“You’re serious? You’re getting married? ToSam?”
“Who else would I bemarrying?”
“But you’ve only known him sinceApril.”
“When you know youknow.”
“Please.”
“It’strue.”
“It’shormones.”
She laughs. “There are hormones involved, I’ll give youthat.”
She holds her left hand out to show me the gorgeous antique peridot and diamond ring on her ring finger. I hadn’t noticed it because she always wears so many rings on so many fingers and because I’ve had my head up my ass. The green of the peridot matches her eyes, and the ring just looks like it belongs on her ring finger. Sam must have searched high and low for the perfect ring for her, or perhaps—the way things have been going for them—he found it immediately and knew instantly that it wasperfect.
“What?! Maya?What?!”
“Isn’t itpretty?”
“It’s stunning…So…you’re engaged.Wow.”
“Yeah we’re engaged. But we’re getting married inJuly.”
“ThisJuly?”
“Yes. Also known as nextmonth.”
“Maya. You guys are still in the first phase of dating—you haven’t even had your first big fightyet!”
“Are you kidding? We’ve had tons of fights, I just don’t tell you about it because we work through them reallyquickly.”
“Well then they aren’t realfights.”
“Yes, Erin, they’re fights. I get mad at him. He gets mad at me. We yell at each other, but we talk it out. We fight fair. We’re good atit.”
“Oh whatever, that’s not even a thing. You can’t legally bind yourself to a person that you met at the beginning of wedding season before the end of that same season. You’re just under the spell of all those weddings—trust me, I was too. That’s not real. That’s just—the magic of theatrical production. No. Come on. You’re not doing that. Just be engaged to him for like twoyears.”
“When did you become so cynical, Queen of RomComs?”
“I’m not cynical—I love you, I love you with Sam—I don’t want you guys to destroy this thing that you have with a rushed marriage. You haven’t even lived together yet! What if you hate living with him?Just…”
“Erin. Babe. Listen to me. This is happening. I’m gonna tell you why, but it’s a secret, and you can’t tellanyone.”
“I understand the concept of a secret, thankyou.”
She puts her hands on her belly and smiles. “I’mpregnant.”
WHUCK?!
“We’re gonna have a baby. He’s so excited. I’m so excited. We’ll be able to tell people in three weeks, so we’ll announce it right before thewedding.”
I stare at my beautiful friend and her glowing, fearless face and burst into tears. I put my hand on her belly. “Really?”
She nods her head. “You’re gonna be anauntie.”
“How did you—I mean wasit…”
