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“Adjustments, my ass. I think this thing must be an alien. That’s the only explanation,” she states, gently rubbing her stomach.
I reach out, grab her hand, and squeeze it. “Bri, you’re going to be a great mom. Stop stressing.”
She inhales deeply and then exhales, finally relaxing into the chair as Marcel walks over with her juice. “You think so?” she asks.
“I know so,” I tell her as Marcel places her drink on the table.
“I agree, Brianna. I see a wide range of people come in here, and you… you’re a people person. So caring and loyal. You’ll be a wonderful mother,” Marcel states.
Brianna’s eyes begin to flood with tears, and she suddenly starts crying. “Oh, well, fuck! Here I go again. So sorry. This is another side effect. Thank you for believing in me. Sorry for blubbering. I’m fricking hormonal.”
Marcel smirks but turns, walking off, leaving me with Brianna.
I sigh, handing her a napkin. “You’re doing fine, Bri. It’s your first time doing this whole motherhood thing. And you have Paisley to bounce ideas off. She’s been through it all, so she can tell you what to expect.”
She nods, swiping the napkin under her nose. “Yeah, I know. And she’s been great. She really has. I just want to ensure I’m doing everything right for this little love bug.” She rubs her stomach again.
“If there’s one thing I know about you and Nash, it’s that you’re both so knowledgeable, and I know Nash isn’t going to do anything to jeopardize this baby, just like you won’t. Honestly, Bri, you need to stop stressing. Then this pregnancy will be a breeze.”
She smiles. “Just like that?”
“I mean, it’s neverthatsimple. There are always things to worry about. It’s just managing that stress. And right now, you need to take a deep breath. C’mon, breathe in with me.”
She narrows her eyes on me. “Blake, this is stupi—”
“In,” I say and take a deep inhale. “One, two, three, four…”
She rolls her eyes but then follows my instructions, breathing deeply.
“Now out,” I say while letting out my breath. “One, two, three, four, five, six…”
She does the same, relaxing her muscles. “Did that actually just work?” she questions as she stares at me.
Smiling, I shrug. “Sometimes taking a second to recenter yourself is all you need. I do it a lot at work.”
“Speaking of work, how is everything going?” Brianna asks.
My plan was to talk to her about Zoey and me, but with the stress she’s under, I don’t think I can safely add more pressure to talk to Nash about us.
That would be cruel of me and right now. As her best friend, I need to put her needs before my own.
As much as it fucking kills me to say it.
“Well, Nash has talked to me already about working a little more when your baby comes along, so I am prepping for that. I am trying to make the workload as simple as I can for him.”
Brianna’s eyes begin to well again, but she manages to keep herself together. “You’re so amazing, Blake. What would we do without you?”
“You’ll never have to find out.”
She sniffles, wiping under her eyes, and straightens her shoulders. “Okay, pull yourself together, Brianna. Jesus! Now, is there something you want to talk to me about?”
Now would be the time to talk to Brianna about Zoey, and I want to more than anything, but her eyes are still glistening with tears, and I won’t put any more stress on her. It’s not the right thing to do. So I sink back into the chair and smile. “Can’t a guy want to catch up with his bestie?”
Brianna smiles wide and nods. “Absolutely! I feel like we don’t do this enough. I’m so glad you called. I miss this. I miss us. With Nash taking up all my time and you working so much, we don’t get to hang out as we used to.”
“You have a life now, I get that. So you don’t have to worry about me, Bri. I’m doing okay.”
She sighs. “You need to find someone and settle down, Blake. Being content in a relationship… it’s great. I want that for you.”
