“What?! Why didn’t you call us?” Destiny and I chorused in unison.
“I didn’t want to worry you. I only went because Trace insisted,” she explained. She glanced down, resting her hands over her belly as she took a deep breath. “The reason I called you is after my trip to the E.R. we’ve decided to move up the wedding. It’s in three weeks.”
My heart broke into a million pieces as moisture filled my eyes. My entire body went numb and all I could hear was a high ringing in my head. She was sick again. They were moving up the wedding date because she was sick.
I looked to Destiny, whose head was tilted to the side. She didn’t seem even close to the kind of emotional breakdown that I was about two seconds away from having. Evidently, she was the strong one after all.
“Why?” Destiny asked as casually as if Cara had told her she decided to remodel her kitchen.
Here it came. The words that I’d dreaded hearing for five years.
It’s back. The cancer’s back.
I gripped the chair and looked at my frail best friend seated across from me. She was crying, which I understood. But she was also smiling…which I didn’t.
“Because I don’t want to be fat in my wedding dress.” Her smile grew even larger.
Was the treatment going to make her fat? Why would she be happy about that?
“I knew it!” Destiny shot out of her chair like it was spring loaded and tackled-hugged Cara.
“Knew what?” I wanted to scream with frustration, but I managed to ask in a normal volume range.
Cara looked over Destiny’s shoulder, her smile still spreading from ear to ear. “I’m pregnant.”
“You’re…” Oh, thank God. “Pregnant.”
I said it aloud in hopes that my brain would hear it and give the order to abort the emotional breakdown mission. My tear ducts didn’t get the signal, it was like a dam broke and the water was spilling over my bottom lids.
Destiny and Cara were crying too, but they were also laughing and talking about how far along Cara was and what symptoms she’d been having. I sat in place as a waterfall fell down my cheeks.
When Cara noticed my condition, concern replaced the pure joy that was shining from her face. “Are you okay?”
I dipped my chin in a sorry attempt at a nod. “I just…I thought you…”
“Oh no!” Cara rushed over to me, pulling me into her arms. “I’m so sorry. I just wanted it to be a surprise. I didn’t think…I just thought you wouldn’t worry until you had all the facts. I was just so excited, and I wanted to tell you right away. I’m not sick. My blood work looked great.”
I held onto her as I tried to pull myself together. “Maybe you should’ve led with that.”
Destiny’s laugh filled the air and I felt myself chuckling. Cara leaned back as she apologized again, “I’m so sorry, Harmony. So, so sorry.”
Not wanting my breakdown to be the wet blanket on this festive occasion, I smiled. “That’s okay, laughter—”
“—through tears is my favorite emotion.” We all finished Truvy’s line from Steel Magnolias together and laughed.
When our giggles died down, I had to say it out loud again, this time with much more enthusiasm, “You’re pregnant!”
“I know, I’m pregnant!” Cara exclaimed, sounding a little bit in disbelief as she rubbed her belly. “And I’m getting married in three weeks! I’m going to need a lot of help. Destiny, I know you just had Lilah, so don’t worry about—”
“Stop. I’m making your cake and doing whatever else you need. I’m fine, and she’ll be a month old by then.”
We all let out an aww. It was crazy how that a baby that had just entered this world ten days ago was already growing up too fast.
“I don’t want you overdoing it, so we’ll see,” Cara said to Destiny before turning her attention to me. “Now, back to the really important news today. You left a man in boxers in your kitchen.”
“You’re pregnant and getting married in three weeks and you think that’s the really important news of the day?” I shot back.
Cara nodded, so I looked to Destiny for backup.
She moved her hands up and down like she was weighing something. “I think they’re tied.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes, which I hadn’t done since I was probably sixteen.
“It’s Hud, right?” Cara asked expectantly.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I could feel my cheeks flush at just the mention of his name. Now that Cara was out of the woods, my mind instantly reverted back to spending all of its energy fangirling over Hud.
Last night had been so perfect. So unexpected. It was all the more I was looking for times a trillion. It had been scorching hot. We’d watched our “performance” twice and seeing us together like that had been one of the most erotic experiences of my life. Then we’d gone for round two in the shower and round three in the hallway. Hud had woken me up for round four and five around three in the morning. And we’d gone round six this morning before I got the text.