This morning PJ called me very early and asked me how I slept, if I wanted him to bring breakfast over and if I really wanted to go for a run with fifteen centimetres of fresh white stuff on the ground. My answers were okay, yes, and no, he had a point. Under the white fluffies were hazardous, icy spots and I'm in no mood to hurt myself like I did the last time. Thank God for being double-jointed. He was about to hang up but he paused. He sounded troubled.
What's up, PJ?
If I tell you something will you keep it between us?
Of course. Unless I'd be better served to retain plausible deniability.
No, Bridge, come on. This is important.
Tell me what's going on, PJ.
I'm...
Pregnant?
How did you know?
You've been unusually cranky and eating for two.
Yes, well, I was hoping to keep this a secret.
PJ, I think everyone knows, you've been eating for two for years.
How long can this pregnancy last?
Who's the mother?
You are.
I thought we were more careful.
Remember that time you sneezed on me in the truck?
Oh, yes. I didn't think you could get pregnant from that. I mean, I only sneezed once.
It's a myth. There's an outside chance it could still be Christian's. He picked up the wrong coffee once.
I always thought you two would make beautiful children together.
Yeah, me too.
Really?
He's got that great red hair.
I was still laughing half and hour after I hung up, when PJ appeared in the back porch bearing a large bag from McDonald's. We're not running. What I would most like to do today is wait for that magic phone call from Lochlan, who can read better than he listens, telling me that living at John's house isn't going to be the new plan and that he is going home to be with his daughter. Cross your fingers.
Me? I had a good night last night. Andrew and Duncan came over and convinced Lochlan to go to John's, (okay, fine, they MADE him go) and then we made some pizza and watched a little TV and they were gone by eleven with promises that speed dial was my friend, as always, and they didn't care what the reason was, I was to use it if I felt like it. I had five similar promises before midnight, including one from Ben, who volunteered Daniel in his place and seemed completely unfazed by the drama because he knows we make it. We cause it and we stir it up and let it boil over and sometimes we bake it dry. He and I laughed and talked a little bit about how the children were doing and how the boys were doing and then he said that he missed me.
I was doing so well up until that point, you know? So well. I blubbered that three weeks without him was too long and I didn't have a date to look forward to because he doesn't know when he's coming home and this was too hard and Lochlan was on my case and I was messed up and I don't want to be messed up anymore.
He told me I was perfect. That he would be home soon. That he couldn't picture spending his life with anyone else, ever, in a million years. And then he said to watch out for tomorrow because it was April Fool's Day and PJ would probably call me and tell me that he was pregnant or something.
