“No one else is coming,” she answered.
Josie sipped from the cup, sighing as she wrapped her hands around it. “Don’t tell JR I’ve started drinking coffee.”
“Why have you?” I asked. It was weird. She was a die-hard tea drinker. In fact, she never wanted coffee unless it was a dire situation. For her to switch to coffee was just?—
“Oh. My. God,” I muttered, sitting up in my seat. “You’re pregnant!”
She went bright red, looking anywhere but at either of us.
“Wait, is she right?” Delaney asked. “You have a bun in the oven?”
Josie broke out in a smile, then nodded happily. I jumped up from my seat, screaming and bouncing as I pulled her up and hugged her. Delaney joined in, squealing just as loudly as me.
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!” Delaney cried out. “When did you find out?”
“A few days ago!”
It took a good five minutes to break up the jumping and screaming fest we had going on, and when we finally sat down, none of us could actually contain the excitement.
“Have you told him yet?”
“Why do you think he drove me here?” she smirked. “I have a feeling life is going to be very different for the next nine months. Expect lots of drop-in visits so I can escape him.”
“I still can’t believe it,” I sighed. “So, what does this mean for you guys? Are you going to stay where you are or?—”
“JR’s already on it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The minute I told him, he said the house we were in was no place to raise a baby. Which, I get. It’s a rental. He wants something permanent.”
“Where is he looking?”
“That’s just it. He won’t tell me! It’s like I don’t even have a choice in the matter.”
“Ooh! Do we get to plan the baby shower?” I asked, already thinking ahead.
“I guess, but isn’t that like…not until closer to the baby coming?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning now,” Delaney grinned.
“It can’t take that long to plan a baby shower,” Josie said, looking a little nervous now that we were talking about it.
“There’s so much to do. I mean, we have to register you at stores. You have to decide which kind of car seat you like. Test strollers, bassinets, and cribs. Are you going to breast or bottle-feed?”
“Okay, okay!” Josie shouted, nearly in a panic. “I have nine months to figure this out. I don’t need to decide right this minute! And aren’t all car seats the same? There’s a standard. You can’t just put the baby in the back window like they used to do. And does anyone really test strollers? I mean…”
She was on the verge of hyperventilating, so I quickly changed the subject.
“I think I want to dye my hair black!”
Both of them stopped and stared at me strangely.
“Black?” Delaney said, barely holding back a grimace. “But…I mean, you have such beautiful blonde hair.”
“Yeah, black is so…”
“Drastic?” I said. “Maybe that’s what I need to shake up my life a little. I mean, right now, what do I do but stare at Liam from across the room?”
“And you think dyeing your hair will solve that?” Josie asked carefully.
“Well, I have to do something. I can’t just sit around here, pining after a man who doesn’t and never will want me.”
