Chapter 18 - Ada
"That must be Ada," said Polly. She got up to open the door. Tommy tried to move his coat around his middle as best he could. He didn't want to startle her again. Ada walked in holding her child in her arms.
"Hello Ada," Tommy said as he tried to smile.
"Tommy!" she said. She gave the child she was holding to Aunt Polly.
"Come give us a hug!" she exclaimed. He didn't like her intentions, but he got up carefully anyway. The coat covered most of him, but the distance between their embrace did not.
"Jesus Tom! Have you got two in there?" she jested. The joke made him sick.
"Ada," he protested.
"It's alright Tom, I'm just kidding," she said as she sat down. He returned to his seat. Ada's child wondered off towards Tommy. Aunt Polly went to the kitchen to make tea.
"Ada, how long has it been since you changed your mind?" he asked curiously. Ada bounced her child on her knee.
"Since you told me Tom," she replied.
"But you didn't believe me," he corrected. She was taken back a bit.
"No, but Aunt Polly spoke to me … and she made me see things differently," said Ada sadly.
"When?" he pried.
"After you left Tom," she said. Thomas was shocked.
"And you never tried to contact me," Tommy said.
"I did try, Thomas. I didn't know where you were. You left us. And I figured you wanted to be left alone. Tommy, I don't know what you want half the time," she explained. His head dropped in sadness.
"I'm here for you now Thomas," Ada said kindly. He noticed Karl, Ada's oldest child, playing with a button on his coat. He pulled Karl onto his knee since his lap was occupied. Karl babbled something incoherent, which made Tommy snicker. Ada smiled. Polly came back with some tea, happy with what she saw.
"So, how have you been?" Ada asked. Polly's eyes shifted to Tommy as she sat down.
"I've been … fine," he lied.
"Fine," Ada repeated.
"Ya know, Tommy, if you have any questions, you can always ask me or Aunt Pawl," Ada suggested. He wanted to ask, he just didn't know how. Suddenly, Karl leaned back against Thomas's middle with his head on his chest and a small hand on his side for balance. He threw Tommy off guard. Ada laughed. Polly smiled.
"Ada," said Tommy bracing himself. He placed a hand around Karl so he wouldn't fall.
"Yes?" Ada said while sipping her tea. Tommy was looking at Karl.
"When are you suppose … to feel something?" he managed to get out.
"What do ya mean?" asked Ada daftly. Tommy blinked at her.
"I mean, when does it move, Ada?" he said more directly.
"Oh, um, probably around the fifth or sixth month? Sometimes the fourth." she said eating a biscuit. Aunt Polly watched Tommy's face with concern. Tommy eyes flickered around the room in frustration.
"Why do you ask, Tom?" Aunt Polly asked.
"Because I haven't felt anything, yet," he said at last. His head now turned to look at her.
"Tom, you don't think …" Ada started.
"I don't know what to think Ada," snapped Thomas.
"Tommy, I don't think you need to worry," Aunt Polly reassured him.
"Oh and why is that?" demanded Thomas.
"Because you keep changing, and you're not ill. Here, take off your coat, and I'll look you over," Polly offered. Thomas didn't say anything for a moment. "Alright …" he exhaled. He was about to put Karl down when he noticed something. Thomas looked down at Karl thinking that he was just playing with one of his buttons again, but Karl was asleep. Then, he noticed it again, but he couldn't figure out it's source. It felt as if something was pressing on him from the inside out.
"Polly, take Karl," Thomas ordered. Polly sensed something was wrong.
"What's the matter, Thomas?" she asked concerned. Polly removed the sleeping Karl from his lap.
"Tommy, is something wrong with Karl?" Ada called. Thomas stood up quickly and stripped off his coat, no longer hiding his well rounded middle. He put a hand against a wall and the other on the spot where he felt the pressure. Ada rushed over to him.
"Tommy, Tommy what's wrong?" Ada asked frantically. Turning towards her, he sighed and shook his head.
"I thought I …" his own gasp interrupted him. A sharp push landed on his palm. He looked bewildered. Ada cracked a smile.
"Is that the baby?" she asked excited, "let me see!" Ada moved his hand out of her way to replace it with her own. It moved again. "Ah! I felt it! So there is something in there after all!" she exclaimed. Tommy was too surprised to notice anything else.
Aunt Polly was still holding Karl, but she was smiling. "Ada, how about you sit him down before he passes out from shock," Polly snarked. Polly went to lay Karl down for a short nap. Ada took Thomas by the arm to the couch where they sat together.
"Well, there you have it," Ada giggled. A blank expression was still pasted on Tommy's face. His palm pressed against his abdomen.
"Tommy?" she asked puzzled.
"Ada," he said softly.
"Yes, Tommy?" she asked again.
"I'm … I'm pregnant," he said blankly. His eyes refocused on hers. Ada snickered.
"Yes, Thomas. Yes you are," she said. This time, no one ran out the door.