College, Girl ? COMPLETE

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Baby Shower

Andrea was sitting at her computer trying to decide which cashmere baby blanket to buy her unborn baby Nate. She couldn't decide between the pastel blue with brown trim and the lime green with brown trim. She dreamily gazed out her window looking at her majestic view of Lake Michigan. Being late September, it was sunny and still somewhat warm. There were a few sailboats drifting on the lake trying to hold onto the finals days of summer. She never tired of the view from her corner office. She felt like she was in a big marble birdhouse perched high above the city. Some developer was constructing a high rise condo complex right in front of her office building, but on the eightieth floor she never had to worry about losing her view. As she tried to trace the water as it met with the vast horizon line, the view was slowly hypnotizing her.

Just then Nate kicked her, kicked her really hard, she could even see his little foot which reminded her of the task at hand. This happened to her all the time now, she'd just sort of lose track of what she was doing or saying at any given time. She already had mommy brain and no baby. That didn't bode well for her. She began talking to him out loud. This was something that started at the end of her second trimester, "Hmm, which one would you like the pastel blue or the lime? I don't know why they just can't call it green, just because it is $240 you don't have to give it a fancy name. I mean the 100% cashmere is luxurious enough. Isn't it?"

Standing at the door was Andrea's unflappable assistant Diana. "Talking to the baby again?"

Andrea scratched her belly, these days her skin was so dry especially the skin stretched taught well beyond its natural limits across her belly. She yawned as she asked, "Was I talking out loud?"

"Yes, you most definitely were. I came to tell you that it's time," she reminded her gently as she tapped her wrist watch.

Andrea couldn't help but whine as she asked, "Do we have to? I mean really? Can't I just work until I go into labor? Just slink off into maternity leave quietly without all the fuss?"

Andrea really hated baby showers. The fact that this one was held in her honor, made her hate them even more.

"No you must be humiliated with an office baby shower. I explained this to you already. Put a smile on your face and just be gracious about it all. Please, for me, act as if you were raised with some manners."

Diana was a petite little motherly woman but at her core there was a steel beam that kept everyone she loved protected and those she didn't in line. Although Andrea didn't speak Spanish, she knew enough to just leave her alone when she was on the phone speaking rapid fire Spanish to any of the various relatives that called throughout the day. Diana was twenty years older than Andrea and she wouldn't have lasted one minute in the company as one of the youngest vice president of marketing without her.

"The baby is really kicking, he must be hungry," Andrea said with a deep sign as she turned her chair to face Diana and away from her view of the lake.

"Didn't you eat lunch?" Diana asked exasperated.

"No you told me that there would be plenty of food and cake. I didn't want to overdo it," she responded in a petulant child-like voice.

"Andrea it's two o'clock in the afternoon! You have to eat for the baby's sake. This is the one time in your life when you can overdo it. Honestly, what is wrong with you?" At this point Diana wasn't even trying to hide her irritation with Andrea.

As she hoisted herself up off of her ergonomically correct desk chair she said with resignation in her voice, "Okay let's get this over with."

She then remembered she didn't have on her shoes. She sat back down and tried to squeeze her swollen feet back into her shoes. She couldn't wait to have her body back. Where other pregnant women glowed, Andrea just looked greasy. Where other women looked shapely, she just looked huge. Where other women had tons of energy, she just wanted to sleep all day. Not only was this baby destroying her body. The baby was ruining her career by derailing her fast track by at least three years, if not more.