Page 58 of Love Unavoidable
“I still have a hard time believing I’m married. That I actually went through with it. That I like it.”
“It seems like you all have quite the stories to tell, from the tidbits that I’ve heard.”
“Oh, honey, you have no idea. Ah, hell. I need to sit down.” She falls in a huff onto one of the kitchen chairs. “They tell you that Braxton Hicks isn’t that big a deal. They lie. Those fuckers hurt. Everything fucking hurts. Your body is no longer your own. Aliens move in and take over everything.”
I bring her a cold bottle of water, twist the cap open and set it on a coaster in front of her.
“Ohmigod, you are an angel. Where have you been all my life?”
I smile in return, grab another container of dip, and scoop it into a baseball-shaped bowl.
“You know, everyone keeps saying that my life will be so different once the babies come. But it’s already different. I already can’t sleep, can’t drink, I have to pee all the time, they are with me wherever I go, they interrupt sex, conversations, my alone time. The way I see it is, at least once they are out of me, I’ll be able to see my toes again. ‘Cause that stopped happening right about month four. I have to trust Chance that my pedicure is decent.”
I crouch down and look at her toes. “Looks good to me. In fact, if that were OPI polish I’m guessing the color isI’m Not Really a Waitress.”
“Wow, you’re good. Is that your super secret power?”
“Guessing nail polish colors? I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind if it was though.”
I hear a familiar voice outside. It’s Ethan, and he’s talking to Brad about something. Brad tells him there is beer in the cooler that’s not cold yet, or beer in the fridge that is.
“Be right back,” I whisper to Remi and duck around the corner in to the living room.
I see Ethan enter the kitchen through the reflection in a mirror on the wall.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says to Remi. “How’s my favorite baby mama doing today?”
“Hey, yourself,” Remi says. “I’m fat, cranky, splotchy and fat.”
“You are blooming with babies, always a delight to be around, glowing with happiness, and you make preggers look hot, woman.”
She laughs at him. “You always know the right thing to say, E. Come here, let me give you a kiss.” He heads over to her and leans down, she gives him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a big red lip print on it.
“Never washing this cheek again,” he says to her in a dreamy voice.
Then I watch in horror as she betrays me. She waves Ethan over, then points in my direction and mouths my name. Ethan nods and mouths a thank you. I’m stuck. I can either escape to the back balcony or I can stay here and face Ethan like a grownup.
So, I run out to the back balcony. I’m sure the three-ring circus theme can use my help.
Unfortunately, Ethan follows me. “Sadie, can I talk to you a minute?”
I turn back to face him. “Now? I’m kind of busy. Helping and stuff.”
“It will only take a second,” he says.
I look around for something, anything really, that needs my immediate attention, but come up empty. There aren’t even other people around. Resigned, I nod in agreement. He takes my hand and leads me over to the far end of the deck that extends out over the ocean. The view and everything about it is spectacular. The smell of the salt water, the cries of the seagulls, the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks below.
“Look, I just wanted to apologize for how I acted last night. It was uncalled for and I was a jerk to you. I’m sorry.”
Wow.
“Oh, okay. That’s nice of you, thank you.”
“Yeah, well, if we are going to be friends, I want to make sure it’s with a clean slate to start with, you know?”
“Sure, that makes sense, thanks, Ethan.”
“You’re welcome.” He starts to run his hands through his hair, then stops. “So, did you bring a date?”
