Blooming

The next morning, Lucy was still asleep, as usual. I was always the first one up whenever we had sleepovers no matter who’s house it was. I usually pretended to be sleeping until she got up but I couldn’t ignore that ache in my back and decided a walk would be best.
I walked around Lucy’s house glancing at all the pictures on the wall, almost all of Lucy. Most were school pictures from over the years but I couldn’t help but stop and stare at one of us together. We were sitting on the swing in my backyard, popsicles in our hands and all over our faces. We had to have been no more than five, grinning ear to ear and holding those popsicles with more pride than I’d ever seen any five year old wear.
I smiled as I ventured to anther picture of our fourth grade class. Lucy was in the back row while I sat in the front next to my best friend at the time; Riley. He had on nice kaki pants and a striped shirt, smiling from ear to ear, one tooth missing in the front. His hair was a mess; his mom had tried to comb it back but he’d refused and ran his fingers through it until it looked like Rob Pattinson hair. Not the best look in 2003.
I smiled and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to remember when life was that simple. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it just seemed as though it was because I had my best friend by my side at all times to help me pick up the pieces if I ever fell apart.
I opened my eyes and looked over at a sleeping Lucy. Her eye make up was smeared and her hair was a mess but even in her sleep she looked peaceful, content, and happy with herself.
I knew then that I was lucky. I was lucky to have a best friend to stand by my side through it all, someone I could tell all my secrets to and to laugh and cry with. I was lucky to have my former best friend become my boyfriend and get me through what I knew would be one of the hardest times of my life. I was lucky to have him there with me every step of the way, despite all that had happened throughout the past six months. I was lucky to have mended the bridge between us. I was lucky to have him in my life for he really was one of the best friends I had and would ever have.
And I realized then that that’s all I wanted him to be anymore; a best friend.
I turned my attention to the next framed photo on the wall, one of Lucy and my soccer team when we were twelve. Everyone was seated on bleachers in the school gym, Lucy and I in the back, and none other than Darren in the front standing next to the coach in the front row. Even then all the coaches favored him and never took him out of a game. Riley, however, had not been one for sports.
Then again, neither had Lucy and I.
In the picture we were giggling and staring down at Darren.
“He’s so cute!” I remembered saying.
“He’s thirteen!” Lucy exaggerated.
“I know. He’s going to be a freshman next year!” I squealed excitedly.
Just then, Darren turned around and gave us an I-know-you-think-I’m-hot kind of smile.
This, of course, sent Lucy and me over the edge.
I smiled and placed one hand to the old photo and the other on my bulging belly wondering how even then I loved Darren.
“Good morning, Savannah.” I turned around to see Mrs. Palmers with a coffee cup in her hands.
“Good morning, Mrs. P.”
She took a couple steps closer to me to get a better view of the picture and smiled.
“I don’t know why we even went out for soccer,” I laughed, staring at the picture again. “We hated playing.”
Mrs. Palmers’ laugh reminded me of the way a blue bird might chirp, hushed, flowing into its surroundings. Calming.
“You had your reasons,” she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye, the kind I saw on Lucy’s face time and time again. “I seem to remember a certain someone that caught your eye even then.”
I smiled knowing my face was as red as a tomato.
“Lucy was so mad at me for making her go out for it with me.” I laughed.
For a while, she stood there staring at the picture intently. Then, her face was serious.
“Savannah, you know Lucy would do anything for you.” she said.
I nodded.
“I know,” I said quietly.
“And that she debated the whole Riley thing for a while.”
I looked down at my feet.
“Did she talk to you about it?” I asked, glancing up at her once more.
She nodded.
“Yes she did.”
I paused before going on.
“What did you say?”
Again, I turned my attention to the floor as though I were afraid that just by looking in her eyes she could see something in mine. Something that hurt. Something I couldn’t let her see.
“I told her to follow her heart and that I thought it would be good for her....for the both of them.”
I sighed and looked up at her with apologetic eyes.
“I guess I would’ve told her the same thing.” I said honestly. “You know, after thinking about it. I guess it makes sense.”
With that, she came over and hugged me as I fought tears and wondered how my life had gotten so dramatic.
When she released me, I wiped away a tear. Despite everything, I was still hurting.
“Do you think Darren and I will last?”
She smiled.
“There’s no telling the future Savannah,” she simply said.
It was not the answer I would’ve hoped for and she could see on my face.
She put a hand on my shoulder.
“Give it time, Savannah. You’re still blooming.” she said. “What I do know is that you’ve got someone who’s been crazy about you since you met him on that soccer field.”
She motioned towards the picture.
I smiled, mirroring hers.
“You really think so?”
“I know so, Savannah. And he’s going to be the best father possible to your son.”
I brought my hands to my unborn child.
“Darren says he’s going to teach him every sport he knows.” I laughed.
“Who knows, maybe he’ll even meet someone special on the soccer field too,”
* * * *
When I got home that day, Darren was already at the house, gathering up things from the baby shower and sorting them into piles according to clothes, toys, diapers, and other various things we’d gotten. I joined him on the couch.
“Where are we going to live?” I asked, grabbing a pair of tiny blue socks and placing them in the clothes pile.
From the look on his face, he’d just realized I was there. I tossed the rattle in my hands into the toy pile and lay back on the couch. He mirrored my movements, putting his arm around me. It was the first time I’d asked him this question so straightforward though it was constantly on our minds.
“Where do you want to live?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“In a house. With you.” I stated simply.
He laughed.
“I’ll get right to it,”
We sat, in utter silence for a long time, simply thinking.
“Will you teach the baby soccer?” I asked out of the blue.
He turned his head and gave me a quizzical look.
“Of course I will. He’ll be the best the best soccer player ever. What brought that up?”
I thought about telling him but decided not to. He probably barely remembered it anyway.
“Maybe he’ll meet his first girlfriend playing soccer. Maybe he’ll even meet the love of his life on that smelly old field.” I looked up at him. “Do you think that’s crazy?”
I knew that what I was saying was barely making sense and was nothing but a ramble but Darren didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he squeezed his arm around me a little tighter.
“How could I? That’s what happened to me.”