Page 72 of Decidedly With Baby
And I knew exactly how to thank Josh for the weekend—once I’d recovered from myexhaustion.
As Kelsey drove us back to San Francisco, I held the envelope with the prenatal photos she had taken lastweek.
Did you want to see them? You might want to grab a box of tissues first—or maybe that was just me. Those out-of-control hormones still loved playing the gameLet’s Make HollyCry.
Fifty points if I cried inpublic.
The first photo was black and white with me sitting on the park bench. My butt was near the front of the seat, a slight curve to my lower back, which accentuated the baby bump. My favorite part? Josh had been standing behind the bench and was kissing me on the lips. There was something sweet yet possessive about thephoto.
And hello…hotnessfactor.
The second photo? Josh and I were both standing, with Josh behind me again. Our hands cradled my baby bump from above and below. It was both tender and sweet…and made my heart ache at how much we looked like a family. Even if Noah hadn’t been bornyet.
“So,” Kelsey began, her focus on the road as she drove, “have you and Josh decided yet what will happen once Noah is born? Will Josh live with youtwo?”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me, and flipped on my happy, optimistic voice. “He’s not giving up his apartment, but that’s probably a good thing.” Yeah, I know. I hadn’t exactly answered her question. Did you think shenoticed?
Okay, she might not have noticed if I hadn’t followed that with, “There are so many unknowns about our future—there’s no point in me getting too attached tohim.”
Brilliant. Really smooth going,Hols.
“What do youmean?”
Well, since the kangaroo was out of theknapsack…
“For starters, what happens if he’s traded? I can’t go with him. I’d lose myjob.”
“But you’d get a newone.”
I let out a small laugh.Oops. Apparently, I forgot to turn on my casual, happy-go-lucky mode. “It’s not that easy. For one, I don’t have my green card yet. If I lose my job or leave it, it’s back to Australia Igo.”
“Does Josh knowthis?”
I might have mentioned it once—before I got pregnant. I vaguely remembered that conversation from the night we got drunk—but I wasn’t one hundred percent certain it happened. “We haven’t discussed it, so I have noidea.”
But given his team wasn’t purely American born, he must’ve known I needed a work visa to stay in the country—even if he didn’t know the specifics when it came to the immigrationlaws.
Kelsey shot me a side-glance. “Why haven’t you discussed it? Maybe he can do something aboutit.”
“Like what? Marry me? It’s either that or I find a new job that will sponsor my green-card application. But it’s not thatsimple.”
“So Josh just has to marry you and you’d get to stay? That doesn’t sound toobad.”
“Sure, except for two problems. First, this is all assuming he’d want to marry me. He’s always made it clear he’s not the marryingtype.”
“What’s the secondproblem?”
I looked down at my belly. “When and if I get married, it will be because the man loves me. It’s not so I can stay in the country.” If I had wished to marry for convenience, I would’ve married Drew like Mumwanted.
“But then Josh won’t get to see his son,” Kelseysaid.
Now if onlyWhat To Expect When You’re Expectingcovered this.…Heck, if only any of the pregnancy and parenting books I’d bought covered it. Wanted to know what a birth plan was or the pros and cons of an epidural? The books had you covered. Wanted to know how to make your life sound less like a reality show? Then you were royallyscrewed.
“I know—but so far none of this is an issue. I love my job and it will still be there when I return from maternity leave. And going on mat leave doesn’t cancel my work visa. So for now, I can stay in thecountry.”
Kelsey was quiet for a few minutes, so I figured the conversation was over. I checked my phone to see if Josh had texted me.Drivesafe!
“You love him, don’t you?” she asked softly as I replied to histext.
