“Tabitha’s highly intuitive.” Sage nodded confidently.
“It’s that Hartley blood,” Tabitha giggled. “It’s diluted, but I can sense out love-matches.”
“Well, so am I!” I protested with a point. “Intuitive, I mean. I get inklings about things.”
“Yeah, but your fear of committed relationships and intimacy tends to block your inklings from working on you in that department,” Sage said.
“I have no problem with intimacy, clearly.” I gestured to my belly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
“Okay, that part you’re okay with. At least until feelings get involved.” She gave me a pointed look.
“Is it too early in our friendship to ask why you have a fear of committed relationships and feelings?” Tabitha asked, leaning against her counter, and looking at me expectantly with wide, honest blue eyes quite like Noah’s. One of the few familial resemblances they seemed to share.
“Ugh, I hate getting into it but basically? My parents aren’t the greatest, and the one relationship I had sucked, and now I run scared because I’m used to being on my own.” I shrugged, summarizing it as much as I could without getting too into it.
“Ah, I see,” Tabitha nodded, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “Well, Noah’s got a touch of commitment-phobia too, although he doesn’t really have an excuse. I mean really, who hasn’t been burned by their high school love?” She rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Oh, so we’re two commitment-phobic people trying to make a go of it. Great. This isn’t a recipe for disaster or anything.”
Tabitha smiled kindly at me. “I think you’ll both be coming from a place of understanding, which is never a bad thing.”
“She’s right,” Sage interjected. “The important thing to remember is to communicate. You feel scared? Tell him. You feel like running for the hills? Tell him.”
“I’m sure he’ll love hearing every other second that I’m having misgivings; it’ll really boost his confidence.”
Tabitha smirked. “His ego could use a little deflating, I’m sure it’ll be good for him.”
“When is your next date?” Sage asked.
“This weekend.” I rolled my shoulders, trying to work out the kinks in them. My body was a little achy today, especially after spending most of the day in a near-constant state of tension.
“What are you guys going to do?” Sage asked.
“No clue, I don’t have the energy to plan dates. My idea of a perfect date would be staying in and wearing sweatpants, but I don’t think we’re there yet. We’re still trying to impress each other.”
Sage snorted with laughter, then covered her mouth in embarrassment. “Ugh, did your sinuses get all screwed up while pregnant? Or is that a me thing? It happened with Daphne, too.”
“Ah, the classic pregnancy rhinitis.” Tabitha nodded. “I had it with the twins, but not with Bryson.”
As if she summoned them, the twins raced into the kitchen, with Daphne trailing behind them.
“Can we get a snack? We’re super hungry,” Brielle said, peering up at her mother with hopeful eyes.
“Okay, but you’ve already had cookies, so you can have fruit or veggies. What’s it going to be, girls?” Tabitha asked, opening the refrigerator and looking over her shoulder. The three girls exchanged a look with one another, as if deliberating.
“Fruit,” Brielle answered for everyone, and Daphne and Bella nodded in agreement. Tabitha’s lips twitched as she pulled out a Tupperware full of fruit and set it on the counter and grabbed three plates.
“You can eat your snack in the living room, but please bring the plates back when you’re done,” she said, putting a mixture of honey dew, cantaloupe, watermelon, and berries on each plate.
“Okay!” the girls said in unison, grabbing their plates and heading back to the living room.
Tabitha turned to face us again. “I think you guys should go to Juan in a Million. They have the best chimichangas and enchiladas, and they were featured in an episode of Food Fanatics!”
“I second that suggestion,” Sage nodded enthusiastically. “The food is delicious, and it’s more casual than The Harvest.”
“We’ll see. Don’t get me wrong, it sounds delicious, but I think we need to go somewhere a little more private. We need to talk.”
“I thought you were having issues not jumping his bones at work. Are you sure you want to go somewhere more private with him?”
