“I’m not a nurse,” I say when everyone’s attention turns to me. “I just work in the hospital.”
“That’s basically the same thing,” Hannah says with another sip.
“No, it’s not.” I pick up my soda. “It’s really not.”
“Do you deal with patients?” Gemma asks.
“Sure, sometimes.”
“Like medically?”
“Yeah, if I have to.”
“Then you’re a nurse,” Gemma declares.
“If I know how to change a tire, that doesn’t make me a mechanic,” I point out. “It’s really not the same.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Point is, don’t eat that Thanksgiving food, Phoebe, or you won’t need to worry about Christmas because you’ll be spending it in the hospital because three-week-old turkey tried to kill you.”
“I don’t believe you.” Phoebe digs her phone out of her pocket and rapidly taps at the screen.
“She won’t believe us but she’ll trust the garbage AI on her phone.” Gemma snorts.
“This world is ruined,” Hannah groans. “I tried to search where the nearest hotel was so my sister could stay and the AI was trying to give me a breakdown on what a hotel was.”
“Fuck the future.” Gemma raises her glass. “And fuck you, Phoebe, for not believing us.”
Phoebe’s eyes widen at her screen and she groans. “Dammit.”
“Did you learn?” Hannah asks in a sickly-sweet tone.
“Whatever.” Phoebe slams her phone down and picks up her glass. “It’s dumb and my point still stands. Time is too fast. And a much better question is, Snow, why aren’t you drinking?”
I should have seen this coming. Whenever one of us feels too exposed, they deflect the bitter attention onto someone else and I’m an easy target.
“Maybe because of last time.” Hannah giggles. “Someone couldn’t hold her wine.”
“Honestly!” Gemma breaks out laughing at the memory. “When you fell and went ass over head, I almost thought you were dead!”
As they all giggle at my expense, something snaps inside me.
Exhaustion and a little bit of annoyance at how I spend my life listening to them and yet they never ask about me.
“I’m pregnant.” The words slip out of me as if they got lost on their way to my mind and escaped my mouth instead.
Silence falls at the table while three pairs of eyes widen and stare at me.
“What?” Gemma gasps and her gaze flicks down to my belly. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Since when?” Hannah gasps. “By who? I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
“You’re seeing someone?” Phoebe’s nose wrinkles. “So soon after Caleb?”
My heart jumps in my chest. “Caleb and I broke upmonthsago. You know that.”
“Sure,” Phoebe replies. “but you were still living together and he only died like a month ago or something. Isn’t that kind of tacky?”
