Chapter 39: Surprise!

So, in my haste to get to bed on Wednesday night, I broke my computer camera. I didn’t notice until I went to use it Thursday night. The A/V geeks at work couldn’t fix it on Friday, and I couldn’t get out to get a new one until Saturday. I tried to hook it up only to find I had bought the wrong cable. I was ready to cry and scream and kick my feet -- a full on Goddess tantrum. I didn't though. I took a deep breath and called David's cell, and left him a voicemail. I think by the time the tour is over, I’m SO going to hate voicemail.

By Saturday night, I was still unable to get the right wire to hook up my new camera. I was forgetful, and absentminded, and had trouble concentrating. I’d also had a strange dizziness all day – the last couple of days, actually. When I talked to Stephanie about it on the board, she asked me if I might be in the same situation as Sam. It took a minute for the light bulb to come on; for the real question behind her words to kick in. Holy shit! Was I pregnant? I checked my calendar and counted the days and it looked like I was a couple of days late. Well, four to be exact.

Well, it could be stress, I thought. Work has been hell the last couple of weeks, then there was the accident, and the broken toe which I don’t think is healing properly. I know I haven’t been eating right; all that could contribute, right? Steph agreed yeah, it could, but wouldn’t I want to know for sure?

I sure did.

I went out to my local CVS jut as fast as I could safely drive (thank God I had my car back), and purchased two different brands of kits. I wanted to be really sure. The woman at the counter smiled at me because I was smiling. “I take it this is good news?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise,” I said, “but yeah, I think it really is.”

I flew home and took the first test. I nearly peed all over my hand in the process, I was so nervous. I set the egg timer and hopped back on the board to wait. Ang was on now, too, and thankfully they had advanced the conversation. All I needed was David or Jon or Richie coming on and seeing THAT. I want to be sure first.

The timer finally went off, and I ran to the bathroom, with a huge grin on my face. It fell, crashing to the floor along with my stomach when I saw it hadn’t turned blue. Dammit! I didn’t realize how much I wanted to be pregnant until I saw that I wasn’t. I burst into tears and sat on the floor, arms wrapped around my knees. I heard the computer pinging; the girls were wondering what the answer was. I just want to crawl into bed and pull the covers up.

But, I got up, scrubbed my face, and got back online, just to tell the girls the bad news. They said to try again in the morning; the tests weren’t always reliable. Yeah, maybe I will. I don’t know how I’ll ever last that long.

* * * * *

Sunday morning, I woke with the birds, at the first rays of light slanting through the blinds. I sprang from bed, and rushed to the bathroom. I whispered “please, please, please,” as I peed on this stick, studiously avoiding my hand this time, ha ha. I sat on the edge of the tub and waited. And stared. And waited. And slowly, torturously, the little indicator in the window started to show. It was, looked like it could be, it WAS! A plus sign! I let out a whoop, and started crying for a whole different reason.

It was midnight in Melbourne, and I hoped to hell David was in his room. I called his cell (no way was I going to call through the switchboard and have someone listen in on this particular call).

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Baby?” I said. “It’s me; where are you?”

“Just hanging out in the bar in the hotel,” he answered. “Are you OK? You sound like you’ve been crying.”

“I have been. Oh, David, I need to talk to you. Can you go somewhere quiet?”

David’s heart sank. “Of course. Give me two minutes. Don’t hang up.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said.

I heard David say something to Jon, though I couldn’t make out the words other than “hey boss”. I heard the noise recede, and the ping of an elevator. When the doors slid shut behind him, he said into the phone, “Just a minute more.”

“Hurry,” I said, willing the elevator half a world away to go faster.

I could hear David running to his room, and the door slam behind him. “Did you get your camera fixed yet?” David asked, Jon’s prank be damned.

“No,” I sniffled. “I so want to see you right now,” I said.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing at all,” I said. “At least, I don’t think so.”

David was confused, and more than a little scared. “Sweetheart, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“Oh David,” I said, starting to cry from the joy of the news. “I think I’m pregnant.”

There was silence on the other end. “You think so, or you know so?”

“Well, one test said I wasn’t, but, oh, David, this one says I am!”

“You are?” I could hear the smile in his voice, and all the anxiety I felt at telling him simply vanished. “Really?”

“I’ll confirm Tuesday at the doctor, but yeah,” I wiped my eyes. “Really, I’m pretty sure. I’m several days late, and well, I’m usually not. You’re really happy about this?”

“No, baby, I’m ecstatic! This is wonderful news. God, I hope she looks just like you.”

I laughed. “We don’ t know it’s a ‘she’, dear.”

“I know, I know, but the baby isn’t an ‘it’; and I don’t want to keep saying ‘he or she’ all the time.” He paused. “I guess this would be a good time to tell you that the twins run on MY side of the family.”

I squeaked. “Oh my God!” I put my hands on my abdomen. “There could be TWO of them in there?”

“Could be,” David agreed.

“Wow,” was all I could think of. I realized that David was talking excitedly and I was missing what he said.

“What? Slow down, sweetie, I missed some of that,” I said.

David laughed. “Already having trouble concentrating, huh, sexy Momma?”

God, hearing him call me that, it made my toes curl. “Yeah, a little, Sweet Papa,” I said, and he laughed harder.

“Well, dearest, we have lots of planning to do! We need to figure out where to live, when we’re getting married, when to tell everyone – it was probably New Year’s wasn’t it? We forgot to suit up when we celebrated.” He laughed. “Tico will give us shit for that, no doubt.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa there, cowboy. Back the mule train up. Married? Where we’ll live? Sweetheart, don’t you think that’s moving a bit fast?”

David just laughed at me. “Baby, what else would we do?”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about this over the phone. “We wouldn’t even be talking about this if I wasn’t pregnant. Let’s talk when we see each other. Really see each other – not on the camera. I have to get used to being pregnant first, telling my folks, UGH! I’ll see Dad and John tomorrow; they’ll know something is up when I’m not tipping a few. Oh well.”

David sounded hurt. “You don’t want to marry me?”

“That’s not what I said,” I said softly. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have this baby with; to have this permanent connection to. If you were asking me to marry you and we weren’t pregnant, I’d think you were a nut. For heaven’s sake, David, though it feels much longer, it’s only been a little over two months! I’m just saying this is a lot for me to process right now, and I need you to give me a chance to wrap my head around it. Please.” I sighed. “This is why we need to talk in person. You have to see what I’m saying. I love you so much, and I don’t want to get this wrong,”

David was very quiet for a few minutes. I got a bit scared, but let him have his time. “I love you too. Alright; Hath. Alright. We will talk about this, though. I’m still very, VERY happy about this, you know; you can’t even imagine.”

“I am too. When Queenie ever suggested…” David cut me off.

“Queenie? She knows? Before me?” I could practically see the pout.

I chuckled. “Baby, she was the reason I went out to get the test. I told her I was stressed and feeling out of sorts and a little fluttery and absent-minded, and she asked if I was in the same condition as Sam.” I full on laughed now. “I’ve gotta tell you, that little ‘shock’ emoticon on the board didn’t come close to what I felt. But the minute she said it, and I realized the timing was right, well, yeah, she knew. You’re the first to know that it’s official, though. She just got the negative test result, and had to listen to me cry for an hour.”

“Oh, baby, you should have called me,” David said softly. “I would have been there for you.”

“I know you would have,” I said. “God I miss you. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure.”

“Well, I’m not keeping this to myself, you know,” David said.

“Sweetheart, as soon as we’re done here, I’m sending the girls a PM. Don’t EVER tell my mother that I told my friends before her. I will never hear the end of it, and I will kill you.”