Authors note...my apologies for the delay in writing...i had been struggling with a suitable solution to the question of how to resolve the "Tammy" question, and finally prefaced it to at least my own satisfaction in chapter 9, to realize it here.
Given someone actually in this position, this seems at least plausible, all things considered.
Again, I appreciate the feedback, so please do leave any comments.
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... "the day after" my Riley experience, when we confirmed she, too, is pregnant.
The other kids had left for...let's see...a sleep-over, basketball tournament, and a birthday party, respectively. Tammy and I had slept in, but I heard "the girls" downstairs, and better yet, smelled the coffee.
I've been here before...that morning with Riley and Petra came back to my memory quickly...No robe this time, but the shorts and T-shirt thing seemed appropriate, given the late-summer heat. Noticing Tammy had already gotten up and dressed, I presumed she was downstairs with them. A quick tooth brushing, and away we go!
I was met in the kitchen with not three, but all FOUR of the girls at the table, clean, dressed, and a very stern-looking Tammy, hair and makeup done, same shorts and raggedy T-shirt as yesterday, and seated amongst them. Tammy at the front right side, just to my right where I sit at the head of the table, with Susan to her right, furthest away from me. Petra across from me at the opposite end, Terri to her right, across from Susan, and Riley directly across from Tammy, to my left. Looking things over, I noticed that everyone had the same fashion statement as I did...shorts...T-shirts...pretty sure Susan wasn't wearing a bra, and by the looks of things, those were starting to expand a bit. Come to think of it, all 4 girls were looking, well...a little more voluptuous up top than before. Wow.
I admit it. I was staring. Fuck, those are nice. Susan caught me glancing, and smiled back.
"Good morning, Daddy" I heard in chorus, as all four girls couldn't have timed it better. Smiles all around, except for, of course, Tammy.
"Sit down, o.k., we need to talk with these girls, o.k.?" Tammy was all about business, and best to just accommodate her if we are going to have any sort of day today, so I did. Interestingly enough, it was me...as in..."I" was the one... the nervous one...all 4 girls were strangely...well...calm? WTF? Really?
I know to just go with the flow sometimes, and given Susan's words to me last night, that was going to have to happen here, now. Somehow, the girls calmness gave me mine. I saw with my cup already full.
"O.k., so what's up, Tam?" was all I could get out, after a very satisfying sip of coffee.
"I'll get right to the point, o.k., and she was looking around the room at faces. There's a distinct lack of blood in this house lately." We all paused. She continued "as in...I've noticed that no one...as in "NO ONE" used any tampons OR pads in the last 2 weeks." With this statement, all the girls looked at each other, not smiling, not frowning, just...well...looking at each other, but their collective gazed move to Susan. Kinda weird, actually. A little bit "scary movie" freaky...it definitely didn't fit with Tammy's comment, that's for sure.
Tammy noticed that her statement didn't have the intended effect, so she dug in harder "I tend to notice these kinds of things, so...what's going on? Either all of you have suddenly gotten "the shot", or something else is afoot?"
Susan dropped the bomb. Sipping her coffee, she began "Well, Mother...that would be because we're all pregnant."
The half-sip of coffee I had taken stuck on my tongue, choking me, partly going back into the cup, and then half-projecting over the cup and onto the table. The look on Tammy's face was like mine, a mixture of disbelief and "you're pulling my leg, right?", which is almost what Tammy said, but in a whisper "Susan. You're kidding me, right?"
Susan had her eyes locked on her. Turning her chair slightly to meet Tammy's gaze, I saw the determination rise up in her...polished...sharp...and being wielded with a calm, steady hand. "No, Mom, actually, I'm not, and now that we finally know we're ALL pregnant, well, we're ready to tell you, plus answer any questions."
It takes a lot to unnerve Tammy; I know this from experience, but this was approaching that.
"What do you mean you're pregnant? Wait...you're ALL pregnant... what do you mean 'now that you know you're ALL pregnant'...? What's THAT supposed to mean?
Tammy was searching for a handle on the moment, and I was gripped by the discourse, silent, examining Susan's body language, tone, and method. I desperately wanted to see how this was going to play out, as she had clearly been masterminding this very moment deliberately. All the other girls...Petra, Riley, Terri...we were all quiet, watching...listening...learning, I suppose, but it was deliberate.
Susan leaned forward, put her hand on Tammy's knee, and said "it means, Mom, that we're all pregnant. Uh-Right now. It means that we've all planned on getting pregnant. It means that we've all succeeded in getting pregnant."
Tammy's face flushed, then lost all it's color.