Page 56 of Mine to Worship

Common pain unites people better than any happy moment.

Aubrey snaps her fingers at me. “Hey, where did you go?”

“Sorry, it’s just… yesterday…” I shut my eyes and Tara wraps her arms around me.

“Kian told us, and I am so sorry you had to go through that scare. He shuddered as he told us.”

“Yes, he has been amazing.”

“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant. You went from no boyfriend, to marriage, and now a baby in no time.”

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?”

We giggle at the wild turn my life has taken.

“I missed you girls so much,” I confess. “Tell me everything. What have I missed?”

For the first time, both of them are on the same page as they say, “No, no, you first.”

I relent and tell them that after the wedding I wanted someplace quiet. They furrow their eyebrows and I add, “I guess it was a pregnancy thing, so I decided to visit my aunt and found out I’m pregnant. Then the morning sickness started and my constant throwing up landed me in the hospital. Not only was I pregnant, it came with a complication. Yesterday was the scariest day of my life. But I feel better today.”

“What do you think it is?” Tara asks with wonder stretching in the corners of her eyes.

“A girl.”

“Good luck, you’ll need it if she inherits his bossy attitude,” Aubrey says wistfully.

“Hey,” I lament and they giggle.

“Can you imagine him with a girl?” Aubrey’s face scrunches up, shaking her head at my belly with pity.

“I do actually, he’ll be great with her.”

“Poor girl, she’ll never be able to date.”

“Aubrey, stop exaggerating,” Tara huffs at her and Aubrey raises her hands, emphasizing her point.

“She’ll die a virgin.”

I roll my eyes at her.

“I quit my job,” Aubrey blurts out and both Tara and I snap our heads at her.

She fidgets with a big bracelet around her wrist and adds, “But I…”

“What?” Tara asks, placing a hand on her arm.

“I love the idea of being independent. Just travel the world with a laptop and take pictures of what I like, share my vision.”

“I say go for what you want!” Tara encourages her.

“Come on, Aubrey, you’ll succeed at whatever you put your mind to,” I say, fully believing. My friend is fierce.

“Thank you,” she whispers, emotions tinging her expression.

After a three-way hug, the door opens, and Kian peers inside.

“It’s intense how he loves you.” Aubrey whispers.

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