Chapter 2
When Julie and Meg finally got home, it was almost midday. Julie went
straight to the bathroom and took a quick shower before she snuggled up in bed. Meg was busy fixing her a sandwich. According to Meg, it was the biggest sandwich in the world given that it had double portions of every filling. She looked at the sandwich and shook her head.
“Somehow, this damn thing looks appealing to me,” she said in a low voice as she took two more slices of bread and stacked pieces of marinated steak, ham, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. She could barely hold the sandwich together. She pressed down on the sandwich and cut it in half before she used a toothpick to hold it together. She did the same to the other pieces of the sandwich before she poured some potato chips into a bowl. “Alright.
I’m good to go,” Meg said as she put everything on a tray. She was just about to leave when she realized she hadn’t got anything to drink. She
poured two glasses of iced tea and then carried the tray out of the kitchen to Julie’s bedroom.
“Oh that looks so good,” Julie said when Meg put the tray down on the bed. “Yeah. So good I had to make some for myself,” she said.
Julie laughed.
“And here you were telling me that the sandwich was, what was the word you used? Too much?” she asked as she reached for a sandwich.
“Stop,” Meg said smacking her hand.
“Ouch. What was that for?” Julie asked frowning. “Did you wash your hands?”
Julie raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Well, you are now taking care of two people and one is too weak to take care of herself,” Meg said as she walked to the bathroom.
“Her? You’ve already decided on the sex of my four week old fetus?” Julie asked. Meg came back carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer which she handed to Julie.
“Yeah. I just can’t picture you as a boy’s mother. You’re too…soft,” Meg said.
Julie looked at her as she rubbed her hands together.
“Honestly, I don’t really care about the sex. All I want is a healthy baby,” she said as she picked up a sandwich. She closed her eyes and bit into the
sandwich. “Oh my God, that is so good,” she said in a voice that made Meg raise an eyebrow.
“Chill out. It sounds like you’re having an orgasm,” she said with a smile.
“Maybe I am,” Julie said as she took another bite. “You know this is the first time in a week that I have eaten something. I have been on melons and strawberries for almost four days,” she added as she took another bite. “And even then, I was barfing all over the place.”
“Thank God for Dr. Solloway’s miracle pill then?” Meg asked as she bit into her own sandwich. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “What the hell compelled you to think of two different types of meat on one
sandwich?” she asked as she took another bite. Julie shrugged and reached for a potato chip.
“Three words: The food network,” she said just as they heard the doorbell.
“I got it,” Meg said as she walked out of the bedroom. Julie didn’t even look up. She took another big bite of her sandwich and then stuffed her face with a few more potato chips after a few chews she reached for the glass
and took a long sip. It felt so good eating without anything threatening to
come back up. Come to think of it, the sandwich was not only her first meal that week. It was her first true meal in three weeks. She had just finished one half of her sandwich when Meg walked into the room with Dana following close behind.
“Hey, guess who,” Meg said as she took a seat next to Julie. Dana walked round to where Julie was and sat on the side of the bed. She had worry lines on her forehead and a bowl of soup in her hand.
“Hey Dana. Sandwich?” Julie asked gesturing at the half that was on the tray.
Dana shook her head.
“No thanks. I had a lunch meeting with some clients. But how are you feeling?” she asked as she felt Julie’s forehead. Julie took a few more chips before picking up the other half of the sandwich that had been left on the tray thanking her lucky stars that Dana had declined her offer.
“I’m fine. I’m just…” she looked at Meg and shrugged. “Fine,” she said in a low voice. Dana looked at her and then at Meg.
“Are you sure? Because you have been a little pale looking lately and I didn’t want to say anything. But if you’re…” Dana started as she placed the bowl on the night stand.
Julie shook her head and smiled at her. “I’m pregnant.” Dana’s eyes grew wide.
“I’m sorry. What?” she asked looking at Julie as if she had just dropped the biggest bomb ever. Well, technically, her news was a literal bombshell. Julie wiped the sides of her mouth with her fingers and nodded.
“You heard right. I am pregnant,” she said.
Dana put her purse on the bed and slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Wait. A few months ago when you…you said you couldn’t have kids. Remember, when you took some time off work and…” she started, desperately trying to get her line of thought to flow to no avail. “The
accident…there is no way you could have made that up,” she said. Julie nodded.
“Yes, the accident did happen and the doctor did tell me that my chances of being a mother were very slim but…what can I say? Miracles do happen,” she said.
Dana still looked confused.
“So, how will that work? You know with the acc…what happened way back then?” she asked.
