Preggo at the Party, Pt. III: New Friends
Jenny here. Mark, who recently became my husband (!!!), wrote about my last pregnancy; I'm taking over for this little adventure. Two years after I gave birth for the first time, both Mark and myself were finally done with college. So, I stopped my birth control and was knocked up about a month later. Mark and I are, of course, absolutely thrilled to be experiencing another pregnancy together. I'm about 8 months along; Mark and I got married 6 months ago (before I was showing), not wanting to ruffle any of the feathers of the more conservative members of our families. More importantly than any of that, I'm currently very gigantic and very horny; Mark and I are absolutely in heaven, fucking many times each day.
Nostalgically remembering my first pregnancy, we decided to attend a little year-end reunion party the sorority sisters were throwing where I once lived and where I first met my now-husband. I hadn't seen any of the sisters in nearly 3 years; they hadn't been the most supportive friends when I'd been a pregnant college student, but enough time had passed now that I thought I'd be able to make nice with everyone.
Conspicuous by design, I wear a short, tight floral bodycon dress; my sizable bump is no longer something I care to hide around these folks. Mark and I show up around 9 and find a packed house: standing room only, to put it conservatively. I'm much too pregnant for such close quarters, my bump seeming to whack into any- and everyone even marginally close to me. Making our way around the place, I spot a small cluster of ladies from my time here and Mark finds the corner of the living room where the few men present have congregated. We separate and each go to join these groups to which we most closely belong.
The group of four women I join all lived here with me when I was a knocked-up student, and all contributed to my alienation and shame. I want to let bygones be bygones, though, and just have a friendly chat. The first thing out of one of these bitches mouths when I approach? "Still pregnant, Jenny?" They all laugh and I feel my cheeks turning red. I'm still not welcome here, it seems. I never told my sorority sisters how they made me feel during my first pregnancy and I resolve to give them a piece of my mind right now, on my way out of the party. I decide to keep it nice and simple.
"You're a bunch of cunts," I inform them calmly, then turn away to find Mark and get the fuck out of there. Before I find him, I notice a young woman in a sweatshirt sitting on her own on a loveseat in a relatively quiet corner of the TV room. Her hands are in her front pockets, shape indistinct due to fabric and posture positioning; I make her as a preggo right away, even without seeing the telltale bump. Having been in her exact situation myself (including on the night I met Mark!), I'm pretty much required to go talk to her.
I approach with my substantial bump purposefully pushed out as far as it'll go, left hand on my back and right hand rubbing my belly: about as conspicuous a pregnant shape and attitude as I can possibly muster, I figure. "Hi!" I greet her from a few feet away. "May I take a seat?" She nods, and I sit just a few inches to her right. "The baby won't let me stand for more than a few minutes at this point. I'm Jenny, by the way."
I extend my hand, she extends hers: "Nice to meet you; I'm Katie." Introduction accomplished, and even with just the one hand leaving her sweatshirt pocket I can see the fabric stretch over what looks very much like a nicely rounded belly. I still don't want to come right out and ask about her pregnancy though, even with it borderline-confirmed now. I'll have to lead her there via my own story.
"You know, a few years ago, the last time I was in this house, I was close to as pregnant as I am now. And still in school! It was a pretty tough time, but it's nice to be here again now. Some complicated memories come with it, some simpler good ones." She remains quiet and I decide to go forward more directly: I might make her a bit uncomfortable in the moment, but hopefully relate to her helpfully with a bit of conversation. "So...you're also..." I got awkward in my attempt, hopeful that she might finish my thought for me. No such luck: I really had to push forward at this point, right past her uncomfortable facial expression. I speak quietly: "Katie, you're pregnant, right? I used to wear a loose sweatshirt around here, too..."
Finally, she answers in a hushed voice: "Yeah, I am preg...I'm 6 months along this week. I thought the sweatshirt would hide it, but I guess not from someone who's been through this herself, huh?"
I shake my head with a gentle laugh. "No, I suppose it wouldn't work on me. In my experience, though, it did fool people who only saw me in passing. My sisters living with me knew what was going on from morning sickness on, but my sweatshirt was my main source of comfort around just about everyone else. It was a difficult experience, no question. Very lonely. Much easier this time around, with my husband." I smiled, happily rubbing my bump. "Are you with the father?"
She nods, smiling. "Yeah, my boyfriend Brett's over with the guys. We've been together close to 4 years and he's really great, but we're both super nervous and feeling pretty anxious about being parents. Did you end up finishing school?"
Now I nod and smile. "Yes, with the help of the man I married. Not right away, but both of us finished within a few years. I wasn't with the father of my first; it's good that you have that support, someone to go through the whole thing with. My husband and I got together when I was about as far along as you are now, and he was an absolute lifesaver."