This Wasn't Suppose to Happen

I looked at my phone, another text from Sid. Shrugging, I decided I should answer it in case he decided to drop by and check up on me, I couldn’t hide from him forever. It was now the middle of January and I still hadn’t told him about the prenatal classes. After last week’s class with Nate, I would be completely content with anyone next to me… even Sid.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I decided it was now or never. Tapping the screen, I composed an answer to his text message.

Janelle: I’m fine. BTW, prenatal classes are on Thursday’s at 11, thought you should know

Tossing the phone on the ottoman, I turned back to the movie I was watching on TV. I guess watching wasn’t really the word for it because I wasn’t quite sure what was happening, it was background noise. I was lonely and hormonal and I knew it was my own fault, after my parents death I pushed everyone away, Nate was the only one who fought to stay in my life. He really fought me, the more I pushed him away, the harder he fought back.

My lunch date with Shayne had gone extremely well and it was nice to talk to someone who was going through what I was; even if we had the same questions and no answers. I had to admit, as much as I loved Nate, it was nice to give some girl time. I had forgotten what it was like to hang out with a friend and it was a much needed break from reality that I needed.

A beep indicated that he had replied and I glanced at my phone to see his reply.

Sid: Not a good time for me, practice and morning skates don’t end until 11. I’ll text you later when I figure things out.

Figure things out? God only knows what that boy had up his sleeve; I didn’t like the sound of that.

The day before the next prenatal class, my phone rang and I picked it up without checking the caller ID.

“Janelle? Can you come over to the condo, I have to talk to you”.

“Now?” I was so comfortable on the couch, I didn’t want to move.

“Ya, now”. I reluctantly agreed and slipped my feet into my uggs to head out into the cold Pittsburgh night and towards Sid’s condo. I hadn’t been there since that night, the night that changed both our lives.

Knocking on his door, I shifted my weight and realized that I was starving. Then again, I was always starving. I would have to stop for take out on the way home, I was in the midst of deciding what I was going to order when the door opened.

Stepping into his condo, I glanced at him and noticed that he was in track pants and a t-shirt. “What’s up?” I asked as I unzipped my jacket.

“Nothing, just got back from practice. Can I get you something?” He was being cordial and I decided to play along with it. “No thanks, I’m good”, I muttered as I made my way to the couch.

“Everything okay with the baby?” he asked as he took a seat in the chair opposite from me.

“Yup”, I replied as a woman walked into the room. Who the hell was this and what was going on?

“Janelle, this is Gracie”, Sid said as he stood and motioned to the blond haired woman standing in the middle of the room.

“Hi Janelle, I’ve heard a lot about you”, Gracie said as she looked at Sid. “Everything is set up in the guest room, if you wanted to come in”, she said and I couldn’t help but look at Sid wanting and waiting for an explanation.

“Follow me”, he said and followed Gracie down the hall. What the fuck? If he thought that I would be up for a threesome then he was sadly mistaken. My mind went a zillion miles an hour as I tried to figure out how to kick his ass, it would be difficult since I couldn’t really kick my leg up, but I was certain I could do it if I put my mind to it.

“Okay Janelle, you can get comfy on the mat and we can start”, Gracie said with a grin as I entered the guest room to see that the bed had been pushed against the wall and there was a balance ball and yoga mat positioned on the floor. Sid sat on the edge of the bed and an uncomfortable feeling washed over me.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked as I walked farther into the room.

“I can’t really walk into a hospital and go to prenatal classes, so I decided to bring them to you”, Sid said with a grin.

“But I like the class, I like having pregnant women around me in case I have a question, I don’t want to have a personal prenatal class”, I explained.

“Shit Janelle, I try and try to help you out and you keep making things difficult. What the fuck do you want from me?” Sid yelled as he stood in front of me.

“I don’t want anything from you, I told you that from the beginning”, I muttered as I glanced down at the floor. This wasn’t what I had expected. Sighing, I made my way over to the bed and took a seat. “I don’t want to fight with you”, I said as I glanced up into his eyes.

“You do a damn good job for someone who doesn’t want to fight”, he told me and I tried to see it from his point of view.
“Okay Sid, we will do this class so you can get the jest of it and that’s it, I really want to do the class at the hospital”, I explained and he nodded.

“Thank you”, he said under his breath as I got down on the yoga mat and Gracie started to explain everything he would need to know.

Leaving his condo, I instantly relaxed. I was always so on edge and tense whenever we were in the same room together, was I really blind and stupid to think that we could co-parent and remain fairly civil to each other. This baby was going to join us together for the rest of our lives and we had to figure out a way to make this work.

Pulling into the parking garage, I grabbed my take out and made my way up to my apartment, ready to throw on my pajamas and curl up on the couch with reality TV for the remainder of the night. Rest and relaxation was calling my name and I was ready to continue it for the remainder of the week.

The next day, I woke up and felt a sense of panic as I glanced around the apartment. I started cleaning up, working feverishly to tidy everything and organize the living room. It was just before dinner time when I stopped and flopped on the couch. I was exhausted and I had a strange pain in my back. Probably pulled something, I thought as I shifted to get comfortable.

Before I could think of anything else, a sharp pain ripped across my stomach and I gasped. Oh my god, what was going on? I still had a little over a month to go, the baby couldn’t come yet. It must be one of those false labor pains I had heard about, I was chalking it up to being nothing but a false alarm when I felt the pain again.

Picking up the phone, I sent a text message and then dialed a now familiar number as I tried to get off the couch. He answered on the 3rd ring.

“Sid, I’m on my way to the hospital, its time”