“You can say accident. It’s okay,” she smiled. “So the doctor said I can have a normal pregnancy but only if I stay in bed,” she added rolling her eyes.
“Three months in bed…I am literally going to die,” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“Yeah and we are already on track with that,” Meg said as she put a pillow behind Julie.
“Stop making me feel like an…”Julie started before she leaned back against the pillow. She wanted to say invalid but at that point she didn’t want to finish her sentence. The soft pillow behind her was all she needed to feel
comfortable. “That actually feels great,” she said smiling at Meg.
“Well, there is no way I am leaving your side until Steven comes back,” Meg said.
Julie shook her head and rolled her eyes again. “See what I have to deal with now? I mean, come on. It’s a baby not Ebola.”
Dana shook her head and reached for the bowl.
“She’s right. Given what you told me, you need all the help you can get. Starting with this bowl of chicken soup,” she said as she handed the bowl to Julie. Julie put down the uneaten bit of her sandwich and took the spoon that was next to the bowl before she took a nice big scoop.
“God, that’s good,” she said as she closed her eyes. “So, no nausea this time,” Dana asked.
“Some magic pill the doctor prescribed. Three times a day and she’ll be able to keep the food down,” Meg said as she looked at Dana.
Julie smiled and took some more soup.
“It feels so good to have normal food again,” she said as she put the bowl back on the night stand. She looked at Dana and smiled. “Thanks so much for the soup. I will definitely have more of it later,” she said.
Dana nodded and turned to look at the TV.
“So, we are going to have to reassign all your assignments. I wonder who is the best person to…” Dana started before
Julie shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?” she asked as she looked at her.
“Well, we most definitely have to reduce your workload…after all, you are on complete bed rest. There is no way you are leaving this house until the doctor says otherwise,” Dana said.
Julie raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure she did not mean that literally. I mean, am I expected to stay in bed for eight straight months?”
“Well, you wouldn’t be the first,” Meg said looking at Julie. “This sucks,” Julie said under her breath.
“Actually, it’s easy. I had to endure bed rest with my first. I thought it would be terrible but after a while you get used to it,” Dana said.
“Yeah, I’m sure it will be awesome. You know with people waiting on you hand and foot. It’s like your own private nine month long spa,” Meg said.
Julie shook her head and took a sip of her iced tea.
“Nine months? It’s three…technically two because I am already four weeks along. I guess the extra month is just a precaution,” Julie said.
Meg shrugged. “Given a choice, I would take the nine…”
“Of course you would. But as much as I appreciate you taking care of me, I’m sure you will get tired of waiting on me at some point,” she said before she put a hand on her stomach. “On us,” she added in a quiet voice. She
could not help but smile when she said that.
“See, you’re already getting used to the idea of being a mother. Now all you have to do is get used to the fact that I am not going to allow you to step into your office until the doctor gives you the all clear,” Dana said. She looked at Julie and shook her head. “You are living for more than just you right now. That’s all you have to remember,” she added as she put a reassuring arm on Julie’s hand.
“Dana’s right. You said you didn’t care whether you had a boy or girl so long as you had a healthy child, right?” Meg said as she looked at Julie.
“Yes but…” Julie started.
“Sweetie, I hate to break it to you. Pregnancy for you is not going to be a smooth sail because the universe had sworn to deny you the pleasure of motherhood but God saw it fit to give you this little miracle,” Dana said.
“Poetic much?” she asked with a smile.
Dana shrugged. “You take as much time as you need. I can come over to
check up on you every day after work and when you are ready to come back to work, your office will be waiting.”
Julie smiled and sighed.
“At least promise me I can have some teleconferences. I need something to keep me going.”
“We’ll see about that,” Dana said laughing.
“Enough with that boring talk. When are you telling Steven?” Meg asked.
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. And do you have a special way of telling him or anything?” Dana asked.
Julie put her hands up and shook her head. “Whoa, guys. Chill. I haven’t even thought about it yet,” she added frowning.
“Don’t you want Steven to know that he has a child on the way?” Meg asked.
“Well, I do but I don’t want to raise his hopes and then…what if something happens?” she asked as she looked down at her tummy. Dana and Meg looked at each other.
“We’re here for you. We are not letting you lose this baby,” Meg said.
“Yeah. I’ll carry you to the bathroom and wipe your ass if I have to,” Dana said. Julie looked at her and laughed. “So, right now, how about we watch some YouTube videos of the best way to announce your pregnancy to your husband?” Dana asked as she pulled her iPad from her handbag.
Julie smiled and leaned back, all the while wondering what she had done to deserve such wonderful friends.