The Night That Changed Everything

Chapter Thirty

“What? I literally can’t wait to get pregnant just for the baby shower!” she exclaims, which makes me roll my eyes at her silliness but chuckle at her over the top reaction. “Don’t you want to have this precious memory? Don’t you want everybody to celebrate the upcoming birth of your little bundle of joy? And most importantly, for everyone to shower you with presents?

“I do, I mean like of course I do, but I just don’t know if I’m in the mood to be playing all of these games and to be the centre of attention,” I explain, “And I don’t want people to feel obliged to buy gifts, especially since I’ve pretty much got everything on my registry and I just,” I let out a sigh before continuing, “I just don’t feel for a huge party.”

“You don’t have to have a huge party. You can have a small and intimate gathering with a few family members and friends; I mean it’s not like I’m going to invite the whole of California.” She looks at my burrowed brows and lets out a sigh before continuing in a more, understanding, yet slightly patronising and demanding tone. “I know you’re beginning your, what did the doctor say it was?” she questions.

“Third trimester,” I confirm whilst looking in my rear view mirror at a truck driving up behind me.

“Yeah, so you’re hormones are at a high and your emotions will be a little all over the place,” she explains, sounding like Doctor Anne before returning to Kasha Brunell as she continues, “But I don’t care, you are acting like a little boring old lady! So you need to get a grip and stop lying to yourself. First of all, everybody from a homeless person to Obama likes free gifts, and it’s not like they’re wasting their money on pointless presents, they’re buying essentials for you and the baby so that you can save your money and buy more important things like cribs and well I don’t know, whatever else you need.” I open my mouth to protest but she doesn’t give me a chance as she continues, “And I know that if you don’t have a baby shower, you are going to kill me in a couple of year’s times, so please will you quit being stubborn because I’m only doing this because I love you.”

I simply sigh in defeat, with full knowledge that anything I say will not matter before reluctantly mumbling, “Okay,” and forcing a thankful smile.  I know that she means well.  

“Just leave it all to me and I can promise you that you will have the most special baby shower,” she reassures before smiling to herself in triumph, turning back up the radio and then looking on outside of the window with a sense of victory at the passing cars, as we make our way to my boutique for a day’s work.

I know that I should be happy, excited and grateful that my best friend wants to throw me a baby shower to celebrate my pregnancy and the impending birth of my little boy, but I’m just not. I know it seems ungrateful I just don’t want to be in the spotlight. I feel like there are still so many people who question my pregnancy and relationship with Damion and how it came about all so quickly and so suddenly, but I just don’t want to be the centre of attention. I’m probably over thinking and I can literally hear Damion telling me not to in my head, but it’s hard sometimes, especially with my hormones at a high. But then again, my close friends and family don’t think anything bad about me and simply love me and want the best for me, so those are the kind of people that I will be surrounded with. I briefly close my eyes, not wanting to dwell on the thought any longer.  

“So have you heard from Derek since you saw him down at the beach that time?”Kasha suddenly asks.

I roll my eyes at the thought of him and sigh. “He’s texted me a couple of times, explaining how sorry he is and how he wants us to be friends and all of that bullshit,” I explain.

Kasha rolls her eyes as she searches through her purse, “He should be glad that I’m not his ex-girlfriend because I would not put up with him the way you do.”