Pregnancy Scare
“Oh God. I’m gonna be sick. What if it’s morning sickness? What time is it? Can you get morning sickness in the afternoon?”
“Sit down,” Peggy urged, leading Angie to the couch.
“Take some deep breaths,” Steve added, following.
Angie glared. “I’m breathin. Don’t tell me to breathe. That’s what they tell you to do when you’re—”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Peggy said. “We don’t know anything yet.”
“I know we don’t know anything. How long before we know anything?”
“The doctor’s meant to call any minute, love,” Peggy murmured, running her hands along Angie’s arms in an attempt to stop the slight trembling there. “I know it’s hard, just try to relax as much as you can.”
“All this stress can’t be good for the…baby. Who may or may not be there. Probably isn’t. There’s probably nothing there.”
Peggy scowled. “You’re not helping, Steve.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I blame you for this,” Angie declared. “If there is a this.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Angie sighed. Breathed out as Peggy stroked her back. “Eh, it ain’t totally your fault. And it’s not like I don’t want, ” she gestured vaguely towards her stomach, “eventually. Just…not yet. I got roles and auditions and Wes said this next show might be my big break and—”
“You don’t need to explain yourself, darling.”
“You don’t,” Steve repeated, kneeling in front of the women and taking Angie’s hand. “And if…if there is…if you don’t want…” Steve jammed his eyes shut for a moment. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Angie blinked at him. Then her eyes widened and she touched his cheek, shaking her head a few times. “No! I couldn’t…I’d never…no! The timing’s off yeah, but no.”
Steve visibly relaxed, pulling Angie forward for a hug.
“Would it even work?” Angie asked after they’d separated and she was leaning into Peggy again. “Not that it matters, but a kid with your DNA, could you even do that thing I’d never, ever do? Oh God. What if the kid has your super strength?”
“It’s not really super—”
Angie cut him off. “What if she’s crazy strong and wants to punch her way out of my insides?”
“That won’t happen,” said Peggy.
“How do you know?”
“It won’t.”
“But what if it does?”
“We won’t let it.”
“Pegs—”
“Angie. Steve and I would never let anything happen to you, Or the baby. If there is one, which we don’t know yet, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Groaning, Angie threw an arm over her face. “I always thought you’d be the one doing this, Peg. I mean, a kid that looks like you and Steve? That’d be winning the genetic lottery. And she could have your accent.”
“One, any child of yours would also win this lottery.You’re gorgeous. But two, you do understand that accents aren’t genetic, and unless we moved across the pond, the child would more than likely sound terribly American.”
Angie removed the arm, squinting at Peggy. “What do you mean terribly?”
“What do you mean she?” Steve asked.
“Pardon?”
“Huh?”
“You said she. When you were describing our kid. Is that what you’d want?”
Angie shrugged. “Mostly I’d want someone who wasn’t gonna punch through my insides. But yeah, I guess I’d want a girl. Girls are so much better than boys.”
Steve looked away.
“I didn’t mean it like that. Just, you know, I grew up with five brothers. Maybe it messed me up some.”
“Yes well,” said Peggy, “any sons we had would be nothing like your brothers. Remind me to speak to them at Christmas.”
“Uh-uh. You know how Ma feels about bloodshed at the table. Didn’t you have a rabbit once?”
Peggy wore an uncharacteristically blank expression. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me, darling.”
“A rabbit,” Angie repeated. “If I’m pregnant, an innocent rabbit’s going to die. Doesn’t seem fair. Didn’t you have one, English?”
“As a child, yes. Peter.”
“Peter rabbit? Points for creativity there, Peg.”
“I was three years old.”
“Yeah. Well it stinks that Peter’s life is on the line because you two came back from that annoyingly long trip for the ‘phone company,’ and I had that extra bottle of schnapps.”
“I’m sure Peter will be fine,” Steve said.
Peggy stared between them. “Peter died in 1928.”
“So?” Angie snapped. “Maybe he had a cousin. Maybe his great, great cousin is on the chopping block now, all because I got the miracle of life cooking inside me.”
They were quiet for a second, then Steve spoke up. “We could buy her a rabbit, if you want. The girl. Or boy. If there is one.”
Angie looked thoughtful. “Yeah, I think that’d be nice. What should we call him?”
Peggy frowned. “Are we talking about the rabbit, or our hypothetical son?”
“Both. Either. Steve, what are you gonna do if the rabbit dies?”
“What do you mean?”
“I see how you are with my nephews, how you were with the babies at your USO shows. Not pretty.”
“I’ve gotten better about that,” Steve muttered.
Angie probably would’ve contradicted him if the phone hadn’t cut into their discussion. Steve jumped to his feet as if readying for an attack, Peggy reached for a gun holster that wasn’t there, and Angie made an odd sort of shrieking noise. All of them froze as the ringing continued.
Peggy recovered first, tangling her hand in Angie’s curls. “It’ll be alright. No matter what. We’re right here.”
“I know,” Angie said, breathing shakily.
Steve relaxed his fighting stance, kissing her lips, then her forehead. “I love you.”
Angie’s smile was a bit watery. “Love you too, soldier.”
Steve nodded toward the phone. “Do you want me to—”
“No. Let…let me do it.”
Nodding, Steve extended a hand, helping her to her feet. Peggy squeezed the other one, bringing it to her mouth to kiss Angie’s wrist. The pulse there raced madly. “Alright, darling?” she asked, standing herself.
Angie nodded, let go of both their hands, then went to the phone. She put her back to them as she answered. “Hello? Yeah, yeah this is she. Right. Okay. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah, thanks. You have a good day too.”
Peggy’s nails dug into Steve’s forearm as they waited. Angie seemed to move in slow motion as she replaced the receiver and turned to face them.
“Peter’s cousin survived,” Angie said, sounding rather faint.
The other two exchanged glances. “Oh,” Peggy said. “Well…good news then, yes? Your storming of Broadway remains on schedule.”
“Yeah,” Angie said, slowly retracing her path to them. “And you two. No interruptions in your phone company stuff.”
“No. Good,” Steve added.
Angie went to Steve, hugged him tightly. Repeated it with Peggy. Then she pulled back, addressing both of them. “You think we should get a rabbit? Might be good practice for…later.”
“That’s true,” Peggy agreed. “Practice is always helpful.”
“There’s a new pet store over on Twelfth,” said Steve.
“Great,” said Angie. “We’ll stop in on Saturday. Meantime. I’m gonna call Ma, listen to her whine about why she ain’t a grandmother yet.”