Page 34 of Happily Ever After

And as she lay in bed, trying to go back to sleep, Sophie’s words from the night before replayed in her head, impossible to forget.

She was pregnant.

There hadn’t been much conversation after that declaration. Sophie had almost immediately retreated to the guest room, shutting the door firmly behind her, the sounds of her sobs muted but still audible.

Essie had let her be. There were moments when pressing only made things worse. This was most certainly one of them.

She’d spent a lot of time in prayer and a lot of time wondering what to do. She sent a quick text to Frank, letting him know that Sophie was back so that he wouldn’t worry, but she said nothing about the pregnancy. Not yet. Although she would, soon. That wasn’t something she could keep from him, nor did she want to.

She hadn’t reached out to the Queen Bees yet, either, even though she desperately wanted to. Both of those things, Essie had a feeling, would upset Sophie.

And upsetting her would most definitely make her run.

By morning, Essie was up before her alarm, the sky a dusky blue through the kitchen window. She wasn’t sleeping anyway, so why not get up?

She made coffee out of habit, moving carefully, as any loud sounds might carry to the guest room and wake Sophie, even though the door was shut. She’d already laid out her church clothes. Something about doing that simple, routine task had eased her soul.

She sat at the counter, drinking her coffee and looking through social media for a bit. Nothing new from Sophie on TikTok, but Paige’s post about the podcast looked very popular.

Essie tapped on it to like it, then went back to scrolling.

Sophie walked out of the guest room just as Essie was pouring her second cup.

They looked at each other for a moment, neither speaking.

“I’m heading to church,” Essie said finally. “You’re welcome to come with me, if you like.”

She didn’t expect any answer but no. Still, why not ask?

“Okay,” Sophie said.

Essie blinked. “Okay?”

Sophie shrugged. “I’ll go.”

Essie barely contained her surprise and happiness. “Okay. Great. We need to leave in an hour.”

She left Sophie in the kitchen and went to get herself ready, taking her coffee with her. Frank had texted back, thanking her for the update. Essie really wanted to tell him about the pregnancy, but she wasn’t sure how Sophie would feel about that.

When she took her empty mug to the kitchen, Sophie was sitting in the living room, scrolling on her phone. She’d changed into pink cuffed jeans with a Hello Kitty tee and a white cardigan. Her hair was braided in her usual style, but her makeup was subdued.

Essie wouldn’t have cared if Sophie had still been in her pajamas. The fact that she was willing to go to church felt like a huge step.

They drove together in silence, Sophie staring out the passenger-side window when she wasn’t on her phone, Essie keeping her hands on the wheel and her thoughts to herself. At church, they slipped into a pew a few rows back, just as the opening hymn started.

Sophie didn’t sing, just stared straight ahead like her mind was elsewhere. And it probably was. She had a lot to think about, for sure.

After the hymns and offering, they settled in to listen to the pastor’s sermon. They sat side by side, Sophie’s knees angled slightly away, her hands folded tightly in her lap.

Again, Essie let her be and focused on the message the pastor was giving them.

Pastor John spoke calmly, his voice carrying easily through the sanctuary. There was warmth and reassurance in his tone. Essie nodded as he talked about uncertainty. About seasons of life that arrived whether or not someone was ready for them. About the temptation to harden yourself when life refused to follow a plan.

Essie listened, praying that Sophie was doing the same thing. That his words were reaching her. That she would let herself be helped now that she needed it more than ever.

Beside her, Sophie shifted once, then stilled again. Essie could feel her presence without looking, the quiet weight of the young woman’s closeness something tangible.

When the pastor read from scripture, Essie bowed her head. Sophie didn’t at first. Then, after a moment, she did.