Page 46 of Unexpecting

″Oh, please,” I muttered to myself.

″Morgan Riese,” she told him, holding out her hand. Derek took her hand, bowing over it, and touched it gently with his lips.

″Enchante,” he said with a surprisingly sexy smile. Smile or not, it was a truly cheesy move, and I fully expected Morgan to…

Giggle! She giggled.

″Oh, please.” This time I groaned. “You had to find the one full of cheese, didn’t you, Mom?” Of course, no one heard me, and I wrenched my eyes away from the disturbing sight of Morgan being fawned over. Not that I minded Morgan being fawned over—goodness knows, after what Anil put her through, no one deserved it more—but in my opinion, the last type of man she needed was the Rico Suave type. Especially if my mother brought him around.

Terri was still gushing to Cooper while Libby stood glowering by his side. What was happening with Morgan and Derek seemed far less nauseating, but I turned back to them in time to see Morgan leading him across the yard.

″Oh, but—” Terri called out. Then she glanced at me and shrugged. “I guess it was too much to hope for. Anyway, what do you think of our news?”

″Um, congratulations,” I managed to say weakly. Libby gave me her death glare, but what could I do? Terri’s eagerness and need for approval is borderline pathetic, but oddly touching.

″You’re just going to accept this?” she cried. Despite her tiny frame and sweet-looking exterior, Libby has a ferocious temper. It’s quick, it’s nasty, and it’s not nice to see. And it comes out a lot when our mother is around.

″You’re just going to sit back and let her marry some guy we don’t even know? But then, why shouldn’t we just let her? It’s not like she took any interest in our lives, just sitting back and letting our father treat us like shit. She just sat back and watched, so you know, Mother, I hope you marry someone who treats you like shit so you know what it feels like!” I think she might have continued, but Cooper put a hand on her shoulder.

″It’s definitely a surprise,” he said mildly.

Libby gave her head a shake and motioned to Maddy to let go of my leg. “Look at what you make me do! I never, ever swear in front of my children, and now listen to me! Don’t think you’re going to use my children in your wedding either. Maybe you should wait until Casey has her baby, since she’s so accepting of the whole thing! Hear that, Mother? Casey wants to get pregnant without a husband or even a boyfriend in the picture, just some guy to ‘donate’!” Her fingers formed claws as she made quotation marks around the word.

″Libby!” I gasped. I was sure I would get around to telling my mother about having a baby when I got pregnant, but it wasn’t news to be blurted out like that.

″Oh, are you pregnant?” Terri turned to me with surprise.

″No, not yet. I’m just—”

″Well, it’s no surprise if you are. I was pregnant at eighteen with you, and we didn’t have to wait too long for Libby. I’m sure if your father didn’t drink so much and he could have performed adequately, I would have more kids.” I’m sure Libby and I have identical expressions of disgust at that comment, but it only gets worse as Terri continues.

″I would love to have more babies. In fact, another baby might be a wonderful idea, don’t you think, Eric? You’re just thirty-six, and I know you’d love a child of our own. I’ve heard of lots of women in their fifties who can carry a child. What a good idea! I’m strong and healthy, and goodness knows I’m still getting my monthlies—”

My mouth gaped open, and I had a fervent wish to have the ground open up and make me, or my mother, disappear into it. Anything thatcould remove those few statements from being imbedded in my mind for all time would do the trick.

″Excuse me. I feel the need to vomit,” Libby said. She took Maddy by the hand and picked up Max in his car seat and stalked off. “I hope you know what you’re getting into,” were her final words thrown like a dart toward Eric.

I looked at Cooper standing uncomfortably beside me. To give him credit, he wasn’t making a move to run away, but I was sure he didn’t want to hear any of this.

″Well, I knew she wouldn’t take it well,” Terri said, waving Libby away. “She’s always been the ungrateful, high-minded type. I’m surprised she’s found a man to put up with her moods. Always been moody, that one.”

″Mother!” I said reprovingly.

″Casey, you know what she’s like as well as I do.”

″No, actually, I don’t think you know what she’s like at all.”

Terri looked approvingly at me as I said that. “Got some backbone, did you, Casey? About time, I’d say.”

I reached forward and plucked the glass out of Terri’s hand. Time I showed some backbone, then. “Too bad you have to be off, Mother. Good to meet you, Eric. Thanks for deciding to tell us about your news. Have a good night.”

Chapter Twenty

“During pregnancy a woman often forges a deeper and more intimate relationship with the father of the child.”

A Young Woman’s Guide to the Joy of Impending Motherhood

Dr. Francine Pascal Reid (1941)

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