Page 24 of The Last Thing
I try to sigh, but I can’t. “Yeah. I think you’re stuck with me. I want to be with my family. I know you won’t always be here, but a good chunk of the time I’ll have you. More than in the city. And Justin’s close too. Think we can get Kennedy to move here?”
“I don’t think she has any intention of letting Devon or Brighton go.”
“Lame. But whatever. She did her soul searching. Now it’s time for me to grow up. Nothing like seeing an ultrasound of your baby to do that.”
“You have an ultrasound?” she squeals.
“Yeah. Hold on.” I pull it from my purse, then turn back to her. “What?”
“Have you told Kennedy?”
“No. Why—oh.”
“She’s going to be so mad if you wait longer than thirty minutes after telling me. You need to call her now.”
“Mm. Better idea.” I grab my phone, select video call, then hold the ultrasound in front of the camera as Frannie squeaks with excitement next to me.
When the call connects and Kennedy’s face appears—her short brown hair longer than when I saw her last—her eyes instantly go wide.
“Hallie—who’s calling me—not Frannie. Hallie? You’re—are you? Hallie!”
I laugh and switch the camera around so she can see Frannie and me.
“Hi.”
“You’re pregnant? Who and how?”
“I had sex with a guy.”
Her nostrils flare. “I know how babies are made!”
“Then why does everyone keep asking mehow?”
“I’m not wondering how pregnancy happened. I’m wondering how you, in particular, ended up pregnant.”
“Had a hot as fuck one-night stand and he left me with a goodbye present.”
Kennedy’s face softens, and I spill the whole story before she can give me pity eyes.
“Wow. Well, you always wanted to be a mom,” Kennedy says.
Frannie bumps her arm against mine. “You did. I remember you stuffing pillows under your shirt and pretending to give birth.”
I swipe a hand over my face as I laugh.
“You’re going to be amazing,” Kennedy says.
And there are those stupid tears again. I’m not the crier in my family or this friend group.
“I wish you were here.”
“So do I. I don’t care that it’s only been a couple of months. We need another Baker girls reunion.”
“Yes, we do,” Frannie says.
“At least you two are together, so I only have to make it to one stop to see you both. And Justin too. Let’s get everyone to Ida, then Dev and I can visit a few times a year and see you all.”
I let out a sigh, surprised over the words about to leave my mouth. “That sounds amazing.”
