Tula stepped back and looked her friends over properly. "You both look beautiful. It's strange seeing you in dresses that are not floor-length gowns but still look good."
"I know." Raviki smoothed her hands over her skirt with obvious pleasure. "I feel like a different person."
Sarah nodded in agreement. "It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"
"It is." Tula reached out and squeezed her hand. "But in a good way."
As they started walking again, the four of them falling into step, Raviki's gaze drifted to Esag, who had hung back to give the ladies space to talk.
"So," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that wasn't really a whisper at all. "Are you going to introduce us to your handsome companion, or are we supposed to pretend we don't notice him?"
Tula rolled her eyes. "You know who he is. You met Esag on the submarine, we stayed in the same dormitories in Safe Harbor, and you've seen him around the village."
Raviki's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I want a proper introduction now that things seem to have progressed between you."
"Fine." Tula gestured for Esag to join them. "Raviki, Sarah, this is Esag my new partner. Esag, these are my friends Raviki and Sarah."
"Ladies." Esag inclined his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you again."
"The pleasure is ours." Raviki gave him an appraising look that was entirely too thorough for Tula's comfort. "So, Esag. What exactly are your intentions toward our Tula?"
"Raviki!" Sarah hissed, looking mortified.
"What? Someone has to ask."
Esag, to his credit, didn't seem fazed by the interrogation. "My intentions are to make her happy. Is that acceptable?"
Raviki considered this for a moment, then nodded. "For now. But I'll be watching you."
Tula shook her head, torn between embarrassment and amusement. "Can we please continue to the party now?"
"What about Tony?" Sarah asked after a moment.
Tula had known this question was coming. "Tony and I aren't together anymore, but we parted on good terms, and he's going to be part of my life and his son's life."
Sarah nodded. "I feel sorry for Tony. He's nice."
"He is, and he'll be a good father to our child." Tula placed a hand on her belly.
"Well." Raviki gave Esag another appraising look. "I'd say you traded up."
"Raviki!" Sarah looked scandalized, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.
"What? I'm just being honest. Tony's adequate, I suppose, but Esag is..." She gestured vaguely at him. "Look at him. Those shoulders. That jawline. Those eyes."
Esag was doing an admirable job of pretending not to hear any of this, though Tula caught the slight upturn at the corner of his mouth.
"Tony is the father of my child," Tula said, her voice sharpening. "He's not just 'adequate.' My baby might look like him someday. So, when you insult Tony, you're insulting my child."
The words came out more heated than she'd intended, but she didn't regret them. Tony deserved better than to be dismissed like that.
Raviki laughed. "There she is. There's the Tula we know and love. I was wondering when she'd show up."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been too quiet, too mellow. I was starting to worry that the pregnancy had changed you." Raviki grinned. "But you're still combative and fierce, still ready to fight for what matters to you. It's nice to see you still have fire in you."
Tula didn't know what to say to that. Had she been subdued? She supposed she had. Everything was so overwhelming—the freedom, the choices, having to figure out what she wanted her life to look like when no one was telling her how to live.
