“Ronald and Ana are fine,” I tell Simona. “Now that the initial surprise is over, my dad’s on board. He’s hoping it’s a boy, obviously.”
Simona nods. “Obviously. What about work though? What are you going to do?”
I sigh.
“Well, I still have a while before the baby’s born. I finished pulling the photos for my next book together, and it’s in production now. I think we’ll be able to launch pretty soon, and that’ll be a whirlwind. But after that’s over, I can take some time off and hopefully get back out there and start shooting again. I’ll probably do more local shoots until the baby is old enough to travel.”
Simona nods, sipping her tea.
“So you’re going to take the baby with you when you’re working? To Africa and South America?”
I merely shrug.
“Yes, that’s the plan, but we’ll see. Maybe not super far-flung locations at first, but eventually yes.”
My friend nods thoughtfully.
“And is the father okay with this?”
I sigh. I knew this was coming.
“You know I don’t want to talk about the father.”
My friend lets out an exasperated sigh.
“I just don’t get it, Brynn. You’re always so careful, so what happened? Plus, why all the secrecy? Are you going to leave “Father” blank on the baby’s birth certificate?”
I shrug and start stroking the kitten’s head. He begins to purr loudly and the sound is oddly comforting.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I thought I was falling for him but it turns out that I wasn’t. It was just a stupid mistake. One with major consequences obviously, but I’m okay.”
Simona nods.
“Yeah, but Brynn, this isn’t like you. You hate men! At least you did when we were on the cruise together, and then suddenly, you’re knocked up? That’s not you. I mean the timing…everything’s just so strange.”
She goes silent, doing the math in her head. I look at her, holding my breath. Simona was at my first ultrasound appointment, so she knows about how far along I am. Suddenly, my buddy looks at me strangely.
“Did this happen while you were on that island?”
I bite my lip because it’s about time she put two and two together.
“Yes, it did.”
Her mouth falls open.
“What? I mean, that’s so weird that… OMG, you’ve been keeping this from me? What kind of friend are you? What happened? Who is he, and what was he doing on an island? Oh my God, this is so Blue Lagoon. I thought you were a castaway, but instead, you were having hot sex!”
I laugh, despite myself.
“Sort of. His name is Tom and he takes care of the island.”
She gives me a look.
“That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
I shrug and smile.
“Apparently the island is owned by a rich celebrity and Tom is the caretaker. He watches over things because the owner of the island isn’t there himself much of the time.” I feel a little bad spewing lies, but I can’t tell Simona the truth, so I find myself repeating the same tale.
“You had sex with a groundskeeper?” Simona asks, puzzled.
“Yes!” I say. “Don’t judge someone by their occupation.”
Simona nods quickly.
“Of course not! But I have to say…I’m a little proud, girlfriend! Who knew you were having a sex fest that whole time we thought you were missing! Whoo-wee! Although you could have been more careful.”
I put a hand on my belly next to the sleeping kitten and smile.
“I could have been, but I’m not sorry about the outcome.”
Simona smiles back at me.
“Me neither, and I’m so happy I get to be a godmother.”
“Excuse me? Who says you’re going to be the godmother?”
She raises her eyebrow at me. We both know she’s going to be a godparent, but it’s fun to pretend. The rest of the morning passes pleasantly as we sit and talk for several hours about the baby, the kitten, and the future. I’m feeling very lucky to have such a wonderful friend, although in the back of my head, I’m constantly thinking about Tom. I wish so badly that I could have these talks with him, but there’s no sense in feeling upset. I’ve made my choices, and that’s that.
Simona leaves around lunch time, promising she’ll be back later to watch a movie and binge on ice cream. The kitten, who is awake and frolicking through the kitchen, makes his way over to the bags, plunging in and out of them and knocking them to the floor. Laughing, I pick him up.
“You’re so naughty,” I tell him. “Should I call you that? Mr. Naughty Tom Cat?”
I open one of the bags and smile because Simona’s gotten everything Tom Cat could possibly need: there’s litter, accessories, and food. I buckle a small blue collar on him and smile at the gemstones decorating the leather. Even on a boy kitten, Simona couldn’t resist adding sparkles.
Putting him back down, I carry nursery supplies from another shopping bag into my spare room. The room is a bright yellow and usually, I use it for an office while I’m home. But now it has all the trappings of a nursery. A crib is pushed against the wall, bought and assembled by my dad. There are pictures of me and my parents and Simona, the frames leaning against the wall where they’ll be hung later. Plus, the closet is already full to the max with diapers and baby clothes. Feeling happy and blessed, I put the kitten down and watch him as he inspects everything around him.