Mom was Forty-eight, Harry fifty-three, and Alex twenty-eight. Still stuck in the same boat as he was three years ago at twenty-five. Dating Evelyn, no children, no rings.I poured the batter into the pans, then licked the spoon.
I had felt awful for a few weeks, now. Aches, headaches, and the inability to keep my lunch down. It was awful. I had barely eaten anything for a weeks. Water and crackers and vitamins. I could keep that down. I had lost weight a little, without wanting to, I just couldn't will myself to eat.
I'd visited Francois last month... I knew what my symptoms indicated. I
had bought a drug store test last week, but the test was negative. I
was twenty-one and happily dating Francois. I didn't need a baby. I'd
scheduled a doctor's appointment at four, today. I didn't trust the
tests. I had to be sure. At the party, I avoided alcohol. I figured that if I was pregnant, I didn't want to ruin the child's life. One drink and my kid would probably be an alien or something, with my luck. And if I wasn't pregnant, I could always get hammered later with Francois in Paris, which would probably lead to some drunken sex...which probably would lead to a kid. So I guess there's no getting hammered either way."Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," We sung to Harry. He aged up into a graying fifty-three year old. Then, Mom went. She'd developed gray streaks in her hair and a few more wrinkles. Then, Alex went. His looks hadn't changed at all.
"Evelyn and I have a surpris
e, everyone." Alex tapped his wine glass.
"What?!" Everyone gasped.Then, the congratulations."Married?" My shocked Mother asked. "When? Where? I'm happy for you, congratulations, but...so quick."
"Our Vegas trip that we just got home from yesterday."
"You didn't, you know, drink. Did you?" Harry looked concerned.
"Of course not." Evelyn giggled. "Totally alcohol free vacation." Cassie and Jamie had gotten strangely quiet.
"Why?" I asked.
"Why what, Tiff?" Alex asked me.
"So sudden. The marriage. Because of the baby?"
"No, I actually proposed to her a few weeks before the baby was...conceived."
"Why? I mean, I love having another sis-in-law but it seemed kinda quick."
"Well...." Alex blushed.
"We'd wanted children. But, I wanted to wait until marriage to start a family." Evelyn elaborated.
"I wasn't sure if it would be to sudden. But...I love her." They looked at each other with adoring looks. "And know we have our little pumpkin to join us." He rubbed Evelyn's tummy.
"Cassie? Jamie?" My mother looked to them. "Awfully quiet." She winked at them.
"I'm pregnant!" Cassie blurted out. "Again. I told Alyce a while back. I'm two months in. Eight weeks."
"That is fabulous!" Evelyn squealed. "The kids will be so close in age and," She began squealing the details of everything that would be fabulous, since the babies would be so close in age.
"Evelyn's on a little...pregnancy high."
"Ah, pregnancy brain." My Mother sighed.
Everyone began talking baby names and stores. I couldn't help but feel left out. I wasn't pregnant. I might be. I hope not. Three pregnancies seemed a little hormonally excessive. I wasn't married, though. And Francois was clueless that he might be a father and that our baking bread at night had left a little bun in the oven....
The music was turned up and everyone began dancing. Alex and Cassie started a dance-off and everyone laughed. Alex busted out the robot and Cassie did her little scuba dance.
"So, who wins?" She giggled."Come on guys." Alex smiled.
"Cassie." Jamie instantly said, hypnotized by her swinging hips.
"Defiantly Cassie." My Mother said. "Because you don't mess
with a pregnant woman."
"Ditto." Harry said.
"Evelyn?" Alex turned towards her, a playful look in his eyes.
"Cassie! You'll learn not to mess with pregnancy brain, soon enough." She giggled and they began kissing.
"Guys. Guys!"
"Oops." They blushed and pulled away.
"Cassie." I cast my vote.
"Woo!" She did another victory dance. "Baby and I win!"
"Do you guys want to come back to our place and see Emily, Rooselt, and James?"
"Sure." We all piled into our vehicles and drove.
Mom loved playing with James.
"Oh, Jamie! He's saying Grandma!"
"Gwanma. Pick me up! Up!" The four year old giggled.
"Upppp you go!" She picked him up. "Tiff, I remember when you where this old. You where such an adorable baby." She tickled James's tummy. "Yes he was. You're adorable
. Look at his little cheeks!"
"Thwank oo gwanma."
"And his manners. Awww! Grandma loves her grandbabies."
"He looks like Tiff." Cassie commented."He does." I laughed.
"Hi Auntie Twiff." He waved at me.
"Hi, James." I waved back. He was adorable. Hey. Soon this might be you life. Diaper changes and baby bottles.
Upstairs, Alex, Jamie, and Harry where playing with the twins.
"So..." Alex commented. "The kids are cute." He played with Emily.
"Thanks." Jamie said. "Hard to believe you're going to have one soon."
"I know...is it hard? Parenting?"
"It gets easier as you go along."
"Really?" Well, when they can't walk," He laughed. "It's easier to keep track of the little ones."
