Gina was getting more and more nervous the longer she stayed here. She'd told Ivy she would only be gone for a couple of hours; any longer than that, and Ivy would worry. More than about six hours and Ivy would probably call the police, and wouldn't that be a nightmare. Ivy frantic, Andy terrified, her friends fearful, maybe even her parents wondering where she was, and she was fine, she was, she just wasn't home.

The baby, perhaps sensing her mother's agitation, began to kick very hard at Gina's lungs. She huffed and bent over, holding on to the back of a chair and rubbing her belly, taking deep breaths. "Easy, kid," she muttered. "Easy now. Calm down-- ow, calm down!"