Page 71 of Time for Change

“Hey, I’ll be in shortly. I gotta take this call,” I tell Caden, hanging back.

“I’ll grab a table,” he replies, entering the restaurant and leaving me outside.

“Hey, Mya,” I answer in way of greeting.

“Hi, Jack. Sorry to bother you during the workday. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Nope. We just took a quick break for lunch. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s great, but I wanted to share some news with you before we tell the kids.”

“All right,” I reply, leaning against the brick building.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Wow, congratulations,” I tell her, genuinely happy for her and Cort.

“Thank you,” she replies with a sniffle. “My doctor just confirmed it this morning. It’s still pretty early, but we’ll probably have to tell people sooner rather than later, on account of the fact I can’t stop throwing up.”

I chuckle remembering how miserable she was with Gianna. Mya started throwing up almost immediately after getting pregnant and didn’t stop until about five months along. We were both pleasantly surprised when she only threw up one time during her entire pregnancy with Christian, something we both joked around about after we found out the sex of the baby. “I’m sorry, Mya. I know how miserable you were with Gi.”

“Yeah, well, if this is history repeating itself, this baby is going to be a girl.”

All I can do is smile.

“That’s not all I wanted to discuss with you. This pregnancy wasn’t exactly a surprise. Cort and I had been discussing our housing situation before we even decided to try for a baby, and the fact remains, we need a little more space.”

Mya got the house in the divorce. It’s nothing fancy but was a good home for us while the kids were babies. It’s about fourteen hundred square feet, has three bedrooms, and one and a half bathrooms. I can see where she’d probably want more space to welcome another baby. If she were to turn one of the existing rooms into a nursery, then Christian and Gianna would have to room together, something I don’t think they’d take too kindly to.

“I can understand that.”

“We’ve been looking and are interested in one of the new developments at the edge of town. You’ve worked on many of them, right?”

“Caden and I both have, yes. There are two going up now.”

“One is already bought, but the second one—the house on Cornell Drive—is available. Before we put in an offer, I wanted to get your opinion.”

“I’m working in it now. Seems like a great place, honestly. I’d trust each of the contractors to do work in my own place, so it’s not like you’re getting a quick, shoddy build.”

She exhales. “Okay, good. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

I mentally tour the home, running through the layout and amenities. “I think it’d be a great place for you all.”Including my children.

“Thanks, Jack. I’m excited. Not so much about the mortgage payment, but it is what it is,” she says with a laugh.

The truth is, when I bought my house, Mya came over and toured it. My kids are hers too and I valued her input. I wanted her to see where they’d be living. I know most divorced couples don’t extend the courtesy to their exes, but we’re a team, even if an unconventional one.

“That’ll be a great place for you all. How is Cort taking the news?”

“He’s ecstatic,” she tells me with a smile. “Like over the moon happy.”

Unable to hide my own grin, I reply, “I know the feeling. Tell him congratulations for me.”

“I will.” There’s a pause before she finally asks, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I reply, even though I’m cold and hungry and really just want to get inside to see Stevie.

“Is everything all right with you?”

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