“You didn’t have to come, you know that, right?” she said as she pulled Consonance into a hug, then me.
“What do we look like not showing up for you?” I asked her as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Yale rested her head onmy chest, and I kissed the top of her head. “You know if you step, so do we.”
“Right,” Consonance agreed. “So, stop acting like you don’t know.”
“Whatever,” she laughed and shook her head. Her head lifted, and she looked around the room. I could see the disappointment on her face, and I knew it was because Grant wasn’t here. It took me a minute to get used to the idea of them being married, especially since they got married less than two months after he proposed. I had to sit Yale down and make sure she wasn’t marrying that nigga because she was pregnant, and she assured me that wasn’t it. Grant just wanted to marry her and not waste time, so she agreed. Consonance and I stood next to her as her maid and man of honor, and even though that shit nearly killed me, I held it together. I wanted Yale happy, and if it was with that nigga, then so be it.
“He isn’t here, love,” Consonance said, putting her hand on Yale’s arm to get her attention.
“I figured,” she sighed. “But I couldn’t help but hope that he’d show up.”
“What did he say he had to do this time?” I asked with a grunt. Over the last year, Grant had started to slip up. He wasn’t showing up to shit, nor was he there for Yale. She was holding down their home on her own, and he spent most of his time out of the state. At first, he claimed it was because he was going to conferences and shit, but now that shit was starting to sound like an excuse. He was a fucking meteorologist, he didn’t need to travel for shit in my opinion.
“Work,” she answered, and it took everything in me not to start asking questions. Consonance cut her eyes to me, and I smirked. She felt the same way I did about Grant. “He said he’d try to make it but wasn’t sure.”
“Well, that shit doesn’t matter because we’re here,” I said, trying to shake her funk. I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head again. “Let’s get something to eat.”
“I can’t,” Consonance said, shaking her head. “I need to meet Symphony for something at our grandma’s.”
“Next time?” I questioned her, and she nodded.
“I’m proud of you,” she said, then hugged Yale. She said something in her ear that I couldn’t hear, which made Yale smile, then let her go and patted my chest.
“Where did you park?” I asked Consonance.
“You don’t have to walk me,” she said, shaking her head. I gave her a blank stare because she knew better than that. My walking her to her car wasn’t an option. “Amethyst.”
“Yale, tell your friend that she’s about to piss me off,” I said to Yale instead of acknowledging Consonance and her bullshit.
“You know he’s not going to take no for an answer, so you might as well tell him,” Yale laughed, and Consonance rolled her eyes. She turned and pointed to the same parking lot where I was parked, and we headed there.
“What do you want to eat?” I asked her as we walked to our cars. I was in the mood to cook and hang out with Yale since I had the next two days off.
“I want something quick, maybe some fish and salad,” she suggested, and I nodded. “But I have to watch my mercury intake.”
“Why?” I asked. The girls shared a look that made me stop in my tracks. “Ay, what’s that look about?”
“We’ll talk about it when we get to your house,” Yale said, grabbing my arm and pulling me. “Come on, it’s about to rain.”
Consonance was parked close to me, so I unlocked my truck, went to the passenger side, and opened the door for Yale. “Get in, I’ll walk Consonance to her car.”
Yale got in, and I handed her the keys before closing the door. I didn’t move until she started the truck, and I heard the locks engage. I stepped to the side, and Consonance walked to her car.
“She’s not pregnant,” she said once we were at her car and she unlocked it.
“Huh?” I said, confused about what she was talking about.
“Yale isn’t pregnant,” she repeated, and I nodded. “At least not yet.” I didn’t say anything even though I was ready to go off. I knew she wanted kids, and that selfish part of me was happy every month when she didn’t say she was expecting. I could handle her being married to Grant, but seeing her pregnant with his kid could destroy me. “They are going to try IVF.”
“What are you telling me this for?” I chuckled and wiped my hand over my mouth.
“I’m telling you so you have time to process it before she tells you and you say something that’ll make her cry,” she replied, crossing her arms. “You pretend well on little stuff, but a baby ain’t little. I’m telling you before she tells you.”
“When does she plan on starting?” I asked. Consonance was right. I’d spent the better part of the last eight years pretending, but this wasn’t something I could pretend with, especially alone.
“Next week,” she answered. “They are using some specialist at your hospital. I can’t remember their name.”
“I’ll find out,” I said, nodding. I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I appreciate the heads up.”
