Page 27 of Up All Night
I hand her the box, and just as I do, that’s when Bowie comes around the corner.I would say that we couldn’t have made that more perfect timing.The look on her face goes from confused to a warm smile.“Are you?"She hesitates, allowing the silence to fill in the blank.
I watch as Izzy smiles with what I can only guess is her best friend.“I’m pretty sure that this is just a technicality.Forgive me, but I wasn’t ready to tell you, for some odd reason.I must be mad from hormones."
Bowie rests her arm on Izzy‘s shoulder.“I had a funny feeling, actually.But I didn’t want to say."
I interject.“See?And you were all worried."
Izzy does a face palm and smiles.“I know.It’s silly.I’m sorry.”
Bowie takes the box and walks with her hand on Izzy’s shoulder.“Come on.Let’s go see what this crystal ball says.”
We go to my room, since it’s on the first floor, and closer than Bowie's room.If that’s any consolation.To me, if a woman can’t wait to get to the elevator to find out whether or not she’s pregnant, she must be about to burst with excitement.But I don’t say that.
Both girls' eyes bulge when they stare at the stick together.Sure enough, there are two pink lines in the window.I can see it in Bowie's eyes that she’s about to burst, but she’s cautious and patient.“Are we happy or sad?"She asks Izzy.
I already know the answer, but I keep my mouth shut and let the girls have their moment.
“Provided Rush doesn’t have a stroke, I’m very happy.I have no idea how I’m going to pull this off with how busy I am, but if my mum could do it, then so can I."
As she says this, Bowie is literally jumping up and down.We do a group hug, and I can’t help but feel like I’ve naturally joined this group.Truth be told, aside from Lucy, I don’t have many female friends.I have plenty of acquaintances, but none that I would share this sort of a secret with.
“When are you going to tell Rush?"
Izzy's face falls.“Oh my God."
Bowie's expression mirrors Izzy's.“What’s wrong?"
“God, I don’t know how I didn’t remember this.Rush doesn’t want to have children.And neither did I.We had this specific conversation not that long ago."
Bowie and I lead Izzy to the chaise lounge by the bedroom window.Once she sits, Bowie starts.“What do you mean?"
Izzy rakes hand through her hair.“Before he even proposed, we already decided that our careers would come first.And I said the same thing.It must be the hormones.I must be drunk on hormones."Suddenly, she’s beside herself.
I swallow, while I watch Bowie console her friend.“I know it’s none of my business, and I have absolutely no right to say this, but you can have an abortion."
“You see, this is why I didn’t want to tell anybody, including Bowie."Izzy says to herself.“Deep down I knew that this is not news to be excited about."
Her gut instinct, her initial response, is the one that’s true.I believe she just has cold feet now.You can’t take back your first reaction.Never.That’s how you truly feel about something.Always.Izzy's initial reaction was genuine.She was not putting on a show for Bowie, or for me, for that matter.I wish that I could say my thoughts out loud, but I can’t.As I watch my new friend rake her fingers through her hair, scraping her scalp in the process, I will my lips to stay shut.
“You’ve got a day or two to think about this, Izzy."Bowie consoles.
That’s when she spirals.She becomes unglued.Hysterical.But instead of wanting our support, she asks us to leave her be.She wants to go back to her own room and be alone.Bowie and I exchange a look, wondering if it’s safe to leave her by herself when she’s in such a state, but she wipes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and tells us that she’ll be just fine.So, we do what she’s asked and walk her upstairs to her room and leave her.Only, she just thinks that we leave her, but we each take a seat on the provided chairs in the hallway.
“Jesus, she’s really rattled by this."Bowie states.
I want to say more, but I don’t.I am in no position, and I have no right.All I do is nod.Minutes pass, as we sit in silence, focusing so hard on the door to try and hear any movement or chatter.Then Bowie receives a text message from her.Bowie responds that we're just sitting in the hallway.
Seconds later, the door opens.“Well, I think I just made it worse.”
Bowie rises.“What do you mean?”
“I called Rush.”She shrugs nervously.
Bowie stumbles on her words.“But, um, what happened, did you tell him?"
“Not exactly.I was in hysterics.I told him everything, but I told him nothing all at the same time.I don’t even remember what I said."
“Are you sure you didn’t tell him that you’re pregnant?"I ask.
