Working: Oceans Away
an excerpt

“No, seriously, Mitch – I’m done. I can’t do this any more. Therapy hasn’t helped – he missed over half the appointments. Nothing is going to work. I’ve seriously tried everything. It’s over. I’m done. I’m REALLY glad to be here with you guys, though. I haven’t talked to anyone yet.
“Anna, did you already tell him?” Erin asked, her freshly-waxed eyebrows lifted into an inquisitive arc.
“Um…yeah. I did. Like, about a half hour ago. On the phone.”
“Oh, wow,” Erin responded, solemnly. “I’m so sorry, Anna. I mean, I know you’ll be happier in the long run, but I’m so sorry you’re going to have to go through this right now. That just sucks big time.”
“It’s okay, Erin, really. You know, I don’t even feel guilty for telling him I want a divorce over the phone. It’s like, he deserved that, you know? After so not being there for me for so many years? Screw him. I’m so over it. I really feel like for the last few years, I’ve been falling out of love. Well, honestly, like starting to loathe him, really.”
“So,” Anna chirped, changing the subject, “what’re you ordering for dinner?”
Erin and Mitch exchanged glances and turned their attention to their menus.

**********

Drake mentioned how great the bread and olive oil was, and everyone agreed. So far the night seemed to be going really well. Erin couldn’t figure out why Anna wasn’t head over heels for Drake, and she kept feeling surprised when she would remember Anna’s pregnancy and the fact that Drake had no idea. She wondered how he would react. She wondered if he wanted a family, and what his own upbringing had been like. These are things that she hadn’t thought to ask Anna, but that she was wondering about now. She had so much to talk to Anna about, now that they had met Drake and more or less formed that “first impression” opinion of him. It could definitely be worse, that’s for sure.
“So, guess what.” Anna started.
Erin froze, eyes wide, knowing what Anna was about to say.
Anna turned to Drake. “I’m pregnant.”
The color drained out of Drake’s face. Mitch looked from Anna to Erin and then back to Drake.
“Only Anna would do this,” thought Erin. She knew Mitch was thinking the same thing. Poor Drake probably didn’t know her quite well enough to know that about her.
“Um…excuse me?” he said.
“Yeah. Pregnant. So, I thought we could talk about how you feel about families and that kind of thing.”
Drake looked pleadingly at Mitch.
“Dude, I don’t know what to tell you. This is how she is.” Mitch held up his hands in an empathetic shrug.
“Are you kidding me?” he asked, not sure if what was going on was a set up or not.
“Drake,” Erin started, “I’m sorry about this. Anna kind of has mental Tourette’s. If she’s got something on her mind, it really doesn’t matter where or when – she can’t hold it for long and it’s going to bust out. I have to assume this is kind of how the recent divorce proclamation went with John.”
“But don’t worry about us,” Mitch added. “We’re like family. So it’s not so weird for us. We’re used to it. Well, I mean, the abruptness. Maybe not so much the news part.”
Erin thought Drake looked slightly relieved, maybe because he realized he wasn’t the butt of some cruel joke.
“Well, I like families, and had planned on having one, when I found the right person.” He reached over and took Anna’s hand. “How do YOU feel about families?” he asked her.
“She let him hold her hand, but leaned back in her chair. “Ever since I was little,” she started, “I wanted the white picket fence, the Golden Retriever, and the three point two kids.”
Mitch and Erin exchanged glances, starting to feel very uncomfortable for poor Drake. Mitch reached under the table and held Erin’s hand on her lap.
“But this is so sudden, and I’m not sure what I should do. This isn’t the order things were supposed to happen in, and I have no idea if you really like me or not. Like me enough for something like this, anyway. This rest of your life crap.”
Drake looked perplexed, and turned his chair so that he could face Anna more.
“Anna. Haven’t we been together non-stop for about the last six months?”
Erin and Mitch furtively exchanged surprised glances. They had thought it was more like a couple.
Anna looked down at her little plate that had olive oil with pepper in it, and copious breadcrumbs. She picked up a larger crumb and put it in her mouth. “Yes.” She said quietly.
“Okay, so in this time we’ve spent having a crash course on getting to know each other, do you think that I’m the kind of guy that would leave because of something like this?”
“No…but…” Anna hesitated. “What if I don’t want to be with you?”
Erin and Mitch both caught their breath. Each wished they could disappear.