Classmate Nikki

I have a classmate named Nikki. She is the sweetest girl, seems to get along with any and everyone she runs across and she doesn't settle for B grades. She's also obsessed with my fertility. That's right. She wants me to get going making babies. STAT!!!!! And I do mean stat. About once a week she goes into a frenzy of giant proportions, her brown eyes gleaming with an unfamiliar "baby" glow that doesn't subside until the end of class. She thinks it is absolutely ridiculous and absurd that I am married and without children. I have reminded her several times (and still continue to repeat) that:
1. I haven't even been married two years yet...and...
2. Out of those not-quite-two-years, my husband will have been gone 14 months by the time he gets back...whenever that is...and...
3. I'm in no hurry. Truly, I am not.
I love that Nikki. My pleas and excuses fall on deaf ears every time. That gleam of baby-ness just lingers and haunts until the end of class and by then I'm almost convinced that I SHOULD get on baby-making ASAP!!! And then I get to math class and remember my situation and reality settles in. Nikki also has an incredible way of turning most conversations to this same subject. For example, before John left:
"Are you doing anything special with your husband before he leaves?"
"Yeah, we're not sure when exactly he's leaving so we are trying to spend as much time together as we can and go out on dates and..."
"Yeah you should do something special...like make a baaabbbyyy!!"
Or just the other day:
"When is your husband getting back?"
"Not sure yet but it'll probably be about 7 months."
"You should do something special when he gets back...like make a BABY!!!!"
The conversation then proceeds into the slightly uncomfortable territory of being "extra" fertile" and ditching birth control. Needless to say, Nikki has babies on the brain. But I love her just the same.

Photo: Unknown found via Bostonist