Awkward Moments

"Oh no you don't." Lia scoffed and ran after him. She opened the door expecting to find him but he was long gone.

"Coward." She muttered under her breath as she walked back towards the place she knew her friends would be. Surely enough they were right there.

Lydia was taking pictures of some cute onesies while Jane was staring into space. Lia sighed and walked up to her.

Jane looked up as soon as she got to her and smiled. "Hey, where have you been? I was getting worried."

Lia rolled her eyes and laughed. Trust Jane to worry even when Lia had screwed up. "I'm sorry about earlier, I'm not handling any of these changes well. You didn't do anything wrong and I shouldn't have shouted at you."

Jane scoffed and tugged Lia's hand until she sat down beside her. She looked into her eyes and shook her head. "You don't owe me any apology. I should have understood that everything that's been going on is a bit too much. Perhaps I shouldn't have pushed for this shopping spree anyway. The only one who seems to be enjoying any of this is Lydia and she's not even the pregnant one."

Lia chuckled and they both turned to stare at their friend who was too busy taking pictures and making silly faces.

"She loves you," Jane sighed, turning to face Lia. "I swear she does."

Lia nodded, blinking as tears filled her eyes. "I know she does and I love you girls so much. Sometimes I wonder what I did in my previous life to deserve you."

Jane waved her hands as if Lia was exaggerating but there were tears in her eyes. "We love you too and you are the only kind of friend I want to have. And this big head too."

"Guys," Lydia said, turning to face them. Jane raised an eyebrow in question. "Which one is better? This or this?" She asked, holding up two onesies for their verdict.

Jane sighed and looked at Lia. Lia laughed, understanding the look while Lydia frowned, oblivious to everything.

"What?"

"It's nothing." Lia quickly replied, pretending to think about her question. "I'm not so big into fashion and clothes but I love that one."

The one Lia picked was white and had little teddy bears on it.

"I don't really know." Jane shrugged. "They all look the same to me."

Lydia's eyes bulged out. "How can you even say that? Lia clearly has more taste than you." She rose to her feet and did a happy dance. "This is the one I'm getting."

"Getting?" Jane thought but it was Lia that voiced it out.

"Yep, for the baby. I'm going to get all sizes though, just in case our little one is a big one." She used her hand to make a demonstration and Lia laughed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Jane hit Lydia's arm and she winced.

"Why would you do that?!" She shrieked, rubbing her sore arm.

"Why did you have to make her cry? I mean she's already an emotional wreck but the pregnancy has made it worse."

Lia wordlessly jumped on Jane, ignoring her protests. "I love you girls so much."

"Hey, what about me?" Lydia asked, pretending to be upset and Lia tugged her arm, pulling her into the hug.

"I love you Lydia, you too Jane."

"We love you too but do we have to be this loving at a baby store?" Jane asked, wriggling to free herself but Lia held on tighter.

"Yes, this is the best place." Lydia chipped, squeezing Lia's arm. "We love you girl, always."

Jane sighed, knowing she was in for it. "I love you girls a lot."

"I love hugs, so nice." Lydia held on tighter and Jane groaned, closing her eyes.

At this rate they'd never go home.

****

But they did, eventually. Three more group hugs and one more survey of the entire store later, they finally made it home.

Jane slumped on the sofa and raised her foot up, yawning. 'Why did some women love shopping anyway?' She wondered, stretching her taut muscles. It was such a chore.

"That's the last of it." Lydia announced walking into the house with shopping bags on each arm.

Jane wouldn't have been surprised if they had bought the whole goddamn store the way Lydia had been taking things off the rack. "Are you sure? You should check again, you can never be too sure. Right?"

Lydia glared at her and stomped into the room. Jane held her hands up in surrender as Lia walked into the living room.

"Are you teasing her again?" She asked, settling on the rocking chair Adam had gifted her last week. He said he had read it somewhere online that they were good. It even came with a foot rest. It had become her favorite piece of furniture in the entire house.

"She's such an easy target, I can't help it."

They laughed and then fell silent when they heard footsteps. When Lydia didn't show up as expected, Jane relaxed.

"How are you doing?" She asked Lia, leaning up.

"I'm okay, I mean the morning sickness is bad but at least it doesn't happen everyday."

"Fever?" Jane asked and Lia eyed her.

She frowned. "Why are you doctoring me?"

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Lia..."

Lia rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "No, no fever."

"Headache?" Jane asked again and Lia sighed.

"Is there a point to this?"

