14. LORAINE
2025 Words
“Okay, see you later at home.”
As these words come out of Mark’s mouth, I don’t need to look at my two friends to know that they haven’t missed a beat and that their brains are running wild.
I clear my throat:
“Yes… yes… see you later.”
I ignore the surprised look of Romy and rush into the street. It’s not that I hid the truth from them, I simply forgot to discuss it with them...
Okay, even in my head, this excuse rings bogus. I intentionally failed to tell them about it. I didn’t want to hide my cohabitation with Mark from them. I suspected that at some point, I would have to be honest, but let’s say that I wanted to give myself a little reprieve. Simply because I knew that just as this information was going to reach their ears, they would show up at home like the curious insatiables that they are.
I take two steps into the square, and Romy is already running after me.
“Hey! Not so fast, my beauty! Don’t you think you owe us an explanation now? What is “see you at home“? I think I missed an episode.
“Not really. Mark has been living with me for a few days, he’s renting Papi Gus’ room while his apartment is repaired.”
The redhead looks at me as if I had just told her that I have proof that the Earth is flat.
“And when did you expect to tell us?”
“I’ve been quite busy these last few days…”
She crosses her arms over her chest.
“Ah, that, I suspect. It must take all your time ogling his behind when he walks around his living room. Oh sorry! Your living room! Not to mention all those tattoos to list. No more time to call girlfriends! That’s nice for us. Isn’t it, Elena?”
We turn to the teacher who, under the light of the street lamps, has a paler complexion than a corpse.
“Elena?”
She closes her eyelids for a moment, takes a deep breath and says:
“Girls, I think I’m going to throw up.”
The next second, we see her sprint towards the nearest planter and empty her stomach there. I walk over to hold her hair. Romy gets her handbag.
“Since she has been running on apple juice all evening, I go with the stomach bug she caught from her students,” sighs Romy.
Indeed, poor Elena doesn’t spend a winter without one of her students sharing some germs with her, when it’s not the lice. We spend a few more minutes like this until the spasms in her stomach subside.
“Do you want us to go back to the bar?” I suggested. “To drink some water?”
She shakes her head. I’m about to offer to escort her home when I notice that she’s crying.
“Hey! It’s not serious. This isn’t the first time that this has happened to you. A few days of rest at home, and it should go by itself.”
This time, she sobs and begins to gasp. We exchange a look with Romy, she too seems lost. Then Elena begins to breathe faster and faster, wheezing.
“Hello! Calm down!” exclaims Romy.
She takes her hands.
“Breathe, here, do like me.”
I don’t understand what’s going on, but it’s not the thought of having caught a virus that would put her in this state. Is there a connection with Jack? I don’t know what he came to tell her earlier, but I got the impression that they had a disagreement. It’s very strange, besides, he didn’t even stay to talk with Romy or me. So, it’s true that he and Elena tend to be a bit closer than the rest of us, but still.
When Elena takes a calmer breath, Romy asks:
“Can you explain to us what this panic attack is due to?”
The teacher’s eyes go from me to Romy before closing. When she finally opens them again, they are bathed in tears.
“Girls, I think I’m pregnant.”
Finding a pregnancy test on a Friday night, almost at midnight, is no easy task. We had to travel a good twenty kilometres to find a pharmacy open. Then, an employee who was a little too zealous (or who was bored in his empty shop) began to explain the differences between the brands offered. Romy cut his presentation short by replying: “Who cares, give us one of each.”
And that’s how we both end up in front of the bathroom door to Elena’s apartment, while she’s inside.
“It said that you have to wait three minutes for the result to appear,” I said, holding the instructions in my hands.
The lock turns and Elena appears. She hasn’t said much since her shocking revelation. And for once, Romy spared her an endless interrogation.
The brunette leans against the wall and lets herself slide to the ground. I imitate her and take her hand.
“Hey, how are you?”
She answers with a shrug. Romy, who has also settled near us, announces:
“You know that whatever this test says and whatever you decide to do next, we’ll be here for you?”
She nods. We are then silent, and I think I’m having the longest, most agonising three minutes of my life.
“It’s time,” announces Romy.
As Elena doesn’t seem to react, she asks:
“You want us to go see the result for you?”
Given the lack of response, we both conclude that it’s the right thing to do. I get up and go into the bathroom with wobbly legs, I admit. What will I find out?
