Futures Part Five

fiction
Futures Part Four

"It's not weird right? Having a baby shower for our second child?" Emily asked as she was setting up snacks for the party.

"No, I don't think so. Especially since you're doing a diaper drive for the women's shelter with it. Would it help if you thought of it as just a party instead of a shower?" Jacob was smart enough not to say that it was a little late to worry about things like that on the day of the party.

"Maybe, but I know people are bringing gifts so I just wonder if it's weird."

"As the third child in my family I will say that there will be plenty of things that the oldest one gets that the other kids don't. Let's not make this the first of those."

"Oh! That's a good way to look at it. Fair. I like fair."

"When is Olivia getting here?"

"She said she and Jayde would come at 1. Everyone else should start arriving around 2 so that will give me more time to convince Jayde she should like me."

"I think she likes you just fine."

"She doesn't. I'm serious. I think she barely tolerates me."

"Do you think she's jealous? I mean you and Olivia are awfully close."

"You aren't jealous, why should she be jealous?"

"It's a little different."

"Why? Because you're a guy?"

"No... well maybe a little of that. I mean, I know you aren't interested in Olivia like that, for Jayde she might not believe that Olivia wasn't your 'one time in college' fling."

"That's just nonsense. Not everyone has a 'one time in college' fling."

"Not everyone, no, but a lot of people. And people with very attractive lesbian roommates probably more than others."

"Oh so you think Olivia is attractive?"

Jacob remembered just a second too late that pregnancy hormones were a real thing and Emily was very sensitive about her looks during the third trimester. "Jayde does. Right? I mean Jayde loves Olivia so of course she thinks she's very attractive."

Emily gave him a little bit of side eye, "Nicely saved. But still, you aren't jealous of Olivia so she shouldn't be."

"I was also there from the start. We all became friends together. I know both of you, I was friends with both of you. We've all been friends together. Jayde is coming in to an already established group. And you and Olivia are really close. Not all college roommates make it through four years of living together let alone still being friends 3 years out of college. Olivia is the godmother to our daughter, soon to be to both of our kids. She's part of our family and Jayde is still finding her footing."

"They've been dating for a couple of years though, by now..."

"Different people take different amounts of time. And I still think she likes you just fine. I think maybe you're projecting on her your own discomfort."

"My own discomfort with what?"

"I've seen you watching her when we are all together. You're smiling, but your eyes are... well it's like when you're watching Sophia on the playground. You're happy, you're friendly, but you're also ready to step in. Maybe Jayde is picking up on that, or maybe you just don't trust her so you are trying to make it okay."

Emily thought about it for a bit. Maybe there was some truth to that. She liked Jayde. Or at least she wanted to like Jayde. Olivia loved her so she wanted to feel that as well. But she was always worried that she was going to break her best friend's heart. Olivia was the closest thing to a sibling she'd ever had and she never wanted anything bad to happen to her. Emily was pretty sure that's what having a best friend meant. Always wanting the best for them. And if that was Jayde, then that was Jayde.

"Okay, I'll work on the eye thing. Ooh...active baby alert!"

Jacob kissed her and put a hand on her belly, "Mom's okay, she's just a little protective. You're going to love that and hate that in your life."