The fire blazingfrom the pit warmed my skin while the cracking helped calm my thoughts. I was at Johnni’s house that she shared with her husband Quincey. It was girls’ night and Johnni decided to host. Quincey had the idea to light the fire pit for us since the weather had officially broken, making it fall here in Crescent Falls. While they sipped wine, I had a cup of hot chocolate. Lately, the flavor had become one of my favorites to indulge.
“Mickey, have you heard anything from the P.I. guy? I still can’t believe the extremes you have to go through to find this piece of shit. Like who the fuck just dips off like this?” Hollis hissed, sounding just as angry as I’d been with this whole situation.
“No for real. Now I’m genuinely curious. Who the hell you were fucking with?” Johnni added.
I shook my head, hating all of this.
“No. It’s only been a week since I hired the man. We gotta let him work. Even though he assured me that he’ll find him, I don’t think I even gave him enough information. I didn’t have much, especially once he moved and changed his number on me. I feel stupid. How the fuck was I busting my shit open for someone I barely know?”
“And I mean, wide the fuck open,” Hollis said before she took a drink, which had me rolling my eyes.
“No, but seriously, it sounds like you were still in the early stages of dating and getting to know each other. That’s the point of that phase. You’re supposed to be doing all the background work during those months,” Hollis stated as she tossed me a wink with a smirk. Since we were the two single ones out of ourtrio, she and I always found ways to make our hot girl shit make sense to each other while Johnni would reel us back in.
“I hate to agree because sometimes y’all be on some wild shit, but Mickey, Hollis is right. Nothing was wrong here, just the lack of protection during that week. But even that can happen to anyone who isn’t used to the pill method. Hell, I swear it took me six months to remember half of Quincey’s likes and dislikes and eight months to remember the names of all his friends and family. We didn’t meet parents until around that time too.”
“Heffa, you and Quincey literally dated back in high school, the shit ain’t even the same thing.” Hollis chimed back in, causing Johnni to clear her throat.
I sipped on my hot chocolate, letting their words settle my mind that had been running through every single possible moment trying to find a hint that Harlan would pull out on me like this.
“Okay, enough of this. Let’s move on to how you’re going to tell Chris and Kat. You’re approaching your second trimester mark, right?” Johnni asked.
I groaned as I rubbed my temple to soothe the slow throb.
“Yes, I just hit eleven weeks, I’m officially down to two left until I hit the next milestone in this pregnancy. I have my appointment coming up this week too. Hollis, are you still coming with me?” Since I went to my first one by myself, and was now on the verge of being a single mother, Hollis and Johnni had both agreed to never let me go to any more alone. I loved my village.
“Girl, what type of question is that? Of course I am. You’re not keeping me out of my baby’s life at all.” We laughed because Hollis was serious about playing daddy to the baby and I loved it.
“And yes, we’re shopping after. I feel like a negligent parent since I haven’t bought my baby anything all week.” I kissed my teeth while Johnni laughed again.
“Please stop spending money. We agreed that you would wait until we find out what I’m having.” Two weeks ago, when we were all out shopping, Hollis bought all girly items, including headbands and all.
“Shh… Mickey, you’re trying to ruin the magic of my manifestation right now. The more girl things I buy for my baby, the better the chances. Watch; you’ll see.” I squinted at her while I pressed my lips tight, holding in my laugh. Hollis was seriously a fool.
“Anyway, enough about that, where is the food, Johnni? You can’t host girls’ night with a pregnant woman in attendance and not feed me. It’s borderline disrespectful.” I rubbed my growling stomach.
“Calm down, you know I’ma feed y’all. Quincey should be back with the food. I got pizza from Leonardo’s. And yes, I got more than pizza, wings too.” The sound of the back door opening came shortly after Johnni ended her sentence with Quincey standing in the door calling out, letting us know the food was back and he’d set the table for us.
“He’s a good man, Johnni. He still caters and sets tables,” Hollis gushed as we headed inside. He had another bottle of wine for her and Hollis and even sparkling white grape juice for me.
“I know, right? I think I’ma marry his ass.” She smiled at Quincey who stood by, smirking at her words before he leaned down and kissed her as if Hollis and I weren’t even here, taking turns washing our hands.
“Woman, you act like we haven’t done that shit,” he said before tapping her ass.
“Enjoy dinner, ladies.” Hollis and I stood there snickering together, watching Johnni’s stuck ass eye fuck her man.
“Well damn, should we head out or what?” Hollis asked while she fanned herself with her hand.
“Oh shut up. Let’s eat and finish planning Chris and Kat’s baby announcement.”
After Harlan’s, I didn’t plan on doing anything but saying the words. But at the rate I was going, they would know before my mouth even got them out since my bump was all they would see.
“Hey,McKay, how have you and the baby been?” She waltzed into the room and headed straight for the sink to wash her hands. This was my first official appointment since finding out I was pregnant, thankful that I had Hollis here with me.
“Things have been good. The nausea officially arrived sometime last week. And it seems like my energy level has drastically dropped. I wanted to blame it on my lack of caffeine as of late, but something tells me it’s the peanut’s fault. Please tell me you can give me something to help.”
Dr. Compton snickered but I didn’t see anything funny.
“Unfortunately I can’t help with your energy level other than to encourage you to take more naps throughout the day. Growing a baby takes a lot of work, energy in this case. As for your nausea, I can prescribe something to help or you can try the natural route. Peppermint tea, eating ginger, or good old fashioned ginger ale will help. And not the soda kind. Also keep in mind that this is only the beginning and we have about twenty-eight more weeks.”
