21As had become our custom for Thanksgiving, we crashed the Arods' dinner. "TAZ!" came the usual chorus of greeting. And then, "THE UNDEAD GIVERS!" as we were all tackled by nephews and nieces, who were getting a little old to be doing it still.
We greeted each of them in turn and then had to suffer all the aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers and sisters and then, of course, there were Adam's parents, who had to look their boy up and down and comment on how nice he looked and how proud they were. I refrained yet again from telling them about the many girlfriends he still had.
We sat down at one of the many tables set up to accommodate so many people. "So, Matt, Patricia, how's the married life treating you?" I asked Adam's sister, who was sitting across from us.
"Well, it's difficult to try to get pregnant when you live at your parents' place, you know?" she answered with a laugh.
"I can't even imagine," I laughed in return.
"So that's why Mom and Dad have been coming to visit me so often since you two got married," Adam teased.
"We tried telling them it would be cheaper if they help us put a down-payment on a house, but they didn't really listen," Matt said.
"They might change their minds when the baby actually comes," Kate, who was holding her second child, Brent, on her lap, said.
"Are you kidding? They love kids," Patricia said.
"Yeah, that's why they had the eleven of you," Adam joked.
"What about you?" I asked.
"I was the first one…the accident," he replied, stage whispering the last part with his hand held next to his mouth in mock-secretiveness.
"Adam, dear, how many times do I have to tell you that you were premature?" Adam's mother scolded as she walked behind him, checking to see if anyone one needed anything.
"Yeah, Mom, whatever. I know baby's don't come six months early," he said, looking up at her with an innocent smile. She whacked the back of his head, which had dreads again, and moved on.
I had been feeling a little sick all day and the smell of all the food wasn't helping. In fact, half way through the meal it made me run to the bathroom and get sick. After up-chucking all that I had eaten, I looked in the cabinet under the sink for something to calm my stomach. There was a stack of pregnancy tests sitting there. I looked around as if someone might be watching and then picked one up out of curiosity.
I was sitting on the lid of the toilet, waiting for the fifteen minutes to be up. There was a knock on the door. "You all right, Sal?" Shooter asked from the other side.
"Yeah, just…just not feeling very well," I replied.
"Do you need anything?"
I checked my watch. Fourteen minutes was long enough, right? I picked up the test and screamed. "OH MY GOD! SHOOTER GET IN HERE!" The door burst open.
"WHAT?" he yelled. I held up the test for him to see the two pink lines. "What does that mean?!"
"IT'S POSITIVE!" I screeched and jumped up to wrap my arms and legs around him in a hug.
"YES!" he called and spun around. Apparently all our screaming caught the attention of just about everyone in the house.
Once we realized all the eyes on us I blushed as he set me down. Michael and Kate were at the front of the pack, both with the same uncertain look on their faces. "We have some good news," Shooter started.
"I'm pregnant!" I blurted before I could help it.
The room burst into cheers and clapping as Kate hugged me and Michael clapped Shooter on the back. "Congratulations, man," I just barely heard him say. I could tell it was sincere by the look on his face.
A second later I had to peel Kate off me and bolt for the toilet as morning sickness overcame me again. I heard several empathetic, feminine "Aws…"
When I came out again, the room had mostly cleared, except for Shooter, Michael, and Kate. "I thought you couldn't…" Michael started and then trailed off awkwardly.
"They did say there was like a one in a bajillion chance…" I replied.
"You may be a little green, but I love you," Shooter said and kissed me.
"Ew…god, don't you ever learn from your mistakes?" Kate asked as Shooter broke off the kiss with a bitter expression.
"Sorry…I didn't rinse out my mouth yet," I smiled sheepishly. Shooter shrugged and kissed me again.