26
A GRANDER GESTURE?
CASSIDY
It’s beena couple weeks since Ren changed my name without asking me. While things haven’t been perfect—a distinct impossibility, if you ask Jessica—things have been good.
Ren, being the annoyingly best husband ever, has gone out of his way at every turn to make things good for me. For us.
It finally got to the point where I had to ask him to take it down a notch because the amount of effort he was putting in wasn’t sustainable. And just because I’m pregnant and an emotional wreck doesn’t mean I’m automatically exempt from personal accountability and a certain percentage of the household chores.
It still took a couple heartfelt conversations before he truly understood where I was coming from, and I was relieved when he actively worked on putting his own stubbornness aside and acknowledged that my being pregnant didn’t make me helpless.
Unless I want to be helpless, but that would be determined on a case-by-case basis mostly led by my hormones. And hunger. And tiredness. I’d let him know.
Ren went off to practice this morning, and I did some light housework in preparation for Issa, Jessica, and Carolina coming over for lunch and gossip.
Everything seemed normal until after lunch when, suddenly, the ladies wanted to play some weird game of dress up. Now, I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but everyone is acting suspicious.
“Okay,” I finally state plainly. “Why are you all acting so weird?”
Three sets of eyes stare back at me then look between each other. Finally, Jessica responds, “We’re not acting weird.”
“Try again.”
Issa sighs loudly. “It’s nothing, Cass. Just a little surprise for later.”
“I hate surprises.”
And I’m not kidding. I hate them. Loathe them.
“Too fucking bad,” Carolina retorts, giving me a small shove in the direction of the vanity she just got up from.
I twist out of the way, make a beeline for the door, but Jessica cuts me off. “Come on Cassidy, don’t be like that.”
“I will be like that,” I answer sharply. “I’ll give you three a free pass because I’ve never explained my aversion to surprises, but let this be the one and only time I have to say this.”
I pause, wait until they’re all looking at me before adding, “I truly detest surprises. There is no such thing as a good surprise in my mind. No amount of arguing will change my opinion on this.”
“If we tell you, do you promise to act surprised?”
“No.”
Carolina laughs, Issa huffs, and Jessica groans. Then Jessica says, “But if we tell you what the surprise is will you go?”
“No.”
“Goddamn it, Cassidy,” Issa mutters, but her words aren’t angry, just exasperated. Shaking her head, she pulls out her phone, tapping furiously before putting the phone back in her pocket.
Seconds later, my phone chimes and I glare at Issa as I retrieve it, opening the message app.
Ren: You’re cordially invited to a party. Tonight. With me.
Cassidy: I don’t like parties.
Ren: But you like me enough to ignore that fact and go anyway?
Cassidy: Maybe.
