Page 20 of The Golden Goalie

I snatch a piece of her garlic bread and take a bite. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” she questions, eyebrows high.

“She’s just a friend who needs help right now,” I tell her as I grab a bottle of water and pop the cap, knowing there’s no way I’m getting out of this conversation with my mom.

Chapter 10

Rico

I turn back to my mom, who’s waiting expectantly. “She’s just a friend,” I reiterate. At her raised eyebrows, I continue. “Who’s pregnant.”

She nods. “I thought as much when she ran for the bathroom. I feel terrible. It’s the garlic bread. Garlic is the worst when you’re pregnant.” She takes the tray of fresh garlic bread and drops them right into the trash.

“What are you doing?” I ask, horrified.

She turns back to me. “The smell is going to continue to make her sick.” She pulls up the bag. “You’re going to take it out back, and I’m going to try to get the smell out of the house or when she wakes up, it will be a repeat performance.

I frown. “She already threw up.”

My mother shakes her head. “Oh Son, you have so much to learn.”

I cross my arms across my chest, not in the mood. “Mom.”

She waves me towards the kitchen table. “Get a plate of food, and we’ll eat.”

“But Amber...”

“From what I could see, your girl is exhausted. If she’s getting a few minutes of sleep, let her. We’ll be here when she wakes up.”

“She’s not my girl,” I mutter, but it seems like it’s a losing battle. My mom and sister are both stubborn as all get-out when they get something in their heads. I fill a plate for both my mom and me and carry them over to the table.

“Thank you, Honey,” she says as she settles into the chair across from me.

“Thanks for making dinner.” I head back into the living room just to make sure Amber’s still asleep. Satisfied, I sit at the table with my mom.

“Is she still asleep?” I nod, even though I know she already knows. I dig in, starving after my practice. "Some women have morning sickness every moment of every day and throw up all day long,” she says after a little bit.

I finish chewing. “That’s terrible.”

She nods. “It really is for some women.”

“Was it like that for you?”

“With Peyton, it was. But it was better with you.”

“How long does it last?” I ask.

“Depends. Every woman is different. For some women, it doesn’t let up until they deliver the baby.”

“Nine months? Why get pregnant then?” My mom gives me a look, and I regret my question. “Okay, that was dumb.”

“Yes, it was. Morning sickness can really be awful, but having a baby is no small thing. There’s a lot of really difficult parts to it, but I’ll tell you something my mother, your grandmother, told me. She always told me, ‘Most women have at least one baby, and almost all women choose to go back for more’.”

“Yeah,” I reluctantly agree.

“Now, what’s her story?”

I sit back in my chair. “She’s Brielle’s younger sister.”

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