Page 47 of Sin Wagon
It doesn’t.
It’s fucking Claudia. I hit the ignore button, rolling my eyes in annoyance, before swiftly blocking her contact. Drew gets the same treatment, and I set my phone back down, only to see Derek with a brow raised, staring at me.
“Claudia. I’m not speaking to her for a long-ass time, if ever again. I blocked her and ‘Daddy.’”
“You should have done it a long time ago.” He shrugs. “But then we wouldn’t have received an invitation to Maury live at the beach.” He laughs, a deep belly laugh.
I raise my foot and forcefully bring it down on his thigh. “You’re an asshole.” I join him, laughing.
“I was hoping it would be Wells,” he tells me.
“That ship has sailed, I’m pretty sure. Just another letdown in my life, but that’s okay. Little Boba and I have Uncle Derek, and that’s all we need. The three amigos.”
“Damn right.”
We spendthe rest of the afternoon together, discussing potential job opportunities for Derek, and brainstorming ways to manage our expenses until he finds something. I’m feeling the weight of this pregnancy, occasionally rubbing my swollen belly and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’ll be eight months pregnant soon.
As evening approaches, we decide to order takeout since neither of us feels like cooking. Derek insists on treating me to my favorite Thai food, despite our tightened budget. We eat in comfortable silence until Derek speaks.
“Did you see the girls at Hidden Gems dressed as gemstones for Halloween? Most uncreative group costume for the club ever,” Derek says around a mouthful of noodles.
“Yeah, I saw it on Granite’s Instagram. We were supposed to be Barbies since the movie was released this year, but they must have changed the plan.”
I feel a pang of disappointment about Halloween. It’s usually a fun night for us, filled with horror movies and candy after work. But this year, I hung out alone on the couch while Derek worked. He didn’t want to tempt fate by asking for another night off when today’s meeting was looming over him.
“I can’t believe Halloween passed without us doing anything,” I murmur.
“I know,” Derek replies softly, running a hand over his hair. “I wish I wouldn’t have had to work. Next year, we’ll make up for it, I promise,” he assures me and then changes the subject, trying to lighten the mood. “What are we gonna do for Thanksgiving?”
I forgot all about it being Turkey Month; my second favorite holiday.
“No plans here. We could do a low-key thing together. I can cook,” I suggest, trying to envision a cozy Thanksgiving with just the two of us.
“Will you make me a pecan pie?” Derek asks playfully.
“Duh.”
“Alright then, it’s gonna be just us and a little feast. I like it. You could go into labor, though. How fun would it be if you had a Thanksgiving or Black Friday baby?”
“Thanksgiving, yes. Black Friday, no. I would have no money. They’d figure out all the good deals on their birthday and break the bank,” I joke.
After we finish our meal, Derek cleans up despite my protests that he’s done enough by treating me to dinner. He insists it’s the least he can do, so as he rinses the dishes and neatly stacks them in the dishwasher, I help by gathering the empty takeout containers and tossing them in the recycling bin.
As we work together, I feel a deep appreciation for Derek and his unwavering, all-in friendship. Despite the uncertainties and challenges we’re facing, his presence and willingness to share in the responsibilities and joys of this pregnancy, is something I will be forever grateful for.
“You tired, love?” Derek asks softly, stepping over to me and brushing a loose strand of hair from my face.
“A bit,” I admit with a yawn. “Today was a lot.”
Derek nods in understanding, his hand gently rubbing my back. “You’re doing amazing, you know that? I’m proud of you.”
I smile sleepily, snuggling closer to him. “Thanks, Derek.”
“You should go to bed.”
I nod, reluctantly stepping away and giving him a small smile. I make my way to my bedroom and slide under the covers.
As I lie there, feeling Little Boba’s steady kicking inside me, I think about how grateful I am for these quiet moments, just me and my baby. I know that no matter what, I’m going to give this little human growing inside of me the best life he or she could ever dream of.
