afternoon, beautiful,” Joe said as he watched my eyes slightly open.
“Is it late?” I asked as I rolled over to check the time. It was four in the afternoon.
Joe kissed me and smiled as he looked at my body under the sheets. “It was amazing last night, Jess, you’re so beautiful, I could stay with you here all day.”
I felt the same; Joe made me feel like I was the only person in the world that mattered. We ordered room service and ate it in bed. We both didn’t want our weekend to end, but I had to be home that evening and Joe had to drive back to his parent’s campsite to help with a group arriving the following day.
When I arrived home, Lilly was excited to hear all about my weekend.
“You and Joe, oh my god, way to go Jess,” Lilly exclaimed after I told her about the night earlier. She was in high spirits as she was excited about becoming a mother and she was beginning to show.
“You know, Jess, it’s been a crazy few months and I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m really happy. I’m happy to become a mum. The worst has happened, but something beautiful has come out of this. If it’s a girl, I’m calling her Grace, and if it’s a boy, I’ll call him Jack,” she said excitedly.
“I’m happy you’re happy, Lilly, you’ve managed to rise above through so much,” I replied. I was so proud of Lilly, she deserved to be happy.
We spent the holidays at home in DC. Lilly painted most days and Joe visited often. We went out to the movies and dinners and enjoyed our time together. We were sitting in the lounge listening to music one afternoon when Joe finally came out with those three little words I had been waiting to hear.
“I love you, Jess,” he said as he smiled.
“I love you too, Joe. This has all gone so fast, it’s only been a few months since we met,” I answered. That was the first time I heard myself say those three words that scared me.
“Let’s get married next year, Jess, why wait?”
Joe looked serious when he asked me this and I was flattered, but I didn’t know how to respond to him. I still felt too young for marriage. I think I was also afraid of love – my parents had been such great role models, I found it hard to believe their kind of love could actually ever happen to me, and besides, it was just too soon to think about it.
“Okay, let’s not get too excited, let’s just enjoy loving each other for now,” I replied.
Joe wasn’t afraid to say what he felt and I admired that in him. Unlike me, he wasn’t scared of love.
Lilly walked in carrying all her brushes to the kitchen sink and she spotted us cuddling.
“You two lovebirds make me sick. Get off the couch and come outside. I’m painting and need subjects. How about the lovers?” Lilly laughed as Joe and I followed her outside.
Joe went home after dinner that night. My parents had decided a while ago that they really liked him and they had started to include him in almost all our family get-togethers. I watched from the window as my father walked Joe out to his car. They looked deep in conversation.
“What was that all about?” I asked my father curiously as he walked back inside the house.
“Nothing, just male talk, he’s a good man, Jess,” my father replied, with no intention to tell me anymore.
Lilly and I sat up late that night and watched a movie. We had our usual ice cream, tea and cookies. Lilly’s belly had grown and she looked too cute in her oversized pyjamas.
“I have so many cravings lately, Jess, my appetite is out of control,” she said as she shoved a large spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
“Well, you are eating for two,” I laughed as I placed the cookies closer to her so she wouldn’t need to move.
Lilly’s family home was sold not long after Christmas and her parents had a significant life insurance policy that was approved as well. Lilly now had enough money to purchase an apartment when she was ready to leave and she would still have plenty of funds left over.
“We would like you to stay and live with us, at least for a few years,” my mother said to Lilly one evening after dinner. “You’re still so young and we don’t want you to have to go through this alone. We’re your family now and we want to help you with the baby. We can turn the office into the baby’s room!” My mother was getting excited to have a baby in the house.
Lilly was pleased and grateful for the support. I knew that she would have been able to support herself alone if she wanted to, but at the same time, why not accept help when it is offered?
The first week of university was full on, and the classes were very long and tiring. I had enrolled in some challenging courses and wanted to complete a dual degree in finance and business. Lilly enjoyed her art classes and made new friends easily. One evening after her counselling group, she walked through the door with a twinkle in her eye.
“I’ve got a date and I’m six months pregnant, how cool is that,” she said excitedly as she struggled to sit up on the kitchen bar stool.
“Oh my gosh! Who is he?” I asked, intrigued.
Lilly talked about the boy she had met at therapy group over dinner. His name was Michael and he had lost his family too. His parents were both reporters and they were killed in the Afghanistan war many years ago. I certainly considered myself very lucky to still have both my parents with me, when I heard these stories. Michael had an older sister and they both lived with their aunt in Georgetown.
“Invite Michael over, we would like to meet him before you go on your date,” my father insisted. He was happy for Lilly, but he was very protective of her, especially after everything she had already been through.
Luckily, Lilly agreed that inviting him over to meet everyone would be a good idea, and she invited Michael over one evening before their date, as my father had requested.
“Michael will be here any minute. Oh god, Jess, look how fat I am!” Lilly panicked as she looked at herself in the mirror.
“You look beautiful, Lilly. You’re pregnant, you’re allowed to be fat,” I assured her.
“Can I even have sex at this size?”
“Who’s talking about sex?! It’s just a date,” I said in surprise as Lilly laughed.
“I’m only kidding, but it would be funny, my first conscious sexual experience at this size.” Lilly had managed not to lose her sense of humour with all she had been through. “I’m nervous, Jess,” she said, still noticing her oversized belly in the mirror.
“You’ll be fine, just be yourself,” I assured her as I handed over her purse.
When Lilly arrived home from her date, she was beaming.
“I think I’m in love,” she exclaimed as she walked in the door. We were all sitting in our lounge room, eager to hear everything.
“So soon, after one date?” I asked.
“Michael’s adorable. He took me to Gianni’s, the fancy Italian restaurant in the city. It was just perfect. We danced and then went for a long romantic stroll afterwards. It was like a fairy-tale,” Lilly said excitedly. You couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.
“Let’s just calm down and take it one step at a time, you’ve got a baby on the way,” my mother said, concerned.
“He’s excited for the baby, he loves children and he’s invited us all to his 21stbirthday next weekend at his aunt’s house,” Lilly added, ignoring my mother’s comment. Lilly had no intention of taking it one step at a time, she had clearly fallen hard.
Michael’s 21stwas the following Sunday. He had mentioned to Lilly that I could invite Joe. Michael was studying