“No.” Robin shakes her head. “But we need to find out, don’t we?”
“We do.”
“I’ll run to the drug store and get a few of those little tests.”
“No.” I’m about to wave her off when she gives me the look. The one that tells me not to argue. The one I used to get from my mom when she was alive. Since Robin is the closest thing I’ve got to a mother or a father these days, I listen. “Fine.” I pause. “Okay. Yeah. We need to know.” I say “we” because she’s as much a part of this as anyone. Hell, she’ll practically be a grandmother if what I suspect is true. Which means I’ll be a mother.
Holy shit.
* * *
I stare downat the stick, or I guess I should say sticks since there are six of them lined up on the edge of the sink. Robin wasn’t sure which kind to buy, so she bought three boxes, each with two pregnancy tests inside.
“Well?” Robin asks through the door. “It’s been five minutes. One of those tests says it only takes three.”
She’s right. It did only take three, but I needed the two extra minutes to get my bearings. Taking a deep breath, I reach for the knob and turn it. When I pull the door open, I smile at my best friend. It’s a forced smile because none of this is good. Not really. I step out of the bathroom, and Robin takes my spot at the sink.
“Hooooolyshit,” Robin whispers loud enough for me to hear. “I’m gonna be a grandma.”
I prefer nana, because my mom always said, “When I’m a grandmother, I want them to call me Nana. It sounds sort of glamorous, doesn’t it, Maggy?” She was right. It does. But I’m not going to say anything just yet. I can’t. I’m speechless.
“We need to get you a doctor’s appointment.” Robin’s now in the flower room, holding one of the pregnancy tests. “Then we need to pay a little visit to EZ’s.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m not going back there.”
“Maggy.” Oh, great. Robin’s voice sounds serious. She can be bossy when she puts her mind to it. “If this is real,” she holds up the stick, “he has a right to know.”
I’m well aware. Those were the thoughts rolling around in my head the two minutes I had to myself to consider my future. I didn’t have to think about whether or not I’d keep the baby. Of course I’ll keep the baby. I’m thirty-five years old, and no doubt this will be my only shot at having a child. Honestly, I’d stopped thinking about kids about three years ago, after my last relationship sputtered out. I figured he was my only and last hope of having a kid. I guess I was wrong.
A tear slides down my cheek.
“Oh, hon. It’s gonna be okay.”
I nod. “I know.” And I do. It doesn’t matter what happens with Nate Black, because I’m more than capable of raising a child on my own. I make a decent living; I’ve got a nice apartment. Sure, it’s only one bedroom, but it’s big enough for a crib and all the other things I’d need. I shake my head at Robin. “No. I’m good.” Then I smile. “I’m gonna have a baby.” Because why would I be sad about that?
“Hon. You need to tell him.”
Robin has seen Nate a time or two at EZ’s, since she frequents the place with Gus, but she’s never actually talked to him. According to her, she’s given him stink eyes a few times, and I know she’s pumped Gus for intel on the man, but all Gus says is, “He’s kind of an asshole.”
I already knew that.
I also know Robin’s tried to get information about Nate from the guys at the bar. All she’s been able to find out is that he must make a decent living because his bike, his motorcycle, is “Fucking killer.” Whatever that means. Other than his motorcycle and the fact that he’s always a “Crankenstein” (Robin’s word), no one at EZ’s knows much about Nate Black. Either that or there’s some biker bro code that prevents them from answering questions about him.
“Please don’t say anything to Gus just yet. Okay, Robin?” I’d hate for him to spill the beans, since he knows I went home with Nate that night. Robin can’t keep a secret to save her life.
“I won’t.” She makes an X over her heart with her finger like she means it. “Promise.”
“I’ll make an appointment with my doctor to be sure.” I know how far along I am because Nate was the last man….
Anyway, that was two months ago. At least I knowthatfor sure.
6
Nate
What isshedoing here?
I clocked her the minute I walked into EZ’s. She’s sitting in the same spot as before, on the middle stool at the bar. The difference is that night, the night I took her home, her dirty-blonde hair was all fixed up. Long and wavy. And soft. So fucking soft. Not only that, she had on some super feminine top and spectacularly tight jeans that made her ass look perfect as she walked to the back of the bar toward the bathrooms that night.
