Ice, Ice, Babies!

What is My Life?

I sat in the cafeteria with Bethy, trying to enjoy our last meal together before the end of the semester, but I knew that wasn't gonna happen after the phone call I just had with my dad on the way back from my OBGYN appointment.

"Here, got you another pop," she said, setting a glass of Pepsi down on the table.

"Soda," I said.

"Not in Minnesota, it's not." She sat down across from me. "I'm sorry your whole life just got turned upside-down...again."

"What am I gonna do, Bethy? My dad literally promised he wouldn't move until a few months after the babies got here. I can't believe he legit put an offer on a condo and he's gonna move in two months. I'm gonna be completely alone with two babies while Trevor is out on his away games! I knew he was leaving with them but...I thought he'd at least be able to help me get started with them."

"I'm just surprised you don't want to buy the house from him with your mom's life insurance check," she said, taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

"I can't live there. I just can't live in that house anymore with my mom not there; my sisters and my dad not being there either. And it's too big of a house. I don't need that much space to take care of, along with a pool in the backyard to maintain. And it's way too far from here. I'm halfway through my degree. I will finish college, babies or not."

I put my head back down on the sticky table. In one hour, I found out I was having twins, that Trevor loved me, and that my dad was taking my sisters and abandoning me for some stupid gig in New York City.

"So for real, how much is that life insurance check from your mom?" Bethy asked.

I picked up my head, looked left, looked right, and whispered, "A hundred grand."

Bethy started to choke on her potatoes. She covered her mouth with a napkin while she coughed. I gave her a few seconds to compose herself and catch her breath.

"I'm here! I'm here and I have a solution!" Hannah said, rushing to the table and setting down a plate of food. I called her in the car on the way back from my appointment (after I'd gotten off the phone with my dad and finished crying) and told her everything already. "Have you thought about taking the life insurance check and buying a place near here, but getting a temporary roommate? Maybe Bethy could move in with you and save some money on room and board, since you don't want to live with Trevor?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Bethy said, still gasping from the mashed potatoes lodged in her throat. She started sipping her drink. "Your mortgage will be hella low with that bomb ass down payment you have there and...wait, why don't you want to live with Trevor?"

"Because my mom really, really disapproved of couples who lived together before they were married. I know she's not here and everything but...I dunno. I feel like I still just personally don't want to do it."

"But like, you slept with him though?" Bethy asked. Hannah nudged her. "What? That's a legitimate question!"

"He's been great so far, but we've only been together a few months. We're not that serious yet. I don't want to move in with a guy and then if something happens, we break up and we have to deal with who's moving, and who's keeping what, blah blah blah," I said. "If we were together for a few years already, I think it would be different, but I'm still getting to know him. I dunno where we'll be in a few months, even."

"And that's totally valid. It's your life, and that's what you want to do," Hannah said.

"Thanks, Big," I said.

"You're welcome, Little," Hannah said.

"And this way, we can stay roomies!" Bethy said. "Oh, and we'll actually have a stove so I can cook. And I won't have to wear flip flops in the shower!"

We finished eating while talking about houses, and then went back to our room, where instead of studying, Bethy and I were looking at houses on the internet that were within less than an hour drive to our school. I had to put the price filter on so Bethy would stop suggesting the several-million dollar waterfront cabins.

After midnight, Bethy fell asleep, and I crammed for my final that was at eleven the next morning. It was still really hard to focus, but I managed to get through all of the study guides. In my psychology class, I never studied and always got B's on the tests, so there was very minimal pressure. Plus, it was the one class I wasn't in danger of failing. I was sure I'd ace it.

The next morning, that's exactly what I did. I finished my whole final in fifteen minutes because this time I actually cared enough to study. I was the first one who finished, and my professor gave me an approving smile when I handed him my paper.

I left the building and took in a breath of fresh, spring air. My last final was done, and hopefully I'd be passing all my classes. Now all I had to do was find a realestate agent, look at houses, buy one, move in, give birth to two babies, and finish college. Easy. Or at least, I was going to pretend it was.