Page 66 of Jake and Conner
Jake
It had taken me a couple weeks of planning and all morning to decorate the living room, but finally, everything was ready to go. Actually, everything had been ready to go an hour before Conner was supposed to get here. Everyone I'd invited to the shower had shown up by now too. Even Raphael and Nathan, who'd arrived twenty minutes after the announced time because they were slowed down a bit by Nathan's grandmother. Mrs. Rosewood hadn't specifically been invited to the shower, but Raphael told me she lived for events like these.
I didn't really mind either way.
Aside from Nathan and his family, I had invited Aaron and Laurence, but only Laurence had managed to show up, while Aaron stayed home with the kids and several dogs, as I was told. My sister and Conner's younger sisters had come too, and a few other people--mostly our parents and our uncles--had dropped off gifts, all of which I'd stacked on a table in the back of the living room. I'd hung a banner too. BABY SHOWER, it said in colorful letters. There were balloons as well. Pink and blue ones, because we didn't know the sex yet, and I'd made a big cake for us to enjoy with all our guests.
"That looks like it was a lot of effort," Laurence commented, looking at it.
"It's no big deal," I waved him off. I didn't mind baking for Conner.
I only wished he'd show up to eat the thing. He was supposed to get here by six, at the latest. It was six thirty now.
"Conner really likes to work overtime, doesn't he?"
I shrugged. "You know how he is." To be honest, I'd kind of hoped he'd slow down at least a little bit as his pregnancy progressed, but my mate showed no sign of ever stopping. I did my best not to nag him about it, though. After all these years, I knew him better than that.
"Oh, I'm sure he'll get here soon," Mrs. Rosewood said with a smile. "I can't wait to see him and his baby belly! Babies are such a blessing. I'm so happy things are finally working out for you two."
"Thank you," I said to the old lady, remembering how she'd once tried to explain sex to Conner and me when we were younger. She'd been invested in our relationship even back then. But she was invested in every couple in town, or so it seemed. She really was a sweet old lady when you could see past her quirks.
"I brought gifts," she announced now, holding up a bag. "But they're not for the baby," she added with a saucy grin. "I'm afraid I don't know how to make baby clothes anymore. It's much easier to fashion things for adults to use now."
I eyed the bag in her hand, wondering what might be inside. Maybe some of the warm underwear she sold in Raphael's studio. I wouldn't mind that. The winter was coming to an end, but there'd be another one for sure. "Thank you," I said again. "I'm sure we'll enjoy it, whatever it is."
Nathan cleared his throat and shot me a look, but I had no idea what he was trying to tell me, and anyway, Mrs. Rosewood was talking again and it would have been rude to interrupt her. "You know, I hope nothing has happened to poor Conner. It would be such a shame if he fainted again. That boy needs to take better care of himself."
For a second or two, I didn't know what to say, because I didn't know what she was talking about. Why would Conner be fainting?
I looked to Raphael, who sat beside the old lady with a look on his face as if he'd just accidentally dropped a bunch of raw eggs on the floor.
Something was definitely up.
"What do you mean if he fainted again?" I asked, glancing at the clock again. My mate was over forty minutes late now without a text or anything. What if something had happened to him?
No, I had to calm down.
Conner wasfine.
He was just running late, the way he did all the time.
"Oh, I think I must be getting something mixed up," Mrs. Rosewood said, but I saw the way Raphael nudged her before she said that. So he was the one with something to hide.
What had Conner told Raphael that he hadn't told me?
"I'm going to get some plates for us from the kitchen," I announced, and then I looked pointedly at Raphael. "Would you mind helping?"
Raphael grimaced, catching on to what I was asking, but he nodded anyway.
"Great, thanks." I got up and walked into the kitchen. Raphael followed only a second later. "What was that all about?" I demanded as soon as we were alone together. "What was Mrs. Rosewood talking about?"
"Oh, you know how she is," Raphael said, trying to sound casual. "It really wasn't a big deal. There's no need for you to get upset."
"What wasn't a big deal? Tell me exactly what happened."
"Conner didn't want you to worry."
"I'm worryingnow."
