Page 32 of First Comes Marriage

Where the hell am I?

She wiped sleep from her eyes and glanced around atthe minimalist space. Chrome and steel and leather in stark contrast to the driftwood accent wall, the waterfall of white marble serving as a kitchen island, the emotionless beachy landscapes hanging in shiny copper picture frames.

Right. Sebastian’s condo.

She didn’t remember lying down—just that by the time she’d gotten off the phone with her mother she’d been exhausted and alone in the condo—but the nap had done wonders. It seemed her uterus was done trying to murder her for the night, and—miracle of miracles—she hadn’t actually gotten her period two weeks early as she’d feared. Must have been the stress of the last week turning her stomach into knots.

A niggling warning at the back of her mind reminded her that it was likely more than stress. And if Sebastian meant it, if he actually added her to his insurance policy, she could finally see a doctor. She wouldn’t need to wait another four months—realistically more like five—to buy her own insurance. Not that having the insurance itself would stop her ovary from producing cysts the size of grapefruit or keep the endometriosis from spreading, but it would mean she could find a new gynecologist, get the medication she needed to keep the cysts under control, maybe stop living in fear of the ever-more-frequent flare-ups.

The doorbell buzzed again. “Hello?” she asked into the speaker mounted on the wall beside the front door.

“Sabrina? Let us up! It’s Tessa and Kyla—we met at St. Anthony’s Bazaar two weeks ago,” the staticky reply filled the condo.

Sabrina pressed the button at the bottom of the intercom. A few moments later, a sharp knock came at the front door. She pulled the door open, but before she could say anything, a very pregnant Tessa pushed past her. “Sorry, gotta pee!” Tessa called as she waddled down the hall towards the guest bathroom.

“Don’t mind her. The baby’s been sitting on her bladder allweek. I’m Kyla. I’m not sure if you remember me,” the curvy blonde in the doorway said with a sheepish smile.

“Kyla, hi. Yes, of course, I remember you. Come in.” Sabrina stepped back and ushered her into Sebastian’s living room. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re the welcome wagon. Tessa is married to Jamie, and I’m engaged to Gavin and now that you’re married to Baz…” She shrugged with a smile. “Welcome!”

“I’m sorry, Jamie and Gavin are…?”

“Your husband’s best friends,” Tessa called from the bathroom down the hall. She emerged a few minutes later. “My dad, Ethan, is the fourth.”

“I met Ethan. He picked us up from the airport.” Sabrina paused, running back Tessa’s words. “Wait, your dad is friends with your husband?”

“Best friends,” Tessa confirmed. “We’re one big, modern family.”

“And now, you’re one of us.” Kyla beamed. “So while the boys are out playing trivia—”

“Losing trivia,” Tessa corrected. “You should be prepared for that when Baz gets home. They always lose to Mrs. White and her friends. Baz takes it the hardest.”

“Yes, while they’re losing, we’re having girls’ night.” Kyla reached into the giant bag on her shoulder and produced a bottle of sparkling cider. “I’m thinking pizza and a corny romcom.”

Tessa sank into the armchair at one end of the living room. “Only if we get cheesy bread too, with that garlic butter dipping sauce. But no pepperoni. This kid is giving me awful heartburn.”

“Right, it’s the baby and not the mountain of buffalo wings you’ve been having for lunch every day,” Kyla said with a smirk as she rummaged for glasses in Baz’s cabinets.

“The baby likes spicy food. What can I say? At least we’re done with the Indian cravings. Our house smelled like curry for a month.”

“Tessa’s husband is a chef,” Kyla explained. “When she has a craving, he doesn’t order take out. He cooks.”

“The food is amazing, but the smell lingers,” Tessa said, resting her hand absent-mindedly on her baby bump.

Sabrina smiled, though the easy conversation and friendly banter had her off kilter, like she’d been dropped into the middle of one of those supportive, funny, female friend groups people always had on TV but no one actually had in real life. At least, she’d thought no one actually had them in real life. But here Tessa and Kyla were—funny, supportive, female, and determined, it seemed, to be her friends.

“What’ll it be?” Kyla asked, handing Sabrina a glass of sparkling cider and making herself at home on the couch. “90s, 2000s, or made for a streaming service?”

“90s,” Tessa and Sabrina said at the same time.

Kyla fumbled with the remote to Sebastian’s oversized television. After a minute, she held it out to Sabrina. “How do you work this thing?”

“Don’t ask me,” Sabrina laughed. “I only just moved in.”

“That’s right! Mrs. White’s little welcome home gift,” Tessa said with a smile. “Personally, I would have preferred a dozen cupcakes to having Mrs. White digging through my things. Oh! Or a cheesecake. Or a carrot cake.” Her eyes lit up. “A carrot cake cheesecake!”

Kyla laughed and dug into her bag again, producing a bar of expensive chocolate. “Best I can do on short notice.”

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