Manny got kicked out because she was pregnant. Joey let her move in with us, and some days I'd just walk around her like amazed, because of that baby that was growing inside of her. My baby. Mine. Manny and the baby would be for me.
She cried a lot. Emma would come over, try and cheer her up. Spike came over, too. She'd lecture me about changing diapers and helping out, really helping out, not just leaving it all to Manny. I'd nod. I planned to help out. I'd do everything if I could.
Ashley wouldn't even look at me. Ashley and all her friends, they avoided me like the plague. It was too bad. I'd really screwed up with Ash. But that was the past. Manny and the new baby would be my future.
Spinner still couldn't believe it. He'd shake his head at me. Talk to me at lunchtime.
"Man, did you royally screw up your future,"
"Shut up," I'd say, tossing a carrot stick at his head.
"Have you seen Manny? She's huge,"
"Yeah. I live with her,"
He'd whistle, shake his head in the sad, confused way of his. Jimmy didn't say much about it, he'd just softly say he couldn't believe it. Marco offered to babysit.
Sometimes I swore Joey had fun picking out baby stuff, changing tables and diaper bags and stuff. I wished Manny would get more involved in it. Her eyes were always red from crying. Angie always wanted to touch her stomach and see if she could feel the baby kick.
I worried, though. I worried because Manny was kind of young, so maybe the baby wouldn't be okay. But the doctors said everything was fine, and I tried real hard to believe them.
Manny kind of waddled now. Her stomach was unbelievably huge. It stretched every T-shirt she owned. I'd put my hand on the side of her stomach at night when we were watching T.V., and I could feel the almost violent kicks and punches of the baby. It surprised me every time I felt it. It made something catch deep in my throat.
"Craig," In the hallway in school one day Ashley called to me, her voice stern. It made me lower my head.
"Yeah?" I said, my voice soft.
"Come here," she said, pulling on my arm, dragging me with her to an empty classroom.
"Is Manny going to have that baby anytime now?" she said, her voice still stern, her eyes sterner.
"Yeah,"
"Yeah. Well, just how in the hell are you going to be a father? Have you thought about that?" she said, "have you thought about anything at all?"
Late at night the time came, a trickle of amniotic fluid. Manny didn't panic, she kept cool as Joey carried her packed bag to the car and I walked with her. Angie was staying with Caitlin, asleep upstairs. Every few minutes I saw Manny wince, and I felt the beginning threads of panic trailing their way to my heart.
Manny wore the faded blue hospital johnnie and hospital slipper socks, and she walked the corridors of the hospital. Bending at the waist with the pain, clutching my hand. It was unreal that that party, fighting with Ashley and leaving with Manny, it was unreal that that had resulted in this.
Everything was overwhelming. The beeps of this monitor they had that measured the baby's heartbeat, the nurses telling Manny to push, the doctor getting instruments all ready on this metal table. I could smell the hospital smell, alcohol and some kind of cleaner, some pink smell. Manny's face contorted in pain despite the pain medicine they gave her though an I.V. in her hand.
The doctor was down between her legs and Manny's face was sweaty and contorted, and sometimes her eyes would find mine. I tried to look reassuring but I think I was as scared as she was.
"Come here," the doctor said to me, and I numbly went over to him.
"Look," he said, a slight smile on his face, "this is your daughter being born,"
And suddenly she was there, this squirming, screaming red faced baby where a moment before there had been nothing.