Lullaby and Goodnight Read Online Free PDF Page B

Peyton would have been inappropriately tempted to ask her for a bite. But overnight, she seems to have developed an aversion to the candy bars she devoured by the handful.
    Chocolate, coffee, seafood, spaghetti . . .
    Her list of aversions is as endless as her list of current cravings. There are sleepless nights when she willingly ventures out into the cold for butter pecan ice cream, canned peaches, bologna and Wonder Bread and yellow mustard.
    Watermelon, Peyton decides now, stealing another glance at the stranger. I could really go for some watermelon.
    â€œHi,” the newcomer says, coming to a breathless stop before the elevator.
    â€œHi.”
    The woman clenches the chocolate bar between her teeth as she removes her gloves. A glance at the bare fourth finger of her left hand is all the encouragement Peyton needs to inquire, “Are you going up to the pregnant singles meeting?”
    â€œHow’d you guess?” the woman asks with an easy laugh as the elevator reaches the ground floor at last. She finishes her chocolate bar in a single bite. “You’re going, too?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œFirst trimester?”
    â€œYes,” Peyton says again, as they step into the elevator together.
    â€œI’m Allison Garcia.”
    â€œPeyton Somerset.”
    â€œNice to meet you. I’d shake your hand but I’ve got melted chocolate on my fingers.” She pops them into her mouth and licks them.
    Peyton turns queasily away. Even the smell is getting to her.
    The elevator lurches and starts to climb.
    â€œWhen are you due, Peyton?”
    â€œOctober.” She adds politely, though the answer is obvious, “How about you?”
    â€œJune.”
    â€œ June? ” Peyton echoes in disbelief, her jaw falling open. Realizing how rude that is, she forces it closed and averts her gaze from the woman’s giant belly. Judging by that, she’d have guessed labor was imminent.
    Allison laughs, saying in a Latina-tinged New York accent that’s thicker than her waistline, “It’s my third. I swear, I was showing before the sperm made contact.”
    Full of questions, Peyton is too polite to voice any of them. At least, not yet. Maybe when she gets to know Allison better. . .
    If she gets to know her better. She isn’t entirely convinced this support group thing is up her alley. Sharing the details of her private life with a bunch of strangers is about as appealing as . . .
    Well, as going through pregnancy and childbirth all alone.
    But Nancy was pretty adamant about her joining this group. The nurse has a no-nonsense attitude that’s part maternal, part drill sergeant, as Dr. Lombardo laughingly likes to say. She takes a vested interest in all his patients, but especially the single ones.
    Peyton is grateful for the support, but—
    â€œSo how’d you get pregnant?” Allison asks abruptly.
    Aware that her eyebrows have collided with her bangs, Peyton fumbles for an answer that’s less direct than the bold question itself. Realizing there isn’t one, she shrugs and admits, “Artificial insemination.”
    â€œDonor sperm?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œSame here. My mother thinks I’m crazy to get pregnant by a total stranger, but I told her that if I knew a decent guy well enough to ask him for his sperm, I’d be sleeping with him in the first place, know what I mean? Of course, she nearly had a heart attack when I said that, and she told me to go to confession.”
    Peyton can’t help laughing. There’s something appealing about Allison’s direct approach.
    Maybe if she knew her better, she’d tell her what Beth Somerset said when Peyton called to announce her pregnancy.
    Now that you’re ready to settle down and raise a family, you’ll be able to find a nice man and get married.
    Yeah. Sure. As if the streets of Manhattan are just teeming with nice men seeking pregnant single women.
    On the third