Two blue stripes. According to the instructions, a positive. I can feel my heart beating in my chest. My friend is going to be a mom. The only problem is, I don’t know if this is good news or bad news. We never really talked about it. Well, yes, but more like something that would happen one day, after she had met the man of her life. Now, I don’t know how she’ll react to the news.
I come back to the hallway. Romy is watching me and all we need is a glance for her to understand what I’m going to announce. Elena, meanwhile, seemed absorbed in contemplation of the carpet.
“It might be better if we went to the living room,” suggests Romy.
Elena stands up like a zombie. I tell myself that given my silence, she must have already understood. She drops onto the sofa, I sit next to her.
“Elena, it’s positive,” I announce in a calm voice.
“I suspected it,” she answers.
I don’t know what to add and Romy seems as distraught as I am. I have lots of questions that come to mind, but I’ll not ask them until she’s ready, and this is clearly not the case.
“I’m so stupid,” Elena sobs.
“Hey! Don’t say that!”
I pull her towards me and try to hug her. It’s not really in my habits, but now, I think she needs it. And maybe me too. Romy comes closer and strokes her hair. After having thoroughly wet my sweater, she declares:
“I think you can go home, girls.”
“And leave you like this? Certainly not.”
Elena wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing her already ruined mascara a little more. She’s not crying anymore.
“You want to explain to us how it happened?” Romy asks.
I look at her. Everything in its time!
“It happened because I was an i***t. And that I didn’t pay enough attention. Now I’ll have to bear the consequences on my own.”
“Excuse me if I’m wrong, but from my rare memories of biology lessons, it seems to me that it takes two to conceive a child,” remarks Romy.
To soften the abrupt remarks of our friend a little, I add:
“Well, above all, you know that you can count on us. Whatever you decide, we’ll be here to support you. You’re not alone, Elena.”
“That’s nice,” she sniffs. “I’m not sure the... the father needs to know. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but it’s reassuring to know that I can count on you.”
“Maybe you could tell us a little more? So that we can understand and possibly advise you,” I suggested in a soft voice.
She opens her mouth and looks at each of us.
“We’re not really together, well, not quite as one might think.”
“Is he a married man?” Romy asks with a hint of dread in her voice.
“Not at all. It’s just that it’s fairly recent and… let’s say our relationship doesn’t have a future. So if I tell him I’m pregnant…”
I understand that she’s not clear-headed, but I allow myself to advise her anyway:
“Elena, you can’t decide for him. You owe it to him to tell him.”
She starts to cry again.
“But that’s what is terrible. I want this baby, and I know that if I tell him about it, he’ll take responsibility. But I’m not ready to be the one to ruin his dreams.”
“Okay,” Romy says. “So you’re pregnant with a guy you’re attached to enough to worry about not upsetting his little life, and who you don’t think is a total asshole. Do we have the right to know who it is?”
Elena laughed through her tears.
“The worst part is that you always thought he was gay.”
“Oh my God!” I exclaim. “Is Jack the father of your baby?”
“Jack isn’t gay!” exclaims Romy at the same time.
“No, he’s not at all, as you can see. And he just got the job of his dreams. That’s why he wasn’t here, he had taken time off, because he was having interviews.”
“And why did he show up at the Café de la Place in such a mood?”
“Because I no longer answered his messages.”
Romy asks:
“But then you’re together?”
“I don’t know,” admits Elena. “We didn’t promise each other. Let’s say we spend time together.”
“And count on me to make you feel guilty for not telling us anything,” says Romy. “And you too,” she adds, pointing to me. “But tonight, I will give you a reprieve.”
“My story has nothing to do with this. I’m not dating Mark. We’re housemates. I just didn’t have time to tell you!”
The pair of jaded looks fixing on me tells me my phoney excuse doesn’t take with them.
I go back to the subject of Elena:
“You say he just got the job of his dreams, I assume that it’s not around here if you’re afraid that he has to make a decision.”
“Yes, not exactly.”
“Where is it? In another wine region?” Romy asks.
“Not exactly,” answers Elena.
“In Paris?”
She shakes her head.
“Abroad?” I suggested, already mentally listing the countries where the services of an oenologist would be needed.
Answer: almost all.
“You could say that,” she whispers with a touch of despair in her voice.
“Is it far?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell us where it is?” Romy asks. “Or will we have to list all the countries more than four hours by plane from France?”
She sighs and announces in a weary voice:
“Japan. Jack landed a job at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo.”
- Writer
