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"Betts?"
I whirled around, wondering who else was there who would know me.
Pete stood, his expression filled with worry. "Hey. Are you okay?"
Embarrassed that I was blubbering, I worked to pull myself together. "Pete. Hi."
"What's wrong? Do you need a doctor?" He looked toward the medical offices.
"No. I'm fine. Really. How are you?" I remembered how poorly I had treated him at Naomi's wedding. "Listen, I'm really sorry for what happened at the wedding."
He shook his head. "It's fine." He gave me an affable smile. "You could buy me a cup of coffee to make it up to me. There's a little coffee shop across the street."
I had the feeling he was inviting me to make sure I was okay. But it would be rude to blow him off again, so I agreed.
We walked across the street, and he ordered a coffee while I got tea. When we sat at the table, he said, "It appears you're having a baby. Congratulations."
My brow furrowed, wondering how he knew that. He nodded toward the pamphlets I had set on the table when I sat down.
Oh, right. Just what I needed, another person knowing about the baby before I told Todd.
“Yes.”
“How’s it going? Swelling feet? Cravings? Morning sickness?"
"How do you know about all that stuff?"
He laughed. "I've got four sisters, all of whom have kids. I have been through pregnancies with all of them. I've heard it all."
I smiled. "I have had morning sickness, although that seems to be easing up. I don't really have any cravings, at least not yet."
"Well, if you have any questions about how to relieve nausea or back pain or sciatica, let me know. I've become an expert."
I felt grateful for having run into Pete. He really was a nice man, and he deserved better than the way I had treated him at the wedding. "I'll keep that in mind. Right now, I'm trying to figure out my future.”
“Like work or home?”
Like telling my baby’s father.“Yes.”
“You have a cushy job at a big corporation, though, don’t you? They usually have the best healthcare and family leave.”
He really did know a lot.
“Yes, you’re right. I suppose I’m most concerned about my living situation. I mean, I know babies are little and not very mobile, but I need to think about the future. I have an apartment, and I'm not sure that's very conducive to raising a child."
He perked up. "Are you looking for a new place to live?"
I shrugged. "Maybe."
I knew plans could change once I told Todd, but since I hadn't heard from him and still couldn't be sure how he would react, I needed to rely on myself to make my own plans.
"My sister and brother-in-law have a duplex. They live on one side and rent out the other. Their current tenants are getting ready to move out and they're looking to rent it to somebody. It's nothing fancy, but it does have three bedrooms and a yard. Plus, there's a school and a park in the neighborhood."
In some ways, running into Pete felt like running into a guardian angel. He'd shown up when I was in distress, he was calming, and he was potentially an answer to my living situation.
"How much is it?" Todd paid me well, but I also had to consider that I might need to leave my job, depending on how Todd reacted to the baby. I didn’t think he’d fire me, but if he took it badly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to work for him. It would be awkward if not hostile.
Pete smiled. "I'll help you negotiate a good deal. They've gotten a lot of free babysitting out of me."
