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“Then you’re probably about fourteen weeks into your pregnancy.”

“I’m going to look so stupid. A grandma and now I’m having a baby of my own.”

“It’s not uncommon, Maggie, really it isn’t. And these things happen, especially during peri-menopause. I’d like to examine you, make sure everything’s okay, and then send you for ultrasound as soon as possible. And because of your age, I’d highly recommend an amniocentesis too.”

Maggie nodded. The world—or at least hers—was coming to an end.

Chapter Eleven

Maggie cried when she heard Jon’s voice on her answering machine wishing her a Happy Thanksgiving. She was putting off talking to him as long as she could. He’d sense something was wrong and start asking questions she didn’t feel ready to answer.

She still couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She knew she’d wake up at any minute and realise she’d had a nightmare. When Maggie had left Dr Varney’s office, she’d still believed they’d made some horrible mistake. She’d stopped by a pharmacy on her way home to buy a pregnancy test kit. She’d peed on the stick half an hour ago. The test would be ready, but she was too afraid to check.

She couldn’t avoid it forever though, and who knew? Maybe it would say
negative
and everything would go back to normal. Scare over, and she’d take more precautions next time she had sex with Jon.

Maggie stood and headed in there, seeing the stick balancing on the edge of the vanity where she’d left it.

The word
pregnant
stared back at her.

She threw it in the bin and went back to the bedroom, taking off her clothes and standing sideways to look at herself.

How had she been stupid enough to miss all the obvious signs? Okay, her lack of a period hadn’t been a good clue but she should have seen how her body had changed in the last four months. Her boobs were twice as big and her stomach had a distinctive bulge—the baby bump, one she got only when pregnant.

She flopped onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. She’d have to go through the pain of labour and delivery, backache, swollen ankles, middle of the night feedings…

She ran her hand over her stomach. They should have stuck to just touchy feely and not progressed to having full-blown sex. How had this happened? Jon had always worn a condom each time he’d been inside her, but, as Dr Varney pointed out, no birth control was one hundred per cent perfect. You took your chances each time you had sex.

He’d made an appointment for her to get her ultrasound on December third at the hospital and, if she wanted it, an amniocentesis on December twenty-first. What if the baby had Down’s syndrome or some other birth defect because of her age?

And what was she going to tell everyone? Especially her daughters… Her mother. A pregnancy was one thing you couldn’t hide forever.

She’d get the girls all together and come clean about everything. Her relationship with Jon, Julie catching them together, Julie and her not speaking…

Julie. What was she going to think about this latest development?

Shit, Maggie still felt so embarrassed by the whole damn thing.

* * * *

“Mom, is something wrong with the food?”

Katie’s voice jarred Maggie from her dream-like state. This was her daughter’s first Thanksgiving as host, and Maggie hadn’t touched a thing. And Katie had done such a wonderful job with the decorations and the food. Maggie was so proud of her, but all she could think about was being pregnant.

“It’s wonderful, honey. Perfect. I’m just under the weather,” she said.

“You’ve been acting weird for a few days now. I know something’s wrong.” Katie knelt beside Maggie and took her hand.

She had three wonderful girls.

Maggie was on the point of tears but held them in because she didn’t want to spoil Katie’s big day. She had to tell her daughters soon because she was starting to show, but today wasn’t that time.

“Can you and your sisters come over to the house tomorrow?” Maggie couldn’t stop her bottom lip from quivering as she spoke.

“Sure. Any reason why?” Katie caressed the back of Maggie’s hand.

“I have something to tell you.”

* * * *

Maggie had avoided Jon for two days but couldn’t dodge him any longer. She’d decided to tell him about the baby when he stayed with her but not before. The news had shocked her and wasn’t the sort of thing you told someone over the phone or in an email.

“How was Thanksgiving?” he asked her.

“It was wonderful. Katie has become quite the cook. She even made homemade pumpkin pie.”

“It won’t be long before we see one another again. I’m counting the days.”

“Me too.”

Maggie heard Annie calling to her and realised the first of her daughters had arrived for their chat.

“Jon, that’s Annie. I have to go but I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“Okay, take care and I love you.”

Maggie put the phone down.
Will he be saying that after he finds out I’m pregnant or will he head back to Mallorca on the first plane home?

“I brought us some cookies and eggnog,” Annie said, setting them down on the kitchen counter.

“Great. Katie said she’s on her way and it looks like Sarah’s pulling into the driveway right now,” Maggie said, glancing out of the window.

Ten minutes later she was sitting on the couch with her three girls, looking at her like she’d suddenly sprouted another head.

“We know what’s been bothering you,” Sarah said.

“You do?”

