Claire groaned. 11:31 P.M. What she thought was hours of sleep was maybe 20 minutes. And worst of all, she still felt a sick gurgling in her stomach that didn't feel like it was letting up any time soon. Clair put her head back on the pillow and sighed, closing her eyes and lying still. A few deep breaths and Claire tried to relax, focusing on drifting off to sleep. Trying to get her mind off of that bizarre dream where she had an impossibly huge pregnant belly, not to mention the belly her kids both had.
It was no good. Claire couldn't get comfortable, but at least she was close to resting. How much time had passed? 11:36.
"Damn," Claire groaned, rolling out of bed and stretching out, slipping on some warm sweatpants and a thicker shirt, as well as a robe. There were only a few times in her life that Claire remembered feeling so restless and fraught with insomnia (the only moments that came to mind for her were during her last three pregnancies) and knew what she did back then: talk to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Dawson had been the Perkins' family neighbor ever since they moved in together and she had become one of Claire's closest friends. They talked all the time and whenever Claire was having a tough time, Elizabeth always seemed to be able to help her out. After putting on a pair of slippers, Claire creeped out the house and over to Elizabeth's, knocking quietly on the door. The lights were all of and Claire figured her friend had already gone to sleep. Maybe she should have called or texted her first. Just as Claire turned around, the door creaked and opened, Elizabeth's smiling face peeking out.
"Can't sleep either, Claire?"
Claire smiled and shook her head. "Not quite. Mind if I come in?" Elizabeth smiled and welcomed her friend inside. They were both roughly the same age. Elizabeth had dark Latin skin and short, straight black hair with dazzling brown eyes. They both sat down at Elizabeth's kitchen table. Just before Claire started to talk to her friend, she saw a familiar package on the countertop. "Say...isn't that..."
"Xpect Energy Drink?" Elizabeth said with a smile, rolling her eyes. "I know. Roy saw it online and wanted to try it and insisted we all do the same."
"Brad too," Claire chuckled. "Nasty stuff, isn't it?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I've been throwing up ever since I drank it. Well, I suppose it's slowed down now, but I still feel lousy. Still, I'm managing."
Elizabeth had four children, two sets of twins. Her oldest two, Monica and Christine, were 20 and were tall, gorgeous girls with long flowing hair who spent half the day playing video games and watching movies and the other half jogging and socializing.
Her other pair, Roy and Veronica, were fraternal 18-year-old twins. Roy was planning to go to college in business and was obsessed with weird foods and drinks, sometimes out of a belief that they'd have some big health boost, and other times out of pure curiosity. Veronica, on the other hand, was a complete music nerd who was content to just eat junk and did so with great gusto. Elizabeth warned them both that their metabolism would catch up with them eventually and they'd come to regret their strange eating habits, but for now, both were stunningly attractive.
"Any idea why you can't sleep?" Elizabeth said, putting her hands on the table and smiling compassionately.
"Must be this nausea, like you said," Claire said, Elizabeth's glance not letting up.
"Sure it's not anything else?"
"Elizabeth, it's perfectly reasonable to have insomnia not be caused by some emotional distress," Claire sighed. "When I was pregnant, I couldn't sleep either. You didn't think there was some issue back then."
"No, as I recall, with Brad you were scared about being a first-time mother, with Brittany you were worried about the challenges of raising a girl, and with Bella, you were also going through your own mother's death." Elizabeth reached her hand over. "It's okay, if you want to talk about something else, it's fine."
Claire sighed again. "What is this power you have over me...maybe I've been feeling...old."
"Okay, see? Now that's something we can talk about," Elizabeth smiled. "We're the same age. Do you think of me as old?"
"No," Claire said quietly. "But you're...look at you. You go out and do exciting things and for heaven's sake Elizabeth: you still look like you're in your 20s."
Elizabeth chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Even so, I still feel old sometimes Claire. And one day, we're not just going to think we're getting older. We really are going to be old." She took Claire's hand in hers. "And that's okay."
"I know, I just...it's hard."
"I know it's hard," Elizabeth said. "But you're old because you've lived a long life. Is there anything about your life you're not happy about?"
Claire shook her head. "No, you're right. I've got three amazing children. Well...maybe I'd wish for a husband who was around more." Claire blushed and turned to Elizabeth quickly. "Sorry, I didn't-"
"It's okay," Elizabeth said with a small smile. While Elizabeth was pregnant with Roy and Veronica, her husband Charles Dawson divorced her and ran off with his secretary. Elizabeth made enough from her own job, plus the payments Charles made, to support raising four kids, but she hadn't remarried since. "But, I hope I've made my point. We've had great lives and they're hardly over now. We can both still do all kinds of things. Besides, you wouldn't really want to relive your youth again, would you? Especially the three pregnancies."
"No, I'm glad those are behind me," Claire chuckled. "Well that's not quite true. I miss being pregnant, but I wouldn't want to be pregnant again. Especially at this age."
"I know what you mean," Elizabeth laughed. "And going off of my last two, if I got pregnant again, I'd end up with two boys who are just as odd as Roy. Maybe even more than two."
Claire shuddered with a smile. "Pregnant with triplets. I can't even imagine it." The two shared a laugh and Claire sighed with a smile. "Well, thank you, Elizabeth. You always make me feel better."
The clock struck midnight and both groaned softly, feeling their stomachs. "I feel better too," Elizabeth grinned. "You know...I don't feel nauseous anymore."
"Me either," Claire said, feeling her belly cautiously. "Well, I'd better try and get some sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow?"
"Of course," Elizabeth said, the two getting up and hugging. "Good night, Claire."
"Good night, Elizabeth," Claire said, walking back to her house.
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