Page 50 of Never Really Mine
On cue, my phone buzzes on the counter, Thomas’s name on the screen.
32
MARLEY
“How are you feeling?” Megan asks. We’re in a small boutique in the Twin Cities, shopping for maternity clothes. I haven’t bought anything yet; I’m mainly looking for now. Josie keeps throwing things into the cart though, and I’m a little worried about what the total might be.
I sigh, unsure of how I want to answer the question. “Depends on the hour,” I reply with a soft laugh. “I’m not as nauseous lately, but I still feel like crap, and I’m exhausted more often than not.”
Megan rubs my shoulders. “That makes sense. You have a lot happening in your body right now.”
“When I was pregnant with Presley, I was sick the entire pregnancy. I had something called hyperemesis gravidarum. It was torture. I spent more time in the hospital than out toward the end of pregnancy. I constantly needed fluids,” Fallon says.
At the last minute, we called her and invited her out with us. It ended up working out amazingly. We dropped her daughter off with Nikki on our way out of town. Lennie was already there, so the two girls get to have a playdate.
“Thankfully, my morning sickness seems to have lessened. Now I only get sick maybe once a week. But none of my clothes fit anymore, so that’s fun.” I gesture to the shop around us. “Hence the shopping trip. I had a meltdown this morning in front of Beau, and he had to help me find something to wear. It was so embarrassing.” I cringe even remembering it.
“I’m sure he doesn’t care,” Josie says, holding up a forest green onesie with a baby fox on it. She points at the onesie, clearly obsessed with it. “I know we are shopping for you, but I can’t help it. I’m buying this.”
I chuckle. “I don’t think he minded, but he was so jumpy, like he was waiting for me to start screaming at him.”
Fallon laughs. “Oh he probably was. My ex was terrified of me, always scared I was going to freak out or start crying. Especially those first couple weeks when things stopped fitting the way they should.”
“My moods have been pretty unpredictable,” I agree. Josie throws the onesie into the cart, which definitely needs to be thinned out a bit. There’s no way I need all of these clothes.
“He’s probably treading carefully,” Josie says. “He wants to take care of you.”
I sigh. “I know. I just… I’m so all over the place. I don’t know what to think.”
Megan continues to rub my shoulders. “I’m sure he understands.”
We let the conversation die, and Josie changes the subject. “Fallon, how are you liking working for Meadow Grove?”
Fallon smiles widely. “I love it, and it’s been so fun working with Isaac. Even if I’m not working an event, he’s always finding things for me to do or giving me errands to run, and it’s amazing. I love keeping busy.”
“Good,” Josie says. “Isaac was saying that he and Jason are working on a contract to get Blue Ox served at the bar, that would be cool.”
“Wow, yeah, that would be awesome,” I interject.
“Isaac mentioned that to me last night actually,” Fallon says. “Definitely would be good publicity for both of them.” She turns her face away as if to hide a reaction.
“I agree,” Megan replies. We wander through the store, chatting about the winery, and how Josie will be extra busy next summer. The winter is slower for her—less weddings and more store front action, especially with Valentine’s Day.
My feet ache and my head pounds by the time we are finished shopping. We make our way back with way more bags than necessary in the back of the car.
“You okay, Mar?” Megan asks from the back seat.
“Tired,” I reply. “Pregnancy is annoying.” I rest my hand on my small belly and I suddenly get excited for when I can feel them moving inside me.
Fallon chuckles. “As the only one in the car who has been pregnant, I have to agree with you. It’s a pain in the ass, but the end is worth it. Presley is the best thing in my life.” Her voice turns melancholy.
“How old is she?” I ask.
“Six,” Fallon replies. “She’ll be seven in May. She’s such a good kid, and has taken all the drama from the last year in stride.”
I don’t ask her to elaborate. I know the minor details, but it’s not my place to ask for her to give the nitty gritty information on her personal life. We aren’t that close, though I hope someday we can be. I love her and the energy she brings to our little circle so far. She also seems like she’s going through a lot in her personal life. Though, she also gives me the impression that she’s not the type of girl to take any shit.
I watch Megan reach over and squeeze Fallon’s hand. Josie’s phone starts to ring as we make the final turn into town, of course, it’s Andrew.
