Page 125 of Nuts

“Stop taking the pill,” I said.

Her eyes shot wide. “When?”

I shrugged. “Right now, if you want.”

“You’re ready now?”

“We won’t have one tomorrow,” I said. “It takes time. I’m just saying. I’m ready.”

She smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

We finished our meal, and I paid the tab. On our way out, we took one last look at the couple, and their baby.

“She’s adorable,” Joey said as we passed.

“Thank you.”

“How old is she?”

The woman beamed with pride. “Two weeks.”

I glanced at her husband. He was smiling from ear to ear.

“Holy cow,” Joey said. “That’s young.”

“Start them out early, and they never complain. This is number four for us.”

“Congratulations,” she said.

“Thank you.”

We exchanged smiles, and Joey and I walked to the door. After grabbing a mint, I noticed a trash can buy the door.

“Let me see your purse,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Let me see your purse.”

She handed me her purse. I rummaged through it, found her birth control pills, and held them over the trash can.

“You don’t have the guts,” she said. “If you drop them, it’s on like Donkey Kong.”

They hit the bottom of the empty container with a clank.

I glanced at the canister, and then at her. “Bring it.”

She raised her index finger in front of her face, and wagged it back and forth loosely. “It’s been brought.”

She was right. I’d had been.

And I was forever grateful.

Chapter Forty-Five

Joey