"Grandpa Harry! Can you say Grandpa Harry?" He cooed to Roosevelt.
"Gwandpa Hawwy!"
"How old are you turning?" Jamie asked him.
"Thwee. But I two wight now."
"Yeah. Me is."
Back downstairs, the conversation had turned from 'Look how cute James is' to 'Pregnancy things I never want to know'.
"So, when's your due date?" Evelyn asked Cassie.
"I have seven more months to go so," She babbled more.
I glanced at my watch. Three-thirty. "Well, I have to go."
"What? Why?" Mom asked me.
"Writing thing. Publisher. You know." I tried being as vague as possible. Hopefully, I wouldn't be pregnant and everything would be good. Everything would be good.
I hopped in the car and drove to the clinic. I nervously, I waited in the waiting area. Magazines sat on tables, all about pregnancy or health or parenting. Nothing I was wanting to read right now. I glanced at the kiddie area. Rocking horse, alphabet poster, dollhouse, and colorful rug. This could be my life soon. I hope not. I wanted children, but not know. I was at the height of my career. Tiffani Janes was becoming a well known name in the literary world. And Francois was excelling at his career. In France. He'd visited America a total of four times, but we had yet to figure out living arrangements. I'd love to live in France, but Francois told me he thought we should, if ever, move in together in the USA. He had a dual citizenship, so it wo But his career. He was a doctor and currently had a well paying job at a tiny clinic. He wanted to be an American doctor, but he'd have to start all over; he'd save as much as he could then move to America and start out at Bridgeport Hospital.uld be easier for him to move here then me move there.
"Tiffani Janes. The doctor is ready to see you." The young, blonde secretary informed me.
"Thanks." I mumbled. I collected my thoughts, then stood up. I walked into the white room, and began panicking. I couldn't be a mother. I couldn't.
"Ms. Janes, please take a seat." I did.
The doctor ran some tests, then began analyzing them.
"Ms. Janes, I have news." She stated once she stood up."Good or bad?" I he
ld my breath.
"It depends. Do you want to be a mother?"
"No. Wait, am I? No, no, I can-"
"Don't worry. You are not pregnant."
"Thank goodness." I sighed a large sigh of relief. "Not that I don't like kids, or you know, want them. I'm only twenty-one and my boyfriend is in France and I was really going to wait on kids. And I don't sound like a bad future mom, do I? I love kids. I'm and aunt to three. Emily, Roosevelt, and James. They're adorable-"
"But, that isn't the only thing I have to tell you."
"What?" I went back into freak out mode.
"You have two ovarian cysts. They do not appear to be dangerous, they may even go away on their own, but surgical removal is an option."
"Does this ruin my-er, not to sound hypocritical, but can I still have children?"
"Yes, you can. it may be harder for you to conceive, but it is possible."
"Good. I want children. Just not now."
"Ms. Janes," She went onto to babble a bunch of medical garble about the cysts. They could burst, which would be bad, and there was many other terms that I couldn't remember."Would you like to schedule a surgical removal?"
"Um...can I talk to my family, first?
"Of course. Call the office during hours and we will schedule the surgery." After a few more moments, I was out of the clinic.
As I drove home, I felt nervous. Cysts.That didn't sound good. I focused on the road; focused on driving. This didn't mean my plan couldn't go as I wanted. I could still have my life plan. I could- Stop. I felt a sudden oddity. The rush or almost pregnancy suddenly made me not want to be pregnant. I didn't want children, yet. I wasn't ready yet and you can't put a number on when I will be. I've been dating the same man for three years, yes. That didn't mean we needed to be married. Marriage...what was the point.
Black.
Spots.
Dizzy.
I suddenly felt a wave of confusion. Or made that was the dizziness. I felt faint. I'd passed out.
Crash.
Hit.
Swerve.
My vision went black and my head tumbled forwards.
Guardrail.
Blood.
Pain vibrated through my skull. I heard the bone fracturing. My left arm went numb. I couldn't open my eyes. I felt the blood plaster my hair to my face.
"Is she okay?" "Quick, call 911!"
Sirens.
Ambulance.
Voices. Cell phones. I felt myself being lifted onto a gurney and wheeled to the ambulance.
Surgery.
Tubes.
I was at the hospital. Critical conditon. Tubes going into my skin. One down my throat. I felt like gagging. Drugs pumping through my veins.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
The monitor. Unawareness.
"Tiff. Tiff, wake up! Please be okay. I called Francois. He's coming. He's coming from France for you! You have to be okay. Tiff no! Tiff I love you like a sister."
Evelyn.
Awww poor Tiffani. That's a lot to take in, everyone being pregnant, then knowing she didn't want to be just yet, then getting that medical stuff diagnosed, then having a car accident. At least there was someone to get her to the hospital quickly.
ReplyDeleteShe's defiantly having a hard time right now, especially with her BF in another country and everyone so excited about Cassie and Evelyn's pregnancies. Thanks for commenting. :)
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