“Well, kind of. This morning sickness is kicking my ass. It lasts all day, and I can’t keep much down. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. We’re not quite at the end of the first trimester yet, so we were planning to wait until we know we’re in the clear…”
“Yea, of course. And look, I know nothing about babies or pregnancy, but I vaguely remember one of my buddies saying that morning sickness is actually a good thing?”
“Yea, that’s what our doctor said, too.”
Simon looks less than convinced. “But this is a little extreme. You good for a minute, Lainie? I’m going to call Dr. Sutherland.”
Elaine nods, and Simon kisses her forehead then ducks into the spare room.
“C’mon, Nick,” Grace, er, Molly commands. “We’ve got to clear this place out and make sure everyone gets their favors and their food to go.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answers and follows her out. Not for the first time, I get the distinct impression that men happily comply with Molly Grace Randall’s will.
I certainly did.
What are the freaking odds? I ask myself this pointless question as Nick and I head down to deal with the guests.
We clue in Sandy and Bets, who start packing up the food, and then we make the rounds, thanking everyone for coming and reminding them to take their favor and some food before they go.
We get a few raised eyebrows at this quick turn of events, but, if I’m honest, Nick and I are charming enough that few people question us. And for those who do, Nick’s got answers.
“What the hell, Nicky? Where’s my nephew? I come all this way, with a Walmart gift card in hand, no less! And Simon can’t even come down to say goodbye? What’s he doing upstairs anyway?”
“Ted, let’s be real here. You live two towns over. As for what’s holding Simon up? Well, look...I wasn’t gonna share this with everybody, but, uh...did you see Simon sprint up the stairs like his ass was on fire?”
I panic momentarily. If Nick reveals Elaine’s pregnancy this early, she’ll lose her mind. It’s way too soon to be telling people. Plus, she probably wants to do one of those cute reveals.
Ted shakes his head. “No, I was in the kitchen getting more of that taco dip Sandy makes. But I heard there was a big commotion.”
“And for good reason. Simon, poor guy, threw up all over himself. God, it was awful.” Nick shudders convincingly, and Ted backs up three solid feet, not wanting to be anywhere near the infection.
“Jesus H. Christ! And I even shook his hand!” Ted reaches into his pocket, pulls out a tiny bottle of Purell, and douses his hands. “Stay here at your own risk, people!” he bellows. “Simon’s got a stomach bug.”
Ted’s announcement effectively clears the room in a matter of minutes. “Nice work, Nick.”
“Yea, yea. I saw that look of horror on your face, Molls. How could you doubt me?”
“I shouldn’t have—you were brilliant.”
“I’m gonna round up Dunc and Gavin. We’re on clean-up duty. Go check on your girl.”
A quick survey of the downstairs tells me that everything is well in hand, so I take Nick up on his offer.
Elaine’s bedroom door is ajar, and I peek in, not wanting to disturb her if she’s fallen asleep. But it’s not Elaine I see. Her bed is empty, and Ev is the only one in the room. He’s in one of the slipper chairs by the window, and though it might make me a creeper, I take full advantage of this moment. His back is turned, but I can still see his profile and the wide set of his shoulders. He’s clean-shaven today, just as he was six weeks ago. The man has the jawline of a Greek God. His nose is straight, and his eyes are a rich, dark brown. I don’t need to look at him to remember that. Every detail of our night together is etched into my memory, despite how hard I’ve tried to ignore it. And maybe there’s something to be said for the fact that I haven’t forgotten him, but I’d rather not dwell on that now.
Everett Madigan is Marc? My best friend’s brother is the source of the hottest sex I’ve ever had?
How is this my life?
It’s awkward, sure, but not insurmountable. It’s not like Elaine and I spend holidays together or anything. But, I do spend all of my other free time with her. And once the baby comes, that will only increase. I’m a kick-ass aunt. (I learned from the best—thanks, Stella). But that won’t necessarily be an issue. Elaine has mentioned that her brother is a workaholic. And I know for a fact that he doesn’t live around here, so avoidance shouldn’t be impossible.
But make no mistake, avoidance will be necessary. I knew it the morning I woke up alone in my apartment and I know it now: Marc, or rather, Everett is the kind of man I could easily get used to. He’s like a drug I didn’t even know existed. But after just one hit, I’m dying for more. And that’s exactly why I need to avoid him. I don’t do commitment. I don’t do mornings after or meet ups with the fam. I’ve got enough on my plate, and no boyfriend I’ve ever had has been worth the time or the hassle. And that’s why, after my disaster of a relationship with Chase Sleazak (his last name really should have been a clue), I promised myself I wouldn’t succumb to men’s charms anymore. Not that I chose celibacy—let’s not be ridiculous. It took that trainwreck of a relationship for me to realize that, well, I’m a bit of an enabler, honestly. And that men use that, use me, and I end up being taken advantage of. So, right after that relationship died, I decided I’d never put myself in that position again. So, yea, I flirt. And I sure as hell have sleepovers. But commitments? Relationships? Nope. Not for me.
“Hey, Molls. Thanks for taking care of everything downstairs.” A freshly-shirted Simon steps into the hallway from the guest room, and I can see from the look on his face that this pregnancy is taking a toll on him, too. I file that away and make a note to do something nice for my bestie and her boo.
“No problem. Nick and I were able to divide and conquer. And your mom and Betsy dealt with all the food, so you guys don’t have to.”
“Yea, I just got a text from the guys that everything is all cleaned up, we’re the only ones in the house, and they took the cake and the beer and headed to Nick’s.”
