Just Good Friends

Chapter 70

JULIE's POV

"...and I ordered this cobb salad because it has lean meats, which are good protein, plus eggs, lentils, avocado, bean sprouts, and tofu. It's super healthy and super delicious," my uncle, Antonio, informs me from across the restaurant table.

"Okay," I simply reply while admiring the nice spread of food and the lively atmosphere of the local restaurant he reserved a spot for us to meet at. My stomach was grumbling, but not because of my nerves. The intense urge to pile food into my mouth at every hour of the day seemed to grow as each week passed - along with my tiny belly.

"And I figured we could share the plates of grilled salmon and shrimp with brown rice. By the way, salmon, shrimp, tuna, and cod are some of the best seafood options low in mercury so they're safe to eat during pregnancy," Antonio says, sounding like a walking encyclopedia.

"Wow. You know a lot about this," I reply with a small chuckle.

He grins, showing the dimples on his tan cheeks. "I kinda just googled everything ahead of time. I've never really dealt with any pregnant women before so this is kind of new to me. And I've never had a kid so I'm sort of clueless, but I wanted to be as much help as I could for you."

"That's alright. Thank you. It all looks delicious," I say while glancing around at the tasty looking dishes before me.

"Let's dig in."

After a few initial bites of food, we start some lighthearted conversation.

"So... you've never had kids?"

"Nope. It never seemed like the right time to have them. Plus I would've wanted to be married before having them and I've never been married."

"Oh, really? I didn't know that," I reply.

"Yep," Antonio nods his head. "My last relationship was great, but we wanted different things. I don't think she was ready for marriage. She was such a businesswoman and it didn't feel like she was truly ready to settle down, start a family, the whole deal."

I nod my head while taking a bite of the salad. "Hm. Do you think you'll have kids now that you're married?"

Antonio smiles. "Me and Martha have talked about it in the past; we even considered adoption. But I think we're content with co-parenting one teenager for now."

"I see..." I nod while trying to imagine how he co-parents Sam. It's still surreal that she's even related to my family.

Antonio's expression becomes a bit more serious. "I've heard from my brother about your pregnancy, but I wanted to hear how you're processing all of this directly from your mouth. Are you planning on having your baby?"

I release a sigh and put my fork down. I nod my head. "I am. And I don't care what my parents say about it. This baby deserves a chance at life just like anyone else."

Antonio releases a deep sigh himself, nodding his head and looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. "That's a big decision for someone your age. I couldn't imagine being in your shoes."

"Well, it's my decision to make, no one else's," I reply a little more harshly than intended. I felt a discomfort in my chest as the conversation with my parents from a few weeks ago resurfaced in my mind. They weren't supportive of my situation at all. It's hard enough dealing with this alone and trying to understand my body, but it's worse knowing that I don't have any familial support. "Is this why my parents wanted me to have lunch with you? So you can try to persuade me not to have this baby? Because if so, I swear I'll leave right now--" I say while standing to my feet.