The Better Half(27)
“Come again?” Leo’s hands magically reappear.
“Actually, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place.” I give a halfhearted laugh at my quick but queasy wit, hoping to crack Leo’s stunned face.
“Wait, wait, wait. You’re pregnant? How’d this happen?” Exactly the same thing I’ve asked on several occasions! See, not such a dumb question after all. I’ll have to tell Marisol.
“Apparently, Yosemite’s a very romantic spot, and inflatable camping pads are conducive to baby making.”
“Huh.”
Our first call in days, I’ve just revealed I’m pregnant, and Huh is all he can say?
“And you’re sure?” Leo double-checks. I nod and we fall silent. I spy the crack of a grin growing on Leo’s face, which is not exactly what I was anticipating, nor does it match how I’m feeling. Maybe it’s a facial tic. I’m not prepared for what looks like growing excitement on Leo’s part for a prospect I find unimaginable.
“I’m as sure as three positive home pregnancy tests in a construction zone and one OB-GYN appointment a few days later. And while you were starting to get freaky over FaceTime, all I could think about was texting my dad to bring me back some chicken tenders from the football banquet for when I wake up at two a.m. starving, so yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.”
“Wait, you went to a first doctor’s appointment without me?!” Leo accuses abruptly, sounding perturbed. My man is all over the place emotionally on this phone call, and I’m the hormonal one.
“Ummm, I’m going to point out the obvious here and remind you that you’re in Singapore, I’m in Pasadena. How exactly would you be going with me to my appointment when we can barely find the time to connect with one another?”
Ignoring my verbal jab, Leo picks up his laptop and shakes it so all I see is his midsection, taut but jiggling with the moving screen. “With THIS!!” he demands. I’m getting queasier.
“Well, I’m sorry, I guess. But it made no sense to hit you with a pregnancy scare unless I was sure. Who wants to know that piece of unwelcome news?”
“ME! I WANT TO KNOW! I would have liked to know immediately if I were in the dad zone,” Leo insists, grasping at his chest to emphasize his presence. I have had plenty of girlfriends share their baby reveal stories from triumphant to tragic, but never have I heard one where the man was interested in being part of the “is she or isn’t she” pregnancy purgatory.
“Nina, I’m having a baby with you. This is incredible, beyond, beyond I don’t know what! This is more than video sex good!” Leo has broken out into a celebratory dance. “I didn’t think kids were in the cards for me, then, BOOM, you, my summer surprise, deliver!” Leo mimics lighting fireworks for emphasis.
“I didn’t know you wanted to have kids, we never even talked about it. I figured if you wanted to have children, you would have planted your seed in some fresh young soil.”
“Well, talking about kids isn’t exactly early relationship material. You have Xandra, and you’re on the backside of this parenting thing.” Exactly, I think to myself. “Truthfully, I was just focused on you and trying to get us past this period of distance when I knew I was going to be buried in work.” Wow, I really didn’t realize how committed Leo was to keeping our relationship alive when I was giving us a fifty-fifty chance.
“Being with you was, I mean still is, more important to me than having a baby. But if I can have both—YES, PLEASE.” Leo’s squeal is a bit disconcerting coming from a six-foot-two man, but it makes me giggle. I’ve just gotten a glimpse of what Leo must have been like as a kid on his birthday. And then it hits me, Leo believes we’re having this baby for certain. More than likely, he thinks my desire to have this baby is a given. I’m a woman, I’m already a mom, and I work in a school, which must mean I love the idea of being surrounded by kids all the time. Who wouldn’t presume my uterus wants to populate the planet?
Me. That’s who.
Leo has no clue the kind of commitment raising a child requires. He already puts in eighty-hour workweeks, and babies need at least that much caretaking. There’s not enough time left to sleep in a week with a baby, let alone jet-setting around the world launching new legal ventures. I’ve already raised one child as a full-time working mom with a career-obsessed partner, but I was young and at least that one was living under my roof. At forty-three, I’m definitely not up for that kind of parenting repeat. Work aside, though, there are other issues weighing equally on my mind.
“Listen, Leo, there’s a lot to discuss, but I’m really tired right now. I think springing this news on you is enough for one call.” I’m eager to get off this video chat before I say something Leo may not want to hear.
“Oh, okay, right, you’re going to need extra rest. No skimping on sleep right now, Nina. Just one last question, and then I’ll let you go,” Leo says, lowering his voice. My breath hitches in my chest, and I feel his emotions despite the miles between us. The hopeful look on his face, the pleading gaze in his eyes, and lips set in a strong line hint that he may ask the one question I fear having to answer.
“We are going to do this . . . right?”
Yep. I was right.