Intervention

Holly and I met up for a good, old fashioned girl date today filled with Panera, thrifting and a heart to heart.  I could eat Panera daily, really.  There is something so delicious and appealing about everything they have to offer.  Panera is also the one "fast" food place I've been to that has never messed up my order (ugh, don't get me started on my last McD's visit - I waited 14 minutes for my chicken wrap and when I received it finally, it was the wrong wrap.  Not gonna lie, I cried. Damn hormones!).  I crave Panera's hibiscus iced tea.  I don't know exactly how they make it, Google has failed me.  But damn, it's delicious.  I've gone to Panera on my short lunch break three times this week just to get a hibiscus iced tea.

Holly and I sat in a small booth, people watching while we chatted over our meals.  I had noticed a mid-twenties guy wearing headphones while he worked on his laptop.  I'd seen him there before, always sitting alone and working.  I wondered if he was a writer or a student.  I was watching him from the corner of my eye when I noticed a well-dressed blonde woman approach him, carrying a small baby in a carrier.  I smiled broadly, admiring the baby from afar.  I assumed it to be his wife or girlfriend.  Without a word, she set the baby carrier down on his table, effectively taking up half the space, which I found quite odd.

I returned my focus to Holly, letting her vent about how run down she had become while working two jobs.  Loud laughter caught my attention and I looked up to see the blonde sitting at a large table with similarly well-groomed women.  They were talking and laughing quite loudly amongst themselves.  The mom's back was turned to her infant baby still perched atop the young guy's table.  He had a look of horror and shock on his face.  I nudged Holly under the table and whispered to her to take a look.

In hushed tones, I repeated what I'd seen: the blonde woman had set her baby down on this guy's table and was then joined by her girlfriends.  She hadn't spared a second glance at her kid and it soon became obvious that the guy didn't even know her!

Holly and I watched to see if the lady would turn around for her kid and she never did.  Seeing that poor, tiny baby left on a stranger's table just infuriated me.  I felt sorry for the young guy who looked downright repulsed by the baby and the woman's behavior but he hadn't said a word.  I can't even imagine what was going through his mind.  I was furious at the woman for ditching her baby like that.  From the looks of it, the baby couldn't be more than 6 weeks old.  And here was the mother, setting her baby down like a burdensome shopping bag.  What if that guy had been some sort of deranged person or baby kidnapper?

I spoke in hushed tones to Holly, whispering fiercely that this woman had a lot of balls and a lack of brain activity.  Smoothing my clothes and plastering on a saccharine smile, I sauntered over to where they sat.

I made eye contact with the guy (who was actually quite adorable, now that I was seeing him up close) and smiled sweetly.

"What a lovely baby you have!  What's his name?" I cooed, wondering if the mother would notice

He stammered, "Uh, it's actually not mine." He gestured towards the lady who was still absorbed in catching up with friends.

"Not your baby?  Then why is he on your table?" I asked loudly.

Finally, I had the blonde's attention.  She turned sharply and looked me up and down, wrinkling her nose.

"Is there a problem?" she snapped.

"Actually, there is.  Just what the hell are you thinking setting your baby on a stranger's table?  Are you that self-absorbed?"

She gaped at me, mouth opening and closing without a word.  I heard snickers from her friends as they stared pointedly at the situation.

"That's none of your business."

"You're right, lady, it's not.  But you should seriously take better care of your kid.  What if someone just grabbed his carrier and walked out the door?  Would you even notice?" I crossed my arms, refusing to break eye contact.

The woman looked suddenly ashamed and alarmed.  Without so much as a mumbled sorry, she gathered up her kid and returned to her friends.

"Uh, thanks for that." The guy spoke meekly, running a hand through his hair.

I smiled, told him it was my pleasure and returned to Holly.  We cleaned up our table, I refilled my tea and we headed out the door.

"Oh my, god, I can't believe this is real life right now!" Holly choked out through laughter. "You're gonna be an awesome mama."

