Watch TV.
Go to bed.
And do it all over again the next day.
Sometimes I worry we’re going to get sick of this routine, and our relationship will fall apart. When I think about it, it’s such a boring routine, yet the familiarity and predictability of it reassures me that this will work. Our relationship will last forever, and we’ll grow old together after raising our children. There is comfort in knowing that this is us, and I need to stop second-guessing everything.
June 2010
“Where are we going?” I ask Kai as we walk through lush green grass that smells crispy and earthy—like it’s been freshly cut. Kai told me to dress up so he could take me somewhere special, hinting at a surprise. I chose a flowy maxi dress in the color yellow; its soft fabric drapes around me. It’s comfy since it’s not a skintight dress. I can’t even imagine wearing something snug when I’m this pregnant.
“You’ll see.”
“We better get where we’re going soon or I’m going to die of heatstroke.” The June sun is beating down on us as we walk through the park. There is only one month left until my due date. It can’t come soon enough. Summer is here, and the heat is hotter than usual, and it’s so exhausting. I used to love Summer; I’d be outside all day. I can’t believe how much hotter it feels now that I’m pregnant. It makes me wonder how I used to do it before.
As we get closer to the pavilion, my mouth drops open. I see pink balloons tied to chairs, and they are all bumping up against each other. A towering castle made of diapers catches my eye. Next to it sits a pink cake with a tiny figurine of a baby in a diaper sitting on top of it.
Kai looks over his shoulder as he speeds up his pace to stand by everyone who is here. Glancing around the small crowd, I spot friends, family, and some people I don’t know; I'm assuming they are Kai’s family.
I stand frozen in disbelief.
“Is all this for me?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.
“Of course.” Paige comes over and pulls me into a hug.
As she’s about to let go, I hold on to her a little tighter. “Who did this?”
“Me, Kai, and Kevin.”
I let her go and wipe away the tears that are already falling.
I didn’t think I would get a baby shower. The only person I thought would throw me one was my mom. After not talking to her for eight months, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s not much, but I know you don’t have everything you need, so I wanted to do something small to help you guys a little.”
Everything we have is used, and it’s all from thrift stores or yard sales. Kai kept telling me to hold off on the bigger purchases, and I wonder if this is why.
Everyone comes over, introduces themselves, and wraps me up in a hug. I can’t help but cry from the overwhelming emotions…
And probably from the hormones.
“Blakely, this is my Uncle Dave,” Kai says, pointing to the man next to him. “Uncle Dave, this is Blakely.”
I lift my hand to give him a handshake, but he pulls me into a hug. That’s when I notice he’s about two heads taller than me. My head hits a little above his chest. Tall men must run in the family. Kai is five-eleven and I’m only five-two. This man has to be at least six-feet tall.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says.
“Same here. I’m happy you could make it.”
“Well, I know my boy here needs some family support, given what they’ve been through. And their mom is going through a hard time, so I try to be there for them whenever I can.”
“I appreciate it and thank you for giving Kai a job. I don’t know where we would be if he didn’t have one,” I say.
Kai graduated from high school last month. He can now work full-time. He decided against college and wants to save money and start his own business.
A few hours later, everyone sings “Happy Birthday”. Paige is holding a cupcake with a lit candle as she sings.
My brows raise as I wonder what’s going on. Suddenly, it hits me that my birthday is at the end of this month. I’ve been so caught up with the baby that I didn’t realize I was going to be turning seventeen soon.
