HEJ, MY LOVE

THERE

Sierra held back her laughter, "there are plenty of other women out there, Erik. Ones who aren't married."

"Yes, but not all women are worth having," the man said, regaining composure.

Sierra raised an eyebrow, "don't you think you're exaggerating?"

"Nope, anyway. Congratulations, Mr. Potsmann, must be over the moon,"Erik said as he cut a piece of his cutlet.

"He doesn't know yet."

Erik looked up from his plate, "why do I get the impression you're not happy about your pregnancy?"

"I'm scared."

The man frowned, "but you already have a son."

Caught red-handed, Sierra confessed, "I'm not his birth mother."

"Oh, eh, and this is your first pregnancy?"

Sierra nodded.

"I see, and you're afraid becauseㅡ," Erik lightly tilted his head from side to side while waving his fork.

The man was a stranger, and her boss Sierra suddenly found the conversation inappropriate. "Sorry, Erik, I shouldn't be speaking about this with you."

"No worries, Sierra, I'm not a pretentious boss. You broke my heart, but I can still listen to you."

The conversation with Erik reassured Sierra. Whether he lied to make her feel better or whether all he said was true was irrelevant. She needed to speak to someone who wasn't a Potsmann and didn't freeze on Facetime.

On the other side of town, Jonas looked out of his office window.

"Jonas."

In his thoughts, the man didn't hear.

"Jonas."

Sigrid tapped on her son's shoulders. Of all her children, Jonas had always been the one to reflect. His whole life was a list of thoroughly thought-through actions. There he appeared lost, just like when he came back from France. The entire family heard about the park incident. It impacted everyone in some way or another.

None took it lightly, though some would shrug it off and say it was no big deal. Sierra was part of their family. She left everything she had to be with him. All the Potsmann felt accountable.

Jonas patted her hand, "I'm fine, mom."

"You seem worried."

He sighed, regained his desk, and piled files, "It's Sierra; she's sick and doesn't want to see a doctor."

"Sick? Do you want me to see her? Is sheㅡ."

"Mom, please," Jonas said and lifted a hand to halt his mother's sprouting enthusiasm.

"But she could be, right?" Sigrid asked.

"She's nauseous and vomiting, and she has a high temperature that drops down in seconds."

Sigrid's eyes widened, "go home."

"What?"

"Go and get your wife. Take care of her."

"Mom, I'm not even sure it's that."

"I'm sure. Now go," the woman said. She placed her hand on his shoulders and ushered Jonas to his office's door.

Thirty minutes later, Erik watched Sierra embrace her husband when he came to pick her up. They seemed happy Erik wondered if he should have told her his parents divorced when he was ten. Jonas proceeded to put Sierra's bike in the car while she got inside.

"How was your day?" Jonas asked.

"Good and yours?"

"We're hiring a project manager to pilot. I'm stepping down; it's too much work for me. I create; I don't open stores. Lars is doing the recruitment."

Jonas wasn't too proud to admit his shortcomings.

No, it wasn't the right moment to be pregnant, Sierra thought once more. She couldn't add another thing to her husbands' stress mountain.

They went to pick up Leone, who didn't know how to express the joy he had to see both his parents. And just like in Paris, the caregivers rushed to tell Jonas how Leone spent his day. Of course, they did it in Swedish while Sierra watched.

Feeling excluded, as usual, the woman advanced further in the room. She observed the children and imagined their baby amongst the other kids.  Sierra wondered whether the kids would act like the caregivers who ignored her. The thought made her anxiety come through.

"Sierra," Jonas stretched a hand to her, reeling his wife back to reality. They then left the daycare. The couple stopped to buy groceries and went home.

"Go and have a seat down, relax, whatever. I'll cook," Jonas said. The man had the fire intention of pampering his wife.

"Why do I feel you're preventing me from doing anything?" Sierra said.

"Because I am, now go."

The woman went to the shower. She wanted to take a bubble bath before thinking of the gallons of water it would take. Sierra finally opted for a classic shower. Yes, the ecological side of life finally invaded her logic. She took off her clothes and looked down at her stomach. It didn't seem like there was something there. On the contrary, her belly was relatively flat. She imagined it growing and stretching; Sierra marveled at the miracle.

The woman quickly got out. The scent of her favorite dish flirted with her nostrils. It had been a while since Jonas prepared a Kalops for them.

She came and gave Jonas a back hug, "oh, it smells so good, thank you."

Leone looked at his mother suspiciously. She was hiding something. The observant boy knew his mother of by heart.

"Gosh, I wonder if you don't love this dish more than me," Jonas replied.

"You should thank it, Kalops made me fall in love with you."

They sat down to eat  a few minutes later. Leone's eyes followed every one of Sierra's gestures. Hmm, mama is fishy.

"Which bottle do you want to drink?"

"Eh, water will be fine."

Jonas turned to stare at her. Sierra loved wine; it was odd to hear her refuse.

All eyes were on the woman during the meal. Everyone acknowledged she loved the dish, but there she devoured the pot. Leone blinked, shocked to see his mother eating as much as his uncle Ulrich and his grandpa.

The woman stopped and looked at the two, "what's wrong?"

"Eh, nothing."

"Mama, tout mangé." [mom ate everything].

"Eh, I'm starving."

Jonas grinned, "you haven't eaten anything in days. I'm glad this went down okay."

Leone slept right after the meal. The heavy winter dish got the best of him. They cleared up, and the couple sat down to play scrabble. They played in Swedish; they all knew who the winner would be.

"It's your turn."

Sierra put down her letters.

B-e-b-i-e-s

"Sierra, that doesn't fit."

"I know."

Jonas lifted his eyes from the board to look at her, "Sierra youㅡ."

"Christmas is in three days. I hope you don't mind if the present is a little early."

Jonas gulped, his mind's mechanics steamrolled as the information speeded in its circuits.

"I'm pregnant, Jonas."