"Mommy! Are you okay?" Lyn asked as I lay in bed. Her hazel eyes widened as my heaves strengthened.
"I'll be okay," I said. "I'm not feeling well."
The seven-year-old was far too observant for my comfort. I imagined her going to school the next day and telling her teacher that I was sick. She'd probably tell that I'd been sick for a few weeks and I could just imagine the rumor mill. I didn't want my daughters or the school to think that I was "sick" sick. Thankfully, tomorrow was Friday. We'd be able to tell them then, and hopefully the excitement would wear off and they wouldn't blab the news to everyone. Not that we really knew very many people here.
Each heave was becoming less dry and I scrambled off the bed. As I hovered over the toilet trying to keep my hair out of the way, I heard Lyn tell her dad that something was wrong with me. Tom was upstairs in no time at all.
"It's the nausea," I replied. "We're going to have to tell them tomorrow. I don't want to, but I really don't want them to think I'm dying."
He agreed with me. "Did you call the doctor today?"
"Yes. I have an appointment on Monday, the soonest they could get me in. I also researched some of the OB-GYN's in the area, and I think I've found a good one who's accepting new patients."
"And you bought the prenatal vitamins?"
"Yes. I'll take one in a few hours once my stomach settles. If I try to take it right now, I'd be better off throwing the thing in the toilet. I need to sleep this off."
And so I did. I slept for three hours, went downstairs to take my vitamin, and did my best to keep it down as I climbed back into bed.
* * *
I glanced at the ringing cell phone. My mom. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, but she wouldn't stop calling until I picked up. The last thing I needed was for Timmy to wake.
"Hey, I just wanted to tell you I'm coming with Deanne and the girls at the end of the month."
My sister and four nieces were planning a visit over their fall break. I was looking forward to it, but if I was feeling this awful now, I couldn't imagine how bad it would be in another week, when the nausea was really supposed to set in. And the end of the month? Oh God.
"That's fine," I croaked.
"You're still not feeling well?"
"That's because I'm pregnant."
Dead silence for probably fifteen seconds.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Very. Please don't tell anyone because I'm nervous about this. I'm scared that something's going to be wrong with the baby or that I'm going to miscarry and I don't want to deal with gossip mill 500 miles away. I'm only telling you right now so you'll know that there's a good chance that I'm going to be sick when you come to visit."
