Loyal

Chapter 75

Vera's POV

            Leah sits down at the table where I motion for her to, her hair wet as she fluffs it out in her shower towel. It's been a long day and after hours of debating, I finally decide its time for me to give her the news. How will she react? Will she even believe me? 

            "Ummm, what's going on?" Leah asks, raising an eyebrow at me, twisting her hair up in the bright yellow towel. I let out a long sigh and breathe. She will be the first person in the world  who I'm giving this news to. 

            I nervously hand her a gift bag stuffed with tissue paper and she cautiously takes it, eyeing me the whole time. She sits there staring at me for what seems like forever. 

            "Hmmm...my birthday already passed hun, you're up to something," Leah slowly takes out the gray tissue paper in the black gift bag. I wanted to make the bag inconspicuous to keep her guessing. When she finally gets to what I put inside, she quickly pulls it out. It's a yellow baby rattle toy. A neutral color, which I thought was only right because I still haven't found out the gender.

            "A baby toy?" Leah purses her lips, looking from me to the toy. When something finally clicks in her head her eyes grow wide and she jumps up, knocking her chair over.

            "YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!??" Leah bellows, her high-pitched voice filling the apartment. I laugh and smile, nodding yes.

            "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Leah jumps up and down, her arms frantically waving as she knocks her shower towel off. She runs and grabs me in a tight embrace that nearly knocks the wind out of me. "How is this even possible? Who's the dad? I mean...that's a dumb question...but I thought you weren't supposed to be able to have kids, oh my gosh!" Leah's mouth is going a hundred miles per hour, and I have to put my hands on both of her shoulders to slow down her mouth and her train of thought.

                        "It's a miracle, it's Colin's, and...yeah," I say. I'm still just as perplexed as Leah, still so many emotions rolling through me. She sits back down calmly into the chair; clearly antsy from the information I've just given her. We are definitely on the same page of shock. 

            "So does he even know yet?"

            I hesitate, and my silence sets Leah on edge. I've been debating that as well. When do I tell him? Do I even want to tell him? How long can I avoid it?

            "Vera, you have to tell him. You know that right?"

                        "I know, I just....when he came before he left to Miami I thought it was too rushed."

            "So you're waiting for when he gets back?"

                        "Yeah, I figured we could go out to dinner and I'll gently spring the news on him," I say unsurely, butterflies rising in my stomach at the thought of telling Colin that he's going to be a daddy. I never forgot about the night we'd spent together painting his garage, and how he'd said his dream was always to have a family, with the white picket fence and everything. My heart broke that night knowing I wasn't able to have kids. Now the tables have turned. Deep within me, I have the power to make his dreams come true. It's an odd feeling. 

            "Vera, I am seriously freaking out right now, I just can't believe this! This is so exciting!!! Have you told your family back in Washington? I mean, I know you haven't talked to them in a while, but I'm sure your aunt would want to know!"