Page 6 of A Game-Changing Christmas

“Wait, do you need my help?” London asked.

“No, I’m good.”

“Hold up, why would she need your help?” Selena inserted.

Claudia couldn’t wait another second. She departed the table, leaving the women befuddled as they looked after her.

“Excuse me,” she said, side-stepping other patrons as she traveled through the maze of people to get to the bathroom.

Inside, she found the biggest stall empty and rushed into it where she squatted in front of the toilet and vomited. A current of dizziness fell over Claudia, and heat swept along her skin.

“Lord have mercy and be patient with me, please,” she said in silent prayer. Claudia sank her face into her palm and fought the heave that threatened to spill over again.

As it was, she was out of nutrition to offer up to the porcelain god, but that didn’t stop her gut from tightening with the warning of impending release.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Whipping her head around, Claudia’s eyes lurched as they rode up a protruding belly into soft brown eyes, sienna skin, and full lips. With her hair crowded around her shoulders, Camilla held an understanding gaze on Claudia.

“Was it the toilet that gave me away or is it a pregnancy thing?” Claudia asked.

Camilla smirked and folded her arms. “Both,” she said.

Claudia nodded and exhaled deeply.

“When you go back to your doctor, tell them to give you nausea medicine. Trust me, it works.”

Claudia snickered. “You mean when I go to the doctor.”

“You haven’t been?”

“I just found out this morning. No one else knows but me. Well, and now you. I was getting ready to freak out when you all walked up.”

“Oh. I apologize, we didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Claudia shrugged. “You’re fine, but I think I might have to call my doctor asap. If feeling like this is going to be my new normal, then I must seek help immediately.”

Camilla nodded.

“Besides, I’m not sure I’m entirely ready to tell everyone,” Claudia added. Her thoughts traveled back to Jaden.

“Why do you think that is?”

Claudia was silent for a second before she turned her head to the commode and heaved but nothing came out. She held her stomach and closed her eyes, releasing a languid breath.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Claudia glanced at Camilla. “What if I’m no good at it? My whole life it’s been me and my disabled mother. Now that I’m pregnant, I’ve got to figure out how to raise a child. You know I wasn’t that great of a kid. Used to get in trouble a lot when my dad left,” she mumbled. Her gaze was far off, and Camilla knew Claudia’s fear was leading her thoughts.

“Who’s taken care of your mother all your life?”

Claudia blinked over at Camilla then smirked. “Me.”

Camilla nodded. “You’ll be fine. A baby is just a grown person in a little body. If you can take care of your mother, you can take care of a baby.”

Claudia hadn’t thought of it that way.

“And, you’re married now. To Jaden, right?”

Claudia lifted a brow. “How’d you know?”

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