A Dance of Life

59

"Thank you so much for everything, Charles," Nathan tells my dad during dinner. "I only wish I could have helped build some things."

"Don't worry," my dad laughs. "You'll have plenty of that to do in the future."

"Plus, you could have helped if you didn't catch a cold," Diana pitches in, a smirk on her face.

"Uh-huh, cause I told myself to contact a cold," he nods, putting a piece of fried chicken in his mouth.

"Nathan, do you know that Diana has a boyfriend?" Lucas inputs, grinning wickedly causing raised eyebrows around the table.

"A boyfriend?" Dad asks, coughing into his napkin and looking confused.

"No, I don't, you dweeb," Diana puffs.

"You're the dweeb," Lucas counters, scowling at her. "I heard you talking to him in the same voice Annelise talks to Nathan."

"It's not a good habit to eavesdrop, bud," Nathan says, clearing his throat.

"He's lying, though," Diana insists. "I would have told Annelise, right?"

Everyone turns to me and I raise my hands in defense. "Hey, I haven't heard anything about that," I say, trying not to laugh.

"See," Diana groans, sulking at my dad. "And how would he know? Our rooms are on different floors. He's just trying to cause trouble."

Lucas probably is lying. He might be looking for a way not to get left out of another conversation or just feels like riling his sister up.

They continue arguing across the table, my dad looking confused and Nathan amused. Diana looks close to tears, though, I know she doesn't want to be on the wrong side of my dad, especially since they've been getting along.

"Lucas—"

A stab of pain interrupts me, causing me to cry out as I grab my abdomen with one hand and slam my fist on the table with the other. The commotion at the table halts and Nathan is by my side instantly, a hand on my back.

"Lise, what's going on? Do we need to go to the hospital?" he asks, his voice laced with worry.

"Con-contraction," I hiss out, trying to breathe through the pain.

"Is it the Braxton thingy?" Diana asks.

I shake my head as the feeling passes. "No, these are much worse."

"Do we need to go to the hospital?" Nathan asks again.

"I'll get the car ready," my dad says, heading for the door.

"No, it's okay," I groan. "Dr. Davis told me about these ... I think. Let's just time them. If they get closer, we'll go to the hospital."

I pick up my glass of water with a shaking hand and take big gulps as the pain slowly ebbs away. Everyone is standing and staring at me, fear lining the faces.

"I think we need to prepare for the real thing," dad says after about a minute of silence. "Pack a pregnancy bag and everything."

"Yeah, maybe two," Diana adds. "One for Nathan's car and one for Charles'. Better safe than sorry."

"Or we could just keep one by the front door," I say, scraping my chair back and holding onto Nathan to stand.

"Are you okay?" Lucas's small voice says.

"I'm okay, just don't tell lies okay?"

He nods earnestly as Nathan helps me out of the dining room to our room. I shake my head at my wording but figure it's alright; maybe he'll think his lies cause me physical pain and won't make a habit out of it.