No, no, no, no...
“Are you in there?”
Hanging out in the bathroom.
“Renata.” Kylee sounded worried.
By now they’d all know, of course. She’d officially bowed out of the family dinner—her stomach had demanded it. Kylee was here because she cared. Even if all Renata wanted at the moment was to be left alone. At least it wasn’t her brothers. She’d had more than enough of them.
“We could hear you. And we’re coming in,” Kylee said, cracking the bathroom door.
We? An audience for her humiliation.
“Oh, Renata. Are you okay?” Kylee’s sympathy was genuine.
The minute she saw Kylee try to kneel, Renata spoke up. “Don’t you even think about getting down here. Then we’ll both be stuck on the floor.”
Kylee smiled, then stepped back.
Josie, Annabeth and Eden waited—wearing various expressions of concern.
She covered her face with her hands and groaned.
“Renata.” Josie laughed. “It’s okay.”
“We’ve all been there,” Annabeth added. “Literally, on the floor, throwing our guts up.”
“Some of us multiple times.” Eden laughed.
“We’re here to offer moral support,” Kylee finished.
“My brothers couldn’t wait to spill the beans, could they?” She spoke through her hands.
“They’re worried.” It sounded like Annabeth. “So worried, they volunteered to watch all the kids. With Clara and Dad, of course. You’ve got a whole tribe of women on your side. What can we do?”
She had no idea what she was supposed to do. “I don’t know,” she murmured through her hands.
“First, drink this.” Josie knelt on the floor at her side. “Peppermint tea. Always soothed my stomach.”
It did smell delicious. And Christmassy, too.
“Having a hard time keeping things down?” Annabeth asked.
She uncovered her face, the smell of the tea too tempting to resist. Just holding the mug and breathing in the fresh mint offered relief. “It’s going to get easier, right?”
The four of them smiled back.
“No?” She sighed.
“Up to moving this conversation out of your bathroom?” Annabeth asked.
Renata nodded, handing off her tea and pushing off the floor. Her stomach grumbled loudly. I’m trying, baby. I promise. We’ll sneak into the kitchen later.
“The joys of pregnancy,” Annabeth said.
“So far, not so joyful.” Renata sat on her couch, pressing back into her seat.
“It will get easier,” Josie said, nodding, as she perched on the arm of the chair where Kylee sat. “We’re here to help.”