Where's My Happily Ever After?

I was sitting in my bedroom watching “America’s Most Wanted” when the doorbell rang. I stood up carefully so a dizzy spell wouldn’t make me collapse. I pretty much waddled over to the door, but when I opened it I saw no one.

“You don’t play jokes on a hormonal, pregnant lady!” I yelled out to whoever was playing these tricks on me. I slammed the door and walked back to my bedroom.

“Hi, Jade!” she yelled.

“Oh my God!” I screamed, nearly having a heart attack (and lest you forget my heart doesn’t beat anymore!). I fell back against the wall, not able to hold myself up. I steadied my deep breaths and glared daggers at Quinn who was staring in shock at me.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” she cried out, running to hug me. “Oh God, you really let yourself go!”

“Gee, thanks,” I muttered. “Every girl wants to hear that.”

I watched as expressions danced across her face. She went from being worried to being content to being shocked. I could see when it finally dawned on her.

“Oh my God, Jade,” she whispered, glancing from my face to my swollen tummy a few times. “You’re...pregnant?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, waddling over to the bed to sit down. The demon child was throwing a fit again.

“But...with who? I don’t see any guy here,” she pointed out.

“Hello there, Captain Obvious,” I grumbled. “He’s long gone, okay?”

She stared for a while before a horrified and tortured expression appeared on her face.

“Oh no. Oh no, oh no... It’s Edwin’s!” I almost started bawling. To hear his name brought so much pain and heartache.

“Yeah, it is,” I choked. “But he doesn’t know! So keep your mouth shut.”

“But he needs to know! Maybe he’ll take you back!”

“No!” I hissed. She backed off. “I don’t want him to take me back because he knocked me up! I don’t want him to know! As far as I’m concerned, he’s not the dad. He’s just the guy who knocked me up and never called again.”

“Do you hate him?” Quinn asked, sitting beside me. There was pain in her voice.

“No,” I whispered. “I love him.”

“He misses you,” she told me quietly. “He mopes around all day, whispering your name softly. He mumbles ‘Jade’ over and over again. He hasn’t gone out of the house since you left. Jade, all he’s ever wanted to be was a daddy. Can’t you give him that much?”

I shook my head. She didn’t get it! He assumed the worst of me after promising we’d be together forever.

“Oh well. Obviously happily ever after meant nothing to him. I don’t care.”

Quinn shook her head. “So can I feel?” She’s a smart girl and she knew when to stop. I nodded, smiling. “Oh my gosh!” she cried out, a giant smile on her lips. “It’s kicking.”

“I know. He’s a restless little thing who’s always causing mommy so much pain, huh?” I asked him, smiling despite the discomfort.

“We should so go shopping for baby clothes! Here, I’ll spend the night and tomorrow we go the mall!” she cried, jumping up and down.

“What about Nathan?” I knew they were no doubt still together. What they had was real, unlike what Edwin and I had.

“I’ll call him and tell him we’re going to the mall. He won’t mind.”

“I guess so.”

“Okay! I’ll go dial!” She ran out of my room with her phone in her hand.

Maybe instead of it just being me and Misery together, it’d be Quinn, too! Oh, but I hated to drag her down with me...