An anxious three days.

I didn't think of Deborah that weekend until Monday rolled around. Neither her or Sam had yet mentioned where or when I would meet up with Deb. I kept checking my phone throughout the day at work if either of them sent me an email, text message, or voice message. Nothing! So I decided to subtly mention to my wife when I picked her up after work.

When I pulled up to Sam's office she was already waiting for me. I put on the parking brakes and ran around the car to open the door and helped her in -- it was a Jeep Wrangler and she was six months pregnant.

"How's your day, sweetie?" I asked after getting back into the car and giving her a quick kiss.

"Less stressful now that I dumped some of work on Michelle," Sam smiled.

"Isn't that your boss?" I asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "She's also a mother of four so she knows firsthand what I'm going through. She said it gets easier with each birth."

"Well, let's just survive this first baby before we think of having another!" I joked.

She didn't laugh. "We are having more, right?"

"Of course, honey!" I smiled to reassure her. "We talked about having two point six kids, a dog, and a big house with white picket fences!"

"Two point six rounds up to three," she stated.

"Three boys?"

"Two girls and a boy."

"We still don't know what this little one is yet," I noted, reaching over to pat her tummy.

"I think it'll be a girl," my wife smiled, cradling her belly.

"You know it'll be much easier for us to pick the name of the baby and the color of his..."

"...or her," she corrected.

"...or her," I continued, "room if we just ask the next time we go in for an ultrasound."

"No, this is our first child," Sam frowned, "and I want it to experience the surprise of finding out if it's a boy or a girl when the baby is born."

I had learned years ago that there was no point arguing with a wife who's a fiery redhead and now pregnant with hormonal mood swings. At least I get the consolation prize of having sex with her friends to try to impregnate them.

"Have you spoken to Deb yet?" I asked, trying to change the subject in hopes that Sam would calm down.

"Not yet," she answered bluntly.

Yeah, she was still upset. I blame the hormones. I decided to wait to ask again the next day after work.

I didn't feel any less anxious at work on Tuesday since I kept checking my phone for messages from either Deborah or my wife. I decided to ask Sam again when I picked her up from work. Arriving a bit early at the front of her office building, I waited with the passenger side door open for her when she finally appeared flustered.

"How's your day, sweetie?" I asked, giving her a kiss before helping her in.

"So so," she huffed while adjusting herself in her seat.

"Oh?" I asked when I got in.

She proceeded to tell me about the contract she was working on was almost lost because the client complained about a minor issue and she had to scramble her team to get to project to the client's new specs. I normally would zone out when she rants about work but I actually sympathized with picky clients and I wanted to make sure she was in a better mood before I asked about Deborah again.

"Well, aren't you glad you'll be on maternity leave in three months?"

"With only twelve weeks leave," she grumbled. "Luckily my company pays a bit for maternity leave." She then complained about the stress of finding a nanny to take care of the baby after her maternity leave is over. I wanted to joke about getting a hot, young nanny but I knew she would not have any of that in her current mood so I bit my tongue and nodded to whatever she said. I didn't bother bringing up about Deborah that night either.

Wednesday rolled around and my anxiety was relaxed when I got a text from Sam at lunchtime.

Sam: r u busy?

Me: Nope. I was just about to go to lunch with my co-workers.

Sam: I talked 2 deb

Me: Oh? About me meeting her today?

Sam: yes

Me: When?