“Yeah, your dad has earned his place next to my parents in the shitty-ass parent hall of fame.” Nina’s parents passed away in a train accident last year, but that didn’t stop her from speaking her mind about them and the neglect of their children.

“Believe me, I’m right there with y’all, but I’m trying not to give him too much of my energy. I’m trying to stop thinking so much and just let myself be happy with Kai this time.”

Nina grabs my hand. “Good. You deserve that. You both do.”

“Can I be honest for a second?” Sasha asks.

Nina’s eyelids lower. “When have you ever not been?”

Sasha sucks her teeth. “Anyway, Liv, I wasn’t sure about you at first.”

“I could tell.”

“Yeah, sorry. My face speaks my mind even when I don’t. But I hope you understand that I didn’t know a damn thing about you before you showed up. Then we found out that you broke Kai’s heart years ago and all our minds were spinning. I look at those guys like my extra brothers so I don’t like when people fuck with them. I remember when I met Kai, he seemed so…sad. He was always laid-back and chill, but he just had this lingering sadness about him. Over time, he seemed to find his joy again, but the minute I met you I knew I had it all wrong. He wasn’t truly happy until you came back.”

I take a sip of my lemonade—since I decided not to drink after all—to distract myself from the tears trying to fight their way out of my eyes. I hate that I put Kai through all those years of torment, but I know I’ll never be the source of his pain again.

We move on to much lighter topics, and I feel so at home with these women.

Ciara and I agree to go rock climbing together when I’m a little more healed and she’s a little less pregnant. When our food is done and the bill is paid, we continue sitting and talking until Ciara checks her phone and abruptly says it’s time to go.

“Damn, bitch, what’s the rush?” Sasha asks when Ciara hurriedly stands from the table.

Ciara looks sheepish as she makes eye contact with all of us. “Lincoln just got home.”

“So?”

“So, I need some dick, okay?”

Nina chokes on the last sip of her drink. “Umm, what?”

“Look, y’all. Pregnancy has made me horny as hell, and now that Lincoln’s home from work I gotta get it in. Like now.”

“This whole damn lunch was your idea, ma’am. You said you needed a writing break.”

“Yeah, I did. And I also needed a distraction from the fact that Lincoln wasn’t home to break my back.”

“Oh my God, thirsty-ass bitch.” Sasha rolls her eyes.