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Pulling up to Ash’s, I hear Whiskey bark from somewhere out back followed by the high-pitched bark of Tank, Avery’s dog, so I wander around the house to find them by the lake’s edge. Whiskey spots me and sprints my way to greet me by ramming his head into my legs. Tank just runs around me and then jumps. This dog jumps more than any I’ve ever seen.
“Hey there, buddy. Hey there, girl.” I give them each a full-body rub and then step past them to meet Ash.
“It’s so nice out, I thought we could spend some time on the water today,” he says, glancing at me as he picks up a paddle. He’s standing next to two of his kayaks, both ready to go, his complete with a cooler. Seems this was a planned outing and not a spur-of-the-moment thing. He also knows me well enough to know I’m going to show up in athletic clothes and not wear jeans and boots.
“Sure.” I kick off my socks and shoes and push my kayak into the water. “What’s Avery doing today?”
He gives me a look like I should know the answer, and I chuckle.
“Good thing I’m hungry,” I tell him. The poor girl can’t help herself. She’s so happy when she’s in the kitchen baking something, and I’ve seen her face when people eat the food she’s made. It makes her genuinely so happy.
Ash pushes his in next to mine, and we each climb in. “She’s on a banana bread baking spree. I don’t know who all she’s baking this bread for, but she enjoys it, so I just sit back and watch—and eat, hence the exercise today. We’re gonna need it when we get back.”
The lake is calm today, and although the weather is nice, the sky is filled with white clouds that are starting to turn dark. April can be kind of rainy in North Carolina, so I suspect there will be rain later.
I follow Ash, and we make our way across the lake to the river where we’ve spent so much time. It’s rocky, so most people don’t attempt to navigate their way down it, but we’ve learned the path and know it like the back of our hands. About a quarter of a mile in, we come to a small waterfall and pull off. There are large flat rocks the water runs around before it goes over, and we’ve spent many, many hours here talking and dreaming about our futures. I’m not surprised he brought me here. In truth, I thought he would ask for this trip sometime last year.
“Feel like swimming?” he asks, stretching his arms over his head.
“Maybe later. I’m more interested in what’s in the cooler.” There’s a fifty-fifty chance he’s packed either food or beer.
“All right. Lunch first, swim later.”
Food it is.
The rocks are warm from the sun as we make our way across them. The birds are quiet today, but the sound of the rushing water is calming like always. My gut twinges from the deep ache of loss that’s taken up residence. I’d love to bring Emma here.
Once we’re settled, he pops open the cooler and hands me a turkey sandwich, a brownie wrapped in plastic, and a bottle of water, and then he plops a large bag of chips between us. I can’t stop the grin that takes over my face, and he rolls his eyes.
“Where’s the beer?” I tease.
He shoots me a look. “She offered, so make sure you thank her when we get back.”
He takes a bite of his sandwich, and jealousy hits me hard. I’m not jealous of Avery, which I know is how I made Emma feel, just that he’s part of a team. Emma and I were a team, even if it was for a short bit . . . a very short bit.
Silence falls over us as we eat. The leaves here are bright green, new with spring, and they canopy the river, really only leaving a strip of sunlight to make its way through. It’s strange to think I’m sitting here and she’s sitting somewhere else so far away. What is she doing today? Where is she going? Who is she seeing? I’m completely absorbed in my own thoughts about her when Ash starts speaking and shocks me back to reality.
“Avery is pregnant.”
My head snaps to his, and my eyes widen as I stare at my friend. It’s not like I didn’t know this was coming one day, but upon hearing the words, something visceral inside of me swells, grows, changes. My family just grew by one.
“I’m going to be a dad,” he says, his eyes turning shiny as mine do the same. The enormity of this moment doesn’t escape me. This is one of those times life, love, and friendship are all about. This is why he brought me here, to these rocks, and I can’t think of a better place for him to share this.
Wiping my hands on my pants, I lean over, wrap my arms around him, and embrace my best friend.
“Congratulations. To both of you. I didn’t know y’all were trying,” I tell him as I pull back and squeeze his shoulder.
He laughs and then wipes his eyes. “We weren’t not trying, but it definitely happened faster than we thought it would. How cliche does that sound?”
“I’m so h-happy for you, I’m speechless—well almost. When did you find out? How did she tell you? How far along is she?”
He runs his hand over his head. “Yeah, I was pretty speechless too. The morning after we got back from Austin, we were drinking our coffee and her stomach turned over. She ran to the bathroom, was sick, and then it passed. We didn’t think much of it until it happened again the next day. I was with her sitting on the floor next to the toilet when it dawned on both of us. She started crying, happy tears, and that’s when the panic set in for me. We think she’s about seven weeks. We have a doctor’s appointment next week. I’m grateful I kind of had a run-through with Bryce, because these feelings I’m having, they’re no joke.”
Lounging back on the rocks, I stare at him in awe. “I bet. I’m feeling my own emotions right now, so I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. But, Ash, you gave me the most p-priceless gift today, and I can’t say thank you enough.”
Family has been a sensitive word for him since his grandfather died. With the people close to him, he doesn’t take advantage of their love. If anything, he respects it and treats it for what it is: a blessing. Reaching over, he puts his hand on my shoulder, and then his expression changes to one of seriousness.
“So are you finally ready to tell me what’s been going on with you?” He lets me go and unwraps the brownie like he hasn’t just asked me to bare my soul.
