In the morning, Mom came over to watch her grandson quite early. Even though I was in a big hurry, I noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her face.
— “Mom, are you feeling okay? Maybe I should cancel my plans? Sasha’s been fussy. Will you be alright?”
— “Go on, go. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry. I just feel a bit nauseous in the mornings. Probably something with my liver. I should get it checked,” Mom reassured me.
— “Okay, I won’t be long. My husband will be home tomorrow. We’ll leave Sasha with him and go see the doctor together.”
My son is two years old. He’s very energetic. And my mom is still quite young, only forty-seven. They’ll manage for a couple of hours.
The next day, we went to the clinic. Mom had a full check-up. We sat in the hallway waiting for the preliminary results. The doctor came out.
— “Congratulations, Marina Sergeyevna,” he said to my mom. “You’re pregnant. Twenty weeks along. Why didn’t you come to us earlier? At your age, it’s important to monitor your health more closely.”
— “P-p-p-pregnant?” Mom stuttered in shock and burst into tears.
— “It’s nothing to worry about,” the doctor comforted her. “You’re still young and healthy. Everything will be fine. You’re having a beautiful little girl. The nurse will bring the ultrasound image shortly.”
To say we were shocked would be an understatement. We left the clinic in silence and sat on a bench. We sat quietly for a long time.
— “Did you have any idea?” I asked her.
She shook her head.
— “I went to the doctor about six months ago. She told me I was starting menopause. She mentioned dizziness and that I might start feeling unwell. I thought this was just part of it. How could I be pregnant?”
— “Do I need to explain to you how babies are made?” I laughed. “Should we call Dad? He’s going to go from grandpa to dad. Honestly, Mom, I’m really happy. Congratulations. I’ve always wanted a sister.”
Mom blushed and held her cheeks.
— “It’s embarrassing. What will people say? Having a baby at my age,” she moaned.
— “Who cares what they say? Let them try having kids themselves first. They’ll gossip and then move on.”
— “Come with me. I’m scared to tell your father alone. What if he gets upset or something happens? At least you’ll be there.”
Dad’s reaction was… unique. He stared at us with wide eyes for about five minutes. He probably thought we were joking. Then, with a yell like a Comanche war cry, he bolted out of the house. We looked at each other.
— “Did he just run away?” Mom asked in fear. “Where’s he going?”
— “To throw himself in the river,” I joked poorly.
Mom screamed, jumped up, and ran to the door, then out into the stairwell. I followed. Somewhere between the first and second floors, we ran into Dad. In one hand, he had a huge bouquet of flowers, in the other — a bottle of champagne. Right there in the stairwell, he handed the flowers to Mom.
— “Marinochka, I love you. You’re the most wonderful woman in the world. Thank you so much,” he said grandly. “This is the happiest day of my life.”
— “And what about me?” I asked.
— “Second happiest day,” Dad corrected himself.
— “Wait, so there’s someone who isn’t the most wonderful?” Mom was confused. “And I’ve only given you two happy days? What about the rest?”
— “Don’t confuse me. I’ll confuse myself. I just meant to say I’m really happy.”
— “Alright, Cicero, let’s go home. We’re going to alarm the neighbors,” Mom said.
We all laughed.
All evening, Dad was fussing over Mom, adjusting her pillows, making dinner, insistently trying to feed her. Mom couldn’t take it anymore.
— “I’m pregnant, not dying. Stop hovering. Save your energy for the baby,” she pleaded. “Let me rest a bit.”
That evening, I told my husband everything. He laughed.
— “Way to go, mother-in-law! Sasha, you’re going to have an aunt soon. You’ll have to teach and protect her.”
Sasha, of course, didn’t understand a thing, but clapped his hands happily.
The pregnancy was difficult. Mom had to be hospitalized three times. We were all very worried about her and the baby girl. But everything turned out well. Right on time, a beautiful, healthy baby girl was born. It was my turn to help Mom with the baby.
We gave her a pink stroller. When I walked with my sister and son, people often asked Sasha:
— “Are you out with your little sister? Helping Mom?”
— “No!” my son replied proudly. “With my aunt. Grandma gave her to us!”
