Blessings
Chapter: 2
Millie knocked on the sliding glass doors before letting herself into the kitchen. "Laura?" she called out. "Where are you?"
"In here, Millie."
She followed her voice into the livingroom where she found Laura laying on the sofa. "Wow, you don't look so good." she made her way over to the sofa.
"Uh, I don't feel so good either." she replied. "Do you think you can teach my evening class?"
Millie sat down on the coffee table. "Sure." she said. "Have you made an appointment with the doctor?"
"For the flu? No, I haven't. I think I'm just going to wait it out." she told her. "I hoping it doesn't last more than a few days."
She pressed her hand to Laura's forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"No, but I have everything else." she pushed herself up into a sitting position.
"What's everything else?"
"Mainly nausea. I threw up once early this morning. I'm so sleepy. And everything hurts." she complained. "I can't even remember the last time I had the flu. It's been years."
"Mmm." Millie sighed. "You know the last time I felt like this was about twenty years ago."
Laura arched her eyebrow. "You haven't had the flu for twenty years?"
She shook her head. "Well it wasn't exactly the flu, Laura." she said, slowly. "It was more like morning sickness."
"Morning sickness?" she laughed. "Oh, Millie, don't be ridiculous. I have a simple case of the flu."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." she said. "Besides I never had morning sickness with Rich."
"Each time is different. I should I know I had three."
Laura didn't even entertain the idea. "I'm not pregnant, Millie."
"Okay, I won't say anymore." she promised. "Can I get you anything? Tea? Toast? Eggs maybe?"
The thought of eggs made her stomach flip-flop. "No, thanks." she said. "I think I'm just going to lay here for a while."
Millie nodded. "So how many are in the evening class?"
"About twelve." she replied. "Mainly housewives. This is only the second week, they're still learning the basics."
"I think I can handle that."
A silence lingered over the room. Finally Laura broke it. "You felt this way when you were pregnant with Freddie, huh?"
Millie simply nodded. Laura seemed to be coming around to entertaining the idea of it all. "And a little with Patti too."
"Rich is almost eighteen years old." she said as if somehow that explained it all away.
"You know, Laura, it was just an idea." she told her. "Maybe you really do have the flu, I'm not a doctor or anything."
"The thought never crossed my mind until you suggested it." she admitted.
"Look, Laura, there's a very simple way to go about figuring this out." she said. "Are you late?"
She thought about it for a few moments. "I don't know." she said. "I don't think so though. What's today's date?"
"March eighteenth." she replied.
"No, I'm not late then." she told her. "It's over a week away."
"And you had one last month?"
"Yes." she replied. "At least I think so."
"You think so?" she questioned. "Do you have a planner where you write things down?"
Laura nodded. "Yeah, it's in my purse."
"Where's your purse?"
"On the vanity in the bedroom."
Millie was quickly on her feet. "I'll get it." she came back out of the bedroom and handed her the purse. "Here." she sat down next to her.
Laura began flipping through the pages of her planner. She found recital appointment, practice appointments, dentist appointments, everything but what she was looking for. "Maybe I didn't write it down. I probably forgot. I've been so busy."
"Well go back and look in January." she suggested.
She scanned the pages. "January the twenty-sixth."
Millie nodded. "So you really think you forgot to write it down?"
"I'm not sure." Laura replied.
"Maybe you should call the doctor."
Laura nodded. "Yeah, I should." she agreed. "But I'm a little nervous."
"There's nothing to be nervous about." she assured her. "You're either having a baby or you're not."
"Yeah, Millie, but I'm not so sure which of those I want."
"Well, you make the appointment and I'll go with you."
Laura smiled. "Thanks, Millie."
tbc...
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