Three Weeks, Nine Months, A Lifetime

Chapter 12

“I’m going to have to quit dance,” I said. “And any other sport I would’ve tried out for this season. And next season. And probably the next season too.” I turned to my two friends as we walked to the school parking lot. “Did you know I’ll be pregnant until, like, October?”

            I was careful to speak softly, and my friends didn’t complain.

            Elaine pursed her lips, her disdain for sports showing clearly on her face. “I think you’ll be okay, you know,” she said. “You’ve got other interests to keep you happy.”

            I licked my lips. “I’m going to have a lot of free time.”

            “Hey, you can join the yearbook!” Melissa said to me. “It’s after school anyway, and we need more people to help out. I don’t think Ms. Kramer will mind.”

            I gave Melissa a grateful smile. “I actually think I might do that.”

            We approached Matt’s car, and I slowed my steps drastically. “It’s my last day with Matt before he leaves,” I said, bummed.

            “We’ll still be here for you, Tissa,” Melissa told me.

            Elaine gave me half a hug. “You have fun with your boyfriend.” Then she winked. “Just don’t have too much fun.”

            As if anything worse could happen. But I assured my friends that Matt and I were hanging out at the park, so whatever fun they were talking about would have to wait until Matt came back. It still irked me that I didn’t know when that would be.

            My thoughts kept turning back to that Spartan leader, and the wife he’d left behind.

            I shook myself, said my goodbyes to my friends, and leaned against Matt’s car, awaiting his appearance.

            He didn’t take long to arrive, jingling his keys in his right hand. “Hey,” he said, kissing my cheek. He unlocked his car and opened the passenger door, letting me in.

            “Thanks.”

            As he started driving, I tried to inadvertently check my reflection in the side view mirror of the car, but I knew Matt had caught me when I heard him chuckling.

            “You don’t have to worry about your looks around me,” Matt said.

            “I wasn’t worrying.”

            Although, I kind of was.

            We reached the park in ten minutes, and Matt, ever the gentleman, was opening my door again. He then strode to the trunk, to my confusion, and revealed two things. He lifted up a basket, “A food basket,” he said, and pointed at a box, “A gift.”

            But before I could get a peek inside the box, Matt closed the trunk door and grabbed my hand, bringing me around the side of the car to a grass field. I watched him meticulously lay out a picnic mat, watched him carefully place the basket down, opening it.

            I sat down beside him, feeling special.

            “I didn’t know a picnic was involved,” I said.

            Matt chuckled. “You don’t know a lot of things. But don’t worry, I’ll fill you in.”

            I frowned, puzzled. “Huh?”