Don't Need A Man

in which life goes on

Clover's jaw locks. Paris hugs me, gives me a kiss on the cheek, and congratulates me. Clover, on the other hand, is utterly pissed.

"When is this going to stop? When are you going to see you need help? Mental fucking help."

Paris slaps her husband. "Clover! Don't be rude, this is our niece or nephew you're talking about."

His looks between his wife and I. "I don't care. She needs a husband, and quick."

"Who says I need a man in my life?"

"Rose, you can't raise three kids alone!"

"Why not? They aren't accidents. I got pregnant knowing I could raise them myself."

"It's untraditional."

"Fuck tradition."

➖✖➖

London sits on the bench as I continuously jab and kick the punching back. Sweat pours down my body as I let my frustrations out on the object.

"Um, you're pregnant. Don't you think you should be doing a lighter type of exercise?" I stop and glance at my best friend. "Let's go walk on the treadmills." She grabs my hand and pulls me over to two machines.

She personally sets my speed at three, good speed walking setting. I can't help but think how funny it is that my best friend and I managed to get pregnant at the same time.

"The doctor says I'm two months," I blurt randomly. London squeals.

"So am I! Wow, our babies will be best friends!" She continues to babble about combined baby showers and buying matching baby clothes if they're both the same gender.

We finish our stroll and head back to the locker room to shower and change. By the time I'm back in my car I have to head to get Basil from school. I don't turn the radio on, just listening to the loud city I live in.

Basil runs out of the school building with a loopy smile and papers in his hand. He climbs into the back of the car and is practically bouncing in his seat.

"Momma! There's a Halloween Festival next weekend! Can we go, pleeeease?"

I sigh. "I don't know, bubba. Prim is too little to be scared."

"No, no, no." He flaps his arms around wildly, making me smile at his wide eyes and circled mouth. "It'll be fun! They have baby stuff too! Rides and stuff."

"Basil, we'll talk later."

➖✖➖

"Momma!" Prim flies into my arms. Ginger wanted to babysit while I went to all my shops today and while I picked Basil up from school. The little girl latches onto me and doesn't seem to plan on letting go.

Ginger greets me with a kiss on the cheek. "So?" All I give her is a nod. Her face lifts into a smile and she hugs me over Prim. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

Baze watches the interaction from the couch. His brown eyes slit in curiosity, but I think the kid already knows what we're talking about. Prim shimmies down me to walk over to her brother. Baze helps her onto the couch.

After about fifteen minutes at my sister's place the kids and I pile back into the car. "Let's go home, we have some things to talk about."

➖✖➖

While stirring the cream of wheat (they both wanted cream of wheat for dinner) I try to think of ways to break the news to them. Despite them both agreeing to wanting another sibling I can't help but be nervous. They're still kids, and kids get jealous.

Prim stomps into the kitchen and climbs into her chair. I glance at her but don't watch for long as the cream of wheat starts to thicken. I shut the stove top off and separate the food into three bowls.

"Food."

My eyes roll at the girl. "It's coming, Primrose." She crosses her arms and watches me set two bowls down, hers last purposely. "Basil, come eat!"

My son races down the stairs. The two dig into their food as soon as a spoon is in their hands. I eat slowly, nausea creeping up on me. I sip on my orange juice.

"So, I'm having a baby."

Basil looks up from his bowl, spoon dangling between his teeth loosely. Eventually it falls, but it doesn't faze him. Prim, however, scrunches her eyebrows together.

"Is it a girl?" Prim asks. I chuckle and shrug, explaining to her when the baby gets bigger we'll know. "Oh." She begins to eat again.

Basil grips my hand. "Good, I was tired of waiting." He picks his spoon up from the table and starts eating again, like his sister.