Teach Me ✅

29. Figuring it Out

I wake up the next morning to the sound of my alarm clock blaring. I had set it last night before I fell asleep to ensure I didn't sleep and miss the whole holiday. I climb out of bed and pad across the floor to my bathroom. I put on a light coat of makeup to try and disguise my pale appearance before slipping into a pair of jeans but of course they're tight. "Dammit" I mutter in frustration. I sigh, opening my closet and hoping to find something to wear. An abrupt knock on my door startles me. "Who is it?" I shout.

"Your favorite person of course" Riley says making me smile.

"Come in" I shout back as my door opens and my best friend waltzes into the room. "You're early" I point out as she closes my door behind her.

"I figured you could use someone who knows all your secrets" she smirks while hopping up onto my bed making me chuckle.

"I could use something to wear" I admit in frustration. "I thought you weren't supposed to gain baby weight this fast" I complain.

"Sweetie you're almost done with your first trimester. You're gonna start getting a bit of a bump" she says lightly. "What were you gonna wear today?" she asks as she walks over to join me in front of my closet.

"A pair of jeans" I reply making her giggle.

"A baby and food?" she laughs, "jeans would have never worked. Why don't you wear this?" she suggests as she grabs a black dress that flared out under the bust. "The bump won't be detectable" she smiles, victoriously. I smile as I grab it from her hands and quickly slip into it. It was tight in the bust but not nearly as bad as the jeans had been. "So, how is keeping the baby a secret going?" she asks as she waltzes back over to my bed to take a seat while I accessorize my outfit.

"I don't know" I admit. "I think my mom is a little suspicious" I sigh, "I don't know if telling her would be the worst thing though. I mean, she's my mom. We're telling everyone at Christmas, would it really be that bad to tell her a month early?" I gnaw my bottom lip, thinking it over. I told my mom everything. Keeping this a secret was killing me.

"It's up to you" Riley shrugs. "It's your baby. How is the kiddo today anyway?" she asks curiously.

"Okay so far" I reply, placing my hand over my belly. "We'll see" I sigh as I reach for my phone. I send Josh a quick good morning text before turning my attention back to my best friend. "We should probably get downstairs to help before they send reinforcements." Riley laughs as she hops down off my bed, following me out of the bedroom door. We head to the kitchen and the sounds of the holiday are unmistakable. As are the scents. My stomach turns at the melody of smells that hit my nose all at once. Riley turns to look at me with worry in her eyes.

"Peaches?" she checks as she stops and puts her hand on my arm. "You okay?" she asks worriedly. I nod slowly as my stomach churns.

"I'll be back" I tell her as I rush off to the bathroom. I throw up and clean myself up, running cold water over my face before taking a deep breath and opening the bathroom door to find my mother standing on the other side with an expectant look on her face. "Hey mama" I force a smile onto my face, playing as innocent as I possibly can.

"We need to talk" she says bluntly. I gnaw my bottom lip and nod, following her up to my bedroom. She closes my door behind us, standing against the wooden frame with her arms crossed over her chest. "Have I ever told you the story about how I found out I was pregnant with you?" she asks with a smile pulling at her lips. I shake my head and she continues. "Your father and I were at a company picnic for his job and the different smells made me so sick to my stomach that I practically lived in the bathroom the entire day. That evening I went home and took a test that told me that you were on the way" she explains. "I know firsthand how sensitive your nose can be when you're pregnant. So" she says expectantly. "How far are you?" she asks me. I stand there in shock of the perception of the woman standing in front of me. It takes me a few tries but finally I'm able to form a complete thought.