head in a thick mat and her smile made her cheeks high and round.
Kiri gestured to the big chair and unfolded a camp seat. Shannon’s joy washed over her and she grinned back at her friend. “Tell all.”
Settling into the chair with a quick butt wiggle, Shannon beamed. “I’m pregnant. Averill and I are having a baby.”
Air whisked around in Kiri’s mouth and she understood it had fallen wide open. “Wow.” Her wits scrambled. “I didn’t even know you guys were hoping for a baby.”
Shannon flushed red. “It was an accident, but we’re thrilled.”
Kiri swallowed. “That’s fabulous,” she enthused. Meanwhile her thoughts spurted in a thousand directions, like brain synapses misfiring. Shannon was her oldest and best friend and if Kiri knew anything it was that their relationship had just changed irrevocably. Shannon would be focused on Averill and the baby, rightfully so, but Kiri felt a little cold.
Then she felt a lot cold and the open door creaked. Kiri hurried to shut it. “Wow,” she said again.
“We’re so happy!”
“That’s absolutely great!” Kiri went over and hugged her friend. “I have milk for the coffee to celebrate!”
Shannon laughed. “Thanks. No more caffeine for me for the duration, but could I have some herbal tea?”
“You got it.” Kiri went to the kitchen and filled a glass measuring cup with water. She set it in the microwave, rooted in her tea drawer and found chamomile. That was supposed to be good, right? Soothing? She shrugged. The box said it was caffeine free. She plunked a bag in a mug. “How are you feeling?”
“Fabulous.” Shannon hopped up and whirled around then strode to Kiri and hugged her again. “Revved.”
“Great,” Kiri repeated. She couldn’t scrape up different words. “I’m happy for you.” That she could say with full sincerity.
“Averill and I wanted you to be the first to know.”
“That’s so nice. Thanks.”
“And I wanted to tell you myself, so Averill is getting us drinks down at the Sensitive New Age Bean. You know how restless he is,” Shannon ended fondly.
The microwave dinged. “You sure you want the tea?” Kiri asked.
“Yeah, I do. He’ll probably bring me chai. He can never remember that I hate chai.” Shannon tsked. Kiri poured water on the tea bag, handed the mug on a saucer to Shannon.
Shannon sank back into the chair. “We’ve just been to a birth center and have already gotten masses of information. They are so nice there and we met other soon-to-be parents, too.” Dimples showed in Shannon’s cheeks as she blew on the tea water, then sipped. Her glance slid away.
Kiri made herself smile as she took the camp seat. “Sounds awesome, though I think you have a ‘but’ for me?” Another “but” that would send her life in a different direction today. She glanced at the clock. It was 7:40 p.m. and getting dark, so there shouldn’t be too many other strange things coming up.
Shannon said, “Our first set of parenting classes are on Friday nights, so I can’t—”
“—play Fairies and Dragons with me.” Again Kiri deliberately put oomph in her smile. “Do you want to change nights?” she asked lightly, sure she already knew the answer, but hoping she’d still have good connections with her best friend.
“Oh. Of course. We’re working on our scheduling, but I think Tuesdays would be good.”
Kiri’s breath released on a “Whew,” and her smile turned completely genuine.
“Gotta have some amusement, right?” Shannon said.
“Right.”
Shannon patted her stomach. “And little geek here is growing up in a wired household so she-he should get used to it.”
Kiri laughed, but figured there’d be plenty of missed nights due to baby and parenting stuff.
Shannon drew in a large breath. “Averill and I are going to get a new house. Our place is too small for us and a baby and I’ll need something closer to work.”
“So you’re moving way south in the city.” That hurt.
Kiri gestured to the big chair and unfolded a camp seat. Shannon’s joy washed over her and she grinned back at her friend. “Tell all.”
Settling into the chair with a quick butt wiggle, Shannon beamed. “I’m pregnant. Averill and I are having a baby.”
Air whisked around in Kiri’s mouth and she understood it had fallen wide open. “Wow.” Her wits scrambled. “I didn’t even know you guys were hoping for a baby.”
Shannon flushed red. “It was an accident, but we’re thrilled.”
Kiri swallowed. “That’s fabulous,” she enthused. Meanwhile her thoughts spurted in a thousand directions, like brain synapses misfiring. Shannon was her oldest and best friend and if Kiri knew anything it was that their relationship had just changed irrevocably. Shannon would be focused on Averill and the baby, rightfully so, but Kiri felt a little cold.
Then she felt a lot cold and the open door creaked. Kiri hurried to shut it. “Wow,” she said again.
“We’re so happy!”
“That’s absolutely great!” Kiri went over and hugged her friend. “I have milk for the coffee to celebrate!”
Shannon laughed. “Thanks. No more caffeine for me for the duration, but could I have some herbal tea?”
“You got it.” Kiri went to the kitchen and filled a glass measuring cup with water. She set it in the microwave, rooted in her tea drawer and found chamomile. That was supposed to be good, right? Soothing? She shrugged. The box said it was caffeine free. She plunked a bag in a mug. “How are you feeling?”
“Fabulous.” Shannon hopped up and whirled around then strode to Kiri and hugged her again. “Revved.”
“Great,” Kiri repeated. She couldn’t scrape up different words. “I’m happy for you.” That she could say with full sincerity.
“Averill and I wanted you to be the first to know.”
“That’s so nice. Thanks.”
“And I wanted to tell you myself, so Averill is getting us drinks down at the Sensitive New Age Bean. You know how restless he is,” Shannon ended fondly.
The microwave dinged. “You sure you want the tea?” Kiri asked.
“Yeah, I do. He’ll probably bring me chai. He can never remember that I hate chai.” Shannon tsked. Kiri poured water on the tea bag, handed the mug on a saucer to Shannon.
Shannon sank back into the chair. “We’ve just been to a birth center and have already gotten masses of information. They are so nice there and we met other soon-to-be parents, too.” Dimples showed in Shannon’s cheeks as she blew on the tea water, then sipped. Her glance slid away.
Kiri made herself smile as she took the camp seat. “Sounds awesome, though I think you have a ‘but’ for me?” Another “but” that would send her life in a different direction today. She glanced at the clock. It was 7:40 p.m. and getting dark, so there shouldn’t be too many other strange things coming up.
Shannon said, “Our first set of parenting classes are on Friday nights, so I can’t—”
“—play Fairies and Dragons with me.” Again Kiri deliberately put oomph in her smile. “Do you want to change nights?” she asked lightly, sure she already knew the answer, but hoping she’d still have good connections with her best friend.
“Oh. Of course. We’re working on our scheduling, but I think Tuesdays would be good.”
Kiri’s breath released on a “Whew,” and her smile turned completely genuine.
“Gotta have some amusement, right?” Shannon said.
“Right.”
Shannon patted her stomach. “And little geek here is growing up in a wired household so she-he should get used to it.”
Kiri laughed, but figured there’d be plenty of missed nights due to baby and parenting stuff.
Shannon drew in a large breath. “Averill and I are going to get a new house. Our place is too small for us and a baby and I’ll need something closer to work.”
“So you’re moving way south in the city.” That hurt.
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