ArchivedLogs:Looking Forward

Looking Forward
Dramatis Personae Hanna, Melinda
In Absentia	2014-02-10 Surprise lunch after a surprising e-mail
Location <NYC> - Melinda's Apartment
The apartment is composed of four bedrooms, two baths, a living room and an entry space attached to the kitchen, near the door. That kitchen is covered in tile, from floor to countertop to back splash on the wall, all white, with light, thin blue stems and flowers. The cabinets are newish, with blond wood kept meticulously clean of fingerprints. It is also outfitted with an excellent coffee maker, or two, with all the accoutrement to go with it. The living room is mainly furnished by found pieces, two chairs and a couch. None of it was constructed at the same time, but it all has been reupholstered with the same cloth, the surfaces colored similarly and with a regular weave. The wood has all been refinished as well, dark and able to hide stains well. The walls are colorful, but that goes with the territory of having a mutant roommate with Tag's ability. Today, it is a sage green with some abstract blue and orange intermingling in different places. Tomorrow it will be different. A cursory inspection shows that five people live in this four bedroom apartment, so it's difficult to pick out what belongs to any one person. At 1:15pm on Monday afternoon, a group email is sent out to a majority of Melinda's contacts - those who don't know have been included, as well as those who reacted positively. Those who have already reacted negatively were excluded. The message reads: Hi! Getting to people one by one has been taking too long, so I'm going I'm going to cut to the chase and make an announcement: I'm pregnant and due on May 12th. For those interested, I'm registered at a number of places, but have everything gathered at myregistry.com. Appreciating your positive thoughts - Mel And ever since then Mel's phone has been ringing off and on. She is actually on her way up the stairs to her apartment when Hanna's call rings through. She is weary in more ways than one as she picks up, "Hello?" "Hello, Mel?" Hanna's voice comes through the other line, a bit hesitantly, "I got your e-mail... y'okay?" There is no judgement in her voice, just genuine concern for her friend, as much as that can come through over a somewhat cruddy cell signal. "I was going to stop over with some lunch, also ginger cookies, if you're still in the mood for those. But, well, I realized it might be a better idea to call first, rather than just dropping by." She chuckles lightly, a guilty tone in the sound, "I completely understand if you don't want to see anyone, but I figured I'd offer lunch, if you're up for it?" "Hello, Mel?" Hanna's voice comes through the other line, a bit hesitantly, "I got your e-mail... y'okay?" There is no judgement in her voice, just genuine concern for her friend, as much as that can come through over a somewhat cruddy cell signal. "I was going to stop over with some lunch, also ginger cookies, if you're still in the mood for those. But, well, I realized it might be a better idea to call first, rather than just dropping by." She chuckles lightly, a guilty tone in the sound, "I completely understand if you don't want to see anyone, but I figured I'd offer lunch, if you're up for it?" "Things have been intense lately. You can come by... if you're not going to lecture me." Melinda's tone is guarded as she sticks her keys in the lock and opens the door. "No lecture, just lunch and company. Scouts honor," Hanna responds, nodding, despite the fact that Mel can't see the action. The phone is muffled for a minute, as the sounds of a cash register can be heard, followed by Hanna's voice again, "Alright. I'll be by in a few minutes, 'kay?" The sounds of the city can be heard from the other side, and Hanna's cheery voice asking, "Need anything else besides lunch while I'm on my way over?" "Nah. I'm good for right now. Thanks though. See you in a little bit." Melinda end the call just before closing the door behind her and locking it, heading to her bedroom to change. It is another fifteen or so minutes before Hanna is knocking on Mel's door after being buzzed in, carrying a large bag of takeout from Montegues, complete with sandwhiches, chips, and another bag inside that one from a local tea shop with a sampler selection of green and white teas of various descriptions. Balanced carefully in her hand is a striped yellow and pink box from Happy Cakes, neatly closed with a cheery little sticker. She is dressed cheery as ever, a bright teal day dress over black leggings and knee-high boots, bundled up in a bubble-gum pink puffy coat to keep out the continual chill of New York. "Lunch delivery!" she chirps happily after knocking, bouncing on the balls of her feet - if she has come to lecture, she is doing a great job of acting excited. Melinda appears a moment later, the opening of the door brings with it an additional wafting of warm air from her apartment. She's dressed comfortably, her blouse from work, in a light blue shade, hangs loosely over a pair of gray sweat pants and fluffy socks, her belly starting to dominate the front of her more so than the last time Hanna saw her. Her hair is worn down, tucked behind her ears in an attempt to keep it out of her face. She flashes Hanna a small smile in response to her energetic posture, scooting back without a word to let the other woman in. She lets out a small breath as she leans a shoulder against the edge of the open door. "Welcome. Still chilly as all get out out there, isn't it?" On the dining table, near the door, is her work station for the afternoon, a laptop set up with a stack of papers, another chair pulled out with a pillow on top so she can put her feet up a bit. Hanna's bright amber-gold eyes widen at the sight of Mel's rounding stomach, though her wide smile doesn't falter in the least, "Oh!" She holds up the bag of food, grinning as she enters the apartment, "Wasn't sure what you'd want, so I