Those Nights

Twenty-Four: Shopping

"Time for school!"  Drake whispered in my ear.  August 12 came too early.  I'm 13 weeks pregnant and kind of showing.  We figured out I'll be hugely pregnant for almost all of the school year.  My senior year and I get to finish with a baby.  Great graduation present.  This year I'd have Jade, Olivia, Daisy, and Leo mostly. 
Drake dropped me off at school and picked me up.  Not a good day.  I hated being the pregnant chick.  I loved being pregnant but not pregnant in high school.  I was never alone thankfully.  Leo took all the classes with me.  Jade took my English 4 class with me. 
When Nancy picked me up, I felt like hell.  My feet were killing me, my back ached, by boobs hurt, and I felt like I was going to pop out of my jeans the whole time.  Tonight Nancy wanted to go shopping for maternity clothes.  Blehhhhh!  I soo didn't want to go shopping.  No, scratch that.  I love shopping, but I'm dreading the whole idea of maternity clothes. 
"Kay first we're gonna go to the mall.  I know they have like two maternity stores.  Then there are a few strip malls in the area we can go to, the department stores.  That's if you want to go all those places plus dinner."  Nancy babbled when I got in the car.
"Yeah sounds good to me.  Where do you want to go to dinner?"  I said and my stomach instantly growled.
"There is a Chinese place on one of the strip malls.  It's new and I know how much you love Chinese."  It's true. I love Chinese food.  Especially peppered steak with bell peppers and onions.  My stomach growled again and I laughed.  My little guy is making my appetite grow like 10X more!  We drove to the mall planning our shopping.  I wanted to get new shoes for sure.  I feel like my size 6 shoes are getting a little too small.  For some reason growing feet are, yet another, unpleasant symptom of pregnancy.  The mall was surprisingly uncrowned. 
At the first maternity store, we found a couple of really cute skirts that fit.  We got four different ones in different sizes for my whole pregnancy.  A few shirts were ok for me.  When the sales lady  measured me, I was measuring like someone expecting twins.  I had to laugh at that.  I was having one baby.  But it also kinda freaked me out.  Was I really gaining that much weight?  
Nancy bought a few new shoes for her and two new pairs for me.  We went to two other stores before my stomach was growling almost constantly.  I smiled apologetically at Nancy.  "Can we go ahead and get dinner?"
"Yeah sure," She laughed and drove to the restaurant.  
I ordered the pepper steak with onions while Nancy ordered the seasoned chicken over rice.  "So how was your first day?"
"Ehh, good I guess.  People seemed to keep staring at my belly and my body was killing me!"
"At least you are almost in the 2nd trimester. I heard a lot of women were relieved of some pregnancy symptoms"
"Gosh I hope so.  I love my little man but he is causing me so much pain!"
"Oh believe me I know.  I've had three kids,"
"True"
"When do you find out if it's a boy or girl?"
"I'm only 13 weeks but on August 29th I've got an appointment for my 16 weeks and I should be able to see if it's a boy or girl.  I'm pretty sure it's a boy though,"
"What does Drake want?"
The waiter came and dropped off our meals we ate and chattered about different baby names.  I yawned after I finished my food.  "You ready to go home?"  Nancy asked sympathetically.
"Yeah I'm sorry."
She drove me home I got out of her van with my bags and got safely inside the house.  Drake helped me unload then we took a shower, after I got out, I looked down at my belly and frowned into the mirror.  "What's wrong baby?"
"I'm fat!"  I said sadly.
He chuckled at my facial expression.  "It's not fat, it's a baby."
"Well he is making me fat,"
"It will be fine after you have it you'll shrink down to a normal size again.  Have you told your mom yet?"  He asked randomly.
"No, why would I?  She doesn’t care!  If you recall she kicked me out of the house months ago and hasn't even tried to call me."
"Just try.  Maybe she just doesn't know how to even try to call me."
"Fine, we can go up this weekend."
"Good.  Thank you baby, you'll be so much happier with her in your life."
I drove the same route I remember taking to go to Chris' house years ago.
I knocked on the door and Natalie answered the door.  "DANNY!!"  She screamed and hugged me.  I hugged her.  In just a few months, she seemed to have changed so much.
"Who's at the door?"  My mom asked Natalie as she walked into the living room.  "Oh my…"  She gasped.
"Hi mom.  Can I come in?"
"Yeah come on in."  She looked like she'd seen a ghost.  Her eyes moved from my face to my baby bump.  "You're pregnant?"  She asked accusingly.
"Yeah."  Nathan came running in a jumped into my arms.
"Sit down," She told me and motioned to the loveseat.
I sat down.  "Me and Drake moved in together, we have a nice little house/ apartment thing.  It's pretty,"
"You're pregnant?"  She repeated.  "When did that happen?"
"13 weeks ago.  "I answered automatically grabbing at my bump.
"Why didn't you tell me?"  She asked.
"Well you did kick me out so I figured you didn't care about me or my baby."
"Of course I care.  You're my daughter!"
"It sure didn't seem like that last time you saw me."
"I'm sorry Danielle.  Please forgive me."
"I will.  But you have to let the twins come sleep tonight.  I really miss them..."
"Fine.  What's your address?  So we can pick them off tomorrow,"
"Natalie, Nathan!  Y'all wanna come to my house?"
"Yess!"  They screamed in unison.
"Then let's go.  Thanks mom."
"It's no problem,"
I hugged her bye and got the twins into my car.
Drake was right, I'm already happy.