+TYPED OUT-

COFFEE AND TELL

Ben's jaw dropped, and Dagmar whistled.

"You're pregnant like you have a living being in you right now."

"Ben, she said she was pregnant. What else could she have in a stomach? It's either a baby or an alien Ellen Ripley style."

One could always trust Dagmar to bring up the gore.

"It's a baby. I'm pregnant, and it won't pop out before a few months."

"Wow," Ben said and leaned back in his chair.

Dagmar twirled the spoon in her expresso and said, "How far along are you?"

"First trimester."

Ben followed up with, "How's Kenneth taking it?"

Monday shrugged, "I don't know."

Ben leaned forward and said, "What do you mean you don't know? Don't tell us you didn't tell him."

"I did," Monday hurried to say, "I know his first-hand reaction, and I haven't had news since that's all."

"What a dick."

Both Monday and Dagmar turned to look at Ben.

"What? That's an asshole attitude, right. And no, it's not about him being heterosexual. I recognize when we're dicks. I'm disappointed in him. You deserve better, Dayé."

The compassionate stare and the soft pat on the arm made Monday want to cry. She took a deep breath and said, "Kenneth has his reasons. I'm giving him space; I mean, it isn't easy to assume even when a couple plans things out." Monday looked down at her mango and ginger smoothie, "I've read, I don't know how many testimonies and stories. There's no rule book. One has to accept things as they come. "

Dagmar nodded and drank her now lukewarm coffee, the first drink any of them had had since they began talking. Monday didn't even cut a piece of her lemon cake.

"You know what? You don't need that corduroy pants wearer. Inspirational speaker, my butt. I don't care about his circumstances. Kenneth is supposed to support you. You can't represent his whole world one minute and become worthless the next. In what soap opera is he living in?" Dagmar shook her head in denial, "It's not right, grrgh, how I could commit murder right now."

Monday smiled, "I told you there's no right or wrong. It's life, Dagmar; I know how I feel about Kenneth, but this baby is my only priority right now. I can't waste any minute trying to figure out what's happening in Kenneth's mind. Perhaps talking to him will just add confusion and mess things up a little more. Kenneth is grown; he'll end up knowing what he wants, and he'll seize whatever that is when the time comes."

Monday held back from adding, " I hope he'll choose us. " Instead, she brought the straw of her drink to her mouth and sipped.

Ben clapped. " Okay, it isn't a tragedy. You're having a baby. It's something we should celebrate. Life is a gift. How are you feeling? Do you know the gender yet? "

Monday put her drink down, "I'm feeling better. I think I'm out of the nauseous stage. I don't have any other symptoms, touch wood," Monday said, touching the table. "I haven't asked about the gender. All I want is a healthy baby."

"So you haven't brought anything?" Dagmar asked.

Monday shook her head," I want to move out first. I've been living with my cousin for the last eight years. She's dating someone, and I think we both need our intimacy. She's a nurse, and I don't want the baby to wake her when she needs to sleep."

"Gosh, Monday, that's a whole load of changes." Ben could only imagine how Monday's world was in shambles.

"I know, but I think it will be better for both of us. Being pregnant made me realize I've been living cozy Peter Pan style. My cousin has been babysitting me since. All that mattered were my stories. I put life aside and just went with the flow without thinking about what to do with myself. Relationships were mere crash tests. My love life was a disaster, but I didn't care about anything or anyone, including myself. Now, I have a purpose. I want to live consciously, and I want Luce to live her life without thinking of her womanchild cousin."