Left out

Since their first ultrasound, Jenny and Jason had become very active in their preparations for the upcoming phases of pregnancy and the arrival of their child. Going to weekly pregnancy yoga classes, attending parenting classes and reading a chapter a day in their respective pregnancy books. With Jenny's mother moving in into the guestroom on the ground floor of their wing, the one where Jenny had been staying secretly before, Jenny's worries and troubles were becoming less with each day that she had her mother by her side. An added bonus to this all was that she was considerably better than Jason at their parenting classes. Having finally found the thing that she was able to beat him in, she was feeling very content with herself and her impending motherhood.

With both Jenny and Elizabeth entering in their third trimester and with the sex of both babies known, they were hanging out more and more with one another. Planning to turn their children into close friends, just like they have been and shopping together for baby clothes, strollers, the works. From time to time joined by Sophia, who was able to advise them from her recent experience and current experience with all of the things they were concerning themselves with. Being the only one with no experience and the only one of their friends to not have a child or expecting one, Julia was feeling quite left out.

Though Harry was in the same situation with the guys but somehow it had less of an influence on their conversations, much less their activities as friends. Of course they had some subject that Harry couldn't participate in, the present or upcoming parenthood wasn't as present for him to make him feel excluded. But as a good husband, who felt bad that Julia was feeling a bit lonely with her friends being busy with things she didn't feel a part of, he decided to temporarily lessen his time with the guys as well and focus on accompany his loving wife when the time allowed it. Though they were both still quite busy people, Julia was happy to see that Harry did his best to clear out time for them in his schedule. Putting in that extra effort in visiting her at her campus, just so that they could have lunch together or staying over in her dorm when she wasn't able to return to their apartment.

Though this did mean that Harry needed to wake up earlier on the remaining days of the week or that he needed to continue working well into the night to finish the schoolwork or preparations for the next day. These were the things Harry would usually do in the time he now spent traveling to Julia or spending more time with her. But he was very willing to put that extra time in if it could lift Julia's spirits.

When Jenny, who was still diligently going to her classes, started to notice the tiredness in Harry's face she asked him, "What's wrong Harry? I have seen albino people with more colour in their face." Harry who was quite exhausted from pushing himself for the past few weeks, mustered up the energy for a weak laugh at Jenny's joke before answering, "I am just a bit tired. I have overworked myself a bit for the past weeks but I will be fine." Jenny who wouldn't take that as a final answer asked him, "Why are you overworked? I know we have a busy schedule but it is no more busy than it has been for the past two years. If a pregnant lady like me can handle it, a young man like you should be able to handle it as well. Are you sure you haven't caught a summer cold or something?" Harry shook his head. He didn't want to go into detail because he didn't want Jenny to feel responsible for how Julia was feeling and his current condition but it seemed that Jenny wouldn't be dropping this matter easily. So, with slight reluctance he told her, "I have been traveling back and forth from Julia's dorm and have been forced to wake up early and go to bed late in order to catch up with the homework and assignments."

Jenny was looking at him with a puzzled expression before she asked him, "What has you going back and forth to Julia's dorm? I thought you guys were doing well lately. Is something the matter with Julia?" After these few normal questions Jenny let her mind take off with the little amount of information Harry had provided her and reached another level of questioning. "Don't tell me she has gotten pregnant as well?! Because if that is the case then I really am going to start expecting that there is something in the water here. That can no longer be called a coincidence." Harry turned towards her with an amused, tired expression as he said, "Don't even joke about that. If that were the case I wouldn't be looking tired, my hair would have turned grey instantly. No, it's nothing like that but if you must know Julia has been feeling a bit down. She has been feeling somewhat left out now that you and Liz are pregnant and Sophia is a mom. She is the only one not entering motherhood and she has a hard time keeping up with your conversations. So, in order to provide her with some distraction from this topic and to keep her company now that you girls don't have as much time for her as you used to, I have turned my schedule upside down which has brought me to this state."

Jenny felt bad to find out that they had made Julia feel left out. She wasn't aware that they had been talking so much about baby stuff but now that she looked back on things, she realized that their conversations and activities would be quite excluding for someone that wasn't pregnant or a mom. Especially if it kept on. She had been so preoccupied with her own matters, that she failed to notice that she had been seeing Julia less and less. Even causing her other friend to suffer for it. But not for long. Now that she was made aware, she would make sure to change and make her friend feel included again. Be it during the pregnancy or after the birth!