At First Sight - Nicholas Sparks [80]
She laughed again. “And dimple.”
“Right. Don’t let me forget that.”
She reached for his hand. “What about tomorrow? Are you excited?”
“I can’t wait. I mean, the first sonogram was exciting, but this one . . . well, now we’ll really get to see her.”
“I’m glad you’re going.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it. Sonograms are the best part about all this. I hope they print me a picture so I can show it off while bragging to my buddies.”
“What buddies?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Jed? Man, he just won’t leave me alone, calling all the time, talking my ear off, going on and on.”
“I think the heat’s getting to you. Last I heard, Jed still hasn’t said a word to you.”
“Oh, that’s right. But it doesn’t matter. I still want a picture for me, so I can see how beautiful she is.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you’re sure it’s a girl now, too?”
“I think you’ve convinced me.”
“What does that say about Doris?”
“It says that in a fifty-fifty proposition, she picked correctly. As would fifty percent of the population.”
“Still a nonbeliever, huh?”
“I prefer the word skeptic.”
“My dream man.”
“That’s right.” Jeremy nodded. “Just keep telling yourself that, so I don’t have to prove it.”
Lexie shifted in the chair, suddenly uncomfortable. She winced before settling back into place. “What do you think about Rodney and Rachel getting married?”
“I’m in favor of marriage. I think it’s a fine institution.”
“You know what I mean. Do you think they’re rushing into it?”
“Who are we to ask that question? I proposed after a few weeks; he’s known her since he was a little kid. I’d say they should be asking that about us, not the other way around.”
“I’m sure they still are, but that’s not the point. . . .”
“Wait,” Jeremy said, “you think they’re talking about us?”
“I’m sure they are. Lots of people talk about us.”
“Really?”
“Duh,” Lexie said, as if the answer were obvious. “It’s a small town. That’s what we do here. We sit around and talk about other people. We find out what’s going on in their lives, share what we think, debate whether other folks are right or wrong, and solve their problems if we have to in the privacy of our own home. Of course, no one would ever admit to it, but we all do it. It’s pretty much a way of life.”
Jeremy considered what she was saying. “Do you think people are talking about us right now?”
“Absolutely.” She shrugged. “Some are probably saying we got married because I was pregnant, others are saying you’ll never last in this town, still others wonder how we could afford the house and surmise that we’re probably in debt up to our eyeballs, unlike their frugal selves. Oh, they’re talking all right and probably having a grand old time, too.”
“This doesn’t bother you?”
“Of course not,” she said. “Why should I care? They wouldn’t think of telling us they did, and they’ll be nice as punch the next time we see them, so we’ll never know. And besides, we’re doing it, too. Which brings me back to Rodney and Rachel. Don’t you think they’re rushing it just a bit?”
In bed that night, Jeremy and Lexie were both reading. Jeremy had finally gotten to Sports Illustrated and was in the middle of a story on female volleyball players when Lexie set aside her book.
“Do you ever think about the future?” she asked.
“Sure,” Jeremy answered, lowering the magazine. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“What do you think it’s going to be like?”
“For us? Or for the world?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I,” Jeremy answered. “It’s a different question entirely, one that opens up all sorts of different subjects. We could talk about global warming, or the lack thereof, in regard to the fate of mankind. Or whether or not God truly exists, and how people are judged when it comes to being admitted to heaven, which renders life on earth somewhat meaningless. You could be referring to the economy and how it will affect our own future, or even politics and how the next president might be the one who leads us to doom or