Page 55 of Knocked Up by Mr. Grump Lawyer

The familiar surroundings brought a smile to my face. I had lived in Hollywood all my life. There was a huge chance that I could run into a former classmate or schoolmate. After all, many of them still reside here and have sent their children to the same school.

My hand automatically flew to my tummy. I wasn’t being discreet about it anymore. After all, the only person that mattered to me was my dad and what he thought about it. The next person that counted was supposed to be Robert, but it seemed like there’s no chance we’d ever get along well enough.

Sadness began to settle at the pit of my stomach. And yet there were also butterflies that roused the energy in my body. But I quickly dismissed the feelings, focusing instead on the festivities happening around me.

I sniffed the air, which smelled of cinnamon, chocolate, honey, and freshly baked bread. My overactive hormones were reacting fast, making me salivate. I felt my stomach grumbling. Or maybe it was the baby begging to be fed!

When I walked forward to where most of the students were gathered, the sight of the displayed breads, pastries, and cakes on nicely decorated tables starved me even more. I longed to have a taste of everything.

But first things first. I needed to find Riley because I’d promised him I would come to this bake sale and buy from his class. He was one of the designated bakers, which gave him much pride.

I realized then that this kid was beginning to grow on me. In the short time, I had stayed in their house, the two of us had formed an unexpectedly deep connection.

I quickly spotted his tousled black hair in the crowd, which resembled his dad’s, except that his was longer and messier. Robert’s hair was always neatly combed.

Holding the gift I’d brought for him, a set of baking tools and an apron with his name, I sauntered over to what I assumed was their class booth. There were plenty of people crowding it and getting some free taste.

Riley looked like a younger version of his dad — very handsome, but in a friendlier way.

For a while, I observed him and noticed how good he was at dealing with people. He seemed to be the star of their booth. A lot of middle school girls also passed by just to get a glimpse of him and to say hello.

“Quite the charmer,” I said to myself, grinning.

I suddenly remembered my encounter with Robert yesterday, which quickly dampened my spirits once more.

My heartbeat began to pick up its pace as different memories of him floated in my head. I didn’t know if I wanted to see him today, but he’s sure to be here. That thought seemed to electrify my whole body and ignite a fiery sensation that I realized still existed when I thought about him.

My body, my heart, and my mind were certainly not on good terms when it came to Robert.

Suddenly, I saw a gorgeous woman wearing a tight-fitting shirt, jeans, and high heels. She had on sparkling jewelry that screamed out her wealthy status. Immediately I realized that this was probably Riley’s mother.The infamous Jaynie.

She ordered a lot of stuff from their table, almost wiping out the products. Riley’s classmates looked ecstatic. But Riley didn’t look too happy because his mom wasn’t even talking to him. She was too busy tapping on her cell phone.

I was hesitant to come forward. When I saw one of Riley’s classmates leave the table, I just asked him to hand over my gift, which also had a note for him. The kid nodded and brought the gift to Riley.

I watched his reaction from afar. His mom was still quite busy.

Riley read the card, a smile spreading across his lips. Then he opened my present and appeared to love it.

That was enough for me. I will just call him later.

I walked around a little before leaving. From time to time, I would glance at their class table to check if Jaynie was still there.

At one point, I was standing just two tables away. And when I glanced again, I saw Robert and Jaynie together. Riley was also there.

My heart sank. I’m not sure why, but it did. I felt like I didn’t belong there. I felt so stupid, all of a sudden.

Had I really been hoping to be part of that family, to somehow take the place of Riley’s mom?

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I needed to get out.

I half-ran and half-walked out of the gym and through the hallway until I reached the lawn in front of the school. I was breathing hard, but trying to calm myself.

I felt overwhelmed.What kind of life had I been pursuing? Now it feels so wrong.

I walked over to a nearby tree and leaned on the trunk, slowly breathing in and out and waiting for it to stabilize. I rested my head and closed my eyes.

“I don’t belong with Robert or Riley,” I whispered. “And this is not the life I pictured for myself.”

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