"We should go shopping," Amy suggested as they left the hospital. The sun shone and cast its bright golden rays on them, as it was still summer, although it was coming to an end in a few weeks. "I don’t think so; we need to go back to the house." Mary spoke, her eyes searching for an empty taxi. There were no bus terminals around, hence the taxi. "Yeah, we do." Amy linked her arm with Mary and began to drag her in the opposite direction. "Walmart is just 5 minutes walk from here, and you need exercise. Have you forgotten what the doctors said?" "I haven’t forgotten, but we have no time for that, nor do I have the money. I am on a budget right now." "Don’t worry. It is my treat. Plus, you really need some new clothes. You have already outgrown a lot of your clothes, and they are already bursting at the seams. You need something comfortable. Beside, your son needs clothes too." Mary looked at her friend and sighed. "I know, but it is going to be expensive." "Don’t worry, it is my t
"How do you feel?" Amy asked her friend as they came out of the salon. Gone was the blonde hair that cascaded down her back. In its place was brown hair, the shade of ground coffee. Mary had taken the advice of her hairstylist and had chosen that color. "Like a million bucks." Mary beamed at her friend. They had arrived at the salon a little late, so they were the last customers, and the intensity of the sun had reduced. "Yeah, you do. Although this will take a little time to get used to, I am used to seeing a freaking Barbie, and now you are just plain Jane. But nevertheless, you are still beautiful." Amy smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She felt like a proud mom. "I know, right," Mary said, flinging her hair at her friend. "I feel beautiful." This past month with Amy has boosted her self-esteem, plus the attention she has been getting from people just has a way of making you feel good. Gone were those baggy clothes she had on from the convent; they were replaced with c
Mary stood behind Amy, her arms folded. She didn’t know why her friend had insisted she tag along when all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed, soak her leg in warm water, and sleep.Then her stomach growled. Okay, maybe she would just get something to eat before she went to sleep. But nevertheless, the last place she wanted to be was here.Amy opened the door of the restaurant, and they were met with stark darkness, which was strange. Although today was an off day for the two, Mary could recall that the restaurant had been opened that morning.She was sure she saw the open sign in front, but everywhere was completely dark. She squinted her eyes as she tried to make out Amy in the darkness."Amy?" Mary called, unsure, her hands stretched out and circling the area as she tried to find her way to a nearby switch. And then…"Surprise!" The screams pierced the air, and the lights were turned on. Mary shielded her eyes with her hand as the sudden brightness overwhelmed her senses.She
Everyone had retired to their beds only after cleaning up, of course. If they still wanted to keep their jobs, they were sure to clean up, because that was one thing Jack wasn’t going to stand for.He was fine with them using the restaurant even during working hours, although Lincoln had actually paid him to rent the hall for a few hours.But one thing he wasn't going to stand for was littering. Hence, once they were through, they had both joined hands to arrange the chairs and table in place until the hall looked like its former form. A restaurant.Meanwhile, as they cleaned up, Mary had been taking trips to their room to keep the gifts she had been given. Everyone had brought wonderful gifts that would be useful to her and the baby, and she was truly grateful.She was carrying the last batch of left-overs when Amy ran to meet her. "Let me help." And without warning, she snatched the items from Mary's hands, and together they climbed the stairs.It was fruitless to argue with Amy, so
The next day was Thanksgiving, and the two friends woke up early to prepare for the day. The dinner starts at 4 p.m., and Amy had said she wanted to go a little late or else she would be forced to cook.So they spent the morning in their room, lounging around, and eating a light breakfast. At about 30 minutes to the time of 12, they started getting dressed so they could catch the 12:00 train.Apparently, Amy had seen a nice dress in the mall and bought it for Mary as a gift. But they have been choked by a lot of activities, and she had forgotten to give it to her. But it has come in handy now.The dress was a dark green ribbed knit bodycon maternity dress with long sleeves and a side slit, the length stopping way past her knees. The weather was chilly, so Mary paired it with a brown knit cardigan and a brown boot. She had let her hair down, and it cascaded down to her back.Amy wore a white cardigan with dark blue jeans and knee-high boots. She had completed her look with her dark gla
Mary remained in the living room with Amy’s younger sister and father. Their father had taken the white sofa just as Mary predicted, and he had turned on the television, content with watching football.So Mary was left with the younger sister, who had a knack for asking questions."So how did you meet my sister? She had never talked about you during our talks." Lauren asked, perched on the arm of the sofa."We are colleagues and roommates." Mary curtly answered, praying she wasn’t going to ask any questions again. In order to ensure that, Mary pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her pictures.And it worked because Lauren stopped bothering her; instead, she brought out her own phone and started using it.Mary had never been the social media type, and she didn’t feel the need to create any since her social circle is small. Hence, she was scrolling through her gallery. She continued swiping left until she stopped at a picture Amy had taken of her.Her stomach had been more
Fall had come and gone, and winter was in the air. The night was long and cold, and the morning was the same, except that the streets were filled with snow.Thanksgiving dinner has been a success, and by the time they left the house, they were each holding a bag of takeout that Amy's mother had packed for them.Christmas was approaching, and all the cities had been decorated with Christmas lights and decor.Stores were not left out either; everyone had a lot of Christmas decorations and a Christmas tree in front. Wherever you go, Christmas jingles fill the air.Neither was Jack’s restaurant left out. They had ditched their regular uniform for one that had all the Christmas colors. But not Mary; Jack had been considerate enough to give her maternity leave.So while the others slaved away in the restaurant, working their asses off, Mary would be in her room munching on some fruits, watching videos on parenting, or just generally watching movies.Her stomach had grown so big as she neare
"I think my water just broke." Mary said in a calm voice, apparently so calm that Amy had trouble believing it. But everyone heard it, and the restaurant suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Mary."What did you say?""I said my water just broke!" Mary yelled, pointing to the floor where there was water that had formed a puddle.That word was enough to trigger everyone, and the once-calm hall became pure chaos."Oh my gosh! What do we do? What do we do? It is not yet the due date!" Amy all but yelled in her ears. She wasn’t good with surprises, especially ones that involved births; hence, she was disorganized.Everyone gathered at Mary's side as they heard her word, looking at the mess she had made."Hospital, I need to go to the hospital." Mary said, her voice coming out calm. She was surprised she could maintain that level of calmness because inside she was a panicking mess. The baby was coming earlier than she planned, and she was afraid it would lead to complica