That rushing sound I heard was all my attempts to keep my life simple being flushed down the toilet.
6
Ihad houses to clean and a shift at Crave the next day.
I also had less trouble with the morning sickness because I took my mother's advice and kept a can of 7-Up and a little baggie of crackers next to the bed. I ate one as soon as I opened my eyes, waited a few minutes, then sat up just enough to take a few sips of the lemon-lime soda. Then, I'd lain back down and read a book on my phone for fifteen minutes.
When I finally risked sitting up, my stomach still rolled but the nausea wasn't severe enough that I thought I would puke.
Mom had warned me that it could get worse as the first trimester went along. Or that I might hit the five- or six-month mark before it went away. Or that it might never go away.
She'd laughed when I'd replied that at least I had something to look forward to.
I walked to the bathroom in slow, careful steps, used the facilities, and washed my hands and face. I stared in the mirror, looking for any visible signs that I was pregnant in my face or upper body.
Nothing.
I looked the same as I always had, though my eyes were puffy from lack of sleep.
Abandoning my study of the mirror, I went back into the bedroom, munched on another cracker, and carried my soda into the kitchen with me.
After another day of a breakfast of toast and tea, I took a shower, dressed, and headed out to clean my first house of the day. I wasn't due at the shop until five that afternoon, so I was going to fit two cleaning jobs in this morning and early afternoon, take a short nap after, then go to work.
Cam was planning to leave when I got there, so I would need to arrive a bit early so I could talk to her about moving to full-time and getting benefits.
The sooner that could happen, the better.
As I went through the motions of cleaning the two houses, I thought about what I would say to Cam and how I would say it.
I didn't want to go in there cold because then I would blurt out that her older brother had knocked me up on the night of her wedding.
Yes, that was a great way to ask for a promotion and benefits. Telling her that her brother had sex with me.
I was sure she'd be thrilled. Absolutely thrilled.
By the time I got home from cleaning the second house, I took another quick shower, dressing in light pajamas, and climbed into bed. As stressed out as I was about talking to Cam, I was also exhausted. Again.
Sleep came a lot more easily than I expected and I woke up about five minutes before my alarm went off, feeling much more rested.
There was a bounce in my step when I walked into the shop, though I stopped short when I saw J.J. standing at the end of the counter, his arm around Cam's neck as he rubbed his knuckles over the top of her head.
It was something my brothers would have done to me and I could see a similar annoyance and love in Cam's expression. It was probably the same look I wore when Robert or Clayton did it to me.
"Save me, Lee!" Cam called. "My former best friend and business partner has abandoned me."
Despite the fact that there were people in the shop, Sierra hollered from the office. "She lies! Lies, I tell you!"
The patrons were obviously used to the theatrics and silliness between Cam and Sierra because they either laughed or ignored them.
I approached the counter, my stomach flip-flopping. There was no way J.J. could tell I was pregnant just by looking at me. I'd taken four pregnancy tests, all positive, and I would have had trouble believing it myself if I hadn't woken up with the urge to hurl every morning.
He smiled as I walked closer. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"
"She pays my salary, so, yes, I would. And I'm sure you remember what my brothers were like when I was growing up. I learned how to defend myself."
J.J.'s smile widened but he released Cam. Then, he grunted when her fist hit him in the gut.
"Jerk," she grumbled.
