“Amen” and “Hallelujah” Ko and Harley call out simultaneously, leaving me unsure of who said what.
“You guys are the best, you know that?” I beam at my friends as they all nod in unison. “So what’s going on with everyone else? How’s Benji? Ready for your exam?”
“He’s great actually.” Her curled posture tells me the opposite but I learned after last time not to push her. I see Sin’s jaw tick at the response knowing that there’s probably more to the story. Harley adds, “I am ready I think and I might have a job lined up at the Right Place, Right Time Center, the one that works with troubled teens where I did one of my undergrad internships.”
“That’s great! I remember how much you loved learning there.” Kodi adds in as our waitress comes back, dropping off drinks and taking our orders. As if Kodi doesn’t eat enough pancakes with Bella, she orders strawberry pancakes with hash browns and a bowl of fruit. Harley orders a smoothie bowl with a fried egg while Sin orders a meat lover's omelet with a small berry parfait. I go with my usual which is a blueberry streusel waffle with a side of hash browns and fruit bowl.
“Alright, Kodi. Spill the tea, how is being married?” Sin asks, Kodi’s cheeks redden and I think she’s going to spill some sexy little secrets but instead, a choked sob escapes her. I move closer to my best friend, wrapping my arms around her before she has a chance to say anything.
“Oh my god, this is so stupid.” She sniffles.
“No, whatever is happening is not stupid. Talk to us.” I encourage her, still wrapped around her tightly.
“We had decided that when we got married we wanted to give Bella a sibling as soon as possible. It’s only been a few months but it’s not happening. It’s not to say it won't, which is why it feels stupid.”
“It’s not stupid at all, Ko. Something that you’ve always wanted is taking longer than you expected and being frustrated and upset is a normal response. This is something that so many people struggle with and it’s okay for you to be feeling this way.” Harley soothes.
“I’m trying to be so happy for you, D, but it’s been hard, I have to admit.” She sniffles again and this time I join her.
“I feel like a shit friend, I’ve been bothering you about baby stuff and sharing everything this whole time. You’ve been struggling and I was just rubbing it in your face.” The guilt of not being present for my best friend or giving her the support she needed weighs heavily on my shoulders.
“No, Darcy, that's not true at all. I didn’t tell you, and it’s my responsibility to do that. I should have told you. All of you—instead of keeping it to myself.” She hugs me back, tighter this time.
“How can we support you?” Sin asks her.
“I think just being you guys, letting me talk or cry if I need to. Celebrate with me when my body decides it’s time. Just don’t ask me all the time if I’m okay, I don’t think that question will be helpful to me.” She says.
We all murmur some sort of affirmation to her before our food is dropped off in front of us. We dig in, silence blanketing us for a moment. Sin is the first to break the silence, “Well I don’t have anything fun to share. Just fooling around when work isn’t kicking my ass.”
“Okay.” Kodi claps. “Let’s talk about the baby shower.”
“Drum roll please.” Harley and Sin begin gently tapping their fingers on the table to avoid causing a ruckus in the restaurant.
“The theme is…” I pause for dramatic effect causing my friends to roll their eyes at me. “Baby on Board! So think blues, sandy colors, shells, waves. Everything that encompasses Tate and I’s happy place. Tate said we could have it at the beach house!”
Sin mimes a gag, before asking, “I’m assuming you’ve shared the Pinterest board with all of us?” I give her two thumbs up eliciting another eye roll from her.
“Alright, then we will handle it from here.” Harley chimes in, giving the other two a devious grin that I know means they will be going all out for this and I honestly can’t wait.
“Are we inviting Lorraine?” Kodi’s curiosity piquing beside me.
“I told her she was welcome to attend and would be receiving an invite but if she causes any problems or shows up with people that weren’t invited or cameras she would have to leave.”
“Ooooo she’s setting boundaries.” Harley does a little happy dance across the table.
“I did, I won’t let her or anyone treat Hudson the way that she treated me.” I crinkle my nose in disgust before pulling my phone out and crossing another name off the list. “Dang it man, names are hard.”
“I think once you see him, you’ll know for sure what his name is.” Sin comments.
“Hmm, you’re probably right.” The rest of brunch goes by quickly and I head home to take a quick nap before my date with Tatum.
* * *
I’munable to nap when I return to the condo, and Tatum isn’t back yet, so I sit at my desk and open my laptop. I open a few tabs including my plotting document, my WIP which I’ve barely put a dent into, my inspiration photos, my search engine page, and my soft, chill pop mix.
I quickly reread the first couple of chapters I’ve started, changing quite a few things as I go because it’s been almost a year since I’ve touched this manuscript. The story I’m planning to write follows a small-town girl, Reese, who moves to a big city and begins working for grumpy, millionaire Trent as his architecture assistant. We’ve got fake dating, a small-town girl and a big-city guy, and my personal favorite, grumpy and sunshine.
Two hours and two thousand words later, I hear the front door click and quickly move out to the living room hoping Tatum is up for some cuddles.
