Metamorphosis

New and Old Allies

Chapter 54

New and Old Allies

Mira tapped her foot against the community center's linoleum floor in boredom and tiredness.

"And then Stacy- she's my older sister- like, totally found out that her boyfriend David was cheating on her. She got sooo pissed! And I, like, didn't want to tell her that it was with me! 'Cause, come on, if she found out that the father of my baby was her boyfriend, she would like totally freak. She hasn't totally figured it out, and I'm, like, not going to tell her. She would totally attack me! My friends say I should tell her, but why should I? I mean, I'm the one who's pregnant. Just because she can't keep a good leash on her man doesn't mean I should suffer. You know, like-"

"Thank you Danita," Gretchen Polinski said gently. Danita, a bleach-blonde with three inches of dark roots and a large pregnant stomach, pouted and crossed her arms.

Mira had enjoyed going to the pregnancy support groups a few months ago, but after her dad left and everything got crazy, she could not make herself go. Though, after the events in the last few weeks, she realized that she needed more people to talk to, people who knew what she was going through.

The blonde's eyes shifted around the room as she inspected the women. A few of them, like her, were displaying round stomachs under their shirts. Other women had their own babies sound asleep in car seats beside them.

The blonde was so busy admiring a sleeping infant that she did not hear the door open.

"Sorry I'm late," a female voice said. Everyone turned to see who had just walked in.

A pretty girl with straight brown hair and very dark eyes stepped into the room. She had a childlike face, but Mira guessed she was about her own age. Her left arm supported a small boy, maybe two years old, on her hip. She held a black and yellow striped diaper bag draped over her shoulder and a car seat in her free hand.

"That's alright Jamie," Gretchen said kindly.

"I couldn't find a babysitter; I hope it's okay that I brought Luke?" Jamie said shyly. The small boy in her arms was absolutely adorable. He had a mop of honey-colored hair atop his head and wore an orange shirt with a picture of a dog on it. His light brown eyes gazed at all the people in the room, and then he buried his face into his mother's neck shyly.

"Of course it's alright." Gretchen waved her hand at the mother and son. "Just pull up a chair beside Mira."

Jamie set her stuff beside the chair and plopped down into it with a tired sigh. She placed a pacifier into her son Luke's mouth and gave the group a light smile.

"He's cute," Mira leaned over and whispered. Jamie smiled and patted her son's head proudly.

"Thank you. It's Mira, right?" she asked.

Mira nodded. "Yep, Mira Pascal." She held out her hand.

After shifting Luke around, the other mother shook it. "Jamie Monroe."

Carolyn was fussing over her son. Seth's wound had finally scabbed over after almost two and a half weeks so he was able to get out of bed.

Mira had laughed out loud when Seth Elsen said he could not wait to get out of bed. He claimed that he was a fast healer. Bruises, scrapes, cuts, nearly-fatal stab wounds to the spleen; they all healed strangely fast.

Carolyn propped Seth's head up on their Italian imported sofa cushion, and he swatted her hands away when she tried to touch his hair. His crazy mother had basically thrown a fit when he told her what today was; she claimed he was not ready to move, but he knew he was.