new traditions,” Evelyn had pronounced. So, she’d decided to cook the meal at her house. She’d sought out anyone who might be sad and lonely on the holiday. Martin had jokingly called her guest list the “strays”. But I thought it was so sweet of her to do it. That’s how I’d come to be sitting next to my mom on my right and on my left was Mrs. Regenstein, the Nelson’s elderly neighbor who wouldn’t see her out-of-state children until Christmas.
Just like with Gram, I helped Evelyn prepare the food the night before and then helped her during the morning. It felt good being useful, and I hoped I would’ve made Gram proud with my expertise. When Jason and Jonathan finally dragged themselves out of bed and appeared downstairs around noon, Evelyn made sure to say how much she appreciated having a daughter now to help her get things done. The boys merely grunted and started scrounging for something to eat.
It was around two when we finally sat down for lunch. After Martin returned grace, Evelyn rose from her seat. “I’d just like to thank everyone for being here today. Your presence ensures there are no empty seats at this table, and for a brief time, our loss isn’t quite so evident.”
When she paused as her voice started to waver, tears pricked my eyelids. I quickly ducked my head. Most days, I tried not to cry in front of Evelyn since I wanted to be strong for her. While I’d lost the father of my child, she’d lost her son—her baby that she spoiled and doted on.
Staring down at my hands, I fought the ache tearing its way through my chest. Stop it, Presley. You can’t lose it at the dining room table in front of everyone, especially the people you don’t know.
As I was debating making a run for the bathroom, someone nudged my foot under the table. I jerked my head up to stare across at Jonathan. His lips quirked up at me in a sad smile. Somehow holding his gaze gave me the comfort to swallow down the sobs. With a bob of my head, I returned his smile.
“Let’s raise a glass in memory of our sweet son who we miss so terribly much.”
With a shaky hand, I reached out for the crystal goblet filled with ice tea. After picking it up, I drew in a breath before thrusting it upwards. “To Jake,” Evelyn said.
“To Jake,” I echoed, my voice choking off.
The week after Thanksgiving found me up in Evelyn’s bedroom. After folding up the remaining sweaters, I placed them in Evelyn’s open suitcase. She came out of the bathroom with her makeup bag in one hand and her curling iron in the other. “Your clothes are packed,” I announced.
She smiled. “Thank you, sweetheart.” After placing the other items in the suitcase, she zipped it up. When she glanced up at me, a frown had replaced her smile. “Are you sure you won’t come with us?” she asked.
Shaking my head, I replied, “You and Martin need some alone time.”
Evelyn huffed. “I’d hardly call a gathering of his old buddies from Duke and their spouses alone time.”
“Yeah, well, you certainly don’t need a pregnant chick waddling around behind you or sharing your hotel room.”
“You know we would’ve reserved you your own hotel room. While we were at the events, you could have room service or spa treatments.”
I laughed. “Tempting. But I think I’ll stay here.”
Fidgeting with her pearls, Evelyn replied, “You know I’ll worry.”
“There is no need to worry. You were there last week when Dr. Vasco said everything looks great, and there was no need for alarm for an early delivery.” He’d gone so far as to say Evie looked like she was planning on setting up shop to come after my due date. He even mentioned the potential for an induction if she started growing too much.
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I want you to go and enjoy this time with Martin. The next couple of months are going to be hectic. After all you’ve done taking care of me, you should be the one ordering in room service and getting spa treatments.”
She laughed. “I would certainly enjoy it more than having to interact with some of the second wives.” With a disapproving shake of her head, she added, “Some of them are only a few years older than Jason and Jonathan. I just hate when men trade in their first wives for younger models.”
“I hear ya.”
Martin poked his head in the bedroom. “Ev, are you ready?”
“Yes, honey. I am.”
With a nod, Martin came into the room to grab the suitcase off the bed. He gave me a knowing look. “I see she was once again unsuccessful in trying to get you to come with us.”
Grinning, I replied, “Yes, she was.”
He cut his gaze over to Evelyn. “She knows as well as I do that we’ve alerted the entire street to keep an eye on the house and more importantly you.”
“Fabulous. I’m sure that means daily check ins from Mrs. Reganstein.”
Martin grunted. “You can bet on that.”
“Lucky me.”
“We have to get going. The airport is going to be a madhouse this time of day.”
Sighing resignedly, Evelyn reached over to hug me. “Please take care of yourself.”
“I plan on doing nothing but eating and watching television.”
“Good. Just make sure your phone is always with you.”
“I promise.” After squeezing her tight, I pulled away. “You guys have a great trip.”
“We will,” Martin replied as he headed out into the hallway.
Evelyn reluctantly fell in step behind him, and then I followed her. Once we got downstairs, I headed out to the garage with them. After Martin put in Evelyn’s suitcase, she gave me one last hug before reluctantly getting into the car.
“Don’t hesitate to call us if you need us,” Martin instructed.
“I won’t.” With a teasing smile, I added, “I’ll make sure to call and text every few hours.”
