But I’m starting to get a little more excited. I downloaded the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting onto my iPad the other night and started reading it. And in the morning, after I woke up, I lay in bed for a bit to look at baby room ideas.
Now that I know that Keegan isn’t only okay with the idea but also excited, I’m getting used to it all.
I still don’t want to say anything to anyone else for a little while, just to make sure nothing horrible happens.
It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m covering the lunch crowd at the pub so I can go upstairs early and get some sleep before I have to make the trip into Seattle to report the weather in the morning. The schedule is brutal, but I love the job so much that I don’t mind.
“It’s slow today,” I say as I set my empty tray on the bar and boost my ass into a stool.
“That it is,” Keegan says as he washes a beer glass. “Take a second to get off your feet, why don’t you?”
“Already doing it.”
When it’s just Keegan and me in the pub like this, I don’t have to work so hard to pretend that everything’s normal. Not that I’m a whiner, I just take more little breaks to sit and breathe, usually working my way through a wave of nausea.
But right now, it’s just exhaustion.
I rest my head on my arm and close my eyes for a moment. I can hear everything around me, but I’m in a nice, drifty place.
“Go up and go to bed,” Keegan says softly. “I can handle the bar until Maggie gets here in just a little while.”
“No, I’m fine.” I sit up and prop my chin on my hand. “I’m sorry, this is incredibly unprofessional. Please don’t fire me.”
He grins at me, and I can’t help but smile back. This man’s smile is everything. He can boost me up with just a wink, a simple look.
Is it any wonder that I fell in love with him?
“Okay, back to work.” I hop off the stool, but a wave of nausea hits me so fast and hard that I have to make a run for the bathroom.
When is this going to stop? I ask myself as I stand at the sink and rinse my mouth out. I’ve lost five pounds in the past week.
This can’t be healthy. I’m going to have to call the doctor for the meds she mentioned at our appointment. I thought I could stick it out, but something has to give here.
Just as I open the door to step out into the bar area, Maggie appears and gently pushes me back into the bathroom.
“What are you doing here early?” I ask her.
“I came to see Ma for a minute before my shift starts. But we don’t want to talk about me. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
“How did—? No. Of course, not. I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mary Margaret.”
“Don’t you Mary Margaret me, Isabella. I’m not blind or stupid. You look exhausted all the time, and this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you make a run for the bathroom. Either you have an eating disorder, which I highly doubt, or you have a bun in the oven.”
I sigh and lean against the wall. I cross my arms over my chest and feel the soreness in my boobs.
Maybe I do need to talk to someone besides Keegan about this. A woman.
A friend.
“First of all, you can’t tell a soul.”
“I knew it.” She does a little happy dance right in the middle of the restroom. “I knew it.”
“I’m serious. We aren’t telling anyone for a little bit to make sure that everything goes right, and the baby’s healthy. It’s still super early.”
“I can totally keep a secret,” she says, but I know better.
“If you tell anyone, you won’t be my favorite anymore.”
The smile leaves her face. “Well, that’s just mean.”
“I’m not joking.”
“But you are pregnant.”
“Or I’ve had the flu for several weeks.” I grin. “We went to the doctor. We saw the heartbeat and everything.”
“Oh my God, this is so exciting! Another little baby to love on. I’m so excited for you, Izzy. Keegan must be over the moon. Wait, is he the one who doesn’t want to say anything? Because now that I think about it, I don’t know that kids were ever on his radar.”
“No, it’s me. Keegan’s really excited.”
“You’re so good for my brother,” she says, and the words instantly bring tears of joy to my eyes. “I’ve seen so much of him come alive since you came into his life, Izzy. He’s happier. So, thanks for that.”
“Well, it’s mutual. I love him very much.”
Maggie squeals and wraps her arms around me in a big hug. “Do you need anything?”
“I need to stop throwing up.”
“Crackers,” she says. “Stasia was this way. You need crackers, and maybe some chicken broth. And you should suck on hard ginger candies. Ginger is good for nausea. We have ginger ale at the bar, we’ll get you set up.”
“If I’d known I would get so much good advice, I would have said something earlier. Keegan knows nothing about this stuff. And neither do I. I’ve never really been around a pregnant woman.”
“Don’t worry, we know what to do.”
I’ve been sucking on ginger candies and eating crackers for twenty-four hours, and I already feel better. Maybe it was a mistake to not say anything to at least the other girls. I didn’t consider that they’d have so much good advice for me.
“Great job this morning, Izzy,” my boss, Roger, says as he approaches my desk. “I have to say, you’ve exceeded our expectations these past few weeks. Congratulations.”
I sit back in my chair and smile at the man I’ve come to respect since I started working for the news program. “Thank you. I’m so happy to hear that you’re pleased with my work.”
“We are. Listen, you just reported about the ice storm that’s likely to hit Portland tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’s right. If the models are correct, and they usually are, it should rain heavily all morning, and then start to freeze in the early afternoon. It’s one of those odd storms that rolls in during the fall sometimes.”
“I’m sending you down to cover it remotely for the evening news.”
I sit back and stare at the man. This is amazing. “Really?”
“Yes. Really. You’ll be on location, reporting back live to the anchors in the studio for the five o’clock and six o’clock news.”
“Okay.” I tap my chin, thinking of everything I have to get ready.
“Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. I’m making a mental list of everything I have to do. When will we leave? Will we be gone overnight?”
“I would plan for that in case the weather is so bad that you get stuck there. You’ll be just a team of two, you and Phil, who will drive and man the camera. He’s a veteran at this. Been here for twenty years.”
“I met Phil, he’s very nice. Okay, so what time will we leave?”
“Eleven in the morning to make sure you get there safely before the ice hits.”
I nod, and Roger walks away.
This whole job is my dream, but this part, going on location and reporting the weather as it happens, is something I’ve always wanted to do.