Aunty

Maria, who was unaware of Laila's thoughts, chuckled and did a fake bow from behind the table as she said, "Thank you, thank you. Your praise is too much. I am but a humble servant." Laila smiled for a bit before she got herself ready to tell Maria of her pregnancy. She looked up and down a bit nervously before she said, "No, I mean it. This food is amazing. I really missed your cooking, I really missed you and I am glad that I can taste it once more in your company. I am not the only one singing songs of praise. Another happy camper has expressed his joy for being able to meet his aunt at long last."

Maria was laughing as she was humbly accepting the compliments Laila was giving her and it appeared that Laila's words had not sunk in just yet. It wasn't until a few seconds of Laila's silence as Maria herself was chuckling away that it suddenly hit her. "What did you just say...? Did you just call me an aunt..?!" Seeing Maria's widened eyes and full out expression of shock, it was now Laila who couldn't contain her laughter. Through her chuckles she said, "Yes. How else should my son be calling you if not aunt?"

Maria let out a high pitched squeal as she jumped out of her chair. After that she repeated Laila's words. "Son?!" Laila nodded with a smile. This was all that Maria needed to rush over to the other side of the table in order to pull Laila into a big, tight, hug all the while letting out sounds of joy. "I can't believe my princess is pregnant! I can't believe that if we hadn't made up, I would have missed out on the birth of my nephew."

Laila placed her hand on Maria's arm and tried to make her friend contain her excitement over this piece of news. "Calm down with the hugging and shaking. I just got finished with the morning sickness phase. I don't want to get nauseous again and risk throwing up this meal because you made my baby sea sick."

Maria listened to Laila's request and let her go. "I'm sorry. I got a bit too excited but it isn't everyday that you find out you are going to be an aunt. How far along are you?" Laila chuckled. "It's okay. I understand. I didn't plan on telling you this way either but I haven't been able to tell you for way too long so, I didn't want to wait any longer. But I hope you will accept the role of being his aunty despite the wrongs of his mother. Right now I am entering my fifteenth week. So, it is just a little bean now but it is all going so fast. Before we know it, that little bean will be a fully grown baby, lying safely in my arms."

Maria gave Laila one more hug, this time one that was a bit more contained and placed a kiss on her cheek. As she placed her hand on Laila's stomach, feeling her round, protruding, tummy for the first time, she said, "Of course I will. I would be honoured to have that little bun in your oven call me aunt. As a matter of fact, try and stop me from being an aunt to the boy.' After she had spoken to the mother, Maria apparently felt it was time to talk to the son as well. She lowered her face to Laila's stomach and started speaking at it as she was rubbing it gently. "I can hardly wait to meet you. We will have so much fun. So, hurry up and grow strong so you can come meet us. But not too soon, otherwise you will make us all worry."

Laila smiled. She was glad to see that Maria seemed genuinely happy about the news and she was happy herself as well that her son would be growing up with an aunt as wonderful as Maria. Now that they had gotten the good news out of the way, she would need to get ready to talk to Maria about the less positive new she had to tell. But first she wanted to enjoy the food in front of her and not let a spread like this go to waste!

After some chit chat and eating as much as their stomachs could handle and a little more, lunch was finally over. With rounded bellies, one slightly bigger than the other, they retired to the couch. Each of them taking a corner of Maria's beloved and highly praised white sofa and snuggling up with a soft throw-pillow. Once they were both comfortably seated in their own corner, Laila told Maria the first batch of bad news. "So, guess who I ran into this afternoon at the airport just as I was making my way over to you?"

Maria was surprised by this question but tried to answer it just the same. She lifted her eyebrow in confusion and she became silent as she tried to think of the answer. Just as she was about to give up and ask Laila for the answer it came to her. With a shocked expression she looked at Laila and said, "Wait..Don't tell me..it was Jake?!" Laila nodded and touched the tip of her nose, letting her friend know she had guessed right using the signs of the game charades.