"Headache?" Jane repeated, her eyes daring Lia not to respond.

"No, I'm fine Jane." She insisted, leaning up and doing some stretches. "See? I'm good."

Lydia walked in right then and Jane nodded. "I was just checking, that's all."

"Checking what?" Lydia asked, sitting on Jane's legs.

Jane's eyes were like little red coals. "Get up this minute."

Lydia shrugged but remained there. Jane eyed Lia and took a deep breath.

Lia made a sign to her and she closed her eyes.

"Is it me or did I see Fernando today?" Lydia asked, totally clueless about the plans against her.

Lia's ears perked up at the mention of Fernando's name but she didn't say anything.

It was Jane that spoke.. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean today at the store, I could have sworn I saw Fernando there." Lydia explained, looking completely sure of what she was saying.

Lia understood what she meant but she didn't say anything.

Jane scoffed. "That's crazy talk Lydia. Why would Fernando be at a baby store?"

'Why was he at the baby store?' Lia wondered, within herself.

Lydia looked unsure. "I don't know but I swear I saw him. I mean it."

Jane shook her head. "You're seeing things now. Hey, you okay?" She asked, staring at Lia who looked lost in thought.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

Lydia eyed her. "You sure? You look kinda spooked."

Lia nodded with a sigh. "I'm fine. I think there's someone at the door." She frowned, staring at Jane. "Are you expecting someone?"

Jane shook her head and glared at the door. "Could it be Adam?"

Lydia snorted. "Adam always calls me first and besides he knows we're having a girls day today."

"I'll go get it. It's probably my neighbors anyway, those nosy brats."

Lydia bit her lip and Lia giggled, shaking her head. Jane was the perfect example of hospitality. The irony.

Jane unlocked the door and opened it, freezing when her eyes fell on the person. "Fernando?" She muttered, her mouth hanging open afterwards.

"Who is it?" Lydia yelled and Jane sighed, shutting the door in his face.

Jane rubbed her hands together. "Do you have some kind of superpower, Lydia?"

Lydia pretended to think and Lia frowned. What was going on? "Apart from being totally awesome? I don't know. Why?"

"Because it seems you have pictured Fernando so much in your mind, he's standing right outside my door."

Lydia blinked, not sure if she was hearing correctly. "What? Fernando is here?" She bolted up and ran to the door, opening it. She almost passed out from shock and excitement. "I'm a genius!"

She slammed the door in his face, again and danced into the living room.

Lia facepalmed and sighed. "He's still standing outside, guys."

Lydia stopped dancing and Jane remembered her manners, rushing to the door.

"Right, oh my God I'm so sorry. Please come in." She stepped back to let him walk into the house.

Lia leaned back in her rocking chair and placed her legs on the foot rest, shaking it a bit. She couldn't take her eyes off him no matter how much she wanted to. She had missed him. The realization shook her.

"Hey Fer, what brings you here buddy?" Lydia asked, earning her confused looks from Jane.

"Buddy? What is this, Confusion Town?" Jane asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "And don't be an idiot, he's obviously here to see Lia. We'll give them some privacy."

She pulled Lydia by the arm, ignoring her protests and dragged her out of the living room, kicking and screaming.

Lia kept staring at Fernando several minutes after her friends had gone and their voices were no longer audible.

Fernando took a deep breath and sighed. "Can I sit?" He asked, pointing to the sofa and she just kept staring.

He walked around it and sat down, looking up at her. His eyes roamed every inch of her body as if committing her looks to memory. Almost as if it would be his last time seeing her.

Was he leaving? Lia was suddenly gripped by panic.

Fernando noticed her unease and rose to his feet, leaning over her. "Are you okay? You look pale."

"I'm... I'm fine." She stammered, trying to catch her breath.

He studied her for a while and then walked back to the sofa again, sitting down. He leaned further to the edge and looked at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm good." She nodded, looking down at her hands. "What are you doing here?"

Fernando ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Well, I was hoping I could talk to you." He groaned, hitting his head with his hand. "I was hoping we could talk."

Lia didn't miss the string of curses he muttered under his breath and she grinned, her face going back to blank when he looked up.

"I wanted us to talk about everything. I believe things were left unsaid the last time we were together."

Lia agreed but she didn't say so. Why make things easy for him if he was even too scared to talk about these things?

"Please Lia, I need to talk to you." He begged and Lia avoided his gaze, tears gathering at her eyes. It felt so nice to hear her name on his lips again.

She nodded, sniffing. "Okay, let's talk."