In The Long Run

In The Long Run (20)

This felt really weird. I was all dressed up in sweats and a t-shirt, waiting outside what looked like some kind of fitness studio. Wayne had quickly gone to buy us each a bottle of water while I stayed behind and waited for him. A bunch of pregnant couples passed me to go inside and just as I predicted, we were the only teenagers there. Strangely enough, none of the other people gave me dirty looks or anything. A few minutes later, Wayne came jogging down the hall towards me.

“Here you go.” He said, handing me a bottle of water and wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“Ready?”

“I think I am.”

“Then let’s go.” He guided me into the room with his hand on my lower back. Everyone was waiting for the instructor o show up. We took a seat next to a couple who had already sat down and was in the middle of an animated conversation. I looked around the room, an uneasiness settling over me again.

“Is this your first baby?”

I turned to the lady next to me who was smiling kindly.

“Um, yeah. It’s our first.” I said, motioning to Wayne next to me.

“How far along are you?” the friendliness in her tone still evident.

“I’m thirty weeks.”

“Hey, me too, but this is my second one. The first one is barely even here and his sister is already on the way.”

“Wow, I’m not ready for the first one, just thinking about another one scares me.”

She laughed. “Oh, the first one is the scariest. You’re clueless and terrified about every little thing. You can’t even warm a bottle without calling your mom.”

“In that case I’m probably fine. For obvious reasons I still live with my parents and they offered to jump in anywhere they can help.”

“Well, lucky you. My poor mother, I probably drove the woman insane, calling her at three in the morning because Luke wouldn’t stop screaming.”

“I guess I am lucky, but you know, I don’t want to just dump everything on my mom and dad. I’ve put them through enough already.”

“How so?”

“Well, being a pregnant teenager isn’t exactly in the handbook on how to be a good daughter.”

“If your mom wants to help, then I’m going to say she’s forgiven you and if she’s forgiven you, then your dad probably has too. So it doesn’t sound like they’re holding it against you.”

“They don’t, but I still feel like I disappointed them. They never expected this of me and it’s not something I can undo.”

“At first you might have disappointed them, but we all make mistakes. It’s part of life. Sure, some mistakes might seem bigger than others, but it shouldn’t keep you from seeing the good things in life. Take my son Luke for example. I was on the verge of getting a promotion at work that would send me and my husband to Australia, but then we found out I was pregnant. Along the way, there were complications and I couldn’t travel, so they gave the promotion to someone who could. I was devastated. I kept thinking about how I missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime, when instead, I should’ve been thinking what an amazing blessing it was to be having a little boy. I knew that promotion slipped through my fingers for a reason and there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not happy I got him instead. In fact, we loved him so much, we decided to have another one.” We laughed together. “I’m Andy by the way.”

“Jamie.” I said, shaking her hand. “And this is my boyfriend Wayne.” I tilted my head towards him.

“Hi.” Wayne said politely.