Page 76 of My Girlfriend is Not the Father

‘I bet.’ The host laughed. ‘For things like birthing classes, how do you handle that? Do all four of you go? Just you and the partner?’

Birthing classes. Drew had been pestering her, sending her emails with various classes around the area. He not so subtly tapped his knee into hers, and she understood his ‘told you so’ message.

‘Oh no, my partner won’t be joining. I’ve said to folks before that my girlfriend is not the father. She’s totally hands off with the pregnancy stuff. That part of my life is for the dads, and the other part of me is for her. She probably won’t even be in the hospital when I give birth.’

The host dipped her head. ‘Interesting. Well, we all do what we feel is best. Thank you so much for chatting with us and wishing you all the very best of luck.’ She turned to the camera. ‘Coming up after the break, we’ll talk to a local San Francisco twelve-year-old who has built such a reputation for his butterscotch cookies that he was invited to the White House. Back in a moment.’

‘Great job, everyone.’ The producer tugged off his headphones.

The assistant reached for Lucy’s microphone, then unplugged the devices from the men. Lucy’s mouth was bone dry and sweat prickled her chest.

‘Oof. Am I stinky? I was sweating so bad, I swear. God, I’m thirsty.’

‘You did great.’ Drew stood and adjusted his pant leg while Mason ducked over to the producer. ‘But for real, Luce. We need to sign up for the birthing classes soon. Promise me you’ll look at all the emails that you’ve happily ignored this last month.’

‘I wouldn’t say happily.’

Drew glanced at Jade, who was scrolling through her phone in the corner. ‘Are you sure Jade doesn’t want to be part of the classes? Do you really think she won’t be in the hospital room? You know Mason and I are fine with whomever you want there.’

Lucy smiled to cover the fact that she had no idea if Jade wanted to be in the room. ‘Gotta go to the bathroom. Be right back.’ She scooted out without another word.

Sure, there were conversations they hadn’t had – like if Jade would join Lucy in the hospital, or during birthing classes, or nearly anything that had to do with the baby. They just … didn’t go there.

Lucy felt emotionally detached from the pregnancy, and besides feeling the alien squirming inside, she wasn’t that interested in what was happening. She’d do whatever Lamaze, yoga, or hypnotist class the dads wanted. It was their baby, and she was just housing it for a while. But for the level of dissociation Lucy felt, Jade was probably on Jupiter with anything baby related.

After her trip to the bathroom, Lucy returned to find the production team had already removed the lights and monitor and were loading up a bin. Drew and Mason were chatting in the corner, but Jade was gone. Lucy went into the kitchen, the other guest bathroom, but nothing.

‘Have you guys seen Jade?’

Mason jutted his chin to the patio door. ‘Yep, she’s outside. Probably replenishing the vitamin D she depleted over the winter.’

Outside, Lucy didn’t see Jade right away, so she tilted her head to the sky and soaked up the warm sun. She took a moment to breathe in the fresh spring air, with the smell of mowed lawn and budding trees. She crossed the lawn to the side of the house. Ah. That’s where Jade was hiding – leaned up against the wall with her eyes closed.

‘There you are.’ Lucy hooked her arms through Jade’s and hugged.

Jade stiffened under her touch.

‘What’s wrong?’ Lucy unhinged her arms, then stepped back, her gaze flickering over Jade’s expression.

The look on Jade’s face was foreign, and Lucy’s belly flopped in response. Squinted eyes, a flatlined mouth, red cheeks, and now, heavy crossed arms.

‘Why would you assume I wouldn’t want to be in the hospital with you? Or take Lamaze classes?’

Whoa. Her tone was a mix of hurt and pissed, and Lucy fumbled for words. Why wouldn’t Lucy assume that? Jade never asked about those things, and was Lucy supposed to offer it up? This wasn’t even her kid. ‘I don’t know. I just … in general you seem disinterested in anything about the pregnancy, so I just thought …’

‘Disinterested? Disinterested!’ Jade’s hands punched into her hips.

Oh, yep. That tone was no longer hurt. Jade had gone from zero to ten. She was pissed.

Jade’s nostrils widened, and she dropped her arms. ‘I went to your appointments, I rub your feet, I don’t eat certain cheeses around you, I ask you how you’re feeling all the time.’

‘Are you serious?’ Lucy felt heat rise in her face. That’s what Jade considered showing interest? Not eating brie? Jade could not be more indifferent if she tried. ‘I mean, sure, you ask how I’m feeling, but you’re not asking about me. You’re checking off a list. You’ve never once asked what it feels like to have something shift inside you, or how it is to feel my hips widening, or if I’m worried about postpartum depression, or what it’s like not having my mom here to ask why I have raging heartburn and if she had a secret potion she used when she was pregnant!’ Lucy caught her breath.

Jade’s jaw worked in a circle before she exhaled. ‘You don’t like talking about your mom.’

The comment may be fair, but Lucy’s good old stubbornness reared its ugly head. She was not about to acknowledge the logic of Jade’s statement. She may not like to talk about her mom, but Jade avoiding the subject was something else.

‘Hey, you guys out here?’ Mason’s voice cut through their stare-down.