twenty-two
CYD HAD A GROGGY UNDERSTANDING THAT A PHONE was ringing, but she didn’t know how to answer it. When she realized that it wasn’t a dream, she reached for her cell from the nightstand and answered, but no one was there.
Cedric rolled over. “Babe, get the phone.”
“I’m trying.”
Forced to pry her eyes open, she realized it was the landline. Goodness. What would she do when her baby needed her in the middle of the night? Was there a mommy thing that kicked in to help a person get her bearings?
“Hello?”
“Sorry to wake you, Cyd.”
She sat up. “Dana?” She saw the time now—6:00 a.m. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Well. Can you meet me before church to talk, maybe at Starbucks?”
“Uh, sure.” Cyd worked to gather her faculties. Until two seconds ago, she wasn’t sure what day it was. “What time?”
“Seven thirty?”
Cyd was about to ask why she needed to call so early, but given the climate between them of late, she thought better of it. “That’s fine.”
They agreed on a Starbucks, and Cyd sat in bed pondering what this could be about, that it couldn’t wait till after church. She remembered Heather’s heartfelt prayer yesterday. Was God answering already? It would certainly encourage Heather. She’d called last night to say the gift hadn’t gone over well, that her mother had laughed. Maybe God was giving her a gift by touching Dana’s heart. Or maybe Cyd was getting ahead of herself. Dana might have an altogether different issue in mind.
Cyd felt a pull to get up, make coffee, and spend the time before their meeting with God. Whatever it was, depending on how it went, things could end up worse than ever between them.
CYD PULLED THE STARBUCKS DOOR OPEN AND SAW DANA behind one person in line. She hated the jumpy feeling she now got when she saw her friend, not knowing what to say, how she would be received. Sucking in a big breath, she stepped inside, surprised to see that the place was fairly empty.
She walked up beside her friend. “Good morning.”
Dana turned and gave her a slight smile. “Good morning. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem.”
Their gazes landed on the menu board, as if they needed to survey what was available. Dana moved forward and ordered her usual, a grande nonfat vanilla latte. “I’m taking care of hers too.”
“Thanks,” Cyd said. She took a step up. “Is it possible to get a decaf mocha latte?” She still wasn’t used to thinking of herself as pregnant.
Dana looked surprised. “Decaf? Early in the morning? Never seen you do that.”
“I know. I’m . . . changing things up.”
The barista handed them their drinks, and they settled at a small tabletop by the window, each taking a first sip, staring at their cups.
“Okay, so, I pretty much haven’t slept well since Maggiano’s.”
Cyd looked at Dana, waiting for more.
“But last night I really couldn’t sleep.” Dana was studying her cup. “And it’s not just that I couldn’t sleep. I felt all weepy inside, like I was grieving.” She looked directly at Cyd now. “Like I’d lost my best friend.” She sighed. “And for the first time, I talked to God about it, about this . . . situation. And then I got weepy for real.”
“Why?”
“He showed me me—and I hadn’t even asked Him too!”
Cyd smiled faintly. The Daughters liked to say one of the hardest prayers was, “Lord, show me me,” because He usually responded with something they wouldn’t like.
“Yeah, He’ll do that, won’t He?”
“I was wrong, Cyd.” Dana’s brown eyes showed her sorrow. “I let my bitterness toward Heather get in the way of so many things. As if God can’t get ahold of her heart? I should be glad she’s been changed, but it was like . . . it was like I wanted to keep hating her, and the only way to do that was to keep believing the worst about her. When you befriended her, I didn’t know what to do with that.”
“I know. It’s been hard for me, too, knowing how you felt. I can totally understand.”
“But that doesn’t make it right. I’m sorry for giving you a hard time about helping her. I know you. You wouldn’t have done it unless you were convinced God wanted you to.” She shook her head. “But what really got me about ‘me’ was thinking I was better than she was. Boy, did it sting when God showed me I’m as much a sinner as she is, that we both need a Savior.” She paused. “I was able to forgive her, Cyd, just like you said. I had to call you right after that breakthrough.”
“Dana, wow.” Cyd got up and embraced her. “I’m so happy for you. I know it was hard. No one should have to go through what you went through. But forgiveness is so huge. What’s that old saying? ‘We’re most like God when we forgive.’”
“Hmm.” Dana pondered it. “I love that.”
Cyd sat down again. “So . . . now might be a good time to give you my news.”
“What news?”
A huge smile lighted Cyd’s face. “I’m pregnant. Cedric and I are going to have a baby.”
“What?” Dana covered her mouth and looked around, embarrassed by her own volume. She leaned in and said it again in a whisper. “What? How far along? When did you find out?”
“Not sure how far along because I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but I’m guessing six weeks or so. Found out on Monday.”
“But we were all at dinner on Tuesday. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Cyd gave a light shrug. “I had planned to.”
“But I got an attitude and walked out. Wonderful. Ruined your big moment.”
“No big deal,” Cyd said. “But it would’ve really been a problem if I had to go through this whole pregnancy without Aunt Dana in the mix.”
“Oh no, sweetie. We’ve waited much too long for this. Maybe that’s another reason God shook me up, so I’d get a clue about what I was missing out on. You’re having a baby!”
Dana got up this time to give Cyd a hug, tears springing to her eyes. “All those conversations we had through the years, wondering if God would send you a husband, whether you’d ever have a child. I’m just . . . wow, wow, wow.” She laughed. “You will be an awesome momma.”
“Thank you.” Cyd had a sigh in her voice as they took their seats. “Pray for me, though. I’m worried about the age thing. Cedric said we need to trust God, and of course he’s right. But every time I get a little excited, I get this warning that nothing’s guaranteed. Something could go wrong. So I shouldn’t get too happy until the baby’s actually here.”
“Oh, Cyd. I hate that I haven’t been praying for you about this. I’m getting the ladies together for a DF prayer-and-praise celebration. We’re going to pray over you and the baby and praise God for this blessing He’s given you and Cedric. And we’re praying those worry thoughts away. This should be a time of joy!”
Now Cyd had tears in her eyes, and a memory surfaced. “Remember when I was leaving for grad school?”
Dana nodded big. “And you were sad because we’d been together for middle school, high school, and college—”
“And I said it would never be the same, that we’d grow apart.”
“And what did I say?” Dana asked.
Cyd smiled. “That I’d been accepted into Harvard, and it should be a time of joy.”
Dana nodded again. “And God would take care of the friendship. Seems to me He did.”
“To this very day.”
Dana eyed her friend suddenly. “Did you eat before you left the house?”
“No.”
“You might’ve been able to go to church with nothing in your stomach in the past, but that’s not gonna work now.” Dana rose from her seat. “Be right back.”
“Where’re you going?”
“To get a whole grain bagel. Baby needs nourishment.” Dana got back in line.
Cyd rubbed her stomach. This would probably be the longest nine months she’d ever experienced, but she needed to stop thinking she had to hold her breath the entire time. Right now a baby was growing inside of her, a baby God was molding and shaping. Dana was right. She should actually enjoy the process.
But the thought made her a little sad too. She realized that with the pregnancy, she had a slight window into Kelli’s pain, her feeling of loss. As she caressed her own tummy, she prayed right there for Kelli and for the song she and Brian had recorded, that it would bring healing and hope to those who would hear it.