“Yes. The festival. Thank youverymuch!”
“Me? I fail to see how I’m toblame.”
“If you hadn’t invited me, none of this would havehappened.”
“Oh, right. I should have predicted this very plausible scenario,” he said, humoring my hormonal outbursts. “And how do you feel about… uh, beingpregnant?”
“Well, that depends on when you ask me. I started out stunned. Then I was excited. But now I’m strictly bone-chillingterrified.”
“And you’re sure Finn’sthedad?”
I had a sudden and intense desire to kick my brother squarely in the crotch. Whoa, what the hell? Were emotional outbursts a side effect of pregnancy? If so, this was going to be a long sixmonths.
“You know, Jake, I understand you’re trying to be helpful, but I’m real unstable right now, so let’s try to just think before speaking,shallwe?”
Jake snickered as he made a wide circle around me. “You havecrazyeyes.”
“Because you were slut-shaming me,” I complained,irrationally.
“Do you want me to help you or not?” He grinned. “Jesus Christ. Is this what I’m going to have to look forward to when Casey getspregnant?”
“I read somewhere that pregnancy magnifies your existing personality. With Casey, I’m sure when she’s with child it’ll be like living with a Disney princess. You’llbefine.”
“I think it’s alcohol, not pregnancy, that magnifies thepersonality.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know. Casey’s perfect. There’s no reason to assume she will be any less dazzling when she’s carrying your child, so stop worrying. Besides, we’re talking about me now, so try and stayfocused.”
Jake shook his head. “Okay, I’m going to ask a series of questions. Just answer them without the bitchy tone. Can youdothat?”
“I can’t promiseanything.”
We grinned at oneanother.
“Do you plan totellFinn?”
“Eventually.”
“And byeventually, you mean realdamnsoon?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.” Ismiled.
“Do you… um… plan on keepingthebaby?”
“Yes,I…yes.”
“That’s not veryencouraging.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I want this baby; it’s just that I’m scared. What if something happens? What if I can’t keepitsafe?”
“Youwill.”
“You don’t know that. Mom couldn’t keepyousafe.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. “So that’s what this is allabout?”
“Well, it’s a big damn issue, yeah. I mean, aren’t you scared to have kids someday? You, more than anyone, know the evil that lives outthere.”
“So what should I do then – shut myself off from the world? I did that, and I was miserable.” Jake stopped talking as realization swept over him. “Please tell me that’s not why you’ve sworn offmarriage.”
