Love, Out of Nothing At All

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“Well?” Veronica looked at me. I exhaled my cigarette smoke and looked down at the bathroom sink. We could hear a dump truck backing up in the alley behind John and Veronica’s townhouse. The heat kicked on, immediately filling the bathroom with warmth. The mirrored medicine cabinet above the sink was half open. The bathroom in John and Veronica’s master bedroom was small but it had everything it needed. Right now, it was a bit overloaded with stuff: A couple garment bags on the back of the door, and explosion of toiletries on the counter, towels on the floor and a hairdryer whose cord was in a wad beside the wastebasket. There were many of Veronica and John’s out of town friends and family who had come in for the wedding and for Christmas with the Deacon and Tetzlaff sides of the families. It was the first Christmas that both families celebrated together. It had been exhausting for both John and Veronica. Why they chose a January wedding date was beyond me. This was such a hectic time of the year anyway; throw a wedding in the mix and well…you know.

 The townhouse looked like hotel, albeit a messy one in which stuff had been thrown everywhere. It was a wonder we had this time alone together this afternoon because people had been in and out of the house for the past four days. It was a blustery cold Saturday afternoon. The wedding was one week away and there was still so very much to do. The date today? January 11. I don’t know how Veronica kept her head on straight and I had decided that this wedding planning bullshit was for the birds. It was amazing that she and I had become so very close in only a little over a year. I was both excited and a little nauseous that she wanted me as her maid of honor for this thing. I thought perhaps someone else would be more deservin’. But, she wanted me so obliged her wholeheartedly.

 We had the door open as the heat from the bathroom merged with the cooler air of the master bedroom. John and Veronica’s bed was covered with everything wedding related. There were two dresses, five pair of shoes in boxes. A garter, several clothes in general, John’s tux pants, and at list ten other things that needed moving around. Veronica’s veil was hanging on the back of the bedroom door and her dress was hanging at Roger’s house and mine so John wouldn’t see it. I was taking the veil home with me today. I would re-steam it the night before the wedding. I glanced up and Veronica and looked back to the sink. She was sitting on the tank behind the lavatory. “Lydia!” Veronica was chewing on her lower lip.

 “Hold on.” I said, trying to get her to be patient. I inhaled cigarette smoke deeply. We were both still quiet. I looked up at her again as Veronica shook her leg back and forth. I leaned against the sink again and looked down.

 “Now?” Veronica asked anxiously. She fidgeted like crazy on the back of the tank, trying to get herself comfortable. I took another puff and looked down. “What does it say, Lydia.” She asked me seriously. I shot my eyes up at her.

 “It’s positive.” I said, picking up the stick and handing it to her as proof. Veronica gasped. I swallowed hard, taking some cigarette smoke down with me.

“It’s positive.” I heard her mumble into her hand. “Oh my god…” she was quiet again as she climbed off the tank and sat the pregnancy test down on the back of it. Veronica stared at the positive sign in the indicator bar.

 “How…how are…you’re pregnant! How the hell are you pregnant!?” My voice was rather excited. Veronica was beginning to tear up a little.

 “I went off the pill when John and I began our pre-marital counselin’ with the Priest. I didn’t want the Priest to find out and he has access to things like medical histories if he wants them. We started our sessions barely three months ago.” Veronica stopped talking and let it all set in. She stood there with her mouth slightly open and moved her hand to her abdomen. She looked over at me; a smile spread across her face. Faint streaks were appearing under her eyes. “I…I’m gonna’ have a baby, Lydia.”