Jenny came home to a quiet house. Her mom was at an appointment with the midwives, she was four months along now. Ricky was at work and John was at college. He house was silent. Still.
Jenny grabbed some carrot sticks and hummus for a snack and sank down in front of the TV. She looked around the room as her tired legs stretched out in front of her.
Baby supplies were slowly trickling into the house. Amy had gotten rid of many of the supplies she had for Jenny when she divorced Ben. There were still lots of clothes. Boy clothes and girl clothes from John and Jenny.
*
"We're going to have a surprise baby," Amy and Ricky had told Jenny the other day, "We're going to paint the nursery in soft yellows and greens." Jenny was secretly disappointed, but she felt like it was a girl. She had confessed that to her mom that very morning over breakfast.
"Mom, I know that you and Ricky don't want to know the gender, but I hope it's a girl, is that bad?" Amy had chuckled in response.
"Don't tell your brother this, sugarplum, but I wanted him to be a girl. I didn't want boys, actually."
Jenny's eyes widened, "But you like love him now, right?"
"Oh of course!" Amy laughed, "Of course! I love that he's a boy. I'm just telling you, it's not wrong to want a girl."
Jenny felt relieved.
*
Now, leaning against the couch and looking at the few boxes that had come in the mail, Jenny felt a twinge of excitement. She had never even held a baby before, and now she was going to have a little brother or sister!
Jenny knew that the baby was going to be so loved. It would have it's Mommy and Daddy of course, but John and Jenny, well, at least Jenny, would be amazing siblings. Amy had only been two years older than Jenny when she had John, Jenny realized. And only a freshman. Jenny was an eighth grader.
"Mommy would be a hypocrite if she didn't let me help out a lot!" Jenny whispered to herself, using a word she had recently learned. She fingered the fringe on the afghan beside her, smiling, waiting for Amy to come home.