Missy was never close with her parents and even though we’d been friends for twenty years, I didn’t know much about them. She always played at my house when we were kids and never invited me over. Her parents were older than mine and she had said because of their advanced age, they weren’t able to relate to her. They were always nice to me, especially her father, complimenting me on my new dress or congratulating me on my achievements. I never understood why Missy had such a problem with them and since I was so wrapped up in my own stuff, I rarely bothered to inquire into her home life. Now I wondered if there was more to the story.
“Do you want to tell me why you never felt safe with your family?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to talk about them. Maybe someday, but not today.”
At least I’d opened the door for her to discuss it with me. Now she had the choice whether to walk through it.
“I know we can’t go back to how it was before, but I want you to know, I still think of you as my best friend and I always will. Although the days of you taking care of me are over.”
I sat back in my chair, noticing the subtle changes in her appearance. “You seem different.”
“Really? How?”
“You’re glowing ... almost like when ... oh my God!” I waited for her to confirm my suspicions, but she just sat there, enjoying my excitement.
“You’re pregnant!”
She nodded slowly, her smile the loveliest sight I had seen in a very long time.
“How?”
“I thought we learned about the birds and the bees together in the third grade,” she teased.
“Missy!” I screamed and everyone in the shop stopped to stare at us. I didn’t care if I made a fool out of myself.
“I decided I wanted to have a baby. I found a baby daddy and voilà, we made a baby. My due date is April first, April Fool’s day, ironically.”
Missy had had sex with a guy? I didn’t know what to say to that admission. Instead, I kept it simple. “Mazel Tov. I’m happy for you.”
“You think you’re ready to be an aunt and godmother?”
Damn, she made me start crying again.
“Hey, I’m the one with all those hormones surging through me. Why are you crying?” She laughed.
“I cry a lot if you hadn’t noticed. One of the side effects of letting myself feel things for a change.”
“Well it’s a good change, Sara.”
“Missy, who’s the father, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I want to tell you, really I do, but I haven’t told him yet. As soon as I do, I’ll let you know.”
“Do I know him?”
She nodded yes and bit the inside of her cheek. I could tell it was killing her to keep it from me.
“It’s not Adam, is it?” I said, only half-joking.
Missy appeared mortified. “No! It’s not Adam’s.”
“Did the father know you wanted to get pregnant?”
“No,” she admitted. “I don’t expect him to want to participate in raising my child. That’s why I chose him.”
“What about Hannah? Does she know you’re pregnant?”
“She does. It’s hard to hide it from her since she sees me naked all the time,” she announced, causing me to blush.
“Is she going to help you raise the baby?”
“We’re taking it one day at a time, as you Twelve Steppers say. Right now we’re just discovering if we have potential. Neither one of us has been in a serious relationship, plus she’s bisexual which complicates things a little.”
I didn’t see how Hannah being bisexual was a problem. If you’re in a committed relationship, then you’re committed, no matter what gender.
“If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be here for you, Missy.”
“Thank you.” She gave me a bright smile. Pregnancy really did suit her.
“I hope everything works out the way you planned, but I’ve learned it rarely does. Sometimes fate has other ideas for us,” I commented, thinking about my own foiled plans.
“Well one thing is certain.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll have my best friend by my side.”
“Always, Missy. Always.”
I wasn’t foolish enough to think my attempt to make amends to Caleb would go as smoothly as it had with Missy. Still, it was difficult to hear the bitterness in Caleb’s voice when I called to set up a time when we could meet. In the end, he agreed to see me in the parking lot of the nature preserve where we’d shared our first kiss. Apparently he was planning on going hiking anyway, so I fit into his schedule.