radicalducati 127. Good Grief
127. Good Grief
EMMA's POV :
- - - Two Months Later - - -
I was sitting in front of Diana and the HR Rep, Holly, shuffling uncomfortably in my seat. I was the one that asked for this meeting, so they were silent and waiting for me to speak.
"So... the reason I asked for this meeting today is because I want to let you know that... I'm fourteen weeks pregnant,"
"Wow, congratulations, Emma!" Holly smiled brightly. She went around the desk to hug me. "You and Ian must be so happy,"
"Thank you," I said as I hugged her back. "We are over the moon,"
Diana, on the other hand, couldn't care less. She just looked at me with a stoic look on her face and crossed her arms.
"And, um, on that note... I also want to discuss time for maternity leave," I said to them with a sheepish grin.
Diana let out a scoff and cocked her head to the side. She leaned closer to the desk and said, "You just took over a month's leave from the company this year. Why should we give you more time away from the office and not fire you instead?"
Ouch. That was harsh, but to be expected coming from Diana.
"Diana, please," Holly laughed nervously. "The company's policy clearly states that we must allow employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave-"
"You're not firing me because I'm good at what I do and you can't afford to lose me," I cut Holly off and spoke directly at Diana. I was fearless because I knew I was right. With me on the job, Diana could focus on the bigger picture while I maintain day to day operational stuff. Our productivity had grown exponentially since I joined the company. I knew my worth here. That was also why Diana kept me instead of firing me on the spot when I sent her that stupid email in Italy.
"You need me, Diana. You know it's true," I said again.
Diana and I held a staring contest for a moment, and Holly just sat there looking at us in awkward silence. Diana had never been my biggest supporter when I tell her things about my personal life. She was one of those women who think that having a personal life is a hindrance to our career. That was why she stayed single all these years, she didn't wanna be bothered.
Blinking my eyes, I lost the staring contest, but I took a deep breath and said, "Diana, I know that you think I'm throwing my career away over a guy or because I'm having a baby, but I promise you, I'll come back after I give birth and spend some time with my baby. And you know I'll do the best damn job I can because I have another human being counting on me now,"
Diana let out a breath and her gaze softened a little. Getting up from her seat, she walked towards the door and muttered, "12 weeks. Unpaid leave,"
I got up from my seat instinctively and said, "Thank you,"
Diana just kept walking and rolling her eyes. Holly smiled triumphantly at me and gave me her two thumbs up.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Diana!" I called out again as my boss left the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, you told them today?" Ian asked me as he was loading our bags into the back of the Uber.
"Yeah," I followed right behind him, only carrying a small purse. He insisted that I don't carry anything at all. He was growing more and more protective of me by the day. How was that even possible?
He then opened the car door for me and I got in. He raced to the other side and got in from the other door. "How'd they take it?" he asked as he closed the door.
"Everyone was happy for me. Well, almost everyone," I corrected myself.
"Not Diana?" Ian gaped sarcastically.
"No," I said. "But hey, it doesn't matter. She's just my boss. I care more about what your mom and my parents think,"
Ian and I shared a knowing look and we smiled nervously at each other. Today was a big day for us. Thanksgiving was right around the corner and we decided to take a trip to New Jersey and Georgia to see our parents. I was fourteen weeks pregnant, so it was time to let them know.
"Are you nervous? How are you feeling?" he asked me.
"Honestly, I feel quite alright,"
"You sure?"
"Yes, stop treating me like I'm fragile. I'm fine," I said reassuringly, pausing for a beat before adding, "No, I'm more than fine. I feel great actually,"
With my second trimester, I was feeling a bit peppier and a lot more human. My breasts weren't quite as tender as they were last trimester and my energy level was making a comeback. Also, another perk of the second trimester was that I had less morning sickness and fewer trips to the bathroom now.
Other than that, my body hasn't been showing a lot of changes. I only had a small bump on my stomach and it was barely visible, not unless I wore super tight clothing. But it was late November and I didn't want my baby to get cold, so I wore baggy sweaters all the time. If I didn't tell people I was pregnant, they wouldn't know.
So Thanksgiving dinner with Kristen and Hailey should be interesting... I wonder how Ian will break the news? I wonder what will they say...?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When we arrived at Kristen's house that night, I was so, so hungry. That was another thing that came with the second trimester, now that the nausea was subsiding, my appetite grew like never before. I knew I should focus on telling Kristen and Hailey about our pregnancy, but as soon as I saw the food on the table, all my concentration went down the drain.
Hailey was kind and warm, like always, but Kristen was still a little cold and cautious with me. She kept looking at me and then at Ian, as if she was making sure I wasn't being coerced into coming here. Ian also looked uncomfortable as hell. But as for me, I was just hungry. So there we were, on Thanksgiving dinner, I was shamelessly munching on the delicious turkey while Ian, Hailey, and Kristen sat in awkward silence.
"The turkey's great, huh?" Hailey laughed as she turned to me, trying to make small talk.
"Oh, yeah," I nodded away. "The food's amazing Kristen, thank you so much for having us,"
Kristen flashed me a small smile before turning her gaze away again. She was never this cold towards me before. I really missed the good old days where we could talk and laugh without a care.
"So..." Ian trailed and cleared his throat. "Ma, Hailey, the reason why we came here today, other than to have Thanksgiving dinner with you two, is also to let you know that..."
