Little Do You Know

Chapter 18

1991

Dani's foot tapped nervously on the linoleum of the bathroom floor, her nails clicking anxiously over the top of the counter as she waited for the results. This was so different from the last time she did this. Her nerves were not coming from a place of dread but from a place of anticipation, of hope, of longing. This time she wanted this, she wanted this so badly. She glanced down at the little test strip, gasping when she noticed the two pink lines in front of her.

"Oh my god!" she squealed, jumping up and down. "Oh my god!"

The bathroom door flew open, Robin and Vickie staring at her, eyes huge, smiles as wide as hers. Of course they'd been waiting just on the other side of the door. Dani wouldn't have expected anything less out of the two of them. She'd waited to take the test they brought her until Lyric was down for her nap, not wanting to have to explain it to her daughter until she knew for sure that it was happening. That was too much to explain to a four year old, especially if it didn't go the way she wanted. She'd decided not to do it with Eddie around either because if it was negative, she didn't want him to be disappointed. They didn't both need to be dismayed, to get their hopes up and then have them dashed. They'd been trying for three months and when her period was a week late, she'd gotten cautiously excited. She was just going to grab one and do it at the bookstore but she couldn't bring herself to do it alone. So she'd made the call and Robin and Vickie had come running right over, test in hand.

"Yes? Another baby?" asked Robin eagerly.

"Yes, another baby!" Dani shrieked.

Robin spun, grabbing onto Vickie's hands as she jumped up and down, yelling, "We're having another baby! Vickie, we're having another baby!"

"Honey, we're not having anything," laughed Vickie. "Dani and Eddie are having another baby."

"Me too!" Robin insisted, eye wide as they darted over to her friend. "This baby is mine too! Right, Dani?"

"Yes, of course," she agreed, chuckling at her friend who might be even more excited than she was. "Of course this is your baby too. I mean, we share everything, right so why wouldn't be share my fetus?"

"That's right. From clothes to hair ties to fetuses! Oh, another sweet, little baby. Tiny little fingers and tiny little toes to nibble and love. Baby snuggles on your chest while they sleep! Oh, and that baby smell!"

"Yes and sleepless nights and changing diapers and..."

Robin waved her hand in the air, snorting, "No, no, no. All that shit is on you and Eddie. I get all the fun baby stuff." She clapped her hands, beaming. "Oh! Another baby! Aunt Robin needs to go shopping! The baby is going to need so many clothes and pacifiers and soft little blankies! Oh, and stuffies! So many stuffies!"

Vickie sighed deeply, trying to stay patient, placing her hand on Robin's shoulder, "Aunt Robin needs to calm down just a bit. Dani just found out she's pregnant, like ten seconds ago just. The baby doesn't even look like a baby yet. You've got plenty of time to max out our credit cards for this kid."

"Oh, I will be buying things for the next seven months," Robin scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Come on. You know me. You should know better than to think I am going to wait. How often do I buy things for Lyric?"

"A lot. And by the way, thank you. She was so excited to go to the store and shop with Aunt Robin. She's all set for fall and winter now with clothes. It was so generous of you. You really didn't have to do that."

Robin flipped her hand toward her dismissively, "Of course I didn't have to but I wanted to. I love that girl. She is my favorite person on this planet." She paused, eyes darting from Dani to Vickie. "I mean, apart from you two, obviously. She just...she's my favorite little person but now there will be another little person so I will have two favorite little people and two favorite big people but I suppose I should include Steve in that too, so that would be three big people. No, wait. I am not saying either of you are big. Not at all. Well, Dani is going to get big but, I mean, you'll be beautiful..."