Bound in Love

Chapter 11

Three weeks later...

Ellie closed her umbrella as she reached under the black awning of the restaurant where she had planned to meet Brenda for lunch. December arrived cold and watery. It had been raining for days in a row. Nothing new in Seattle, but usually snow would be a more expected scenario at that time of the year. Ellie entered the restaurant feeling the immediate warm environment and took off her coat and stopped by the nice hallway. A man dressed in a black suit came to help her with her coat an umbrella.

"May I take your belongings?" He asked nicely and with a joyful smile on his face.

"Thank you." She smiled and handed him her coat and her umbrella. Then, she watched him put her belongings on a hanger.

"Here it is." He said giving her a medal with a number so she could recoil it on her way out. "Do have a reservation?" He asked right after.

"My friend is already here." Ellie informed him.

"Then, come with me." He told her motioning a hand and Ellie followed him.

Soon, they entered the restaurant area and Ellie started looking around. A waving hand up high caught her attention and she saw Brenda neatly dressed at a table near the beautiful and huge fireplace at the center of the room.

"Is that your friend.?" The man asked her with a smile on his lips. She could swear he would giggle at any second if Brenda didn't stop waving.

"She is." Ellie nodded and smiled too. "She is very expressive." She added.

He motioned a hand for her to go." Have a nice meal." He told her.

"Thank you." Ellie responded.

The man bowed and turned away to come back to his former place and Ellie threw Brenda a huge smile while approaching her. Brenda got up while waiting for her to be near.

"Look at you..." She said while Ellie greeted her with two kisses on her cheek. "Looking absolutely amazing."

Ellie was 15 weeks pregnant, thus her belly was more prominent, being clear by then that she was pregnant. Under her tight full sleeve black dress, there was no mistake that she was expecting a child for a round salient bump on her lower belly was highly perceived.

"You look beautiful, Ellie." Brenda told her while they sat. "Really, I haven't seen you in a week and it makes such a difference."

"It grows a little every day." She said adjusting her ponytail. "So, what are you going to have? Any idea?" She said, grabbing the cart that was on the table and beginning to read it.

Brenda laughed. "Are you that hungry?" She asked looking at her friend who was still looking down attentively at the cart.

"Starving!" Ellie rolled her eyes. "I am always hungry!" She looked at Brenda there. "I am afraid Chris is going to end up with a woman twice the size the one he married with." Brenda started laughing loud, but Ellie remained serious looking at her. "I am serious, B." She added to mean her statement.

"You are kidding... right?" Brenda curled an eyebrow then. "No, Ellie... get real..."

"I am afraid... I am not." She said. "I am putting on weight." She complained.

"Ellie..." Brenda called her and looked in her eyes. "You look amazing! You haven't put on weight! Your baby is growing and with all that is inside your belly it is natural that you weight more and your body is going through some transformations too."

"I know..." She breathed. "I just feel so insecure now." She smiled. "It's even ridiculous. Chris is delightful and he has been amazing but you know... insecurities begin to kick in."