Page 1 of Dear Ripley

Chapter 1

Alicia

From the second I picked up the phone, it was obvious something was going on. Harlow, my best friend, was positively bouncing on the other end of the line.

“What’s up?” I asked, walking through the airport terminal.

“I have the best news,” she said. “The very, very best news. Life-changing, even.”

I laughed, my eyes catching on a snack kiosk and knowing I was stopping to buy those chocolate-covered fruit bites I loved. “There’s a new Taylor Swift album out?”

She groaned and I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. It made me grin widely as I stocked up on snacks. If anyone happened to be watching, I could only imagine how ridiculous it must look—massive grin and an armful of too many snacks for one person on a two-hour flight.

“Not that,” she insisted.

“Hey, don’t blame me. The last time you called me with life-changing news, it wasliterallya new album.”

“Ugh. You’re the actual worst. Why are we even friends?”

“Beats me.”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m amazing.”

“And that makes me what, exactly?”

“The worst. We just covered this.”

I laughed, shaking my head, as I paid for my mountain of chocolate-covered strawberries. They were the best ones and they had plenty of them here. I wasn’t letting them get away. The last time I’d done that, I’d regretted it almost immediately.

“Wait,” she said, confusion coloring her tone. “Are you in an airport?”

I thanked the cashier, proudly took my purchases, and continued through the airport. “I thought you just said you were an amazing friend?”

“Uh, I did. And I am. How is that relevant?”

“Because,” I said, drawing the word out, “it seems to me that an amazing friend would remember that I’m in DC right now. Especially since I texted you about it when I landed two days ago.”

She thought it over for a minute. “Oh, right. I do remember that. Sorry, lots going on since then.”

I wasn’t going to hold it against her either way, but the way that excited edge snuck back into her tone told me she had a perfectly good reason to have forgotten—particularly since we’d established it wasn’t actually an album drop. Valid as a reason, perhaps, but it was nice to not be forgotten over one.

“So, what’s going on, then?” I asked as I reached my gate, moving towards the window to sit down.

“I’m pregnant,” she said, practically exploding with excitement.

For one, wild second, my head spun and it felt like the airport around me had disappeared entirely. I felt the breath being sucked out of my lungs and the tears burning in my eyes. “Harlow,” I whispered, emotion thick in my throat. “Oh my god.”

“I know, right? Isn’t that the best news you’ve ever heard?”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “The very best ever.”

“Life-changing, you might say.”

I laughed, the sound of it wet and joyful. “Yeah, I’d say so.”

“And you thought it was a Taylor Swift album drop.”

“I can’t believe you let me derail the conversation with that. Oh my god. Nightmare.” I shook my head.

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