“I ate two portions and a load of chips. They were amazing. Your parents have been fab. They didn’t freak that I kept crying all the time even though I don’t know what I’m crying about. Hormones.” Her voice cracked and I figured tears were starting again.
I felt useless but that was something I had to deal with and not project on her.
“It’s worth being there just for the food. My dad suggested staying there until our house is ready. What do you think?” I was liking the idea. I got on well with them both, and spending some time there while the house was readied to our taste seemed sensible. If I knew Zoey, and I did, she was going to start buying baby paraphernalia as soon as she got the inkling of a go ahead.
“This duvet alone makes me want to say yes. I’ll speak to Amelie about it in the morning. I feel better being here already.”
“Good. I feel better you being there and I’ll be home in a week now. I’ve managed to get on the earlier flight out of here.” We were far enough with the research that I could pass it over to someone else and pick up what I needed to carry on with from the lab at the university.
“That’s amazing. I did another pregnancy test just to check and that was positive too, so I don’t think it’s a false alarm.” She sounded sleepy. “I’ll be glad when you’re home.”
“I will too. I’ll speak to you when you wake up. Sleep well.”
“I will do. Love you.”
“Love you.” It was easy to say. A relief to say.
I was lucky.
Two Years Ago
“We should have our palms read.” She pulled on my hand outside a small shop that announced on a sign Palms Read Here. “It’ll be fun and in twenty years we can see how accurate they were.”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure about this, Zo. This isn’t my thing.”
“Come on, Mister Scientist. You can do something weird and wonderful every so often. Make it this. For me.”
She knew it was utterly futile to try and resist her.
“Fine.” I groaned. “But that means we’re doing a tour of the Guinness factory.” She hadn’t been keen on that because she didn’t like Guinness, but as I’d explained, that wasn’t. the point. We were in Dublin for a weekend away, just being two normal twenty-something year olds and she didn’t have to drink the Guinness. I’d happily have her free pint.
We entered Madam McAllister’s Eye of the Future, Zoey far more enthusiastic than me. Madam McAllister was sitting at a table covered with a cloth patterned with eyes and cards, but she looked like someone’s grandma, even down to the twin set and pearls.
“Good morning, youngsters. How can I help you today?” Her accent was Irish and strong with it too.
I didn’t crack the obvious joke that she should know what we were here for; I had more sense and knowledge than that. Amelie and Freya, the wife of one of my friends, both read tarot cards, and Freya in particular was very new age. I had no issue with it apart from it scared me slightly, and I was nervous as to what Madam McAllister might say about me in front of Zoey.
“We want to know our futures.” Zoey sounded delighted. “Can you read our palms?”
She nodded and gestured for us to sit down. “It’s fifteen pounds each, if you’d pay first.”
No cards, just cash, said the sign. I coughed up the notes from my wallet and put them in the pot, wondering what I did next.
“Let me start with you, young lady.” She took hold of Zoey’s hand, running her fingers across her palm. “You have had success and there’s more to come. A big decision will need to be made.” She smiled at Zoey. “You’ll know what to do and my advice, girl, is to not question your gut. Follow your instinct.” She looked at me. “You’re friends, right? Nothing more. Yet. I see babies in your future, here.” She turned Zoe's hand over. “These lines; two babies, a third if you want later.” There was some more about challenges and being creative. I got the feeling that Madam McAllister didn’t actually know who Zoey was, or if she did, she was doing a really good job of hiding it.
I also didn’t want to think about Zoey having babies with someone that wasn’t me. I’d come to terms with that over the last half a decade. If someone was going to get Zoey pregnant it would have to be me; I just wasn’t sure how to have that conversation with her.
“Moving onto you.”
I woke up from my half nightmare, half dream, Madam McAllister’s focus on me.
“Can I have your hand?’
I held it out for her, nervous, wishing I hadn’t agreed to this.
“You’ve had health complications and it could’ve gone badly, but it didn’t. Your father helped you out, didn’t he?”
I nodded, surprised how she knew this.