got a couple of different options to pick from. Same goes for pastries. And tea." Once inside, she slips out of her boots, keeping on her thick yellow-green striped socks. "It is still cold. Granted, mid 60s is still a bit chilly for my tropical blood, even after all these years of being northward," she chuckles, carefully setting her packages down on the table to not disturb Mel's work area. "So - how're you doing?" she aks cautiously, trying to contain her bouncing - at the very least, the excitement is /not/ contagious today. Melinda closes and locks the door behind Hanna, following her back to the kitchen table and settling into her chair. She closes the laptop and stacks the papers on top of it before moving it off the table and to the chair beside her, giving Hanna as the entire table for the distribution of food. "Oh. You know, the usual hormone mess of pregnancy, coupled with the disapproval of society regarding single mothers and the stresses of trying to run a business and get it set up to go for when I lose the summer to recovery and initial child care. Dry skin, growing stretch marks... oh hell, how much do you really want to know?" There's a wry smile on her lips, her eyes scanning over the offerings quietly. "How are you?" Once the table is cleared off, Hanna begins doling out the sandwiches - at least four different kinds, ranging from grilled veggies to meat-filled of Italian cold cuts, as well as a container of fries, two different single-serve chip bags (salt and vinegar, and plain). Also a roll of pickle spears. "I may have gone just a touch overboard. Sorry about that," Hanna admits guiltily, though she smiles. "Eh, nothing wrong with being a single mom," the baker snorts, resting her hands on her ample hips, smirking, "My mom raised me alone, or so they would say, and I turned out just fine, if I do say so myself. It takes a village, even in New York. Y'need help, just call, 'kay? Goes for before or after your little bundle arrives." She crinkles her nose at the details, chuckling, "However much you feel the need to talk about. I've likely heard it before." She gestures at the selection, "You get first pick of lunch. Want me to fix up some tea? Brought some white and greens that are light on the caffeine." At the question, Hanna shrugs, "Doing much better lately - bakery is all back together after the zombie mess, housing situation is looking up. Spring is approaching, which means I'll have Jayna back around more often. She sends her well-wishes, but can't head out in this chill much." "Oh, it's not just that I'm single, but I think that is part of the issue." Melinda takes a deep breath and props her feet up, letting her head roll back and giving her neck muscles a little bit of a stretch. "Tea would be nice. Maybe something white. I don't know. I don't really want to pick." She turns back to the table and begins picking through the selection, latching on to a pickle to start. "Not sure spring can get here fast enough. Tell Jayna thank you and that she is missed." Instead of looking over the food, she brings each sandwich to her nose and sniffs it, lips pursing in consideration. The sound of a handful of cabinet doors opening indicates that Hanna is beginning to make tea, selecting a pleasant jasmine white tea to get steeping, locating cups as needed after a brief search. "People giving you flack for this?" Hanna bristles from the kitchen as she asks the question, the frown on her face evident in her voice, "Does the dad know? Totally understand if you don't want to talk about him. Don't even know my dad's name." The water heated, Hanna sets the tea to steeping, saying, "If none of those smell right, the bakery box has cookies and cupcakes in everything from ginger to chocolate to citrus and berries. I'm the last one to fault someone for going to dessert first." She brings the cups of tea over and sets one down in front of Mel, keeping the other over near her, "I can't wait for Spring to get here. This winter has been insane, and I think that might be a touch of an understatement. First zombies, now urban jungles and chocolate rain. Can't say I objected to the more recent occurrences." "I had some delicious fruit growing on my fire escape that I ... don't know if I can go the rest of my life without." Melinda smiles a little and selects the spicy Italian, finishing her pickle spear moments later. "Nah, these are good. I just have to check with the entling to see if the smells pass inspection." She purses her lips as she unwraps the sandwich. "His name is Jim and yes. He knows. He's been taking me to doctor's appointments. He'll be moving into the Harbor Commons with us... and I mean that in the general sense, so you'll maybe get to meet him." She looks over her shoulder at Hanna for some type of recognition. "Apparently, some people object to the furthering of human suffering through continuing the species, especially if the child turns out to be mutant like the father." She inhales sharply afterward, brows knitting together. "I maybe know too many people who have been hurt deeply by this world and hate it. The hard part is when they turn that pain on me. I could handle it better when it wasn't focused on me." Hanna chuckles, quirking an eyebrow at the term, "Entling? Didn't figure you for a Lord of the Rings fan. Cute." She selects a sandwich for herself, unwrapping an egg-salad sub for herself. "Name sounds familiar, but can't say I'm putting a name to the face," Hanna offers with an apologetic shrug, "Glad to hear you've got some support, even if other people are being unpleasant about the situation." She sighs heavily at the further explanation, shaking her head, "The same could have been said at any point in human history. Things won't even have a shot of get better if everyone seems to give up hope." Nodding, Hanna makes a small sound of acknowledgment, at the mutant statement, shrugging, "Sorry you've had to deal with that, though. Here's to a strong, healthy baby, regardless of