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I sigh. “Fine.” I change and respond to her, “I don’t get why it’s such an issue now. Maybe it’s just the guys you’ve been around lately? What about someone from the club? Don’t they like to sleep around?”
“Yeah, they do. But they all treat me like a sister. Can you believe I’ve been here for three years and I haven’t slept with a single guy from that club? I hooked up with this really hot dude from another club that came to visit, but he ghosted me after.”
“Wow. That just really sucks. Well, maybe you’ll get lucky tonight. I don’t mind if you disappear to a dark corner or decide to leave with someone.”
She sighs, “No, it’s okay. I’m just complaining. I don’t want to leave you tonight. Plus, you’re finally going out with me. I have to make the best of it.”
I smile. “Thanks. It’s so weird for me to have friends now. I mean, I had friends, but not genuine friends. They always wanted something out of it.”
“What do you mean?” Her forehead creases. “You look hot. Do you have a stool to sit on in the bathroom so I can do your hair and makeup?”
I nod and go grab a stool. When I come back, I explain, “I grew up in a very wealthy community. My parents are well-known, and my ex was my childhood best friend. His parents are also well-known. So I always had other girls wanting to be friends with me for status, or wanting an in to one of our families. I had a few girls fake being my friend because their parents wanted them to find a way to get close to Ben. Since marrying into that family would basically get you brownie points.”
I watch in the mirror as Raven focuses on my hair, but her brows are furrowed. “Maybe it’s just because I grew up in a trailer park and not some high society, but none of that makes sense. Why not just say fuck off to those girls faking it?” She scoffs, “I would’ve decked a girl who was trying to be my friend just to get close to my man.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Right, but that’s not the way I was raised. In my world, your worst enemy is your closest friend. You are always polite to everyone. You could walk into a room and your husband’s mistress is there and you still smile, hug, and greet each other.”
“No fucking way! I’d never be able to do that.”
“Yeah, it seemed perfectly normal to me growing up. The only difference for me was my parents are faithful to each other and love each other immensely.”
Raven nudges my shoulder. “Hey, what’s that sad look for? Did something happen to your parents?”
I shake my head. “No, no. They’re fine. Last I heard, anyways. They kind of cut me off after I got married. It was weird because they loved Ben growing up. My parents looked at him as one of their own even before we got married. But then something shifted. They got more distant after our wedding. Then they stopped coming by altogether. I would cry to Ben about it because I did love my parents. They were a little distant in my childhood, but they loved me. They also loved the life they lived. And until I moved here, I didn’t realize how much I actually hated it.”
Raven looks at me through the mirror with sympathy shining in her eyes. “Why not reach out again now? Maybe things will be different. Plus, it would be nice to have them around for the rutabaga.”
“What did you just call the baby?” I ask with a smile.
She steps up next to me and looks me dead in the eyes. “A rutabaga. You know? The vegetable?” She looks at me, confused.
I laugh. “I know what it is! Why did you call the baby that?”
“Ohhhh, well, I’ve been doing my research, and I saw a website that compares the size of the fetus to fruits and veggies. And right now, the baby should be the size of a rutabaga, so I figured what better nickname than the size it is?”
I laugh so hard I snort and almost fall off the stool. By the time I’m done, tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I break down into heavy sobs.
“Oh, no! Oh God! Wait, no, it wasn’t supposed to make you cry. Fuck. I don’t actually know what to do with a pregnant crying lady. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I should’ve researched this too!” Raven is pacing in a full panic, not even noticing I’m just sniffling now.
“Raven!” I shout. She freezes and turns to look at me. “I’m good. I promise. I wasn’t crying for a bad reason. I just, you’ve been such a real and amazing friend to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” I say while a few more tears escape.
Raven sighs and walks over to me, grabbing both my hands with hers and giving a light squeeze. “Oh Pres, you wereborn. That’s what you did to deserve me. You were born and then turned out to be a sweet, kindhearted, beautiful woman who looked at me and saw me with no judgement.
“You accept all my crazy, and that’s something many people don’t do. I look different, I dress different, I prefer the company of a fuck ton of scary biker dudes over girls my own age. People treat me differently. But you never have. You deserve more than me. But since I can’t give that, I will always do everything to give you all I’ve got. And that includes sticking with you through this pregnancy. That’s my little niece or nephew in there. I plan to spoil it rotten and do what I can to take care of its mama.”
Sniffling, I stand and hug her hard. “I love you, Rave.”
“I love you too, baby mama.”
I pull away. “No. Not that one. No.”
She laughs at the look on my face. “What? You don’t want to be my baby mama? How about mommy? Mami? Oh! I know, daddy.” She says seriously and then nods. “Yes. Daddy. It suits you.”
“Raven! No!” I laugh. “Please, don’t. That’s even worse!”
“What are you going to do about it? Spank me, daddy?”
After that, neither of us can contain our laughter. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this hard before or felt more like me than I do with Raven. She’s my best friend. I’ve never had a real one before.
