As Amber wandered the store picking up a few items, Bea had tried to focus on unboxing the iceberg lettuce but found herself unable to shake off Amber’s words. Had she meant them? Did she really want to be Bea’s friend, or was she just being polite? Amber had probably been nervous to reveal her pregnancy, as well. How had her family reacted?

In the end, Bea’s desperation to talk to someone—anyone—about the surrealness of being pregnant and the weird things happening to her body won out. She’d rung up Amber’s groceries, handed her the receipt, and forced out the words, “I’m off on Tuesday.”

Amber had said, “I’m free, too,” with a smile, and they had made their plans.

Bea was surprised at how easy the whole thing was.

After stopping to allow a small flock of ducks to cross the street, Jeremy pulled up in front of The Baked Potato. “Have fun. Text me when you want me to pick you up.”

“No.” Bea opened the door. “I’ll walk home.”

“Are you sure? You don’t want to overdo it.”

She rolled her eyes but not so he could see. “I think I can handle it.”

As he drove away, she fiddled with her phone, then slid it in her pocket. Why was she so nervous? Inside the diner, Amber and Hunter were already seated at a table. Amber was smiling—she always looked happy—but there were dark circles under her eyes and leftover smears of some kind of food on the shoulder of her shirt.

As Bea walked over to join them, Amber gave her a once-over and laughed. “I remember the days I could leave the house with nothing except what fit in my pockets. Now I have to pack half the house before going anywhere.”

Bea sat down across from her. “Half the house?”

Amber indicated her son sitting in a high chair and the paraphernalia strewn around him. “Diapers, wipes, diaper cream, change of clothes, snacks, water bottle. Binky. Blanket. Light jacket and warm jacket in case the weather changes. His favorite toy. I even pack an extra shirt for myself, just in case.”

Bea’s eyes grew wide. “In case what?”

Amber laughed again. “In case he throws up on me or has a blowout or something. You never know.”

Bea wondered what her unencumbered life looked like to Amber. “I guess I never thought about that.”

Amber nodded knowingly. “You’ll learn all about it soon enough.”

Bea grimaced. “You heard?”

“Oh, honey.” Amber folded her arms on the table and made a sympathetic sound. “Everybody heard.”

Bea sighed. Nothing got past the moosevine.

“When are you due?” Amber asked.

The doctor had given them a date just that morning at the appointment. “May fourteenth.”