Page 35 of Geordie

I take my seat. Marie means well. She worries about me like my mother. “Yes, it's true. The breakup happened a few weeks ago.”

Marie smooths out a wrinkle on her skirt. “I thought you were going to announce your engagement, maybe plans for a destination wedding.”

“No wedding… that's not what I invited you here for.”

The doorbell rings and I'm happy for the interruption. Molly greets me at the door then sweeps by me into the living room. She hugs Harv and Marie like they're long-lost friends.

“Whew, it's warm out there today,” she says, fanning herself. “I see you all have drinks. Maybe Lily will show me where she hides the pitcher so I can have a refreshment.”

I wave a dismissive hand at her. “No need, I have a virgin papaya spritzer for you.”

She's practically dancing on her toes, clapping her hands. “Oh goody. This really is going to be a party. I'll help.”

Molly slips onto a stool at the kitchen counter while I pull out a pitcher and fill a glass for her. She picks it up and drinks deeply.

“Hey, slow down. That cocktail isn't lethal, but it's carbonated. You know how you are. If you drink too fast, you'll be burping all morning.”

She stifles a tiny burp. “Sorry, this tastes good. I've been craving fruit, especially smoothies.” She takes another sip, then places it on the counter. “I want to know what all this cloak and dagger stuff is about. Why don't you tell me why we're all here? It's nothing terminal, is it?”

“Come on, let's go back to Harv and Marie. All will be revealed soon,” I say in a spooky voice. “If I tell you now, I'll have to repeat the news to Harv and Marie, and I'm not going to do that.”

Once I'm back in the living room, three pairs of eyes watch me with expectation. I admit I like the drama, but I can't keep them in suspense forever. “Okay, let's retire to the terrace and I'll explain everything while we're eating.”

We file onto the terrace, where classical music drifts from the speakers. I'm so happy that the weather cooperated. I sip my spritzer, watching my guests open silver services and pile on eggs, sausage, rashers, tomato, mushrooms, and fried bread. I even added the traditional beans, but I left out the blood pudding; no one would have eaten it.

Harv is the last to seat himself at the table. “Alright, we have food in front of us. What's the big announcement?”

I stand to give importance to my news. These three are my support group. They're the only ones who are going to be privy to this information. I thought I would let my mom know at this stage too, but I'll wait until it's a done deal.

“I've made a decision, and if I'm going to go forward with my plan, I'll need your help. You three have been my support for a long time. Molly, we've been best buds since high school. Harv and Marie, you stepped up when my mother left the state and it was me alone working in kitchens trying to carve out a career. I want to share the next step in my journey.” They look at each other, trying to guess what I'm going to say.

“I'm going to have a baby,” I blurt out.

Harv drops his fork. Molly squeals like a ten-year-old and Marie's hand flies to her mouth. They stare at me like they're frozen in time. All I hear are the birds tweeting in the distance.

Harv is the first to come out of his stupor. “When did this happen?” His voice is surprisingly calm.

He sounds like he just stopped short of askingHow did it happen?Hell, we all know how it happens. But then I realize what he's asking. “Oh no, I'm not pregnant now. What I'm saying is that I'm planning to get pregnant.”

“Stephen didn't say anything when we were planning your party,” Molly says after a sip. “I get it. You wanted to make the announcement. Will Stephen be here soon? Shouldn't you have waited for him?”

“Stephen isn't the father. I mean, the father isn't going to be Stephen.” This announcement is going off the rails. I didn't think it would be this difficult to explain. “I'm planning to have a child alone with an anonymous donor.”

“A donor?” Marie says. “Are you going to put an ad on Craigslist?”

“No,” Molly says. “There are agencies. Guys donate their sperm. You can go to a sperm bank and make a withdrawal.”

Marie can't seem to get the look of wide-eyed horror off her face. “I know the question I'm about to ask might be indelicate, Lily, but you need to help me understand why Stephen isn't involved?”

I try to explain this as clearly as possible. They need to understand this isn't a whim. “Stephen and I have gone our separate ways. I know we've broken up before—many times, in fact—but this time we're not getting back together.” I don't want to tell them the real reason, that Stephen made me think he wanted a family when he didn't. It's my fault for not pinning him down sooner about children. Really, I'm not strong enough to have that painful conversation with them.

“He just threw you a spare-no-expense surprise birthday party at the Izuki; the man obviously loves you,” Molly says.

Molly is the most invested in my relationship with Stephen. She loves me, but she also loves the perks of having a girlfriend whose boyfriend is a billionaire.

I sigh, looking off into the distance. “The decision has been made. I'm having this child as a single parent. Please say you'll support me.”

“You have our support,” Harv says. “Tell us what you want us to do.”

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