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21. Lexie

Chapter 21

Lexie

I felt like the world's biggest jerk after I got home, knowing that I'd not only upset Oliver but also Trent. I couldn't seem to control my emotions.

Gillian came to pick me up the next evening. I had a few days off, so I decided to spend them at her place. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to break the funk I was in.

"You gonna tell me what's got you so down in the dumps?" she asked finally.

I groaned. "I don't know. I just can't seem to bring myself to feel better."

"Physically? Emotionally?"

"Both," I muttered.

"It's hormones," she said easily, and I looked up at her, frowning.

"Hormones?"

"Yeah, most definitely. One of my best friends got pregnant right out of high school, and she was a hormonal mess until the baby was born. She had an attitude every day for nine months, and she couldn't regulate her emotions. The doctors told her it was because of the excess hormones."

Great . Not only was I super stressed out, but now I also had to worry about the pregnancy hormones making me crazy.

It wasn't like I needed the extra help. I was already so stressed between Dick being back in my life and the baby.

"Have you told him yet?" Gillian asked quietly, and I shook my head.

"I don't know if I'm going to."

She snickered. "Well, eventually, you're going to start showing and you'll have no choice."

Not if I'm out of town by then.

But could I really do that? Could I really leave Wagontown and Oliver and never tell him about the baby we made, growing in my belly? I didn't know if I could keep this up, lying to him, avoiding him.

By the time the doctor's appointment rolled around, I had barely seen Oliver in a week. I'd seen him here and there during my shifts at the bar, but I'd been sure to keep myself busy and have Gillian pick me up before close.

The doctor's office felt oddly cold, and I felt myself shiver in the cool air of the lobby.

Gillian put an arm around my shoulders, warming me up. I leaned against her, smiling gratefully.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Gilly," I said softly, and she smiled at me.

"Perish," she said matter-of-factly, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The doctor did an ultrasound after the pelvic exam, and the baby showed up immediately onscreen like a little peanut .

"You appear to be about ten weeks along," she said. That made sense. It was approximately the time I'd arrived back in Wagontown, the first night that Oliver and I had spent together.

"What about the gender?" my sister asked. The doctor smiled and shook her head.

"We won't be able to tell for another ten weeks."

"Ten weeks?" Gillian whined. "That's so far away!"

"That'll be right around the date of your next ultrasound, barring any issues," she said to me. "Do you have any questions?"

"Are pregnancy hormones a real thing?" I asked, frowning.

"Most definitely, they're a real thing," she said with a chuckle. "And you're probably experiencing them right now. You get a rush of hormones when you're in your first trimester."

"So it's technically not her fault if she acts crazy?" Gillian asked, and the doctor chuckled again.

"Not all her fault."

I had to admit that was good to hear. I'd been awful to Oliver, and I needed to apologize, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to do it. I just kept avoiding him.

"You sure you don't want me to take you back to the cabin?" Gillian asked, and I shook my head.

"I think I need to stay with you a little while longer." I smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you for helping me and taking care of me, Gilly."

"Of course," she replied, but there was a slight hesitation to her tone.

"Gilly? What's going on?"

"I heard from Mom," she said quietly, and you could have bowled me over with a feather, for how surprised I was.

"Mom? Really? After all this time?"

"She heard you were back in Wagontown. I guess she's still got friends here," Gillian explained. "She... she wants to see you."

"You didn't tell her?—"

"No, of course not!" Gillian exclaimed. "I wouldn't."

"Thank God," I breathed. I didn't know if I even wanted to see my mother, much less if I wanted to tell her that I was pregnant, and she was expecting a grandchild.

"I think it would be a good idea to talk to her," Gillian said softly.

I thought about it for a moment. Although I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to see my mother, I knew it might not be such a bad idea to try and mend fences. "Will you be there with me?"

"Of course," Gillian frowned, almost seeming offended that I'd asked.

"Then... I guess we can set something up," I said hesitantly. If I was going to have this baby, I needed all the people in my life that loved and supported me. Not just Gillian. I couldn't put everything on her, as wonderful as she was.

I took a deep breath, looking out the window as we drove back to her place.

I hoped the upcoming meeting with Mom would go better than I was expecting it too.

I assumed my mother would dote on Gillian when she arrived and basically ignore me like always, but that wasn't what happened at all.

