Page 64 of Entangled

“Then perhaps you should stop squeezing that glue bottle before you bust the top of it off,” Jenny pointed out.

Cara instantly dropped the bottle of glue into the container. “Okay, so maybe the idea of birth freaks me out a bit.”

“A lot, you mean.”

“Make it easy on me, Jenny.”

The older woman laughed, saying, “You know I won’t do that. My whole job is to make people talk about their deepest, darkest issues. Since no one else is around right now, I might as well work on you.”

“I’m not in need of a therapist, but thank you.” Cara shot the woman a smile. “Really, though, I know it’ll be fine. I’m just freaked out because I’m twenty-seven, very pregnant, and it’s almost at the end.”

“Which means?”

“My whole life is about to change?”

Jenny nodded. “But you know that, too. You know little man is going to change things for you, from your daily life, to school, to work, and that’s just the surface. Emotionally, physically, and mentally, change will come there, too. The fact that you know these things means the transition will come easier for you, from a woman, to a mom. Too many live in the clouds when they’re pregnant, and then baby comes, and boom, back down to reality. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”

“You make motherhood sound … like war.”

“For some, it can be,” Jenny murmured.

“I’m lucky that I have people to help,” Cara said, shrugging. “Like the ladies here, or my aunt and uncle. The father and some of his family, too.”

Cara said that last sentence quieter, and offered little to no information about Gian, his family, or who she meant.

“You say that like you’re leaving someone out,” Jenny noted.

Cara frowned, and turned to face the woman. “It would be nice to have my sister, too. You know?”

“To wish for things you cannot have, is human.”

“Maybe so, but I don’t like to dwell.”

“And I think it’s more than acceptable for you to wish your twin sister was here for this, even if it hurts a lot to think about. You shared your whole lives with one another. Boys, graduation, smiles and tears, laughter … life.”

Cara cleared the emotion lodging in her throat. “Yeah and this is one of the very few things we won’t get to share, so that’s a little hard. But it doesn’t matter, right? What’s done is done, so let’s get up, brush ourselves off, and move on.”

“It does matter, Cara. My advice is that you don’t hold those feelings in, or push them aside in pursuit of happier days, especially not now,” Jenny said, coming close enough that she could soothingly rub a hand over Cara’s back. “Because even if you think not dealing with those thoughts and feelings is better, you’re actually doing yourself, and the baby, a great disservice.”

“How so?”

“Babies have a way of reminding us of everything we are without once they come into the world, although unintentionally. The wash of hormones, all the changes, and everything else comes together like the Big Bang to make one hell of a combination on new mothers. Deal with how you feel now, so that when he is here, those things don’t surprise you.”

Cara nodded. “Okay.”

“And I am always here to talk,” Jenny added.

“Sometimes, I think you just like making people cry.”

“Hey.” Jenny covered a spot on her chest with her hand. “My heart. Did we not just have a deep conversation, of which you will take something away to use to help yourself?”

“So?”

“Remember what I said, Cara. Seriously.”

“I will,” Cara promised, “and thanks for making me talk. Too many people are fine and happy with me brushing them off when I say I’m fine, or something similar. You don’t.”

“Not my job to,” Jenny said, ticking a finger over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “Oh, well, hello there. Can we help you?”