Finding Out

Today is Eaglet's birthday.  I wrote this back in August of 2012, but never published it.  I'm publishing it now to say: Happy Birthday, littlest nephew.

***

It is a little after noon, and I have just hobbled through the door into the kitchen when I think I feel the vibration of my phone- I pull it out of my purse and sure enough, David is calling me.

"Heeeey little brother!" I say, giving it that certain inflection I picked up from a hospital sitcom.  I am pleased to hear from him, especially after the bitter disappointment of not being able to see him over the weekend.  For two people who live in the same state, we sure don't see one another as often as I'd hoped we would.

"Hey!" he says, and he's got that tone that says he didn't really expect me to pick up, which makes sense when you consider that if it weren't for the doctor's appointment, I'd be at work right now.

He needs some information about some of the details surrounding our grandmother's estate, "But not right now- I'll call you again tonight," and also wants to know some of the decisions we made with our portion of the finances.  I outline it for him, with the caveat,

"Of course, we need easy access because we'll be dropping down to one income when Nathan goes back to school.  Your situation is different- you'll probably want to put it into long-term investments..."

"Actually, about that," he breaks in.  "Chelsea and I are probably going to go down to one income in the near future, too."

"How come?" I ask, my mind whirling.  Is she giving up her job so she can follow him when he gets stationed elsewhere?

"Well," and for some reason his voice sounds like the deep silence before a water droplet hits, "We're going to have a baby,"

"Oh my god!" I shriek, and immediately I am crying.  Happy, happy tears, because "Oh my god!" I shriek again.  "I'm so happy right now!  I'm so happy!  Oh my god congratulations!"  And then I am a shriek-y broken record for a while, and my brother is laughing and possibly half deaf, and I am full full full of all the light and happiness and joy in the world, rising up from my depths and spilling out through my every pore and especially through my tear ducts.  A baby!  My brother is having a baby!

Once the happiness settles out of blinding and down into a sort of radiant glow I am able to ask questions- but not as many as I'd like, because suddenly he's got a business call and has to get back to work.  But that's alright, because Nathan and I have to get to the hospital, anyway.