Page 61 of Afterglow
Indi Bhindi
COMING TO RESCUE YOUUUU
Gabe Babe
From what??
Indi Bhindi
Whoever is holding her hostage
One of our usual servers approaches to refill my water, and I hold a hand over the rim to stop her. “I’m good, thank you.” When Laura turns toward the kitchen, I refocus on my phone. I can’t believeI’mthe calm one on the group chat right now.
“Okay, I’m here.” Indi loops her crossbody over the chair and takes a seat. “Tell me everything.”
“What happened to ‘hello, how are you?’”
“Hello, how are you?” Gabe hugs me from behind and sits next to me. “Now, spill.”
“Hold that thought. I’m so hungry I could eat this whole restaurant.” Indi calls over the familiar waitress. “Hey, Laura. Could I have a mimosa, please?”
“That’s not food,” I comment. It’s also an $11 drink I can’t afford at the moment.
“Make it two,” Gabe adds. “And an order of avocado eggs.”
“Sure thing, what about you?” Laura asks Indi.
“I’ll take a benny today. Florentine.”
“With homies or greens?”
“Both.”
“I’m not ready!” I blurt, unprovoked, taking the three by surprise. Smooth. So chill of you, Bea.
Laura gives us a polite smile. “I’ll…bring out your drinks and have them start on the order. Lemme come back after a few minutes to circle back.”
As our server walks away, Indi narrows her eyes at me. “I was joking before, but now I’m actually worried about you.”
Laura swings by again to drop off glass flutes filled with their mimosas. Indi rushes it to her mouth, nearly spilling it onto her lap. She takes a swig and lets out a contented sigh.
I slide a concerned look to Indi. “I thought you can’t drink while nursing.”
“You can’t. I’m gonna pump and dump. I have aninsaneamount of stored breastmilk, a whole deep freezer full. Plus, Akhila eats real food now. She’s gonna be fine.” She and Gabe clink glasses and take simultaneous sips.
For the first time in my life, I’m speechless. I don’t know where to start. So much has happened in six weeks.
“Behraz?” Indi’s voice cuts through my wandering train of thought.
I feel like I’m torn apart, being ripped in half like a thin sheet of paper. My mouth quivers into a frown, clinging to a thread of control that’s ready to break.
“Oh, girl.” She comes around to this side of the table to wrap me in a hug while we share the seat.
I tell them everything.
About the ADHD diagnosis and getting kicked out of my sublease. How I moved my stuff in Parvez’s bakery back office using Landon’s Range Rover.
“I wanted so badly to tell you, but…”
