“Tess, I think we’re okay with some comfort food.”
“Thank God. I’ll just head to Henry’s and pick up whatever looks good.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I smiled as my sister sauntered out of the store. I’d never seen Tess like this. I paced around the store, keeping my hands at the sides of my body, almost afraid of touching my belly. What if I felt something? A tiny kick?
I rationally knew that he or she was far too tiny for anything of that sort. I was scared of that yet craving it at the same time with an intensity I’d never craved anything in my life. How was that even possible?
What would Rob say? Oh God, oh God, what would he say? We’d never discussed our future. One of the reasons we got along so well, why we had so much fun, was that neither of us was putting pressure on the other in any way. I was content with the way things were, and I was certain that so was he. How would this baby change things? Us?
Dread crept up my belly, ensnaring me. Would he decide this wasn’t what he signed up for? I didn’t want him to feel pressured in any way, yet at the same time, this changed everything.
Tess returned with three bags of goodies.
“Sis, that’s all for us?” I checked.
“I couldn’t decide.”
“Clearly.”
“And I didn’t know which ones you’d like, so I wanted to cover all bases.”
That was when I realized that my sister was just as terrified as I was. Happy... but also terrified.
We turned off the lights in the front and camped on the couch between the changing rooms. We shoved two ottomans together to form a makeshift coffee table.
Opening the packages, we discovered that vanilla puffs weren’t the only things my baby was rejecting. I wasn’t a fan of burgers either, but I did adore apple pie.
“Look at you, liking fruity fillings,” Tess said appreciatively.
“Maybe I’ll finally pick up some healthy eating habits.”
“When are you going to tell Rob?” she asked.
“When he’s back. Don’t want to do it over the phone, you know?”
/> My stomach turned into a tight knot just thinking about it.
“That makes sense.”
“I’m afraid,” I admitted in a whisper.
Tess shook her head. “No, no. None of that. Let’s see. The man calls me to make sure he gets the surprises right. All signs point to him being a catch and an all-around decent human being.”
“Yes, but we’ve been going at our own pace, you know? We don’t even make plans for vacations together or anything.”
“That’s because neither of you has even planned a vacation yet,” she pointed out.
“Tess... you know what I mean.”
She gave me a small smile. “I do, but I think that you’re both mature enough to deal with the... unexpected.”
I hoped so. God, I hoped so. I got heartburn just thinking about the alternative.
Tess stood up straighter, smiling coyly. Uh-oh. She was up to something.
“What?” I asked.