Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26677 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26677 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
As a result, Elsa’s out of our lives now. Not completely, of course. She’s still my mother, so I’ll talk with her once in a while on the phone, but like all things Elsa, she never acknowledges what happened. Instead, it’s just fluffy gossip about her comings and goings, and the men she’s flirting with now that she’s healthy. I don’t think she’s even doing shrooms anymore. Instead, she’s graduated to ketamine IVs. Don’t even ask, because it’s bad. But what can I do? Elsa is an adult woman intent on enjoying her life after a long bout of sickness and if she’s hooking up and doing drugs, realistically, there’s no way to stop her.
“Are you thinking about your mom again?” Mason growls, taking my small hand in his big one.
I sigh, nodding slightly. “Yeah. I don’t want to be around her while she’s going buck wild with her shenanigans. But she can’t be around me or the baby while she’s doing ketamine. I mean, it’s just too crazy.”
My boyfriend’s handsome features darken.
“Absolutely not,” he rasps. “Not when you’re pregnant, and definitely not after the baby’s born.”
“Can you believe that stuff is legal if you have a license in NYC?”
He shakes his head.
“No. It’s crazy what goes on in the city, but it’s not our problem. We need to focus on the child.”
“Of course,” I sigh. “I just don’t want Elsa to spiral out of control because I’m her only child, you know,” I say with a rueful glance.
He nods that dark head, blue eyes glinting.
“I know, but –”
At that moment, a familiar voice interrupts our conversation.
“Chelsea! Hey girl, how are you?”
I smile as I see my good friend, Tracy, unlatching the gate to the garden. She’s cute, with curly brown hair, big brown eyes, and a small, but definitely pregnant, tummy. I actually met Tracy a few months ago at a parenting class, and the two of us hit it off immediately.
“Hey, come on in,” I grin. “Thanks for swinging by.”
She nods happily, while approaching the table.
“Thank you,” she giggles before waggling her fingers at Mason. “Hi, you must be the baby’s dad.”
“That I am,” he growls, getting up to give her his seat. “Mason Richards. Welcome to our home.”
But Tracy doesn’t sit. Instead, she merely hands a gaily decorated bag to me.
“Actually, I can’t stay,” she burbles. “I just came to give you this,” she says. “You’d think that with me living in the same neighborhood, we’d be able to see each other more, but I’ve been really busy lately,” she says with a wink.
I giggle.
“No worries,” I say. “You sure you don’t want a lemonade at least?”
She shakes her head.
“I have to get going again because you know, errands and all, but I hope you like your gift. I’ll see you soon, okay?” she twitters before turning to look at Mason. “Take good care of my girl, you hear? We pregnant ladies have to stick together.”
“I will,” he chuckles. The two of us wave at Tracy as she waddles out of the garden again, and I shake my head with a smile once she’s gone.
“I’m so happy I met her. I was convinced that I’d never make friends with other moms-to-be for a while, but then, there was Tracy.”
My man nods.
“I’m happy you’ve made a friend too. One day, we should all get together and do something. Maybe lunch with her boyfriend or husband?”
“Oh,” I say with a rueful smile. “That sounds good, but Tracy doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
Mason nods slowly.
“She’s not on good terms with her babydaddy?”
I take a deep breath and then look at him.
“Actually, she doesn’t know the father of her baby is.”
He raises his brows.
“Are you serious?”
I nod.
“Yeah. My understanding is that Tracy went through a really bad break-up a while back. She wanted revenge, she was hurt and angry, yada yada yada, so after the break-up, she went on a rampage and slept with a ton of guys. The pregnancy is the result.”
Mason looks dumbstruck.
“Holy fuck. And she decided to keep the child even though she doesn’t know who the father is?”
“Yes,” I nod. “I don’t blame her because you know that I think all children are blessings, no matter the circumstances. But what’s even crazier is that I think Tracy’s still hooking up with a ton of men even though she’s pregnant. She babysits for a living, and I think she’s sleeping with several of the single dads she works for.”
Mason stares at me, his blue eyes filled with disbelief.
“You must be shitting me.”
I shake my head.
“No, I’m serious. I think the single dads love her pregnant figure, and it’s kind of like insurance in a way. She’s already pregnant, so they can’t accidentally get her pregnant again. Does that make sense?”
My boyfriend looks astonished.
“Yes, but still. It’s fucking incredible.”
I nod.
“Who knew New Jersey could be so louche, right? We get a bad rap for being outré and boring, but clearly, it’s undeserved.”