“Well, I’m here now,” I assure her with a forced grin. “Why don’t you take a break, and then I’ll help you do some things if you want?” I leave off the desperate please that wants to follow, hoping she’ll agree without me having to beg.
Her lips purse and she turns off the water, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.
“Yeah, okay,” she mutters, waddling across the bus toward the bag of donuts. “What did you bring me?”
She plops into the seat and grabs the bag, peeling it open before I’ve even caught up.
“Oh yum!” Her eyes grow wide as she pulls one out of the bag and inhales it deeply.
“Much better than cleaning, right?” I ask, grabbing one for myself.
“Definitely.”
We snack in silence, and I try not to acknowledge the awkwardness creeping in. We didn’t address the fact that Sebastian stayed hidden the whole trip here, or the fact that he’s once again gone. Considering all the time I’ve spent on their tour bus, I’ve only seen him for a couple of minutes.
But I told Niki I’d stop worrying.
Just a few more weeks…
“Oo!” Niki jumps suddenly, and my heart slams into my throat.
“What is it?” I look her over, panic lighting up my veins. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
She winces and nods, waving a hand at me. “I’m fine. The baby just kicked something… felt important.”
I exhale a nervous chuckle, not entirely convinced.
“They’ve been pretty active all day, flipping and turning,” she explains, rubbing tentative fingers over her belly. Pausing, rubbing again. Suddenly, her face lights up. “Do you want to feel it?”
Is that even a question?
I scramble out of my seat and around the table, squatting next to her and waiting for instructions. She snatches my hand and places it on her soft belly, moving it a bit before freezing.
I wait, my pulse pounding in my ears, until I feel a flutter beneath my fingers. With a squeak, my eyes dart to hers, and emotion wells in me. My best friend, my favorite human, made a tiny version of herself, and I’m getting to feel them for the first time.
“Oh my gosh,” I whisper, giggling when the baby moves again. “Does it feel like an alien’s inside you?”
She nods and laughs. “Like it’s trying to tear its way out.”
“Lo siento, bebe. You have to stay in there and cook a little longer.” I poke her in the stomach for good measure and stand. “No early arrivals.”
Niki nods in agreement. “Exactly. We don’t need any…” Her words trail off, her eyes pinching together like she’s contemplating something.
I wait for her to finish her sentence, thinking she must have forgotten what she was going to say, but then the color drains from her face. My heart bottoms out as her eyes unfocus, and I grip her arm.
“Niki?”
She doesn’t respond, just blinks several times as she stares at the table in front of her.
“Niki, what’s wrong?” I put a hand on her back, rubbing softly. I know I can’t carry her if she passes out, which seems like a good possibility at this moment, and the kitchen table is not the best place for that. “Come on, Nik, let’s get you to the recliner.”
It’s the closest comfortable thing; I don’t know if she’ll make it to the bed. But I need to get her feet up.
She nods slightly, but doesn’t make an effort to move. Her eyes flutter and she sways in the seat, making my heart drop into my stomach.
Shit.
“Nope, nope, nope.” I throw her arm over my shoulders and grab her around the waist, hauling her out of the seat. “Come on. It’s just a few steps. That floor is gonna feel a lot worse than the recliner.”
