Free Cheated By Death by L.L. Bartlett

want to say anything to jinx myself.”
    I choked on my beer as a sick rush of fear
coursed through me. Something told me Brenda would never carry her
baby to term.
    I couldn’t stop coughing. Maggie slapped me
on the back and Brenda and Richard were on their feet, clucking
like concerned medical professionals.
    “I’m okay,” I rasped, took a few careful
breaths and cleared my throat. Richard scowled but said
nothing.
    “Well, if the rest of us can all swallow our
drinks,” Maggie said, glaring at me good-naturedly, “I propose a
toast. To Baby Alpert. Or should that be Baby Stanley-Alpert?”
    “One name is enough,” Brenda said.
“Alpert.”
    That made Richard smile.
    “May he or she be as happy and healthy as we
are tonight,” Maggie finished.
    “Hear, hear,” I said, raised my glass, and
hoped to God it would come to pass.
    Maggie settled on the couch again. “Have you
picked out names?”
    “I’ve been scanning the baby book for
months.” She laughed. “We’ve narrowed it down to maybe twenty.”
    “What room will you use as a nursery?”
    “Jeffy’s old bedroom,” Brenda said.
    “Wonderful. I’ve got scads of ideas for
decorating it.”
    “I’ve got to check the turkey. Come on in the
kitchen and tell me,” Brenda said.
    Once they left, the silence dragged. I
drained my beer, unsure what to say. Subdued, Richard still worked
on his Manhattan.
    I forced a smile. “So, you’re going to be a
daddy?”
    “Yeah. If I’m still around when the poor kid
graduates from high school, I’ll be—” He did a little mental
arithmetic and frowned. “Oh, God, sixty-seven.”
    I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I thought
Brenda wasn’t interested in having children?”
    “She wasn’t interested in getting married,
either. But here we are. It’s a natural progression, isn’t it?”
    “How long have you known?”
    “Since September. To tell you the truth, I
thought you would’ve guessed—or rather, gotten one of your funny
feelings.”
    I thought about it for a moment. “I have been
getting funny feelings about Brenda. But I never put it all
together. Damn slipshod of me.”
    “This doesn’t change anything. I mean, I
don’t want to lose what we have. I value your friendship.” He
colored in embarrassment. “I need you—if only to play catch with
the kid when I’m too old.”
    Or if he wasn’t there?
    I forced a smile. “Thanks.” I leaned back
against the couch. “First I find out my father’s still alive, and I
have a sister I never knew about. Now I’m going to have a little
niece or nephew. Eight months ago I had no family at all.”
    “Have you and Maggie thought about getting
married?” he asked.
    “That’s rushing it a bit. Besides, Maggie’s
not eager to tie the knot again. Besides, I’m not exactly a
bargain. I can’t support myself, let alone a wife.” Maybe I never
would.
    Richard shrugged. “If she wants a family,
time’s getting away from her.”
    “It doesn’t matter. She had a hysterectomy
three years ago.”
    “Oh—that’s right.” He looked genuinely
sorry.
    “I’m sure she’s already plotting how to spoil
your kid. Has Brenda told her family?”
    “She called her sister, Evelyn, last night.
I’m not sure the news was well received. Her mother definitely
wouldn’t want to know. And since she gave Willie our address,
Brenda doesn’t want to speak to her anyway.”
    I shook my head ruefully. “Life’s too short
for that kind of shit.”
    “Tell me about it.” He was quiet for a
moment, then raised his glass. “No more somber talk. This is a
celebration. We’ve—I’ve—got a lot to live for.” He took a sip of
his drink.
    Richard’s forced smile only increased the
anchor weight on my soul.
    What was I thinking? Thanks to medical
science, being HIV-positive was no longer a death sentence. It was
a big inconvenience to those who suffered from it, but with the
right combination of drugs people like Magic Johnson had survived
well