Page 36 of A Play for Love

“Kind of. But I only seem to think about her during pivotal moments in my life, like after I had Nicholas. And now, with the wedding plans, I’m having these dreams about her. I just don’t get it. I really hate that woman.”

“You have a love/hate relationship with her, Sof. She’s your mom, so you naturally love her. You hate how she is and the things she’s done.”

“I called her after I had Nicholas because she has the right to know she has a grandchild. She didn’t answer, and she never called back.”

“Did you leave her a message?” Alex asked.

“No, because I did once before and never heard a word from her. I figured if she couldn’t be bothered to answer or call me back when she saw the missed call, then she lost the right to know anything about me. But it hurts, you know?”

“Have you talked to Charlotte?”

“I’m going to. We briefly talked about it at the gender reveal party. I’m going to see her tomorrow night after she gets home, and we’re going to have sessions in her home office.”

“Good. I’m happy to hear that. It’s natural to want your mom involved in your wedding, regardless of what she’s done or how she’s behaved.”

We looked over and saw Julia heading toward us.

“Hey.” I smiled.

“Hey, Julia.” Alex grinned. “Come sit with us. I have extra sandwiches if you’re hungry.”

The moment she sat down, we could tell something was wrong.

“What’s wrong? Did you and Sam get into a fight?” Alex asked.

She shook her head as tears filled her eyes.

“Julia, what’s wrong?” I placed my hand on her arm.

“I’m pregnant.”

My eyes widened, as did Alex’s, and we looked at each other.

“That’s impossible,” I said. “Sam got a vasectomy.”

“Yeah, Julia. How did this happen?” Alex asked with panic.

“I don’t know.” The tears fell. “He’s going to accuse me of cheating on him.”

“No,” I softly spoke. “Sam would never do that.”

“Think about it,” she said. “A man gets a vasectomy. The man goes to the doctor weeks after to make sure it worked. The doctor says, ‘You’re good to go. No sperm left.’ Then the wife gets pregnant a couple of years later. What do you think the man’s first thought is?”

“Shit. Yeah. I can see your point,” Alex said. “Did you just find out?”

“Yeah. I had a feeling, so I left the coffee shop, ran to the store, bought a test, and just took it. Within seconds, the big fat PREGNANT word showed up.”

“Why would you feel it if you knew it wasn’t possible?” Alex said.

“Because I have all the same symptoms I had when I was pregnant with the twins. I honestly thought I was being paranoid until a really good customer came into the coffee shop the other day. We all know her coffee order, so when she came in, I started making it. Then she stopped me and ordered a decaf. She said she had just found out she was pregnant.”

“I’m confused?” Alex furrowed her brows.

“She’s fifty-two, and her doctor told her she was post-menopausal.”

“Oh shit.” My eyes widened.

“F…u…c…k,” Alex said.

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