When Girlfriends Step Up by Savannah Page Page A

can’t have,” she said, giving me a wink.
    “That’s right,” Lara said. “Think about what you can have. I’m sure there are lots of things.”
    “Yeah,” Jackie said, a questioning look suddenly glazing over her face. Then, “You can still have sex, right?”
    More fits of laughter. “Jackie,” I said. “I think it’s fair to say that that’s the last thing I want to think about right now.”
    “But if the right man comes along…” She stirred her celery stick around in her cocktail.
    “How’s this: If the right man actually comes along, you’ll be the first to know, and I’ll be sure to make an appointment with my doctor to see if it’s all right to have sex. Sound good?”
    “Got to be prepared, girl. Got to be prepared.”
    Before we called it a night, the Babies film watched intently once everyone knew the topic hit closer to home, I quietly pulled Lara aside. I wanted to see if she wanted to go to my ultrasound appointment with me. I was awfully nervous and didn’t want to go by myself—and I wanted my best friend to join me. So that following Thursday we had a date to go see my baby, in pictures, for the first time. I was ecstatic, and grateful that, even though I didn’t have a partner with whom I could share the baby’s first photo moment, I had my best friend— all of my girlfriends—right there beside me.

    ***

    As the hour approached midnight, I decided to call it a night and close my sketchbook. It felt good to break in the new pencils and charcoals that I’d picked up at the art supply store earlier. It felt even better to spend some time with the creative muse and play around with some sketches I’d yet to finish, including one particular sketch that I started and left unfinished a few weeks ago—a fruit bowl, filled only with oranges. I’d watched The Godfather with Lara not too long ago, and I wanted to run with the whole orange symbolism thing, whatever that was about. I ended up with a sketch of a large bowl of oranges, as opposed to my original plan of the classic bowl of fruit, with a lone orange set off in the background…or maybe the foreground. Not my greatest work, but something to keep me sketching.
    I curled up in bed, and before I turned out the lights, I remembered that I needed to share my news with the one friend whom I had not yet told.
    Emily! Remember to send Emily an email tomorrow, I told myself. Though still in Ghana and without regular access to the internet, Emily had to be in on the big baby news. She may have always been roaming about somewhere foreign, but she managed to get to her email account in some way, shape, or form at some point. Don’t forget. Then I let myself drift off to sleep, restfully thinking of oranges, and Emily’s small African village, and my baby.

Chapter Four

    A whole week! And no word from Brandon!
    He was quickly becoming an even bigger asshole than I had assumed. One entire week had passed by and not a single call back or even a shallow text message. Nothing. How could he be so careless about his own flesh and blood? All right, so it wasn’t like he knew he was going to be a dad, but still. I’d left a voicemail that hinted at some amount of seriousness; you’d think he’d be curious or at least have a shred of dignity and do me the kindness of calling me back. And shouldn’t my calling him be alarm enough that something strange was going on?  
    Maybe that’s why he doesn’t call back. Ignorance is bliss…
    “Morning, Robin,” Bobby said, strolling casually into the break room.
    “Hey, Bobby. How’s things?” I methodically dunked my tea bag into my hot mug of water.
    “They’re going. And you?”
    “Feeling a bit sluggish this morning.”
    “So, Miss Sinclair’s suddenly a tea-drinking kind of lady now?” he said, sidling up to me. I caught a whiff of his cologne. It was intoxicating that morning, rather than the usual intriguing or delightful.
    “Why the big change? I thought coffee was the