Chapter 12 #2
Liz screamed, jumping up and down. “Oh my gosh, you’re pregnant, too!”
Juliet nodded, sniffling softly.
“Who’s the fa—?” I cut myself off with a jolt when my brain caught up with me. Juliet was married, happily from all accounts. Her husband was the father. My best friend—my sister-in-law—was married, and I couldn’t even remember it.
Tears stung my eyes.
“Pais, I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
I started when she touched my uninjured arm. “Why would you be afraid to tell me? It’s not your fault I can’t remember your wedding. Or that I’m coming to terms that this isn’t an unexpected teen pregnancy.” I laughed a little.
Juliet’s face crumpled. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what?” I asked, confused and a little hurt. “Why would you be afraid? I thought we told each other everything.”
“Not afraid,” she said, a bit of her spark returning. “But you wanted a baby, Pais. At Christmas. You were disappointed you weren’t pregnant, and—bam—I suddenly get what you wanted?” She was breathing hard by the time she finished. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
I . . . wanted a baby? Could I even have a kid?
Was it infertility? Or . . . I had a hundred and ten questions, none of which were relevant when my grinch-like bestie was looking at me with weepy eyes and smudged makeup.
“Jules . . . I wouldn’t have been resentful.
I can’t even remember that, so it doesn’t hurt.
But I’d be happy for you. Always. I am happy. ”
I wrapped my arms around her, which, to my surprise, she allowed. Returned even. Wow. This was new. Juliet wasn’t overly affectionate by nature.
Patting her back, my gaze locked on Stephanie, and a whisper of something niggled at me. “Trust His timing, right?”
Light touched her face, her hazel eyes wide. “You remember?”
Did I? “Not fully. Just . . . it feels like we’d had this conversation before.”
“New Year’s,” Stephanie said softly, her smile a little wobbly. “When you came to Spokane to surprise me and Nash.”
Right. Because she was engaged. The last one of us to get her happily ever after.
Juliet tugged away, swiping her eyes. “Sorry. Hormones are no joke.” She sniffled. “Myles said he should invest stock in tissues.”
“I’ve never seen you cry,” Liz said, a little bewildered. “I spent years wondering if you could.”
Glad I wasn’t alone in thinking that. Couldn’t blame amnesia for this one.
“Don’t get used to it,” Juliet grunted, morphing back into the grump we knew and loved. “I have every intention of never crying again once this kid is born. That and never throwing up. Morning sickness is a beast.”
We laughed and moved in for a group hug.
“Is this necessary?” Juliet groused as we squeezed her.
“We’re about to become honorary aunties,” Liz said. “Of course it’s necessary!”
You’re pregnant, too. The words hit me with the force of a dwarf army crashing through a shield wall. “Wait, too?” I shouted, pulling back to look at Liz. “Are you . . . ?”
Liz’s smile dimmed. “Oh, sorry, Pais. Yeah, um, I told you guys a couple weeks ago over video chat.”
I squeezed her. “I’m happy for you. Really.” Just gutted I’d forgotten something this important. These women were everything to me. Now, I felt like I was on the outside looking into a life I wasn’t a part of. A life I’d always wanted, and it had been ripped away.
“When are you due?” Stephanie asked.
“December.”
Liz squealed. “I’m in January!” And she squeezed harder. “This is so exciting!”
We only let go once Juliet got twitchy.
“Time for The Princess Diaries and nail polish!” Stephanie announced. “Ladies, pick your weapons.”
“Julie Andrews is always the answer!” Liz sang with an exaggerated pirouette, before giving her best Sandra Oh impression: “‘The queen is coming.’”
Between snack breaks, the occasional song on the soundtrack that called for karaoke, and Liz reminding Juliet not to check her phone, the girls filled me in on their lives.
“You promised Myles you’d be present and not obsess over the game,” Liz demanded, snatching Juliet’s pink phone out of her hands and tucking it under her leg.
Juliet made a grab for it, but Liz squealed, “Remember the baby!”
“Which one?” Juliet froze and stared at Liz.
Liz stared right back, then cackled, her face lighting up. “Oh my gosh! We’re gonna be moms at the same time!”
