Before heading over to Sam’s house, I needed to fix myself up a little. I glanced at the real version of myself in the mirror of my vanity and found that my actual reflection looked significantly worse than the dream version of it that I had seen earlier. My sex-tousled, slightly messy chestnut hair from the dream was actually a tangled mess that was stuck to my head on one side and ratted up on the other side.

My teeth felt like they had grown fur overnight, so brushing them was first on my agenda. Well, not quite first. Even though I hadn’t eaten anything, the queasiness of morning sickness reared its ugly head as I started moving, so I ran to the bathroom and threw up what was left of my dinner. This was the first time I had actually gotten sick in the morning, as the name implied. So far, I had discovered that I needed to be ready for nausea to strike at any time. In fact, I had started carrying a barf bag in my purse in case I only had a moment’s notice. Calling it simply ‘morning’ sickness appeared to be some sort of cruel joke. It would be much more aptly named ‘anytime and anywhere sickness.’

Once I finished vomiting, I brushed my teeth and took a shower. I applied a bit of mascara and cherry Chapstick after donning my favorite jeans (that were starting to become slightly snug around the middle) and a soft, emerald green shirt. I chose a multicolored silk scarf from the selection that hung on my wall. When Courtney bought me a gift, it always included a beautiful scarf because she knew it made me feel confident to wear them. Her gifts from me were always one of the quirky piggy banks that she loved to add to her collection. I smiled remembering the beautifully wrapped pig in a polka dot bikini that was sitting in my closet waiting for our next celebration. I coated my exposed skin with the luxurious Kiehl’s body cream that I saved for days when I needed to feel extra-special, then I pulled my thick hair into a presentable ponytail and took another look at my reflection in the mirror.

“Not quite as hot as my subconscious seems to think I look, but it will have to do.” I said the words to no one in particular, since Courtney wasn’t up and about yet, having worked the dinner shift at Joe’s last night. I walked quietly down the steps, trying not to disturb her.