We arrived at home late that night loaded down with more gifts than the nursery could hold. If we received one more thing, we’d have to start a warehouse in the empty bedroom. We got so much stuff, we could probably support six more babies, heh. Baby girl could use a different towel every day of the week for the rest of her childhood. We had enough shampoo and lotion to last the rest of her life, it seemed like. If one day she entered a nobody loves me phase, I’ll be sure to remind her of this scene.
Sophia had never been a busybody and always took a more relaxed approach to life, but I was glad to see her following the doctor’s orders. She spent a lot of time on our balcony, rocking in the chair early morning, thinking about whatever expecting mothers think about. Sometimes I’d catch her reading on the couch. Seeing her take the warning seriously made me feel good about leaving her alone for a few hours to visit Maira. I thought about it in the shower, and visiting her before the baby was born was the move. Who knew when I’d be able to spend quality time with her after that.
Like I always, I began our conversation with an apology, but she didn’t fault me, of course. She said it wouldn’t have been right for me to neglect all my guests to hang with her all afternoon. That was true, but I still didn’t like that she was alone all day. She assured me that she was okay, so I asked about her brother.
“He died in a fire,” she said.
“Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry, Maira.”
I never liked him, but he didn’t deserve to die like that.
“Knowing he’s not here anymore is its own challenge, but what makes it worse is when I think about the fire, I often think about us.”
I swallowed a few times because I knew exactly where she was going, and it made me nervous.
“I think about how you held me when you realized I was okay and what we both felt.”
I couldn’t move or even blink and sat there, holding my breath, hoping she wasn’t about to pull a Yasmine on me. Finding good friends had been a long journey, and I felt like I had a nice inner circle now. I didn’t want to lose Maira because of her feelings for me. I also didn’t need her digging things back up because I had worked hard to let that go.
“Sometimes I think about that moment and I wish I would have given in,” she continued. “We could have tried to see if we would work. I imagine myself married to you and pregnant with your baby. My parents would finally be proud of me.”
I wanted to stop her from talking so she wouldn’t say something that would ruin our friendship, but I was frozen. This was a mistake. I wanted to be a better friend, but we couldn’t be alone together anymore.
“All of that is nice to think about,” she continued, “but I would be miserable. And you would get fed up with me. We wouldn’t be friends anymore. Life turned out exactly how it was supposed to, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I like how we are, and I like my life. It’s just lonely sometimes, and I wonder if I’m missing out on something.”
I exhaled the breath I held and blinked, finally. I could keep my friend. As uncomfortable as that was to hear, I loved that we were able to be that honest with each other. That’s true friendship right there.
“Everyone has their own opinions about what you should be doing with your life, so I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer for that,” I said. “I think as long as you’re happy with your life, no one else’s opinion matters.”
“Yeah. You’re right. That’s what I say to myself. But you know how it is.”
“Yeah. It’s a battlefield up there.”
“Seriously.”
“So…there’s no one you’re interested in right now?” I asked, trying to pivot the conversation…and maybe be a tiny bit nosy.
“No, and it’s all your fault. You ruined me!”
“Me? How??”
“You set the bar way too high! No one else can measure up!”
“Oh please. I’m sure there’s plenty of guys out there who are way better catches than me.”
“I assure you, there aren’t.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. Ooh, I should set you up with my friend Justin.”
“That guy who comes to all your parties? He’s kinda cute. What’s up with him?”
“He’s a landscaper and lives in San Myshuno. He comes from a big family just like you and is a good man…a bit older than us, but at least he won’t bother you about children.”
“Oh-my-Watcher you’re trying to set me up with an OLD man??”
“He’s not that old…I think.”
“You are officially fired from matchmaking, thank you!”
I missed our banter. It felt good to laugh with her again. Hopefully, she would let someone into her life soon. She didn’t need a man, but it was obvious she wanted some kind of companionship, and I was not the man for the job. Besides, she deserved to be loved and cherished, and I wanted to see her happy for once.
“The baby will be here in a couple of days, huh?” she asked.
“Sure will. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“So, is this the first of many, or…”
I sighed, realizing this would be the first time I admitted this out loud.
“She might be it for us. At least if we want more, we’ll have to adopt.”
“Whaaat?”
“Yeah. We went through a lot to get her. Sophia says she doesn’t want to do it again.”
“Are you cool with adoption?”
“Oh yeah, totally. You know Sophia’s adopted, right?”
“Really? I don’t think I knew that. It’s funny…I’ve known her almost my whole life, but I’ve never really known her until now.”
Was it bad that I often forgot she and Rashidah were sisters? They rarely spoke of each other, and Sophia and Rashidah seemed closer than the sisters.
“Yeah, she is,” I said. “And she’s got quite a story. But yeah… We’re both open to it, but actually doing it is another story.”
“Well, whatever happens, I’m glad you two are finally getting your family. I can’t wait to meet your kid!”
“Oh yeah? I thought you didn’t like children.”
“I never said that! I don’t want my own children; I love the auntie life! I think my first order of business will be teaching her forbidden words!”
“Oh Watcher. Here we go.”