While Liz was distracted, Juliet made another swipe for the phone, but Liz shoved her away. “You promised, Julie!”
“Don’t call me that.”
Liz ignored her grousing. “Myles said he’d call you before bed, woman, now focus. You’re not even the newlywed here.”
I found myself laughing at their banter. This was what I remembered. Us. “I’m glad some things haven’t changed,” I whispered so softly I wasn’t sure anyone heard me.
But Stephanie squeezed my hand sympathetically. “You still know us, Pais. We’ve grown. We’re more mature, but we’re not really different.”
I swallowed hard. She had no idea how much had changed. So I tried for levity. “After seeing that”—I motioned to Liz and Juliet—“I’m having a hard time seeing the maturity growth.”
Stephanie laughed. “Fair enough.”
“How long have you been engaged?” I asked, holding up her small hand to better admire her gorgeous engagement ring. It wasn’t huge or gaudy—despite the fact she was marrying a millionaire—but perfectly classy and elegant. Very Steph.
“Seven weeks.”
“And when’s the wedding?”
A dreamy radiance touched Stephanie’s face. “August 8th.” She paused. “We had plans for you and Jules to come up to Spokane for dress shopping in a few weeks. Are you still up for that?”
“Of course!” I chirped, plastering on a smile.
Part of me was dying a slow death. I’d missed out on so many of my best friends’ milestones.
I’d been there, but this forgetting . . .
? Ugh, just thinking about it had the waterworks getting primed and ready.
No. I would not be the thundercloud to destroy their rainbows of happiness.
I just needed a crash course on my previous life. “So how did you and Nash meet?”
“Oh, here we go,” Juliet moaned, but her lips quirked in amusement.
“He was my boss,” Stephanie said.
“Who she crushed on for two years!” Liz cut in.
You could always count on Liz for the juicy details. Somehow, she knew everything. Maybe it was the missionary-kid thing and being in the know of all the “unspoken prayer requests.” She was a terrible secret-surprise keeper, but you could trust her with your heart.
Stephanie’s vampiric skin crimsoned. “It was a mutual interest neither of us acted on because—hello, boss?—until I asked him to be my fake boyfriend to my family’s Christmas cabin nightmare.”
My jaw dropped. “You took him to meet Hiram and the Addams?” I shivered. “Girl, were you trying to run him off?”
Juliet scoffed. “That’s what we asked.”
“They’re not all bad. Just most of them.” Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Besides, I’ve been doing better with letting people in.”
Liz hugged her, smooshing their faces together. “And we are so proud of you, girlie!”
“Nash Prescott is also Hiram’s biggest competitor in the marketing world,” Juliet added, cracking open a bottle of black nail polish.
“Ooh, drama!” I said, settling further into the cushions and picking at a slice of Liz’s Black Forest cake. The vibrant flavours danced on my tongue. “I can imagine the showdown.”
We’d spent exactly one Christmas with Stephanie and her whacked family during the course of our friendship, and one was enough to last a lifetime.
It was the Christmas before I married Jared, and it didn’t seem like we’d gone back.
Probably for the best. Although some of her family was admittedly great.
Particularly her older brother and his wife and their kids.
Oh, and Nana and Hailey. But they were the exception, not the rule.
“How are Gabe and Ivy?” I asked.
Stephanie smiled. “Good. Gabe’s about to get out of the Marines.” She bit her lip. “You won’t remember this, but Gabe was Greyson’s commanding officer while y’all were dating.”
“Aww, Nash is rubbing off on you,” Liz crooned. “He might make a Texan of you yet.”
Stephanie shook her head and pulled out her phone, showing me some pictures of her and Nash together. They were too cute. I’d never seen Stephanie in love, and she was radiant.
“Nashanie,” I said softly, testing out the couple’s ship name. “Y’all are adorable. Is he still your boss?”
Stephanie laughed. “Nope. I started doing photography full time in April, and we hired a new personal assistant for him. Nancy. She’s sweet.
Nash said she reminds him of his grandmother, who passed when he was in his teens.
Anyways, we had dinner with Nancy and her husband a few weeks ago, and they’re lovely.
