* * *
Eli:Are you awake?
Penny:I am despite being totally exhausted.
My phone rings, and I answer and put it on speaker before laying my phone on my stomach. In bed and comfortable, I don’t feel like holding my phone up to my ear. “Hey, congrats on the win tonight.”
“Thanks,” he says, his voice sounding just as exhausted as mine. “Just waiting on a few guys, and then we’re heading to the airport. I’ll be home pretty late. Want me to sleep on the couch so I don’t disturb you?”
“No. I’m sure once I fall asleep, I’ll be out cold.”
“Okay.” He pauses for a second. “How was the appointment?”
“Good. Confirmed that I am, in fact, pregnant, but we knew that.”
“Did you tell him about the, uh . . . the tingling?”
“Yes.” I chuckle. “He said it was normal and to expect many more changes to come. He also told me to take prenatal vitamins and set what he thinks is a due date.”
“What is it?”
“November eleventh.”
“Right after the season starts back up again.” I can hear the concern in his voice. “I need to check on paternity leave and see if we even get anything. I know it’s not mandated by the league, but maybe the Agitators have their own policy.”
“I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about right now. We have a long way to go. I’m still in a timeframe where my pregnancy could go either way.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asks.
“You know, I could still have a high chance of a miscarriage. That’s why the doctor always tells you to wait until you start telling people. Once we hit twelve weeks, then we can start telling people, and you can check on paternity leave.”
“How far along are you now?”
“Almost eight.”
“Why does it feel like it’s been longer?”
I sink further into my pillow as I say, “Probably because the first week we found out, it felt like paint was drying while trying to have a conversation.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, that could be it. I’m glad we can joke about it. Does that mean you’re starting to feel more comfortable around me?”
“I think so. Maybe by tomorrow, I’ll actually be able to look at you and not have the incessant need to clean.”
“Glad that seeing my face makes you want to clean.”
I let out a low laugh. “Are you still thinking you want to live here? Because honestly, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It all seems kind of silly at this point.”
“Is this your roundabout way of kicking me out?” I can hear the teasing in his voice, but there is also a slight edge to it.
“No, not at all. But everything happened so fast, and I know Pacey is breathing down your neck. I don’t want you to feel obligated. I can handle Pacey.”
“I can handle him too. I appreciate your concern, Penny, but I’m going to need to fight my own battle with Pacey. As far as the apartment is concerned, I’d truly like to stay with you, just so I can be there in case anything happens. I know I’m out of town a lot, but at least when I am in town, I can be there.”
“If that’s what you want, then that’s fine.”
He’s quiet for a second and then grows serious when he says, “But what do you want, Penny?”
I stare up at the ceiling, giving that question some thought. In this uncertain time of my life, I could really use the comfort of someone going through the same thing as me. And sure, Eli might not be the one carrying the child, but he’s still about to become a parent in November, and that’s some scary shit. It might be nice to go through that together.
