AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s not surprising.”
She sighed. “I know, I know. But I better enjoy it. Tonight’s the last night I get to drink for a long time.”
“Why’s that?”
“My husband and I are going to start trying for a baby soon.”
I plastered on a grin to cover my shock. “Wow. Congratulations!”
This was my first encounter with someone around my age who was married and trying to get pregnant. Marriage and babies were so far out of my comfort zone, I didn’t know how to react.
“It’s my goal to have three babies before I turn thirty,” Stacy explained, glowing with pride. “So, I’ve got to start now if I have any chance of making it happen—unless I’m lucky enough to have twins or triplets. I’m hoping the first one’s going to be a girl. That’s my dream. At least one girl.”
I downed my glass of wine much faster than I intended. I hadn’t expected to have to talk about babies. To me, having three kids while under the age of thirty sounded more like a nightmare than something aspirational, but I tried to seem excited for her.
Stacy went on and on about her plans. She seemed so happy. I didn’t want to spoil it by attempting to change the subject.
When a twelfth guest arrived at the table, it was a welcome interruption.
“Marley! You made it!” Nicole hugged the tall, dark-haired woman and planted a kiss on each cheek with a mwah. “Let’s find you a seat.”
Nicole secured an extra chair. She pulled it up beside her, somehow creating a space along the packed table. But Marley didn’t sit down. She wandered around, greeting everyone with hugs and gushing remarks.
“Hello, I’m Marley. I don’t think we’ve met,” she said when she got to me.
“No, I don’t think we have. I’m Milly.”
“How do you know Nicole?”
My first instinct was to call her my best friend, but I snuffed out the words before they could leave my mouth. Best friend no longer seemed apt these days. “We went to uni together.”
“Are you a doctor too?”
“No. I dropped out long before getting qualified.”
“Oh no. Why did you drop out?”
“My father died, and I couldn’t focus on studying after that.”
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
“How do you know Nicole?”
“My partner and Paul have been friends since primary school.”
“That’s cool. I lost touch with primary school friends years ago.”
Our exchange ended there because she moved on to Stacy. The pair embraced.
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time!” Stacy said.
“We saw each other at Eden’s place two weekends ago,” Marley reminded her.
“Oh yeah! That’s right. Why does it feel like ages ago?”
The two women entered a passionate discussion about all things babies and pregnancy while I listened on the periphery with nothing to contribute. All the other conversations going on around me were much the same: wedding talk, house hunting, husbands and partners. Why did I feel like some kind of alien?
I slipped off to the bar and ordered another glass of wine. When I went back out, rain began to pitter-patter on the awning over the courtyard. Our table was sheltered, but others weren’t, and several people abandoned the courtyard to head indoors. The temperature had plummeted. It would be freezing if it weren’t for the heaters mounted to the brick walls blasting warmth through glowing orange grates. I huddled into my denim jacket and tried to position myself for maximum heater exposure.
