decided to go for it a couple of months ago. But I’ve been busy at work so I sort of lost track of my cycle, you know?”
I nod.
“Okay, so yesterday Mark made lobster bisque.”
I wince inwardly. Mark Pryce owns some of the best restaurants in the city, but his cooking is atrocious. “You didn’t eat it, did you?”
“No,” Hilary says, affection and resignation in her voice. “The smell was so… I had to run to the bathroom and throw up.”
I give her a sympathetic look. “That bad, huh?” I say, pretty certain it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill morning sickness.
“He decided I must be sick, so he called the family doctor to come over.”
“It never occurred to him that maybe it was the horrible smell?”
Kim and Yuna are laughing.
Hilary rolls her eyes. “Of course not. He was convinced the bisque was fantastic. Anyway, that’s when we found out. Mark’s insisting I see Dr. Silverman later this week to make sure…but I’m sure.”
I realize I haven’t made an appointment to see a doctor about my baby yet. I confirmed the pregnancy on Saturday, but still… I should make a list of the things I need to do for the little life growing inside me.
And I wonder if that’s the difference between me and Hilary. She has a husband who’s there with a checklist—or something like it that he probably got from his brothers who’ve gone through this before—to ensure she gets all the care she needs. I’m flying solo…and blind. For a moment, my mind goes back to what Edgar said about being there for me.
And I wish things were different. That I had a loving husband like Hilary and that I wasn’t worried about Aaron or any “Plan B.” Just the small life growing in my womb.
“You want me to refer you to her? She doesn’t take new patients without a referral,” Hilary says. “I mean, unless you already have a doctor in mind.”
“Actually, I don’t. I’d love that. Thank you.” I smile with relief and gratitude. My doctor retired earlier this year. Although she gave me a list of new ones, I haven’t had a chance to check any of them out yet. Dr. Silverman is one of the best, and I’d love to give that to my baby. To make up for being distracted and everything else.
“So. Are you going to finally marry Edgar?” Yuna asks. “And go to all the doctor’s appointments together and take photos and stuff?”
Of course Yuna won’t give up. “It’s complicated,” I say.
“He didn’t try to convince you?”
Her urgency is kind of puzzling. Is she fishing for something? “Well… He came by.”
“You let him in?” Kim sounds stunned. “You never let anybody in.”
“I let some people in,” I say. Kim and Hilary used to tease me about it, until I told them I didn’t want them to be lost in the pile of clothes, shoes and purses. Now they just accept it as a weird quirk.
“Yeah, like your family.” Hilary is studying me curiously.
“Oh my God,” Kim says, “she’s treating him like family!”
“I knew it!” Yuna crows.
“No, no, no, no. Look, Edgar didn’t come inside. We went out.” But I might as well be chumming a pool full of hungry sharks.
“A date?” Kim asks, her eyes wide.
Yuna snaps her fingers. “Totally a date! Tell me you did fun stuff.”
“Where did he take you? Someplace romantic?” Hilary is sitting up straighter.
“Tell us the details!” Yuna is nearly breathless. “Everything. No wonder you look so gorgeous right now. I bet you made Edgar crazy.” She lowers her voice dramatically. “He. Wants. You.”
“Was it sort of impromptu?” Kim asks. “Or did you—”
“You guys, stop.” You’d think I’d never had a date before from the way they’re going on. “Okay, so…he supposedly wanted my help finding a place to live. Apparently he had a talk with my brothers and cousins.”
“How many brothers and cousins?” Yuna asks, her eyes bright. “And are they older or younger? That’s important.”
“Uh…three older brothers. And three older cousins, plus one younger—all guys,” I say.
“Are they cute?” Yuna asks, then shakes her head. “Of course they are. They share the same DNA as you.”
I laugh at that. “Why, thank you.”
Kim grows thoughtful. “When did they talk?”
“Edgar crashed our family dinner. Somehow, he knew about it.”
Kim looks down, her lips pursed. Yuna, meanwhile, is giving me the worst “innocent smile” in the history of innocent smiles.
So. Kim told Yuna, who then told Edgar. Figures. Edgar was probably very convincing. And since Yuna wants me to marry