I smiled at her, thankful she didn't think I had acted like a crazy person.  I've always hated seeing bad parenting go on but I'd never butted in before.  I know it isn't my place to tell someone how to raise or care for their child, but that lady's behavior needed to be called out.

After our interesting lunch date, Holly and I visited a few thrift stores.  I'm proud to say I found a perfect vanity and nightstand for my room.  Hopefully on my next visit, I score a great coffee table and a tiny dresser for the baby's room.


********

Well, it's official.  I now have to wear maternity clothes.  I found a few great items at Old Navy that were affordable and flattering.  Luckily, I still have a lot of my normal clothes that I can still wear, but I won't be able to for long.

I busied myself around the kitchen after my girl date with Holly.  I'd invited Kate, Holly, Dale and Rob for dinner so Eric could meet and get to know my closest friends.  I was nervous, hoping they all approved. I highly value their opinions on basically everything.  Plus, after my talk with Eric last week and his apparent insecurity over my friendship with Rob, I wanted to have more people around as a buffer.  I thought it would be awkward just to have Rob and Eric over.  I didn't want anyone feeling left out or like a third wheel.

I had already made a large pitcher of iced tea and went about preparing everything.  I'd polled my friends and everyone had agreed on taco night.  Kate was bringing her delicious guacamole and Rob had offered to bring over some beer for everyone who might want some.  I had a crock pot filled with Ro-Tel and a few bags of chips for everyone.  Rob had brought over a long folding table so I could set things out buffet style.  I'd prepared shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and some salsa.  I had tortillas warming in the oven and the seasoned beef simmering on the stove.

Kate was the first to arrive, guacamole in hand.  She helped me set up while we waited for everyone else to arrive.  Dale had texted that he would be late and not to wait on him to start eating.  Rob knocked a few minutes later, looking relaxed in a Foo Fighters band tee and dark jeans.  His style always seemed effortless, even when it was just a tshirt and jeans.  Holly and Eric arrived about one minute apart.

I introduced Eric to everyone.  He'd met Kate briefly but he had yet to meet Rob and Holly.  He shook Rob's hand firmly and gave him a tight-lipped smile, sizing him up.  Rob looked amused, but when doesn't Rob look amused?  Eric's greeting to Holly was a lot warmer and he said how great it was to finally meet her after hearing so much about her.  Holly flushed and looked flattered.

Knowing Dale would be late, I announced to everyone that food was ready when they are.  I smiled proudly as everybody filled their plates and prepared their soft tacos.  Conversation was light and good-natured.  Eric seemed a bit more relaxed now, which helped me relax.  I desperately wanted Eric and my friends to get along and enjoy each other.

After dinner, I set aside a plate for Dale and quickly put everything away with some help from Kate.  I listened happily as Eric and Rob chatted with each other, seeming to get along.

I took a seat on the couch, closest to Eric.  He placed his hand on my knee, where it remained for most of the night.  Since I'd only recently moved in, I didn't have much in the form of entertainment.  Holly, game night goddess that she is, had brought over a few games including Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit and Cranium.  Dale had finally arrived and chowed down his food when we all decided to play Cranium.  To make things fair when it came to teams, I wrote down primary and secondary colors and dropped them into a cup.  You were partnered up with your complementary color (red/green, blue/orange, purple/yellow) based on who drew what.

I couldn't help but notice Eric's scowl when I ended up being paired with Rob.  The game was fun and everyone appeared to be having a good time.  I'm happy to say that Rob and I won (I'm competitive when it comes to board games!).

The rest of the night was uneventful, really.  It was a short get-together,, being a weeknight.  I was just thrilled to see Eric getting along with my friends.  Holly had whispered her approval before leaving and shot me a wink.  Soon, everyone had left but Eric.

His mood had changed once everyone left.  Eric had been pleasant and talkative with everyone, seemingly enjoying himself.  Now that we were alone, his face had turned sullen.

Looking into my eyes, he sighed and grasped my hand.

"I don't like the way he looks at you."