genetic status." Hanna raises her tea cup in a sort of 'cheers' gesture, before falling quite for a moment. She tilts her head slightly, turning to a slightly happier note, sipping her tea, "You going to find out the sex, or just going to wait and get surprised when they arrive?" "Well, not that devote of a fan, really. It's just - well, Jim. He's a tree half the time. I basically picked a cute name that ... well, kind of nodded to that." Melinda explains quietly as she starts deconstructing the sandwich - not because she doesn't like any bit of it in particular or that the size is too much for her, but more that she just wants to sneak out this little bit and that little bit here and there before committing to the whole hog. "I kind of decided against knowing too much, initially. They started giving me all these options for tests to see if the child has a disability or will need interventions before birth - and I signed on for some of those, but then there were the questions about sex and did I want to pre-screen for a mutation. I didn't feel comfortable knowing too soon some of that. I rather just have the kid come out and show us." She gives a little shrug, sculpting the abused sandwich back into a sub shape. Only then does she distractedly raise her cup in responds, eyes lifting off of the now delicate deli delight. "Thanks. Healthy... is all I'm going for right now. And names? Oh hell. I don't know about names. I tried a few out for a while, but I didn't feel settled on any of them." "Really?" Hanna asks, raising an eyebrow, "Huh. Some days I wonder about the prevalence of certain types of mutations - Jayna's isn't /that/ far off of that, save for she's a bit more seasonal and is always a tree." She grins at the further explanation of the nickname, "I think that's adorable, really." Listening intently while she nibbles on her sandwich, Hanna nods and adds, "Fair enough. I hadn't realized there were so many /options/ for what to know or not to know when pregnant. Goodness." Prescreening for a mutation earns a frown, and Hanna shakes her head, her voice tired sounding, "They're pre-screening for mutations now? Wow. Can't say I'm shocked, but, well..." Hanna shrugs, and concentrates on the naming ideas, "Heh, well, you've still got another 3 months or so to pick out names? Worse comes to worse, you can get some great names from the random number generator sites out there." She chuckles and offers another apologetic shrug, "Maybe the kid'll surprise you. Just pop out, and you'll know just the right name." "Well, when you've already requested a genetic test to make sure that six some months of not knowing about the pregnancy during a zombie infestation, it's not that much more to tack on the standard x-gene test." Melinda does not look pleased with the notion of it all, taking a sip of tea, her eyebrows quirking over the rim. "but people with money could choose to abort, if they wanted, or at least make the decision, because having an x-gene doesn't guarantee a mutation." She inhales and exhales, setting her cup down and grabbing her sandwich once more. She takes a healthy bite and has to chew for a little bit. "You thinking that Jim and Jayna might be related?" "Ah, so... this was a bit of a surprise?" Hanna asks, perhaps a bit surprised herself, as her eyes shift to a somemwhat green-amber color, "I had just figured you had been keeping it private. I suppose a zombie apocalypse could be rather distracting." She shrugs, not judging, not criticizing, just curious. "I could see testing for the X-Gene being an increasingly popular pre-natal test, I suppose, among those who can afford it," she says, disapproval in her voice at this, her eyes dropping a shade darker. The last question gets a head tilt and somewhat uncertain sound, "It is possible. Her mom's family is from up 'round Chicago way, which is where I first met her. Her dad's family is from the Middle East, though - most of them are still over there. But, well, stranger things have happened, I suppose. Just was musing at the seemingly clustered mutation expression - not always related, though." "Yeah. There was just a bit too much stress going to really noticed a missed period here or there. And then a failed at home test. Plus, apparently, there may have been some mutant influence. The cards just seemed stacked against an early fix to the situation. If I were the 'higher power' type, I probably would start ascribing some sort of greater plan to all of this." She rubs one hand across her eyes and looks tired. "Bah. No point focusing on the past. All the 'maybes' and 'what ifs' will drive a person crazy. I'm having a baby now and I've only got three months to figure this all out." "Mutant influen..." Hanna starts, but then pauses, a look of realization dawning on her features, "Oh. Well, if it is who I think, you're likely to have an incredibly healthy baby." She dos refrain from naming names, though, keeping that information to herself, lest she overshare. "That's a good outlook. Look forward - you've got at least some time, and then they say time just speeds up from there," Hanna says with a twinge of sadness in her bright smile. "Jayna and I are here, for whatever you need. You need a baby sitter for a chance to just have time to yourself? Just let me know - I'll be at the Commons, too. And kids love me," she explains with a bright smile, chuckling, "Promise I won't give them chocolate cupcakes and a puppy before sending them back to you, either." "Oh... please. Not too many sweets. Or at least, so many sweets they end up sleeping all night long." Melinda's eyes widen for a moment, amused, but it is quickly followed by tiredness. "I'm mostly worried about the up all night first year or more. That... is not going to be fun." She eyes Hanna for a moment then nods. "Yeah, a very healthy baby. Mild pregnancy. No morning sickness to speak of. It's been great. Just... you know, surprising." She takes another sip, then dives into lunch with a little more gusto.