He chuckled. “Please do.” He then got into the car.
As the garage door opened, I waved one last time before I went back inside the house and locked the door. I immediately made a bee line over to the couch. After grabbing the remote, I settled in for a Netflix binge.
I’d gotten through a few reruns of The Office when the sound of the garage door opening caused me to jump off the couch in surprise. Well, maybe it wasn’t so much a jump with my belly as a lunge off. “I know you guys didn’t get all the way to the airport and turn around because you were worried about me,” I called as I started to the kitchen. I skidded to a stop at the sight of Jonathan.
“What?” he asked.
Inwardly, I groaned at the sight of not just him but two of the douchiest upper class guys I’d known from school. When I was a freshman, Vincent and Shawn were juniors and always scamming on younger girls. Of course, I’d forgotten they were friends with Jonathan. With a somewhat dorky wave, I replied, “Oh, um, sorry. I thought you were your parents.”
“I thought they were going to Durham today for Dad’s class reunion thing.”
“They are. They left about an hour ago.”
Jonathan nodded. “You remember Vince and Shawn?”
Unfortunately. “Yeah. Hey guys.”
With a shit-eating grin, Vince said, “You’re looking different these days, Pres.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Gee, maybe it’s because I’m eight months pregnant?”
Jonathan smacked Vince’s shoulder. “Don’t be a dickhead.”
“What? I was just stating facts.”
To my surprise, Jonathan’s jabbed a finger in Vince’s face. “You’re being a fucking dickhead.”
“Whatever.” Instead of doing the semi-decent thing and apologizing, Vince brushed past me to go to the fridge. “You got anything to eat in here? I’m starving.”
“Right. I’ll get out of your hair and go on up to my room.”
Shawn winked at me. “You don’t need to run out. Stay and we can catch up.”
Considering you two are the same sleazy jackoffs you were back in the day, I think I’m good. “I really need to lie down.”
&nbs
p; Whirling around from the fridge, Vince held a package of ham in his hand. “Hey, you should come with us tonight.”
“Vince,” Jonathan growled in warning.
“What? I was just being friendly by inviting Presley to the party at Avery’s.”
My eyes bulged at the mention of Avery Moore. While Maddie hadn’t come into Jake’s life until this last year, Avery and I had competed for his attention since we were freshman He was always going back and forth between us. She was everything I wasn’t: Homecoming Queen, A-Crowd Queen Bee, and from the rich side of town. She was also an ice princess with the personality of a goal post. For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine what Jake saw in her.
“I bet you remember her Christmas parties, don’t you, Pres?” Vince asked.
“Actually, I don’t since I was never invited.”
“My bad. I forgot the two of you used to bitch fight over Jake.”
Asshole. “Sure you did,” I muttered as I started out of the kitchen.
Ignoring the laughter from Vince and Shawn, I started up the stairs. Before I reached the landing, Jonathan called after me. “Presley?”
“What?” I replied turning around.
“I’m sorry about that.”
I shrugged. “It’s nice to see some people never change from being absolute tools.”
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t have to hear that bullshit anymore.”
I couldn’t help being surprised by his statement. At the same time, I wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “Have a good time at Avery’s,” I said sweetly.
Grimacing, he replied, “I’m just going by for a little while. It’s mainly to see Jake’s old friends.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“I just thought you needed to know.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I replied, “I’m not your mother, so you sure as hell don’t need my permission to do anything.’
“I wanted you to know where I was in case you needed me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did your mom put you up to babysitting me this weekend?”
“No. I was planning on coming home anyway.”
“Sure you were.”
“I was. Avery called me about the party weeks ago.”
“Then go and have a great time. Don’t worry about me.” I then turned and went back upstairs. When I got to my room, I flopped down on the bed. Mid-afternoon exhaustion was occurring more and more these days. Desperate for a little nap, I turned over and curled up in the warm blankets.
When I woke up, the sun had gone down. As I started to roll over in the bed, I furrowed my brows at a wet feeling between my legs. After throwing off the blankets, I gasped at the huge pee spot in the bed. “Wow, Presley, you haven’t pissed the bed since you were five.”
Not only was my lower half disgusting, but my upper-half was all sweaty and gross. Desperate for a shower, I pulled myself up. With a grunt, I waddled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Through the other bathroom door, I could hear Jonathan’s TV blaring. Since I didn’t hear any of the douchebags voices, I figured they had left while I was asleep.
After stripping off my clothes, I slipped inside the shower. The scalding water felt good on my skin. As I lathered up, my mind went back to Jonathan and the douchebags. I couldn’t believe Jonathan was going to a party at Avery’s. I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. She’d been a part of Jake’s like just as I had. And it wasn’t like he owed me any sort of allegiance. It made sense he wanted to spend time around people who helped him remember Jake.
Once I was done in the shower, I toweled off and then threw on a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. When I started into the bedroom, a twisting pain wrenched through my abdomen. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I murmured. My hands grasped my bump as it contorted in pain. This had to be something more than just the usual stretching and kicking. At the same time, icy fear pricked its way down my spine.
