Bullets & Bandages

6

I hadn't seen Giovanni in nearly four months. I hadn't heard anything from Lorenzo and went about my life as normal. I worked, went home, slept and repeated.

Except for my protruding stomach.

Well, not protruding yet. I had managed to hide my pregnancy from everyone so far using weight gain as an excuse, but it was only a matter of time before I had to come clean.

Deep down, I knew it was fucked up to not tell Giovanni and my secrecy weighed heavily on my conscience. I had to tell him. I just didn't know when or how. Hell, I hadn't even decided if I was keeping it or giving it up for adoption. I might have had the financial means to care for a baby, but I certainly didn't have the emotional wherewithal to do it on my own.

Thinking back, I didn't even know how it happened. I was a stickler for safe sex and so was he. We had never skipped a condom. Ever. During the OB portion of my residency, I remembered a teenage girl swearing up and down that she was on birth control and they used a condom and she still ended up pregnant. I thought it was bull shit at the time, but I was now a living example.

I hadn't heard from Richard at all though it was getting close to time for him to hit me up for money. I didn't know what it was about the holidays, but he always seemed to come slinking around between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I hated it, I knew I would give him a few hundred dollars to ease my guilt-ridden mind.

I sat down at my desk and set my stethoscope down on top of files.

I wondered if Giovanni missed me at all. My guess was no since he hadn't tried to contact me at all.

I would never admit that it stung. I had never been the jealous type until I imagined Giovanni with someone else. Someone that could accept him in his entirety. Someone that wouldn't question him.

A slow-burning fire churned in my stomach at the thought of him sleeping with other women. I had taken our relationship for granted; I knew that I cared about him and was too stubborn to admit it when I had him.

Now it didn't matter. It had been months and we ended on terrible terms. There was no way he was hung up on me the way I was hung up on him.

My phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and sighed. It was the holiday season so I should have expected a phone call from my parents, but that didn't mean I wanted to talk to them so soon after Thanksgiving.

"Hi, mom," I greeted.

"Aria, I need to know if you plan on bringing a plus one to the holiday party."

My mother's uppity tone never ceased to surprise me. It was the same tone she took with absolutely everyone in her life, but I felt, as her daughter, I should be exempt.

I rolled my eyes. "No. Still single, mom."

"What about that surgeon?"

"Eric? The one that told me ER doctors are glorified paramedics?" I asked flatly.

"So he had some unique views. You looked good together."

"I hated him."

"Fine," she sighed. "You know, if you want to have children you need to get a little more serious."

"Oh my God," I muttered. "I'll be at the party alone. See you then," I said and hung up before she could say anything more.

I had never mentioned Giovanni to my parents. I rarely mentioned if I was dating anyone. If he wasn't making more money than me, he apparently wasn't good enough. I didn't need them to be in my ear about every guy I had sex with. If I kept the baby though, I would have to tell them about Giovanni. I wouldn't have a choice.