Facing the Music

(TWO WEEKS LATER)

Elle groaned, her pounding head lying on the edge of the spotless porcelain toilet seat, wiping away the remains of her lunch from her mouth.

"I hate this."

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was barely two weeks from her life-altering (and absolutely STUPID) decision and she was already regretting it.

Why did she have to listen to her conscience and heart? It only ended up with her sticking her head in the toilet and throwing up every five minutes. She would have been smarter to finish the process and revert to her normal life.

The mood swings causing her to secretly cry in her office when she saw a random cat playing with a dog video on Youtube.

The bizarre food cravings, ESPECIALLY meat of any kind. There goes her six year vegan diet down the drain.

The body aches and pains in places she didn't even know she had.

The morning sickness, except it was all day and all night, striking her when she least expected it, like walking out the front door to get the mail.

Three months so far. Six more left. There was no way in hell she was going to survive this. Why do women become mothers??!

\Jesus H. Christ, I'm gonna be a mother\

The idea made her gorge rise and she turned back to the toilet, to finish throwing up her breakfast as well.

Five minutes later, she was back in her terry white bathrobe, debating whether or not she was going to go to work. Andy was already livid with anger for her demanding more vacation time and now she was not even coming to work. He must be ready to blow the roof off, even though she hasn't taken a single vacation day since she started working as a first year associate.

But what could she say? Besides the lie that she had some wicked stomach virus for the last two weeks?

\And it's gonna last for a hell of a while.\

Besides, Andy was infamous for "edging out" people once they return from maternity leave. Usually, their best clients were secretly transfered to male colleagues and then these poorwomen became overloaded with frivolous lawsuits until they quit in frustration.

So if she's really going to take up this 'single mommy' bit, then she better keep her rice bowl intact or bring the bacon home or however the saying is.

Elle tilted her head back, wondering if there was still some more of that double mint chocolate chip Oreo cookie dough ice cream in her freezer.

Sighing, her eyes gazed mournfully at the empty ice cream box sitting on her spotless counter, not so spotless anymore as last night's cravings forced her to go back to primal instincts and use her hands, shoving icy pieces of heavenly sweetness into her mouth, right from the box. And she definitely didn't feel like getting up to clean it.

Going through a pregnancy as well as a broken heart was undeniably pure hell.

Locating the remote under the burrito wrappers, she pushed the 'on' button, the screen opening to the latest Korean idol drama.

Elle usually detested shallow pretentious shows, especially unrealistic, overly dramatic 'idol dramas.' But for some reason, either due to boredom or to the fact that there was nothing else on, she started watching them…and LIKING it. Maybe it was the hormones?

True, the actors and actresses were beautiful but the acting….it makes one want to rinse out their mouth with Tabasco sauce to get rid of the 'cute sweetness' that dominated the dramas. Still, Elle started to enjoy them because they took her away from her own bleak reality.

Propping her head on the couch arm, she watched as the male lead forcefully grabbed the female lead's arm to prevent her from leaving...

/Anddddd that's an assault and battery charge for you..../

Ella's eyes snapped open as the shrill ringing of the phone tore her away from her little catnap, grinding her teeth as she remembered that she forgot to remind herself to turn off the phone.

There wasn't any more room left on her voicemail for Andy's incoherent tirades or her so-called friends' social call invitations and recounts of meaningless little quibbles within the group of 'friends.' She was seriously considering bashing the damn phone into little smithereens when the name on the caller ID made her heart stop.

Gasping for breath, her eyes widened enormously as the most fantastic four letters of the alphabet arranged in the most wonderful combination to form the most perfect word there was.

Jake.

She could feel her spirits lifting already, aiming straight for the moon (and beyond!)

Even the little Jake inside her was doing a little happy dance, although he was about the size of a plum now (according to the pregnancy app she downloaded) and she wouldn't feel him even if he was breakdancing in her uterus.

Hand trembling, she picked up the phone and barely got out a soft "Hello?"

"Elle? This is Ariel, Jake's wife. I'm standing outside your apartment right now. Can you please open the door?"

The phone dropped to the carpeted floor, did a little bounce, and the line went dead.