Our friends visited all the time, as did Lenore, my mom and dad, and Howie. I was grateful for all the help, not that Alice was exactly sick or anything. She was just bored, and sometimes she’d get really clingy and want me to hold her. Other times, she asked me to run to the store in the middle of the night for ice cream or something weird. 

Her eating continued. At first I was happy about it, knowing she needed to eat more for the baby’s sake. But after two months bed rest and our fifth appointment at Dr. Wilson’s office since the flu struck, I was getting worried. So was the doctor, apparently. “She’s gained a bit more weight than we’d like to see. Has she been taking her walks?”

“Yeah, at least half an hour every day,” I replied. I made sure of that, but judging from the doctor’s expression it just wasn’t enough. Not that I wasn’t aware of that already. Dr. Wilson sighed and said that we’d better get her into the nutritionist the next day.

That night, after I’d put Kallie to bed and was spooning Alice, she asked me, “Do you think I’m hideous?”

“What? How can you ask me that?” I asked, completely serious.

“Because I’m fat. The doctor said I’ve put on way too much weight. I just thought maybe that’s why you don’t touch me anymore…”

“Alice, she didn’t say way too much, she said a little more than they’d like to see…and anyway, no. I just haven’t because I didn’t want to hurt anything with you or the baby or…” I stopped and shrugged. 

She put my hand on her protruding stomach and slowly moved it lower. “You won’t hurt anything…” she assured me. I was nervous, but decided to take her at her word. I’d heard about the pregnancy horny hormones, and they certainly seemed to be kicking in for her that night. And maybe a little for me, too.

After seeing the nutritionist, Alice was very good about her diet. She followed the meal plan exactly and even went down a size in maternity clothes, which she was elated about. She was also able to enjoy her walks a little more, and I think that throughout her pregnancy she wound up getting a little closer to everyone, Kallie especially.