Janelle hadn't seen her in-laws since before she became pregnant again, and she didn't feel the least bit welcomed. She was quickly beginning to fear that she wouldn't be given enough food for herself, let alone for her baby. Some people were just that cold and callous, she thought, not caring at all. Instead, they were so determined to make their point that nothing else mattered to them, no matter how cruelly they behaved. They were against the way she got pregnant and the idea of her having a child, simply because of how Steven felt about it and her past troubles with the law. That was all they could see—not a human being, not an unborn child. As far as they were concerned, the baby simply didn't exist, and they treated her the same as they always had... like dirt. All they saw was her weight and the media's lies.
At 4:30, she decided to ask Deanne about their dinner plans. "Deanne?" she said, entering the living room where Deanne sat with Spencer and her mother-in-law in front of the always-on TV.
"Yes?"
"I noticed it's getting a little late, and well, it takes a while to cook a roast. I was wondering if you had the ingredients stocked in the kitchen for me to get started on cooking."
"We didn't get around to shopping today, so we're going to have something else."
Janelle had a feeling it would be the usual fast food, which, while it tasted good, was far from pregnancy- or diabetes-friendly. "Oh, okay. Can I help get anything ready?"
"No, Dave is going to pick it up."
This confirmed Janelle's fears that it was going to be heavily fried and processed junk.
"Burgers and fries. The baby will love it," Spencer said sarcastically.
"Yeah, but my diabetes won't. Steven said you guys talked about this."
"You don't have to eat," Deanne said.
"I do, actually, but I guess processed stuff once in a while never hurt anyone."
"There you go," Spencer said. "It's like you're on vacation."
"Yeah, the accommodations are great, and I feel so welcomed," Janelle said as she left the room. In reality, she felt nothing like she was on vacation. Instead, she felt trapped and frustrated, with a bad feeling that the next few days were going to be a real drag. Regardless, she ate the burger and fries and drank the sugary soda that came with it but didn't feel satisfied when she was done. If anything, she was almost just as hungry. However, she knew begging for additional food wouldn't do her any good, so she retreated to the guestroom, pissed at herself for not packing some food to bring with her. She hoped they would offer snacks before bedtime, but she knew that if they did, it would be something like a candy bar.
Janelle fell asleep hungry and earlier than usual, at around 9:00 PM, after taking a shower. The others continued to do nothing to engage her in friendly conversation or make her feel welcomed and included.
She awoke bright and early the next morning, feeling ravenous. She was the first to awaken at around 6:00 AM. She quietly crept into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was virtually empty. Next, she opened the pantry door to find the shelves bare. Jesus! Didn't these people ever eat anything other than fast food?
She was on her way back to the guestroom when she crossed paths with Deanne in the hallway.
"Oh my God! You scared me," said Janelle.
"Do you need something?" Deanne asked in an almost business-like tone, without apologizing for startling her.
"Well, we're pretty hungry here," Janelle said, rubbing her tummy. "Do you have any fruit or yogurt?"
"One of us will bring you something later."
"Oh, okay. Do you need any help with anything in the meantime?"
"Nope. You can go back into your room now," Deanne said as if she was in a hurry to get rid of her or she was a child underfoot.
Frustrated but surprisingly sensible enough to know that arguing wouldn't do any good, Janelle retreated to the guestroom.
After what seemed like a long time, and once the others had woken up, Deanne poked her head into the room and said, "Breakfast is ready."
Janelle smiled and said, "Oh, good," getting up off the bed where she had been sitting, writing in a notebook, expecting to join the others in the kitchen or somewhere for at least a semblance of breakfast. But before she could step out of the room, Deanne's hand shot out, holding a 140-calorie breakfast bar. Again...processed, sugary, and certainly not enough, even if she weren't pregnant.
Janelle looked at Deanne as if to say, "Are you kidding?" But Deanne said nothing. She simply turned and headed toward the other end of the house.
Janelle was getting pissed but was determined not to let it show...for now. Instead, she ate the four-bite “breakfast” and fumed all morning in the bedroom. She found herself getting bored, too. There was only so much reading and writing she could do. She thought about going out for a walk, but she was a little tired, and it was a bit warm for that.
When lunchtime came around, she was once again given what they already knew she wasn't supposed to have—more bread.
Deanne walked in and placed the plate on the desk that was in the room. "Peanut butter and jelly," she said before beginning to leave the room.
"Hey, I told you I can't eat like this. It's very important that—"
"As I told you last night, you're free to leave."
Janelle stared at the woman incredulously. "Why are you doing this? You said you were okay with not being able to have kids of your own in the end."
Deanne rolled her eyes with a snort and stomped out of the room. Spencer, waiting for her in the other room, eyed her curiously. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing. She's just decided to tell herself that I'm treating her this way because I'm supposedly jealous of her pregnancy."
Spencer couldn't resist laughing at that one. He knew as well as his wife did how ridiculous that was.
A few hours passed, and Janelle stepped out of the guestroom. "I don't have any money on me, but can someone please take me to the store to get a few things like fruit, veggies, and yogurt? Steven can pay you back later."
"Deanne has to run over to a friend's house, and I have to work on my car because it's acting up. Maybe tomorrow," Spencer said.
"It's a weekday. Don't you both work during the daytime?"
"Yeah, but we're on vacation now," he told her.
If Janelle wasn't so hungry and sluggish, she would have laughed, knowing how much she was ruining Deanne's vacation.
That night they ate pizza—a step up from the burger and fries.
Janelle, unusually tired, crashed early again that night. The next morning, she was the last to get up. She felt horribly exhausted and crampy. She went into the bathroom and pulled down her underwear. "No, no, no, no, nooo!!!"
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