Thanking him, I tipped him well and we sat down at one of the tables to enjoy our desserts. Despite the massive size of Cleo’s cone, she finished hers before me. She sat back and patted her belly.
“I am going to have to actually go to the gym after Tot. This is the most I’ve eaten out of all of my pregnancies. Even the twins I wasn’t this bad.”
“I wonder if that means something? Like if you have heartburn the baby will have lots of hair. That sort of thing.”
She thought about it for a moment then shrugged.
“Who knows, probably. All I know is that she’s probably gonna be like fifteen pounds. She sure kicks like it.”
Once I finished my cone, we stood up to leave and were startled when we heard a loud cling of something metallic falling to the floor. We turned and saw a flurry of red hair flying towards us.
Pink and brown liquid ice cream covered the floor next to the metal tray that the red head had been holding. Mine and Cleo’s backs were splattered with the sticky shake. Holly reached us in seconds.
She grabbed onto Cleo’s shoulders and held her in place.
“Why is it that no matter where I go, I can’t get away from you?” She screeched. Cleo and I stared at her speechless and in shock. Looking at her better, I realized she was wearing a pink and white striped uniform. Her little hat to match had fallen to the floor. She worked here. I wanted to laugh, thinking about the spa. The interview must have not gone well.
“How were we to know you worked here?” I shot back, pulling her arms off Cleo. She stumbled back and glared at us. It was then that I noticed her giant black eye. Oh, no.
“Christopher isn’t happy about the restraining order. Why do you have to take everything to the extreme? He thinks it’s my fault. Can’t you just leave us alone!” She screamed. Cleo shook her head and backed away.
“We are leaving now. Don’t worry. Holly, you need to get help. You can’t let him do this to you.”
Holly spit at Cleo’s feet.
“Don’t act like we are one in the same. He loves me, he never loved you.”
Cleo flinched. Gulping, she nodded.
“You’re right. I hope it works out for you. Good luck Holly.”
On the way out we could hear the rabid red head being fired. She started sobbing and in that moment, I felt only pity. It seemed like she would never be good enough for her husband, despite trying so hard to be what he wanted. I never wanted to live like that. Never being good enough.
My eyes turned from the road to glance at Cleo’s belly. Would just one baby and me be enough for my husband? Could we be?
I drove quietly, letting the dark thoughts absorb and take over all the happiness I had felt lately. However, when we got back to the house Mark hurried over and wrapped me in a giant hug.
“I missed my favorite girl,” he said, snuggling his face into my hair. I relaxed, realizing that I was worrying about nothing. I held him tighter and then he grimaced.
“Why are you so sticky and smell like strawberry syrup?”
