Two's Company

arrived last night and wanted to surprise you!”
    “And that you did. How have you been?”
    “I’m wonderful. Guess what?” Before he could guess, Sylvia stood on
    tiptoe s and whispered in his ear, “I’m pregnant! You’re going to be an uncle!
    Shush, I haven’t told Mother yet.”
    “Congratulations, it’ll be our secret.”
    “Here, I’ve been so rude! I want to introduce you to my friend,” she said,
    pulling him by the hand to a table. “Gillian, I’d like you to meet my brother, Ian.
    Ian, this is my best friend, Gillian Carmichael.”
    “Gillian, very nice to make your acquaintance,” Ian bowed and kissed her
    hand.
    “Very nice to make yours,” Gillian said with a smile.
    “My brother is a very successful entrepreneur,” Sylvia said, sliding into the
    chair. “Gillian is a corporate executive, travels all over the world troubleshooting
    and preventing world crises!”
    “It’s not quite that exciting,” Gillian said with a smile.
    “It sounds wonderful.” Ian pulled the chair out for his mother.
    “Sorry,” she said, sitting down. “I swear getting Mildred to stop talking for
    a moment is more difficult than splitting the atom! Now, where is my sister? She
    said she and David would be here on time. They’re worse than you—”
    “Here we are, here we are!” Came a voice from behind them. “So sorry
    we’re late, but David couldn’t find his contacts this morning. Ian, aren’t you the
    handsome one? Oh, and Sylvia, darling, when did you get here? Catherine, you
    said nothing to me about your daughter being here! What a wonderful surprise!”
    Helen Staples chattered as she went around the table and placed a kiss to
    everyone’s cheek. “And we’ve never met,” she said when she got to Gillian’s
    chair.
    “Aunt Helen, this is.. .” Sylvia started.
    “I’m Helen, and this is my husband, David Staples. He’s my fourth. After
    the others died on me, I got myself a younger man!”
    “My aunt Helen,” Sylvia said under her breath. “Aunt Helen,” she said
    loudly to get the woman’s attention. “Why don’t you sit down? I have some
    news I’d like to share.”
    “Oh my, what is it?” Helen said and took a seat beside her husband.
    “Well ….” Sylvia beamed. “I’m pregnant!”
    “Pregnant?” her mother asked. “What do you mean pregnant?”
    “Mother, you do remember what pregnant means. It’s how Ian and I
    arrived in the world!”
    “But you and Oscar have only been married two years.”
    Sylvia took a sip from her water glass and set it down. “Yes, we’ve been
    married two years and have decided to start a family.”
    “Mother, this is wonderful news,” Ian sai d. “You’re going to be a…”
    She slapped at him. “Yes I know what I’m going to be! A gr-a gr-- oh, I
    can’t even say it!”
    Ian burst into laughter. “So that’s the problem, becoming a grandmother?”
    “Hush! Don’t you dare say that too loudly!”
    “Oh, Mother, please!” Sylvia said, shaking her head. “You’re fifty-two
    years old!”
    “Shh! Everybody in the place doesn’t need to know!”
    “Like it or not, Mother.” Ian patted her hand. “It is a fact, and it’s also a
    fact that Sylvia is going to be a mother, I’m going to be an uncle, and you’re
    going to be a grandmother. Deal with it!”
    “Really, Catherine,” Helen said. “When Julie and Kevin first told me they
    were having a baby, I couldn’t believe it either. My baby having a baby, but now
    that Jason is nearly two, I couldn’t be happier. I love being a grandmother and so
    will you.”
    “Mother, please be happy,” Sylvia pleaded. “I can’t do this without you. I
    don’t know how to raise a child or be a mother. I’m so scared I’ll do something
    stupid, like drop him on his head or diaper the wrong end!”
    “Oh, darling, of course I’m happy for you,” Catherine said. “I just wasn’t
    expecting this. When is the baby due? And what did Oscar say?”
    “Oscar was thrilled, of course, and I’m due in October.”
    “October. October? That’s only five months away! Sylvia Anne, how could
    you keep this a secret for so long? I only have five months to get everything
    ready. There’s a baby shower to plan, and you give me five months!”
    “Mother, calm down, I’m sure you can handle it,” Ian said, chuckling.
    “Of course I can handle it, but Helen, I’ll need your help.”
    “Of course you will. At least Julie gave me nearly seven months’