Page 29 of Love Resurrected
“Hey, mama,” I answer.
“Hey, guess where I am?”
“Disneyland?”
She giggles. “No. The hospital.”
“Ohmigod, is it time?”
“No, it’s Braxton Hicks again. Which are horrifically painful. All those people who said that Braxton Hicks was no big deal should be shot. And worst of all, they don’t give you drugs for them.”
“I knew this whole pregnancy thing was a mistake,” I joke.
“Right?” she jokes back. “Now it’s too late, nothing I can do.”
“Is Ethan there with you, want me to come by?”
“Would you? I didn’t call him since he’s on shift, and I wasn’t sure if it was real or not.”
“I’m already in my car. I’ll be there soon.”
“There’s a reason I love you so much,” Sadie says.
“See you soon. Tenley out.”
* * *
I spend an hour at the hospital with Sadie before following her home, after which we have a slumber party. I stay because I’m convinced she’s going into labor early, and that it will be when Ethan is working. She asks me to stay because since she’s been pregnant, she hates being home alone when Ethan is at the station. So, we spend the evening watching chick flicks. Sadie falls asleep at the beginning of the second one, and I put a blanket over her and turn the volume down. I snap a picture and send it to Ethan, giving him an update on the day.
I pull out my laptop to work on my part of the recruitment fair planning but search the internet for Brad Mathews instead. I’m surprised to find they featured him in the SSFD annual calendar a few times. But I’m not surprised to see he’s cut as fuck. The last time he posed must have been when Kat was still alive because his write-up mentions him living with his fiancée. I flip through the calendar’s photos, pausing on one of Ethan, Brad, and another guy all standing next to one another with helmets over their dicks.
“I think he knocked me up again, just looking at that picture. Can you believe I have sex with that?” Sadie points to Ethan in the photo, having woken up. “Hey, are you perving on my man?”
She knocks into me with her shoulder and I knock into her back.
“Nah, I was just playing around online,” I tell her.
“Were you cyber-stalking Brad?” she asks, eyes wide.
“A little.” I cringe. “I can’t help it. He kind of fascinates me, even though I think he’s a prick.”
“I get it,” she says.
“You do?”
“Sure. I mean, he’s all dark and broody, but obviously he was happy once, cause look at him. He’s way too attractive for his own good, and he’s kind of this dark horse in our group of friends.”
“I’m the dark horse in our group of friends.”
“No, no way, Ten. You’re the unicorn.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek. “You’re required to say that as my best friend.”
“Just like you’re required to tell me I still look great, even though I’m bloated as fuck and ready to pop out what must be a twenty-pound baby in a couple weeks.”
“You look great,” I tell her honestly. “And if that baby is twenty pounds, and you push it out, I’ll give you a million dollars.”
“Deal.” She extends her hand and we shake on it, giggling at the same time.