“Yes, you’re sick and, oh Mom, don’t tell us you’re dying, please.” Annie leaned over and hugged her.

Maggie stroked her head. “Oh, honey, it’s nothing like that. I’ve not been honest with you since I got back from Mallorca and I have to come clean now.“ She swallowed twice in quick succession. “I know you’ve been wondering why I came home from Mallorca so suddenly. It was because Julie and I had a misunderstanding about something.”

“Oh, Mom, no, why didn’t you tell us? You’ve been such great friends all these years. It must have been devastating for both of you,” Katie said, squeezing Maggie’s hand.

“What was it about?” Annie asked.

“Her son,” Maggie said.

“Jon, right?” Sarah asked.

Maggie nodded.

“The hot hunk.” Annie smiled.

“I… We… Me and Jon had a relationship while Julie was in Spain visiting her father-in-law.” She’d developed something of a stutter now, knowing what was coming next.

“As in a sexual relationship?” Annie asked.

“Yes.” Maggie closed her eyes.

“Good for you!” Katie slapped Maggie’s knee. “Hey, that makes you officially a cougar, right?”

“What’s sex like with a young stud? I mean for someone your age. All the magazines say women have their best orgasms with a younger man,” Annie said.

Oh yeah, they were dead right about that one.

“Mom’s a cougar.” Sarah laughed. “Wow, who would have thought it? You’ve always had a thing for older guys before.”

“Could we please be serious for a minute?” Maggie wanted to get this whole thing over and done with before she chickened out about telling them she was pregnant. “Jon will be visiting here in a few weeks and, well… I’m not sure if this relationship has staying power but he’s convinced it does.”

“So he’ll be our stepdad?” Sarah asked.

“You’re jumping the gun here, because there’s now a serious complication. I just don’t know how to tell you this.” Maggie was suddenly lost for words as all three girls looked at her, mouths open.
Here goes
. “Something else happened while I was in Mallorca. I… I got pregnant.”

There. It was out.

Her daughters were still looking at her, this time with their mouths open slightly bigger.

“You’re kidding, right?” Annie asked.

“Nope, afraid this cougar’s expecting a cub next June.”

“But you can’t be,” said Sarah. “You’re in the menopause.”

“I thought I was but obviously I’m not quite there yet,” she said, patting her stomach.

“So you were stupid enough not to use protection,” Annie said.

Maggie raised her hand, not wanting her children to think she didn’t practise safe sex after all the lectures she’d put them through. “We did. Jon used condoms but something obviously happened.”

Nothing else was said for a few minutes. She was hot again but now knew hot flashes weren’t the cause.

“Please talk to me, tell me what you’re all thinking,” Maggie said on the brink of tears.

“I think we’re in shock,” Katie said. “Does Julie’s son know?”

Maggie shook her head. “He hates children.”

“Oh, Mom, this doesn’t sound very promising,” Katie said. “You think he’ll just walk away when he finds out?”

That had been in the back of Maggie’s mind too and now she’d heard someone verbalise it she burst into tears.

All three girls threw their arms around her.

“I don’t want to lose him over this,” Maggie sobbed.

“Oh, Mom, if he’s a good man, he’ll know he has to take some of the responsibility for your condition. He made this baby along with you,” Annie said.

Katie put her hand on her mother’s stomach. “I can’t believe we’re going to have another half-sibling. Dad’s provided us with plenty of those.”

“I have to get an ultrasound next week and I’m petrified the baby will be deformed because of my age. How could I possibly deal with a baby with health issues at my age?”

Katie put her head on her mother’s shoulder and patted her belly again. “I’ll come with you to hold your hand but I know everything’s going to be all right with this little one.”

* * * *

“I remember how excited Nick and I were when I had my ultrasound,” said Katie as Maggie lay on the examining table the following week.

The technician, a young woman in her mid-twenties with bleached blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, walked in and smiled. “Hi, Maggie, I’m Lea. I have to tell you this is my first baby ultrasound so I hope you’ll bear with me.”

“Sure.”

“Okay, let’s get started,” Lea said, pulling up Maggie’s examination robe.

Katie squeezed Maggie’s hand as Lea poured gel onto her belly, then swiped the wand over it a few times.

“Would you excuse me a minute? I want to get another technician to check this with me.” Lea set the wand back by the monitor.

Maggie burst into tears as Lea left the room.

“Did you hear that? It’s the baby, something’s wrong with it,” Maggie said. She rested her head back. Things were getting worse each day.

“Oh, Mom, it could be anything. You heard what she said. She’s new at this.”

Lea walked back in with an older woman with grey hair that was haphazardly tied up with an oversized clip. While Lea put the wand back over Maggie’s stomach, the other woman looked intently at the screen.