She rushed over to me, arms open wide, and I let her hug me tightly.

"God, it's been so long, Lex," she whispered, and when she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes.

"Yes, it has," I hedged, not sure how to react to all this attention. On one hand, I wanted to believe it was genuine, but on the other, I was wary.

"Where have you been? What have you been up to?" she asked, sitting across from me as I sat down on the recliner.

Gillian sat quietly on the couch, not speaking.

"Gosh, there's a couple of loaded questions," I breathed, and before I knew it, I was telling my mother everything. I told her about Dick, about my runaway bride episode, about Oliver, about how he was helping me and how we'd started hooking up. Finally, I told her about my pregnancy.

"You're... I'm going to be a grandmother?" she whispered, tears falling down her face.

"You are," I confirmed, allowing myself to smile. Gillian sat with her arms crossed, seeming upset.

"So why have you just now reached out, Mom? Where's Dad? What's going on?"

My mother swallowed hard. "I've left your father," she admitted.

I blinked, shocked. She'd always stood by Dad, even when he'd been super critical of me and even Gillian. He'd never been physically abusive, but words could hurt, too.

"When did this happen?" Gillian demanded to know.

"A few weeks ago." Mom went quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I heard about Lexie being back in town, and I wanted to see her. I wanted to see both of you. "

"Why did you leave him?" Gillian asked.

She sighed. "There's a lot that goes on in a marriage that the kids don't know about," she admitted, and I nodded, believing that was true. "But you both know how your father is. He seemed content to never see his girls again, and I couldn't handle that. I love you both, and I'm sorry that I've been distant all these years."

It sounded almost too good to be true, and I didn't know if I could trust it.

"I'd love to throw you a baby shower. We should meet with Oliver, see how he feels about that," my mother chirped, and I went pale.

"I haven't told Oliver yet," I admitted, and my mother's blue eyes widened.

"You haven't?"

"I've been on the fence about whether or not I would be staying in Wagontown," I admitted. "I've been saving up to move away, start over."

"I can understand that, but now that you're pregnant…"

"I know," I said quickly. "You're right. I'll tell him, but... just in my own time."

"Of course, honey."

Our mother stayed for a while longer, but Gillian never came around, staying cold toward her. When Mom left, I turned to Gillian, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Something's up," she said. "Why would she leave Dad after all these years? And why does she suddenly want to see us?"

"Maybe she's just now realizing the error of her ways, Gilly. You never know."

She snorted. "Seems suspicious, that's all I'm saying."

It was surprising, sure, but suspicious? It felt as if Gillian simply didn't trust our parents, and honestly, I could understand the feeling.

"Are you ready to go?" Gillian asked, grabbing her keys, and I cursed. I'd nearly forgotten I had a shift at the bar.

I sighed as I walked to the car, rubbing my stomach. At least I'd stopped throwing up so much in the past couple of weeks. I felt like I could keep a lot more down, and that was good news for my two jobs.

I'd only missed two shifts from each job, and I knew that wasn't much given everything that had happened. It was just that I hated ever calling out sick, for any reason. I had always been a hard and reliable worker.

Thankfully, Agnes and Oliver understood that I needed a couple of days off. This was my third shift at the bar since I took the time, and Oliver had barely surfaced the last few shifts I'd worked.

I had the feeling that he'd be around more tonight, though, because we were having a Mardi Gras-themed party, offering half-off drinks to anyone wearing beads, masks, or other Mardi Gras attire.

Gillian hugged me before she dropped me off, and I dragged myself inside to the bar, which was already hopping with activity.

I wasn't sure I was up for this much running around, but I had to be. I sipped a soda, just enough caffeine to perk me up, the carbonation always a soothing welcome for my belly. I then got started cleaning the bar and setting up.

Krista walked up behind me. "You look great tonight, Lex."

I looked down at myself then back at her sceptically. I was wearing a black pair of slacks that hid the slight pooch of my belly and a purple, button-up blouse, along with my comfortable, black ballerina flats.

"I didn't dress up much," I admitted.

She put a few beads over my head, and I smiled. "There. Now you're ready for Mardi Gras night."

"It's Fat Tuesday!" someone yelled from the crowd, and everyone else cheered, making my ears ache.

I plastered on a smile, taking drink orders and running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Tonight was going to be a long shift.

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