Ian turned to me and took my hand in his. He squeezed my hand gently and I could feel he was shaking a little. I gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand back. Meanwhile, Hailey and Kristen looked at the two of us, waiting in confusion and anticipation.
"Emma and I are pregnant," Ian said finally and a hush fell over the room.
Kristen's jaw fell to the floor and her two hands went up to cover her mouth. Hailey, on the other hand, had the biggest smile on her face. She jumped from her seat immediately and squealed, "Oh my God! Are you serious?"
I nodded my head and replied, "Fourteen weeks,"
Hailey raced from over the table towards Ian and me. She pulled us both into a hug and she laughed and giggled in excitement.
"Oh my God! I can't believe this!" she squeaked and tightened her grip around us.
Pulling out the last photo from our ultrasound, I showed the black and white images to Hailey and Kristen, proudly saying, "This is from our latest ultrasound appointment a few days ago,"
"Oh my God! Mom, look, it's a baby!" Hailey squealed again as she took the photos and waved them in front of Kristen, who still looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"The doctor thinks it might be a girl, but it's also too early to tell," Ian added. He smiled nervously at his mom, waiting for her reaction.
"I... I'm gonna have a grandbaby?" Kristen finally spoke up. Her eyes were glistening as she held the ultrasound pictures in her hand.
"And I'm gonna be an aunt!" Hailey added.
Kristen got up from her seat and slowly walked towards me. Bending down, her hand went towards my stomach and she asked, "May I?"
I nodded my head at her and I felt her hand on my stomach. She felt the little bump and tears trickled down her face involuntarily.
"That's your grandbaby, ma," Ian said, his eyes were glassy too, but he was holding back the tears.
Kristen suddenly put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I couldn't hold it in too, I burst into tears as I rested my face on her shoulder.
"You're fourteen weeks along? Why are you just telling us now?" she croaked.
"We didn't know how you'd react... And we wanna wait until the first trimester is over before we start telling everyone," I said in between sobs.
"Oh my goodness," Hailey went to hug both Kristen and me. She was crying too. We all were. "Wow... this is like, the best Thanksgiving ever!"
Letting out a soft laugh, I pulled away from the hug slightly to look at Kristen's face. She was wiping away the tears that fell on her tired face with her hand. I took her hand in mine and stared deeply into her eyes as I said, "Kristen, I know we lied to you and we shouldn't have, but what we feel for each other is true and real. If you'd just take the time to listen and understand, you'll know. This isn't a mistake. This is true love,"
I turned to Ian and he nodded his head, smiling a little smile at his mother and me.
Turning back to Kristen again, I said, "I really want my baby to grow up knowing their grandmother, so please, if you can find it in your heart to forgive us..."
"Of course!" she said in an almost shout. She pulled me in for another hug and said, "Of course, I'm gonna be in my grandbaby's life,"
Ian let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped a single tear from the corner of his eye. Meanwhile, I was like a dam that burst. I was sobbing uncontrollably in Kristen's arms.
"Oh, God, I'm so happy. Congratulations you two," Hailey said as she wiped her tears away.
Ian got up from his seat and walked towards his mom. Kristen put one hand on his face and said, "Oh, Ian..."
"I'm sorry ma, for putting you through this," he said as he held her hand on his face. "I know this isn't how most love story's supposed to go, but... it's ours,"
"Oh honey," Kristen leaned her forehead on Ian's and tears were streaming down her face. "Your dad would be so proud,"
That got Ian breaking down. He put his head down as tears began to fall from his eyes. Kristen put her arms around Ian's head and I put mine around his chest. It was such a tender moment. All of us were hugging each other in that dining room with hearts full of love and forgiveness.
And I never felt more at home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After dinner, Kristen pulled me aside and gave me all these tips about pregnancy and the baby's delivery. It was great to hear another woman's perspective on childbirth. I was learning so much in just one conversation. And it made me somewhat miss my mom. If we were on talking terms, I could have been getting these tips from her.
But still, I wasn't complaining. Getting Kristen to come around was a huge feat for us. Tomorrow we'd be leaving for Georgia and I'd get to see my parents again after all these months of not seeing and talking to each other.
"I'm so glad your mom is so nice and understanding," I said as I walked out of the en-suite bathroom to Ian's room. "She really did come around,"
Ian was lying on the bed. I could tell he was dreading going to sleep, fearing what's gonna come tomorrow.
"Yeah, but we still have to tell your parents next," he sighed into the air.
"I know," I nodded in agreement. I climbed onto the bed and lay next to him, propping my head on my elbow to get a better look at him. "Let's hope they'll have a similar reaction,"
Will they, though...?
Ian turned to me and flashed me a weak smile. His hand reached up to cup my face and he caressed my cheek gently with his thumb. "I don't know about you, but I'm scared about telling your parents the most,"
"Me too..." I admitted.
Ian's gaze was soft and tender as he looked at me. Although he tried to appear calm, I knew he was raging and anxious on the inside. I was feeling all of that too.
"It's gonna be a long day tomorrow," he said as if he could read my mind. "Let's go to sleep, you need your rest,"
"Will you cuddle me?" I said as I looked up at him.
"Like you even need to ask,"
He pulled my body in his strong arms, my back was against his chest, and his hands rested on my stomach. I always felt a little flutter every time Ian touched me there. It always made me smile.
Hang in there, little baby. Mommy and daddy are gonna take you to meet your other grandparents tomorrow. Let's hope they like you too...
*
*
*
- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -