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Both of my best friends offer me congratulations and smiles.
“I’m going to be the favorite aunt,” Sara says.
“No. That’ll be me,” Carolina says, and I laugh at the two ridiculous women.
Then my laughter dies in my throat when Sara asks about the father. I shrug. “Who knows? Could be any number of men.”
Sara narrows her eyes. “You’re lying. You don’t want to say.”
Carolina blinks as she looks between the standoff Sara and I seem to be in.
I throw my hands up. “Fine. Why do I have to have perceptive best friends? Yeah. I know who the father is, but it was just this guy passing through. Left before I could tell him. Doesn’t matter. Don’t need him.”
“Hear, Hear,” Carolina says as she taps her glass on the table twice.
“So long as the baby has one parent who wants him or her, that’s all I care about,” Sara says, pensive. I give her a side hug knowing she is thinking about her own shitty parents who didn’t care about her or her wellbeing.
We linger at the table until business picks up, talking about possible baby names because Sara hates me referring to it as Spawn until I point out ‘Spawn’ is better than ‘it.’ They leave when I have to get back to work, but not before insisting on paying their tab and leaving generous tips. Carolina won’t hear my protests.
* * *
After closing,I look at my ragged army after a long, busy shift. Martín and Rubén slouch in their seats at the table. Tracy is texting, and Ileana and Joe sit on either side of her. “Thank you for staying for a team meeting. I know it’s late, so I’ll make it quick,” I say. “I have some news that will probably affect things around here.”
Joe’s left brow shoots up in question.
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence.
Only Ileana smiles. She stands and motions for me to follow so she can take me into a hug. I sink into her embrace, feeling more supported than I have since I found out. “Congratulations, Sofia,” she says.
My eyes prickle with tears for a second before I draw them back in. The last thing I need is to cry in front of my staff. I laugh to play off the pain. “Thank you, Ileana,” I say.
Martín and Rubén jump up and hug me, offering words of congratulations in Spanish.
Tracy keeps chewing on her gum. “So, like, who’s the dad?” she asks.
I keep plastering that smile on when I answer. “Doesn’t matter. He’s not in the picture.”
“Wow,” Joe says. He throws me a knowing look, and I shake my head so he won’t bring up what I know he wants to.
“But like I said, that’ll change things around here. I’ll try to work until as close to the due date as possible, but I’ll definitely be around less afterward. I’m still going to keep running the business side of things, but Joe, you’ll have to find a part-time manager to step in and help. I’m leaving you in charge when I’m out.”
“Really?” Joe asks, his face beaming.
“You think you can handle it?”
He nods, seriousness across his face. “Yes. I got you.”
“Good. You can start advertising in a few months. Narrow down the candidates to five, and we can interview them together.”
“Ileana, I know you don’t like to work more than a shift or two per week, but—”
“So long as Lola can babysit for me, I can work extra shifts if you need it,” Ileana says.
I let out a long breath of relief.
Since I realized Bren isn’t going to be a part of this process, I’ve been carrying the weight of everything when I don’t have to. I know I have Sara, Carolina, Joe, and Ileana in my corner—even Mandy and Lola if I need them. After all, little Spawn is technically Mandy’s fault for dragging me to that concert.
