Page 50 of So I Know it's Real

“From what I can see, I would say you’re at least eleven weeks.”

I slapped my forehead, realizing I got pregnant the first time we had sex.

Once my appointment was done, I lingered in the parking lot. I contemplated how I would tell Durk we were having a baby so soon in our relationship. I knew my parents would have a few choice words about me having three kids at twenty-six. Tatum and Pierce…they were still getting used to having Durk around, and now they had to share me with someone else. I gnawed on my bottom lip as I started my truck. Despite being grown, I felt like I had been as irresponsible as I was at sixteen.

This is different, Clover.

Durk is different, Clover.

A warm blush bit into my cheeks. With everything we experienced in months of knowing each other, I couldn’t minimize our connection because of time. Three months or three years, the timeline wouldn’t have changed the course of our future.

After leaving Dr. Lamar’s office, it took almost thirty minutes to make it to the address my mom sent me. I called her when I pulled up in front of the residence, hoping she would come out to meet me.

“Clover, are you still stopping by with my dishes? I hope you didn’t forget.”

“No ma’am. I’m here already. Do I have to come inside?” I crossed my fingers.

“Of course! Come in here and speak to the mothers of the church.”

I exhaled deeply and punched the air before issuing a phony, “All right. But I can’t stay long, Mama. I have a migraine.”

“That’s exactly why you need to come inside. The First Lady can say a quick prayer over you.”

Now that I knew I was pregnant, I was self-conscious about my appearance. I didn’t believe I had a visible bump, but I still tugged on my blouse and exchanged my windbreaker for a black peacoat I kept in my trunk.

“Good evening, ladies!” I greeted the group as I entered the cozy home.

“There goes my baby!” My mom turned to the ladies. “Y’all know my baby has been doing her thang on the internet. Her posts always go viral on Facebook,” she bragged.

Each lady walked over and pulled me in for an embrace, but Ms. Barbara, the lady of the house, snarled at me. In the past, she had been cordial, but today, she seemed irritated by my presence.

“Clover, come with me to the garden,” my mom announced. “First Lady said to meet her out there.”

“First Lady is busy!” Ms. Barbara clamored in a harsh tone.

Most of the ladies stared at her strangely while her teenage granddaughter looked her up and down.

“Barbara, is there a problem?” my mom spoke up.

“No problem at all, Jesse.” Barbara modeled a phony grin. “I’m just doing my job as an officer of the church.”

“You’re the church’s secretary, not their security.”

I stepped forward, cutting off their stare down.

“It’s all right, Mama. I’ll schedule an appointment to speak with the First Lady. Where’s the ladies’s room?”

Barbara gripped her hips. “Down the hall. First door on your right.”

The duo kept on with their petty exchange as I exited the room. I danced to the toilet and then squatted over the seat like I had been holding it all day. Once I exited the bathroom, Barbara’s granddaughter was walking up the hallway.

“I’m sorry about how Barbara came at you,” the chubby cheek lady professed.

“No need to apologize. I’m used to the women in the church guarding those on the pulpit like their lives depend on it.”

“Ha! That’s not the reason she got smart with you.” She popped a peppermint in her mouth. “You’re dating Mother Jo’s grandson, right?”

Surprised, I instantly became defensive. “Why are you asking about him?”

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