"I am so inclined."
The ruckus of heavy feet in the foyer broke the calmness of the waiting area. I sat up straight at the same time that the door swung open. Sali bumbled in, her ponytail slightly tousled. Maggie skidded to a halt behind her, nearly bumping her in the ass.
"Calm down, Sal," she spat, when Sali made to bolt forward.
"Did we miss it?" Sali looked around before her gaze met mine. "Oh. Good."
"Nora's not giving birth, asshole." I laughed when she grabbed me in a headlock. A swell of emotion squeezed my chest when they showed up.
"Aw fuck. Then what are we doing here?" She messed up my hair then released me. "What up, Anita?"
"Nothing new. What up, Sali?" Anita smirked at her and pulled herself up to sit straight in her chair.
"Shh." Maggie laughed at us and thwapped Sali in the arm. "This is a calm and quiet place."
"Fuck that." Sali cupped her hands around her mouth. "We love you, Bitchtit!"
"Oh my God." Maggie covered her face with her hands.
Nora's laughed coupled with Doctor Lewis' emanated from the office. The door opened slowly, and Lewis peeked her head out.
"Mrs. Miller, may I see you in my office?"
Sali cracked up. "No way! I'm not spreading my legs for you on your desk, Doc. That's pushing it."
"Oh my God," Nora's giggling voice said.
Lewis grinned and shut the door on us again.
Sali's proud smile broadened when she drew her eyes back to us. Anita and Maggie sat beside each other, both of them staring up at her. "What?"
Anita chuckled, shaking her head.
"You are a piece of work, Salinger Miller." Maggie grabbed her and pulled her into her lap. "But at least Nora knows we're here to support her now."
"Fuck yeah she does." Sali grinned and wagged her brows at me. "Don't tell Caroline we're here to support her, too. She'll go beast mode and whip us."
"Damn right." I narrowed my eyes at her. "And I'd make your girl watch."
"Cannot believe I'm sitting in the middle of this conversation," said Anita, as we continued to talk across her.
"Get used to it," muttered Maggie and we all laughed.
I didn't expect Maggie and Sali to show up today, or even for Anita to join us. For most of my life, I gathered acquaintances, play partners, colleagues, but for the most part, save for Nora and Samirah, I never collected friends. Whatever bond the group of us in this office formed over the past few months made itself glowingly clear. Whatever happened today, and whatever happened down the road, it felt like I could trust them. Not because of anything in particular, except for the fact that we understood each other on a level that none of us anticipated.