Page 1 of Unexpected Pass

“The personyou are calling has a voicemail box that is full. You cannot leave a message. Please try your call again later. Goodbye.”

I stared at the phone, rolling my eyes at Reggie’s stupid voicemail message for the thousandth time in the past month. At first, I thought maybe he was busy. His team had made it to the playoffs. Then All-Star weekend had just passed, and he had played in the Pro Bowl, but when my best friend Lolo sent me his very romantic, public proposal to his long-term girlfriend I didn’t know he had, I concluded he was ignoring me. I placed the positive pregnancy test printout from my doctor’s office on the dresser, took a photo of it, and sent it to him. Maybe seeing the proof of my pregnancy would compel him to pick up the phone.Reggie wasn’t my boyfriend, but we’d been fooling around since he had come into the shop to get his hair cut by me six months ago. We’d made a baby together in a serious relationship, marriage or not, and needed to figure this out together.

Me:

We need to talk. Could you call me back?

I shot a text along with the picture as I got up from the bed and made my way over to the floor-length mirror in the corner of my bedroom. I stood in front of the mirror, trying to adjust the sleeves of my oversized jersey. This was the last size they had available in store on such short notice, and it was going to have to do. I had no other options. Sighing, I opened my phone to video call my best friend, Lolo. I didn’t exactly want her opinion because I already knew what she would say, but I promised to call her once I was dressed. I pressed her contact, and the phone barely rang before her round face and low eyes appeared on the screen.

“Are you ready? Let me see.” Her voice spilled through the speakers.

I propped up the phone on my dresser and stepped back so she could take me all in.

“How do I look?” I asked, giving her a twirl.

Maybe adding the twirl would make her go easy on me. It didn’t. Lo squinted at the screen before twisting up her face. I’d been best friends with Lola for five years, long enough to know she didn’t like it.

“It’s... okay.” She paused. “But are y’all going to watch the game at church or?”

“Lo!” I called as I slid my hands down the baggy blue jean pencil skirt I’d paired with the jersey.

“What? That jersey is doing nothing for your figure... and that skirt... Phileigh, be so for real.”

“I think I look cute. I’m going for chill. I’m not trying to look like I try too hard. Let the face card speak for itself.”

“Is that right? “ Lo laughed, shaking her head. “Friend, I’m going to hold your hand when I say this, but the outfit is ugly. You look like you didn’t try at all. You’re about to be around some important people. Friend, you need to step.”

I sighed, plopping down on my bed. I was only going on this blind date to please my mom. She believed finding a husband would solve all my problems. Sometimes, I couldn’t tell if she meant well or wanted me to be married and miserable like she was. Dating wasn’t my strong suit. The universe always seemed to give me the wrong men just like it’d given me the wrong birth father. Whenever I thought something was sweet, it turned out to be trash. Case in point—my messy situation with Reggie.

“I’m not feeling this date, Lo. I’m pregnant.” I sighed.

“Then don’t go, Phileigh. I mean, you are with child,” Lo replied.

I was against this date when my mother presented it to me, but I didn’t want to disappoint her. Besides, this Carson guy seemed like a good guy, and he was taking me to the Super Bowl. When would I ever get another opportunity to attend the Super Bowl?

“It’s not that simple. Ma set this up. If I make her look flakey, I’ll never hear the end of it. It’s not like I can go to my mom and tell her I can’t go because I’m pregnant by an engaged man who’s ghosting me.”

Lo rolled her eyes. She wasn’t the number one fan of my mom or Reggie. Lo always said that Reggie was on bullshit from the beginning, but I was too dickmatized to see it. Lo had always been the friend who told me shit like it was. She didn’t sugar coat for anybody, not even my mom. In a world where I often feltalone and not good enough, Lo was the only person who made me feel like I was perfect.

“You’re too kind, Phileigh,” Lo stated.

“I know.”

“Have you called him?”

“Yes… voicemail.”

“Text his ass then. His foul ass owes you an explanation.”

“I think I may be blocked.” I shrugged, admitting what I feared to be the truth.

“You’re better than me, Phileigh. Because I would have his ass plastered all overHollywood Tea Room!Getting engaged, and you got me pregnant!” Lola rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in her usual dramatic fashion.

“I can’t do that, Lo. That will make me look stupid, and I don’t want to risk losing my little celebrity clientele.”

I was just an up-and-coming local barber before my high school classmate turned professional athlete, Reggie, started coming to get his hair cut by me. He’d brought me a lot of clientele and exposure. If I blasted him for being foul, would the people he sent me still come to me? I wasn’t so sure.

“And Beatrice can’t pick anybody’s husband. Look at the one she picked for herself!” Lo yelled, referring to my father, Dale. “Who is this guy again, anyway?” She asked as if I hadn’t given her the rundown on him a thousand times.

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