Plus, they’ve been married for forty years. ”
“And you?” I asked Liz. “Met Ben because of something to do with Valentine’s, speed dating, and teen karaoke?” Leave it to Liz to meet the love of her life in the bizarrest way possible.
“Yup.” Liz popped the p with a grin. “Plus I thought he ghosted me, so there’s that.”
“What is it with you guys and karaoke?” Juliet shook her head.
“Don’t forget she also accepted a ride from him,” Stephanie interrupted. “Practically a stranger. At midnight.” She glared at Liz.
I shook my head. “You’re playing fast and loose with survival, Lizzie. Have I taught you nothing? He could have been the next Ted Bundy.”
Liz laughed gaily. “But he wasn’t a serial killer. He is my hunky dreamboat of a husband.” Then it was her turn to show off pictures, and they were admittedly every bit as cute as Stephanie and Nash.
When I glanced at Juliet, she threw up her hands. “Yes, yes. I married Myles, my big brother’s best friend and my childhood buddy. We had an enemies-to-lovers thing going for a while there, too.”
“Only from your perspective, Grinchy,” Liz teased. “That man was smitten with you the minute he laid eyes on your grown-up, bombshell self. And don’t get us started on your fake engagement on vacation. Paisley kept us in the loop.”
“Wait, vacation?” I asked.
Juliet sighed. “Mama and Pops surprised us all with a family trip to the Florida Keys for Thanksgiving a couple years ago. The one right after you and Grey got married.”
I’d been to Florida, seen the Atlantic, and couldn’t even remember it? How disappointing was that.
“Pretty sure it was the fake-engagement-turned-marriage-of-convenience-with-a-threatening-email that sealed the deal,” Stephanie added, arching an eyebrow with a smirk.
“Threatening email?” I asked, bewildered. Juliet was a consummate professional, and I couldn’t see her jeopardizing her job. “Wait, marriage of convenience? You did that?!”
Juliet sighed. “It’s a long story. And I might have signed off one particular email, ‘I hope this email finds you before I do.’” She rolled her eyes. “Definitely love at first sight.”
“Our grinch has a soft side though,” Liz stage-whispered. “She’s a puddle of loooooove for her man.”
Juliet chucked the pillow at Liz’s head, but she dodged it with ease.
I stood, planting my hands on my hips. Like the change of position would help me assimilate this new information. “You married Myles. For convenience? You, the woman who hates every Hallmark movie and mocks every romance trope, are in a marriage. Of. Convenience?”
“Were.” Juliet smirked, her hand shifting unconsciously to rest over her stomach. “We are happy now.”
I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around that. “You owe me that story one day.”
“Deal.”
Once we started the second movie, Liz and Juliet started arguing about the Chris Pine versus Andrew Jacoby love interests. (Liz was Team Chris and Juliet was Team Andrew, but we were all Team Joe and Clarisse.) I didn’t think we’d ever made it through the movie once without rehashing this argument.
“You can’t convince me she didn’t cheat,” Juliet protested with a frown. “She was legit engaged to another dude when she kissed your McDreamy.”
That set Liz off on another tangent.
Stephanie leaned into me and whispered, “Hey, can I show you my favourite photo I’ve taken?”
“Sure.”
She swiped a few times on her phone, then angled the screen towards me. It was me and Greyson, looking oh so cozy. Very couple-y.
His head was bent so our foreheads touched and our noses brushed, nearly kissing. My hands were around his neck, his holding my waist. I was laughing. I was . . . happy. And Greyson? He drank me in like a man smitten.
“When was this?” I asked hoarsely.
“Seven weeks ago.” Stephanie smiled gently.
“Same day as my engagement.” She reached out and squeezed my hand softly.
“I know things are scary, and I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.
But I know you, Pais.” Hope and love infused her voice.
“And Greyson. You’ll make it. I really believe that.
You told me once to be open to embracing the scary.
” Her eyes were soft with understanding.
“True love—the real, unselfish kind—can be terrifying when you aren’t used to it, but it’s worth it with the right man. ”
“Yeah,” I whispered, and let my head lean against hers, my thoughts racing a mile a minute even as the official meet-cute between Nicholas and Mia dragged me from reality for a few hours into a simpler world.