It had to be labor. “You…can’t…come…now,” I panted as an agonizing cramp charged through me. “You’re…not…due…for three…more weeks,” I grunted out. At the level of pain coursing through me, my daughter apparently had other plans.
When I finally experienced a momentary ceasefire of the twisting of my insides, the panic ricocheting through me said I needed to get to the hospital. It was getting there that was somewhat problematic. Obviously, I couldn’t drive myself when I was experiencing pain like this. I’d end up running off the road and smashing into another car when I lost my focus. That meant I had to find someone to take me.
But who? My mom was hours away, and the Nelsons were in North Carolina. All my friends were away at school. Mrs. Regenstein was pushing eighty and had night blindness.
That left only one person—the one who was supposed to go with his douchy friends to a party at my arch nemesis’ house.
I groaned not from the pain, but from what I knew I had to do. When I threw open the door, my ears were immediately assaulted by the high decibels of Jonathan’s TV. After waddling down the hall, I smacked my palm against the door. “Jonathan?”
A few seconds passed without a response. Gritting my teeth, I made a fist and began pounding on the door. “Jonathan!” I screamed. I kept banging on the wood until the door jerked open, which caused me to lurch forward and knock into him.
“What the hell?”
Another contraction gripped me, leaving me unable to speak. Instead, I buried my head in his chest and twisted my fingers into the hardened muscles of his biceps. “Presley, what the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.
“I…need…hospital,” I huffed out.
Jonathan tensed. “You’re joking, right?” When I furiously shook my head back and forth, he added, “But you’re not due for like….—”
“Three. More. weeks.”
“Right. My parents wouldn’t have left if they thought you were going to pop anytime soon.”
Now the pain was subsiding and I could catch my breath, I swept my head from his chest to glare at him. “I’m aware of when I’m due, thank you very much. It just so happens that babies can come anytime they want.”
“You aren’t wanting me to drive you to the hospital, are you?”
“Trust me, the last thing on earth I would ever want to do is inconvenience you by asking for a ride,” I snapped.
“You could always call an Uber,” Jonathan smirked.
“You’re really going to be the dick who refuses to drive the mother of your dead brother’s baby to the hospital?” I huffed
With a roll of his eyes, he replied, “Of course, I’m not. I was only teasing you about the Uber. I might be an asshole, but I’m not that big of an asshole.”
“The jury is still out on that one.”
“Besides the fact my parents would never let me live it down, I’m pretty sure Jake would come back to haunt me. I can only imagine what a total pain in the ass Ghost Jake would be.”
I couldn’t help giggling at the absurdity of both the moment and the idea of being haunted by Jake. When Jonathan met my gaze, he grinned as well. “I’m sure he would claim to be the hottest ghost anyone had ever seen,” I said.
“Of course, he would.”
We both got lost in our thoughts of Jake for a moment. But then the sweetness faded, and we were snapped back into reality. “Are you sure you need to go to the hospital? Like, could it be that false labor stuff?” Jonathan asked.
He was right. It could be just normal pains. Suddenly, I felt ridiculous for barging in. “I’m not sure. It’s not like I’ve ever been through this before.”
“Did you call your mom?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “No, because I was only thinking of getting a ride to the hospital, and she’s too far away.”
“Okay. Why don’t we call Mom and Dad?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”
Jonathan spun around and grabbed his phone off his bed. After scrolling through his
contacts, he brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Mom. How’s Durham?”
In the silence, I could hear Evelyn’s voice on the other line. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.
“Who said anything was wrong?”
“The fact you’re calling me rather than texting.”
Jonathan exhaled noisily. “It’s Presley. She’s having some pain.”
With a contemptuous snort, I replied, “Pain is an understatement.
“Hang on, Mom. I’ll put you on speaker,” Jonathan said.
After he pressed the button on the phone, Evelyn’s voice echoed through our SUV. “Hey sweetie. How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better,” I huffed.
Evelyn giggled. “Trust me, I know.”
“How long have you been experiencing pain?” Martin asked.
“I’m not exactly sure.”
“You’re not sure?” Martin repeated.
“I mean, the really bad pain started like twenty minutes ago. But I’ve had just normal stuff throughout the day.”
Silence came on the other end. “What do you mean ‘normal’ pains?’ Evelyn questioned.
“I don’t know. It just felt like the normal stretching and her moving around.”
“How far apart are the harder contractions?” Evelyn asked.
“Like five minutes.”
“Did you lose your mucus plug?” Evelyn asked.
Both Martin and Jonathan groaned at the mere mention of something so feminine. “I didn’t notice. I did pee the bed during my nap.”
Once again, there was silence on the other end of the phone. “What do you mean?”
When I looked up at Jonathan, he was staring at me with a semi-disgusted look. Ducking my head, I replied, “Like I woke up and my bed was wet.”
“Oh, honey, I think your water broke.”
“What? But I thought I was supposed to have pain and then that would happen.”