“Thank you,” the sweet girl murmurs. “For dealing with him, and helping her.”
“I didn’t mind,” I tell her, and mean it. “But I’ll always, always be here to protect you, too.”
Kara turns her face up to look at me, a soft smile playing on her lips. I caress her face gently, and I can’t hold back any longer.
“Sweetheart,” I whisper. “I love you. I always want you to be happy.”
Kara’s entire face lights up, her eyes shining.
“Rick,” she murmurs, squeezing her arms tightly around me. “I love you, too. So much.”
We kiss there outside the bar as the moon begins to rise. Silently, I vow to myself that Kara will never feel unsafe again while I’m around. Then, we head back inside, our arms clasped about each other’s waists and all is right with the world once more.7Kara“Ugh,” Bailey says as she plops herself onto my bed.
“Ugh, what?” I reply with similar eloquence.
She shoots me a disgruntled look, takes my hands, and places them on her bulging stomach. I raise a questioning brow, but keep my hands in place. After a moment, my heart leaps, and I cry out in wonder. I can feel the baby kicking!
“Bails!” I exclaim, clapping my hands together. “I felt it! I felt him kick!”
Bailey laughs, then winces, her own palm moving now to her stomach. “Yeah, isn’t it great?” she says weakly, settling herself again on the bed. It seems she’s having a hard time getting comfortable. She rocks to her left, sighs, and then shifts to her right with an exasperated look.
I smile at her while taking a seat, leaning against the off-white wall of my room. I live in a single now, after sharing space with other people. I enjoy the alone time and privacy, but sometimes, I really just need my best friend to keep me company.
Even if I am keeping a major secret from her.
“It is great,” I say firmly, taking her hands in mine and waving them joyfully around. “You’re going go be a mom soon! That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Bailey’s grin grows. “It is pretty awesome,” she admits, closing her eyes as she leans back against my many decorative pillows. “I just wish it felt more awesome than it currently does. It kind of hurts when he kicks, and I have to pee, like, all the time. And I feel so big, like a beached whale.”
“If you ever call yourself a beached whale again in my presence,” I say seriously, “I will be forced to kick your ass. When you’re not pregnant, of course.”
“Thanks for the consideration,” she laughs.
“You’re welcome,” I say sweetly.
“What’s new with you?”
“Not a lot,” I lie, letting my legs hang over the edge of the bed. Truthfully, things with Rick have been incredible. We’ve seen each other almost every weekend for the past two months. When he told me he loved me at the bar, I could have combusted with happiness. I am completely, utterly confident that I’ve fallen for him too, and that the crush I’ve entertained for years has developed into something deep and true. I’ve never felt like this before, and the urge to tell my best friend itches constantly like a bug bite. Still, I am not quite ready to come out with the truth yet.
“How’s your family?” Bailey asks. She still thinks I’ve been visiting them every weekend.
“They’re great!” I say, which, as far as I know, is true. Eager to change the subject, I suggest, “Want to watch something dumb on Netflix?”
Thirty minutes later and we’re collapsed in helpless laughter, leaning against each other for support. The movie we selected is a typical rom-com, full of every trope anyone could imagine for the genre. Bailey’s expression becomes pensive, though, and she casts a sidelong glance at me.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
I think back to when I first saw Rick, when I was a kid. I of course felt no romantic feelings for him then, but even when I was little, I could sense strength and generosity radiating from him like a warm light. He was always someone I trusted and looked up to, and maybe that’s a kind of love in itself.
“I think so,” I say, smiling softly. “Yeah. I do. Do you?”
Bailey smiles, too.
“Yes. But even more, I believe in love that was destined to be. You know? I mean, I’ve known Christopher my whole life, and I truly think that we were always meant to be together. We just had to wait until the time was right.”
She has no idea how she’s hitting the nail on the head, for herself as well as me.
“I know what you mean,” I say sincerely. “Totally agree.”
When the movie credits roll, Bailey sits up and stretches.
“I’ve got to head out,” she says. “Christopher and I are scheduled to watch Homeland together. With popcorn, of course.”