Who We Were Before

Chapter 17

                                3 months later

Aella

I'm officially 7 months pregnant, a few months ago I found out I was having a baby boy. My bump is noticeable now, I tried telling Cheryl that I was pregnant last month but she surprised me when she told me she already knew. She told me she knew when she saw me dipping my pickles in peanut butter. Cheryl said she had the same cravings when she was pregnant with her daughter.
I was afraid of Caine finding out because I felt really guilty keeping this from him turns out he knew too. I can remember the conversation I had with him.
I was deep in thought, considering if it was the right choice to tell Caine about little beanie. I asked Cheryl to let me tell him when it was the right time. I just couldn't stand secrets, secrets destroyed relationships and I liked our relationship I just wish I could tell him my real name. He's a close friend, we've gone to the movies, we've gone to the drive in and we've gone to the rodeo but just as friends, he wanted to show me all the wonders of Texas and that being in a small town wasn't so bad. Every day this secret weighs down heavily on my shoulders, so today is the day. I sit my ass down at the kitchen table, Caine walks in through the back door of Cheryl's house whistling a old country tune. He sees me sitting down at the dining table.
"Hey Ella, how are you?" He asked. He sees the solemn look on my face and immediately knows something's wrong. He sits across from me and places his hat on the table.
"What's wrong?"
I breathe in and out working up the courage to get the words out of my mouth.
"I wasn't keeping it a secret but I'm now ready to tell you, I'm pregnant." He just blinks at me, and suddenly lets out the loudest laugh I've heard came from him.
"Ella, I know how pregnant women look like, I've known since the first time I saw you." What the hell? How did he know.
"How did you know?" I asked, really curious how he knew something I've been trying to hide for the past five months.
"Firstly, when I saw you I noticed how your skin glowed, you had this ethereal beauty like an angel, secondly, I saw your eating habits you were eating pickles with every thing and thirdly, I've seen you talking to your belly a couple times at work. You weren't really trying too hard to keep it a secret darling." I blush at his explanation, was I really that obvious? I guess I was. I feel a weight lift from my shoulders but I'm hiding something else that I'm not sure I can share without possibly letting Enzo know where I am.
"I know you're running from something baby, and I won't ask about it I'll let you hold onto your demons until you're ready to share them with me." Tears run down my cheeks his words hitting that spot in my chest, he gets up and pulls me into a hug shushing me.
"Shhh darling, everything's going to be alright, you won't go through this alone, you have Mimi and me."
The door closing shakes me from my memory.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Caine asked.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about cookies." An excuse slips easily out of my mouth. He beams at me and hands me a folder.
"Could you go through this and make sure that Mrs. Evans received the medication for her cat, I don't want to put another order in if she's already got it." I take the folder from him and look through it when he sits down on the empty chair next to me.
"So how about we hit that new bar that's just opened up."
"You know I am pregnant right?" I gesture to my expanding belly in case he forgot.
"Who says pregnant women can't go to bars, we won't drink. We'll enjoy the food and dance to the music. Come on it'll be fun." I feel my lips pulling up into a smile, I've been enjoying the adventures we've had so far there's no harm in this one.
"Alright I'll go." He smiles like he won a million bucks.
"Great, I'll pick you up at 8." He gets up and goes to the back to do his daily check ups. Amanda walks in through the front, back from her lunch already.
"What has you smiling like that?" She asked, Amanda's a new friend I've made while being here, she reminds me of Melanie that's probably why I enjoy her company so much. She's another vet tech here along with Zac and Emma. We close the clinic on the weekends since we don't get a lot of animals in, with the town being so small if anyone needs Caine they usually give him a call.
"I'm going to the new bar that opened up with Caine" I told her, she squeals my ear off making my eardrums feel as if they're going to explode.
"Girl, I've told you that he's interested in you, when are you going to give him a chance."  She twirls her red hair around her manicured nails. I like Caine but as a friend nothing else.
"We're going as friends Amanda, in case you've forgotten I'm pregnant. I'm not really attractive right now, I look like a beached whale." I rub my hands over my bump, feeling my son kick against my palm.
"Ella, if you looked in a mirror you'd see how beautiful you look. You're glowing."  I shake my head  choosing not to believe her, I don't feel beautiful. My back hurts, my ankles are swollen and I waddle every time I walk.
"Anyways, let's get back to work." I said.