"I'm not even forty yet, Mom, and pregnancy and childbirth are safer than ever these days. Lots of women in their thirties, forties, and even fifties are having babies." Abigail felt hurt that her mother hadn't reacted more positively to her news.
"You'll be...let's see...how old when this child graduates high school?"
"Only fifty-six, Mom. That's not that old."
"Dear God..." Beryl hid her face in her hands. The family continued to eat silently.
"I'm really happy for you, Aunt Abby. You and Uncle Jack are going to make wonderful parents, and besides, I've always wanted a cousin," Matthew told Abigail after the meal.
"Thank you, Matthew." Abigail gave her nephew a quick hug.
"Joanie!" Jack greeted his longtime friend as he saw her getting out of her car. "How was your Christmas break?"
"Great!" Joanie smiled as she fell into step beside Jack. The spring term had just started, and Jack and Joanie were on their way to their respective classes. "How was yours?"
"Really nice, thanks." Jack cleared his throat. "Actually, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for awhile now, but Abigail wanted me to wait until after she announced it to the family at Christmas. Abby and I are going to be parents!"
"Jack, that's great!" Joanie enthused. "I know you and Abby will make wonderful parents!"
"To be honest, I had second thoughts about it at first," Jack admitted. "I wondered whether it would be a wise decision, considering our ages, but now that I've had time to get used to the idea, I'm thrilled!"
"Oh, I don't think you and Abby are too old to be parents at all," Joanie assured him. "I'm really happy for you!"
Later that evening, Joanie called Abigail to congratulate her on the happy news.
"Jack and I are both really happy about it," Abigail told her. "But my Mom thinks it's a bad idea. She thinks I'm to old to have a baby, but Joanie, I was in a coma for all of my twenties and early thirties, the time when most women become mothers. If I want to have a baby at all, it has to be now, since I can't reverse time. Don't you see?"
"Of course I see, Abby," said Joanie. "I understand completely. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I'd never had Tony and Lisa."
"I knew you'd understand, Joanie," said Abigail.
"See, this is the head," the ultrasound technician told Jack and Abigail as she moved the wand over Abigail's abdomen. "And this is the body."
"Wow, the head's just about as big as the rest of the entire body!" Abigail exclaimed.
"It is at this stage, but as development progresses, the body will catch up and then everything will look more in proportion," the technician explained. She took some measurements and then printed out some pictures for Jack and Abigail to keep.
"Do you think Mom would want to see them?" Abigail asked Jack.
"Of course she would! Why wouldn't she? This is her grandchild!"
"But you know how she feels about me being pregnant..."
"Oh, she'll get over it," Jack assured his wife. "I'm sure David and Ellen would love to see them as well."
Abigail did take the ultrasound pictures to show her mother, and as Jack had predicted, Beryl was thrilled. Then she took them to show Ellen, who gushed over them as well.
"Guess what, Abby," said Ellen. "Your baby will have a cousin the same age, because I'm pregnant now as well!"
"You are?" Abigail was truly surprised, as she'd thought Matthew was the only child David and Ellen would ever have. "Why, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"
Abigail told Jack about her conversation with Ellen that evening. He rolled his eyes and said nothing. A few days later, he told her that he'd talked to David.
"He told me Ellen isn't pregnant," Jack said. "He said she'd been trying. He said she'd bought one of those home pregnancy tests and gotten a false positive result."
"But she already has Matthew, and he's grown now," Abigail pointed out. "Why would she all of a sudden want to start all over again with a new baby?"
"David said she always wanted a daughter. I asked David how he felt about it, and he said that if it makes Ellen happy, then it's all right with him. Personally, I feel sure I know the real reason Ellen wants to get pregnant."
Abigail sighed. "So do I." She and Jack embraced one another wordlessly.
