priorities-2

14

We arrive back in Toronto to find Ted watching television in the living room.Carrie gives him a hug and goes right to her room. I sit next to Ted. I have a lot ofexplaining to do.

"How are you?" I ask."Great" he says."Is there anything I can get you?" I lather on the butter."What do you want?" he asks cautiously."I need you to pretend I'm pregnant with your kid for the next six or seven months."Ted's eyes are glued to the screen. He puts a few kernels of popcorn in his mouthlike he's engrossed in what he's watching."Are you?" He asks scared of tearing his eyes from the screen."No, but if Slasher thinks it's his, he'll find out I'm lying.""Is Carrie Pregnant?" 

He tries to piece the puzzle together."Yes, but she doesn't want to be, it could be Brandon's or Hunters.""She told me I walked in on them massaging each other.""After they shagged," I chuckle."She cheated on Hunter? Girls suck!""Did you cheat on Slasher?""No, but he has to think I cheated with you, or he'll find out I'm not pregnant andthat Carrie is, and Hunter knows Carrie cheated on him, sadly she doesn't even knowwho the baby belongs to.""She's in such a mess," he comments."So, we supposedly shagged," Ted completes. "What do I get out of this, with theexception that you're a great reminder why it's nice NOT to have a girlfriend."Thanks," I smile. "Isn't that enough?"Everyone knows what to do, hopefully everything would go according to plan untilthe baby is born. 

We go about our daily lives Hunter-less, Slasher-less, Leonardo-less. Carrie getsbigger and bigger like we shoved a basketball under her shirt. Along with her size comesinnumerable hormonal complaints. Too many to list. 'I can't breathe, I'm fat, it will benice to not be pregnant in class, I can barely fit in the desk, what is everyone sayingabout me... on and on. It's reached the point where I want to shut her up so badly, I wantto take the baby out myself, with my own two hands! 

Finally, her water breaks, and her labour begins. We take her to the hospital, quiteobviously pretending we are a gay couple and Ted waits in the apartment for us. I getyelled at, sworn at, my hand squeezed to the point that my knuckles are white. I watchhalf her guts come out of her with the most beautiful slimy creature I've ever seen. Theytake the baby right away and its cry is nicer than any ballad Slasher and I can sing. Theyclose Carrie up but there's a distance that's palpable between her and the baby. 

"You'regoing to have to find another place to live with the baby," she tells me, "I need somedistance.""Okay, this is unexpected but okay. I'll have Ted find you somewhere else to live. Ineed the space of where we are, are you sure you don't just need time?""YES!" she snaps."Do you want to hold her? Will that help?" I ask unsure of what to do."No!""I'm going to call her Holly!" I say lovingly at the cute pink baby sleeping in thebassinet."That's a great name," Carrie tears up. "My mother's name was Holly.""I know," I wink at Carrie. "When you start feeling more like yourself, you canspend time with her.""I'd love that she says."I text Ted asking him to search out a flat for one person and then I take a picture ofHolly and send it to him.Me: Our baby Holly!Ted: She's beautiful.