Chapter 8: Time to Tell

"I'm pretty sure that what ever you've got running through your head there is right," Rhoda said.

Mary walked over and sat down beside her. "Well."

"That was all I could say too," Rhoda said.

"How long?" Mary asked.

Rhoda looked over. "Eight weeks. I didn't find out about it though until after the tension and the fighting had started."

"And that's why Joe doesn't know," Mary said more to herself.

"I found that its one of those subjects that tends to be hard to bring up while in the middle of arguing over the fact that we have no privacy."

Mary looked to her with confusion. It suddenly occurred her that she should have noticed something. "How have you been hiding it?"

Rhoda stared at her for a second. "I said eight weeks, not months. Naturally its gonna take a little while before it shows."

Mary laughed. "No, no. I mean, what about morning sickness? What about the food cravings, and…"

"Don't say that I wasn't more emotional than normal during that fight. I'd hate to think I was always like that," Rhoda said cutting her off. "As for the other stuff. This is my third night here, you haven't had time to look for anything. But the last two mornings, I was up before you. And the food, well I've always like food I didn't need an excuse for it."

"Didn't Joe notice you getting sick or anything?"

"Well, I was able to get up before him and straighten myself out. At first he just thought that I had the flu. Now he doesn't know anything." Rhoda laid back on the bed and stared up to the ceiling. "I hope you know that you're the first person that I've told."

"You haven't even told Brenda?" she asked looking down to Rhoda.

"Nope. I couldn't risk her telling mom and then Joe finding out. If someone's going to tell him its gonna be me."

Mary laid back. "I know this might be a dumb question, but how do you feel about being pregnant?"

Rhoda shrugged. Her hand rested on her belly as she lifted her head and glanced at it. "I dunno," she said turning her head to Mary. "I do want the kid, but it couldn't have come at a worse time."

"Maybe things will get better," Mary suggested.

"Right. Knowing my luck I'll end up having triplets. Two boys and one girl, two work together as criminals and the other a lady of the night, and all by the time they're thirteen."

"Rhoda!" Mary snapped.

"Hey, my husband just pulled a hit and run on me, I think I'm entitled to irrational fears."

"Besides, you know what the odds of even just having triplets?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, I do. I also know how slim the chances are of getting pregnant, fighting with your husband, leaving, having him follow you and then walking in on him kissing with a girl who spontaneously decided to show up the same day he did."

Mary could see where she was going with this. "What if its twins?"

"They can keep each other company while mommy's off being unstable."

"And one?"

"I'll keep it with me while I'm being unstable."

"Way to be optimistic."

The room feel silent as they both just stared up at the ceiling. Mary knew that Joe was going to call sometime soon. It was going to be a second chance. The only that she would change this time would be that she would tell Rhoda this time and they would stay home and wait for him. "You know, Joe said he would call."

Rhoda sat up. "Yeah?"

Mary sat up. "Yeah, around eight."

"You think you can let me answer the phone? I want to talk to him."

Mary just nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

It was at that moment that the phone rang. Mary looked over to Rhoda, "you wanna get that?"

"Yeah," she absently answered. Standing up, she began to feel nauseous as a wave of nervousness hit her. This was her final chance. Anything that she said could change the course of her life, the course of her child's life. Every step came with a new worry. Everything that she could say wrong. Once finally there, she stopped for a second and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. The entire process felt like it had taken forever, when really it was only about a half a minute. "Hello?" Her voice was shaky, but she did her best to control it. "Joe? Hey, about earlier, I'm sorry and if you give me a chance, I can finally explain to you why this is all bothering me so much. Okay?" She sat there for a second and listened. "Thank you. Well, I really don't know how to say this, and please Joe, please, be open minded. I'm, I'm uh, well, I'm pregnant Joe."

Mary slowly stepped out to see how things were going. Leaning against the wall, she waited out the painful silence. The last thing that she had heard was Rhoda telling him about the baby. Her heart suddenly sank as she saw Rhoda's head go down.

"All right Joe. I understand," she shakily responded.

Mary could see that she was crying when she lifted her head up.