"Good news? Wendy I am pregnant, with the child of a dead man. Don't you think that is some cruel twist of fate?"
"I can admit that it is definitely a surprising one, but I won't go as far to say that it is a cruel twist. Neither of us know how this is going to turn out."
"It turns out with Freya, and I both dead."
"Ingrid you don't know that."
"History has a way of repeating itself in this family."
"This is new."
"Who is to say that I won't die during childbirth?"
"No one."
"Exactly."
"But, of all of your lives this is the best one for you to get pregnant in."
"How can you even say that?"
"Advances in medical technology, and low infant mortality rates."
"I can't talk about this anymore. I am going back to bed."
"You do know that if you don't want to arouse any more suspicion from your mother, you have to go to work tomorrow."
"I can't afford to miss anymore work."
"You never miss work," Wendy responds.
"Not what I meant. I am having a baby."
"And?"
"I still live with my mother," Ingrid adds.
"It will all work out."
"Now you're just lying," Ingrid shakes her head as she pushes her chair away from the table. She vacates her seat, and heads to the kitchen sink. She places her empty glass inside, and heads for the stairs. When she reaches her room she crawls back into bed, once again pulling the covers over her head.
Freya arrives home before Joanna. After a brief conversation with Wendy she heads up the stairs to check on Ingrid. She enters the bedroom, and takes a seat on her sister's bed. She nudges Ingrid awake. Ingrid pushes aside her covers, and rolls towards her sister.
"Why are you home from work?"
"I got off half an hour ago," Freya reveals.
"Oh."
"Why aren't you at work?"
"I'm sick."
"What's wrong with you? You never miss work."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"You look kind of green," Freya points out.
"Go away."
"Did you sleep all day?"
"So what if I did?"
"Mom will be home soon."
"And?"
"Tell me what's going on with you, before she gets home."
"Close the door," Ingrid insists.
Freya gets up to close the door, and then returns to Ingrid's side. She eyes her sisters suspiciously.
"What's with the ponytail? You haven't worn a ponytail since the fourth grade when some boy stuck gum in your hair."
"Thank you for you kind words of encouragement when I feel completely terrible."
"I'm sorry. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"You won't believe it when I do."
"Tell me," Freya begs.
"Fine, but you can't tell anyone."
"Okay," Freya agrees.
"Especially not mom. I don't want her to know."
"I won't tell her, I promise."
"I'm pregnant."
Freya starts laughing hysterically. Ingrid's serious expression doesn't dissipate, instead it intensifies. The smirk on Freya's face quickly disappears.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
"How did that happen?"
Ingrid shrugs, "I don't know."
"Are you sure that this isn't all in your head?"
"Yes."
"How sure?"
"I took a test."
"I can't believe this."
"Can we talk about this later? Right now I just want to sleep, I'm exhausted."
"You haven't done anything all day."
"Please."
"Fine." Freya leaves the room. She descends the stairs, and ends up in the kitchen. When she finds the kitchen empty she heads into the dining room. She finds Wendy sitting at the dining room table with the book on her lap, and tarot cards in front of her. Freya takes a seat in the chair adjacent to her.
"Wendy we have a problem," Freya reveals.
"I know," she points to the cards.
"With Ingrid," she clarifies.
"I know. These are her cards."
"What do they say?"
"What did she tell you?" Wendy quizzes.
Freya points to one of the cards, "New life?"
"I've dealt her cards half a dozen times today, and they haven't changed."
"You should put those away before mom gets home," Freya suggests.
Wendy puts the deck back into the hutch. She returns the book to its resting place, too. Freya looks at her expectantly.
"So what does this mean?"
Wendy shrugs, "That we can't let your mother read Ingrid's cards."
"What does this mean for Ingrid?"
"What does, what mean for Ingrid?" Joanna asks, entering the room.
Freya looks up at her mother, who stands behind Wendy's chair, like a deer caught in the headlights. She struggles to come up with a response.
"Her missing work," Wendy fibs.
Joanna goes over to the hutch, and removes the tarot cards. She takes a seat next to her sister, and across the dining room table from her daughter. She deals the cards for Ingrid. She studies them carefully, and then looks at the two women in the room with her. She looks at Freya, and then to Wendy. She shakes her head.
"That can't be right."
"Maybe you should deal them again," Freya suggests.
Joanna nods, and deals the cards again, with the same results. Without a words she shoves her chair away from the table, and exits the room. She heads to the stairs, with a look of determination in her eyes. She climbs the stairs, and calls, "Ingrid!"