But again, what will Ed think if I’m pregnant? Does he even want to be a father again? After all, he’s forty-five and could be done with parenting for good. Corey will be out of the house in a matter of months, and maybe Ed’s looking forward to being an empty nester. But a baby would ruin all of that because he’ll basically be starting from square one again. Will he feel that he’s too old to be a daddy to an infant?
But the older man hasn’t seemed too upset the times he’s forgotten to wear a condom. I, of course, was in a panic in the mornings, but he seemed to take it in a stride. In fact, just two weeks ago it happened again, and I bolted up in bed at 5 a.m. when it finally registered.
“Ed, Ed,” I whispered while shaking his shoulder. “We didn’t use a condom last night! Look,” I say, pointing at my naked thighs. Sure enough, his caked seed was all over my skin, and while I usually love the feeling, I also know what it means.
But my man merely yawned and threw one large arm over me.
“Come back to sleep,” he murmured. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine!” I whispered harshly again. “You know I’m fertile. I’m only eighteen and I could be pregnant at this very moment!”
That got him to crack one blue eye open.
“Would that be so bad, honey?” he yawned.
I stared at him.
“Well, yes because it would be unexpected!”
He stretched a bit, rolling those huge shoulders.
“Well, unexpected isn’t the same as bad,” he pointed out helpfully. “And I rather like the thought of a daughter,” he says mischievously. “Especially one who looks like her mommy with the same curly brown hair, sweet smile, and saucy attitude.”
Then he hauled me back into his arms and proceeded to make love to me without a condom again. So now that I think about it, I don’t think he’d be too upset about a pregnancy, but still. There’s a big difference between talking about the possibility and having it actually happen.
My phone alarm goes off and I bolt up before darting to my bathroom. Holy shit. I can see that without a doubt that there are two lines on the stick which means that I’m pregnant. Surprise makes me sink to the bathroom tile, sitting there while blinking slowly. Now it’s real. This is a total shock to the system and I don’t know which way life will go from here, but at that moment, happiness blooms in my tummy. I’m having a baby with the man I love, and as the realization sinks in, a small smile creeps over my lips. Ed and I are going to be parents.
In an instant, my life has changed.
But how will Ed feel? What will he do? Will he come with me to my doctor’s appointments? Will he be with me when I tell my parents? But then I shake my head. I’ve got to stop envisioning the best and the worst possible scenarios because my boyfriend is a good man, and it’s going to be fine. I need to tone down the anxiety.
I shove the test into my bag, and then look out my bedroom window to see Ed’s car in the driveway. He’s home. Excellent. I’ll just run over really quick and tell him this incredible news. But just as I’m about to leave my window, who but Corey’s car pulls into his driveway. The teen boy gets out and casually swaggers to the front door of his home before disappearing inside. Damn. I can’t go over now, obviously. Not with Ed’s son home. I’ll just have to tell the alpha male later.
Impatiently, I sit down at my desk. What should I do? I have a ton of schoolwork, but I can’t focus on that right now. All I know is that there’s a baby in my tummy and that I desperately want to tell the man I love about this new development in our lives.
8
Maggie
A few weeks later.
It’s finally Prom! I can’t believe the year has gone by so quickly. It seems that just yesterday, we were starting our senior years, but now, graduation is right around the corner. Still, Prom is going to be fun because it’s an American tradition, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Of course, I don’t have a date but Ed’s going to be a chaperone so at least I’ll be able to see him on this momentous night. That’s better than nothing, I suppose.
I still haven’t told him about my pregnancy. I don’t know why, either. I’ve been over at his place almost every night, and we make passionate love as he savors my curves. But for some reason, the words keep getting stuck in my throat, and I still haven’t found the right time to tell him the news.