let the wait begin

It felt like an avalanche.

Josie was thinking about what Dean said. He was going into the army a week after school was out. Their days were numbered. She'd never actually thought of it that way. The cold hard reality was setting in. And then to see her Mom in Duncan's arms.

Now she was waiting with Duncan at the hospital. Josie was worried. Her mom went into labor an hour after Duncan proposed to her.

"So what kind of wedding are, you two, going to have?" Josie found herself asking.

"I don't think it'll be big." He didn't look at her. He sounded as if he might be on autopilot. He'd set with her Mom for awhile when she was having contractions. Now she'd been taken in to prep for surgery.

He leaned back in the soft chair as if he might nap. They were going to let him go back into surgery when it was time.

"She'll want a real wedding." Josie informed him. "You know, lots of flowers. She likes outdoor weddings."

Duncan nodded.

Josie wanted to smile but she couldn't. She was going to lose Dean. She didn't want too. Honestly, she'd never felt so close to him until now, and they hadn't even had sex. Josie didn't want him to go into the army.

"What do you..think..Mom..will name the baby?" Josie guessed she should think about now, not what would happen at the end of the school year.

"I think she likes the name Karrie." Duncan nodded.

The nurse came to get Duncan.

Josie looked at her chipped black nail polish.

"Am I too late?" It was Derrick who grabbed Josie's shoulders from behind.

"JESUS!" Josie almost jumped out of her skin.

Derrick grinned like an imp as if he'd meant to scare her. He plopped down in the seat next to her.

"Where's Mitch?" She asked. Somehow, she liked Derrick only when he was with Mitch.

"Working."

"Why aren't, you at work?" She was ever so solemn.

"Hey, I'm about to have a baby sister." He smirked. It was something they had in common. She felt a little light headed about it. Imagining their last episode here at this very hospital when she was giving birth to their baby. Didn't he ever think about that?

Josie hugged herself, hoping her mother got through this OK. She wanted everything to be OK.