The Good Life

Chapter 26

After Bruno wrapped up his American tour he spent a week in New York City visiting family, in meetings discussing his plans for the next year and performing in small clubs. He called her every night. She loved hearing his voice at a time when she really could fall asleep – not at time when she was already half asleep, was at work or was too busy to answer the phone. She still wanted to have him with her, but this was close enough for her.

Thursday after work Marla sacrificed her evening run to go get her hair cut and colored with Cristina who had suggested it. Marla was going to a small event with Bruno and his family that Sunday. She had talked herself into not worrying about people meeting and seeing her, but getting her hair done sounded nice. However, Marla insisted on taking Cristina to a little Puerto Rican salon.

Cristina and Marla sat down next to each other. They started talking to their stylists in Spanish. Marla’s stylist, whom she had worked with before, ran her fingers through her hair and looked up at Marla and shook her head, “No quieres a poner color en su pelo, Marla.”

“¿Por que? No me gusta solo un color para esta fin de semana.”

“Porque está embarazada.”

“What?” Marla switched back to English quickly with that comment.

“Si. Su pelo. It’s really thick. That happens when you get pregnant. You don’t want to get the chemicals into your scalp. It could hurt the baby…”

“I need to go…Lo siento Alicia.” Marla got up and left the salon quickly.

She sat in the car with her ipod turned up to some old random playlist and cried. It’s just some crazy stylist. I can’t let that get to me. That’s too weird. I mean, come on. When could it have happened? I’m on….oh…no…no my God. I didn’t take it the rose night. I didn’t take it that night. One night? Really? Oh lord. Last year at this time I was getting ready for Grad School. This year…a baby? A fucking baby. What am I doing? It’s so not in the plan. I told him that. I told him this. Her phone rang jolting her out of her thought process. She didn’t look to see who it was.

“Marla?” Of course it would be him. “Are you okay? Cristina just texted me. Something about the girl at the hair place.”

“I don’t know yet…I don’t know…I don’t know….” her voice started to shake.

“Marla, what is wrong?” she could hear the concern in his voice.

“The stylist….she…oh my god.” she stopped herself moving the phone away from her face so she could wipe her tears away from her face.

“Mar? You need to tell me what’s going on.”

“My hair...I shouldn’t dye it….because…”

“Because it’s fine the way it is?”

“No…shut up, Bruno!” she yelled at him because he had no idea what she was upset about.

“I’m pregnant.” she got out through her tears.

“Marla….do you walk past black cats?” he was referring to her cat Nappy and crazy superstitions that people believe in.

“Yeah….everyday.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I see what you did there…I’m still taking a test….and I’m not dying my hair.” she told him.

“You didn’t need to get your hair cut anyway, silly.” he laughed at her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Marla.”

“Thank you, Bruno. I love you, too. “She hit the end button calm and collected.

**

Bruno, on the other hand, was freaking out. “Oh shit. “ he said as he walked back to the kitchen where his grandmother was making Spanish rice for him and his older brother.

“Nana?” he asked her.

“Yes, mijo?” she asked him as she quickly chopped up tomatoes for their dinner.

“Did Reina’s hair get really thick when she was pregnant?” he asked about his brother’s mother.

“Hmmm….I don’t remember her hair, but I had to use like 20 bobby pins when I was pregnant with your dad. Por que, Bruno?” she wondered.

“No reason.” he responded taking a piece of chicken from the table walking out to join the rest of the family. Damn. I don’t know what I’m going to do. He thought to himself.

**

Marla and her four best friends sat and stared at the five positive early detection pregnancy tests sitting on her bathroom countertop.

“Umm….” was all Whitney could get out.

“Holy…”

“Shit….”

“My God…”

“What am I going to do, y’all?” Marla asked her friends.

“Well, you’re obviously going to have the baby.” Fiona explained.

“Not having the baby was never an option. With or without him. I mean…just…what is going to happen? This is all too fast. Too fast. Too much.”