“Well, your mom’s a bitch too. But she’s still goals AF when it comes to aging well, so I couldn’t use her for an example with Addy.” I’m sure you’re not supposed to talk about your friend’s family like that, but Lauren and I don’t lie to each other, and Mrs. Turner really is a bitch. She never liked me and I’m a fucking delight. But I never liked her, either, so it was completely mutual. Even eleven-year-old me knew I never wanted her approval. The same could not be said for my people-pleasing best friend . . . which only made me hate Mrs. Turner more. I wouldn’t mind if she shared her beauty routine, though, but I’m thinking my lack of melanin might prevent me from ever being on her level.

“I can’t say you’re wrong about any of this, but you still can’t say it to Adelaide.” Lauren fidgets with an imaginary string on the sleeve of her flannel pajamas. “You know how hard it’s been for us. I just don’t want her to go see him and say something that gives him an excuse to walk away from her and blame me for being the crazy baby mama.”

Lauren is a spitfire. She’s confident and strong and the smartest person I’ve ever known. Whenever I have a problem, she’s the first person I tell. She gives me the best advice, and when she’s done talking to me, I feel like fucking Wonder Woman. She knows what she wants in a way that both intimidates and inspires me. But whenever she talks about her douchebag ex, it’s like I can see her visibly fold into herself. She shrinks right in front of my eyes and becomes this meek person I don’t even know. And if he wasn’t my favorite five-year-old’s dad, I’d have already paid a hit man.

Well . . . I would’ve when I wasn’t broke as a joke.

“I’ll try to be better,” I reassure her, but when she glares at me, I know I’ve failed. “Fuck. Fine.” I uncross my fingers from behind my back and hold them in front of me. “I promise not to say anything about Ben or his stupid family in front of Addy.”

“Thank you.” She smiles and her perfect white teeth gleam against her brown skin. “And when she’s not around, you can talk all the crap you please.”

“I guess that’s fair.” I pout like Addy did the other night when Lauren told her she had to take a bath. “You know, it’s still so weird to me that you’re a mom. Like, you grew a fucking human! A really cute one at that. But, now when you give me the mom eye, it actually scares the shit out of me.”