"Get in here," Laura pulls Opal through the door, causing her to stumble over the threshold. Chris stands on the porch, confused by Laura's actions. "You," she grabs Spencer's hand before giving him a quick kiss, "go. We'll see you boys later."
Opal watches her friend shut the door on both her fiance and Laura's husband. "Bye, I guess," they hear Spencer call out from the other side of the door.
"What was that about?" Opal asks, her arms laden with a garment bag, shoes and toiletry bag.
"I need to take care of something before we go. I didn't want them lingering," she answers before starting up the steps to the second floor, only stopping because of the knock on the door.
Moving quickly back down she pulls the door open again, revealing Chris. "What?" Laura snaps.
"Spencer needs his suit. You kind of pushed him out without it."
Laura reaches out to the banister where the suit is laid over the top of it. She thrusts it into Chris chest, pushing him back out of the door. His eyes dart to Opal, silently questioning what's going on. The only answer Opal can offer is a shoulder shrug. Laura shuts the door as soon as Chris is out of the way. "Love you!" he yells from the other side of the door.
"Love you too!" Opal calls out, feeling Laura's hand grip her arm as she begins leading her upstairs.
Laura leads her down a hall, bypassing one bathroom. She points out a guest room and tells Opal to hang up her dress and come down to her bedroom.
Opal steps into the room, noticing slight differences since she was here just two weeks ago for the wedding. The walls covered in picture frames from their honeymoon in Jamaica.
"Opal!" a call comes out from further down the hall.
"Good grief," Opal mutters under her breath. "Ya know," she calls out as she leaves the guest room, "you're becoming more and more like Lily every day."
Opal stops in her tracks as she sees Laura standing in the middle of the bedroom holding a pregnancy test. "How about more like Rae?" Laura asks Opal.
"Wait. What?" she stutters out, finally walking further into the room.
"I'm late," she answers simply, but unmoving.
"How late?"
"I should've started in Jamaica," she admits.
Opal flips gears, reverting back into 'take charge Opal' and takes the box from Laura's hands. She opens it and pulls out the stick that is still wrapped up. "Alright, girlie. Let's do this." She motions towards the master bath, finally causing Laura to move again.
She hands the stick over to Laura and leans against the door frame, waiting. These girls really have shared most everything so no one blinks an eye when one uses the bathroom in front of the other. "How long?"
Opal flips the box around again, looking at the front. "Three minutes."
Laura replaces the cap and sets the test on the edge of the sink. Her hands are shaking as she turns the faucet on. "Y'all picked a date yet?"
"This again?" Opal asks, slightly aggravated.
"I need to talk about something other than what is actually happening at this moment. So, yes, this again. Date?"
Opal drops her head, shaking it back and forth. "No, no date has been set. We've not even really talked about it to be honest." She goes to sit on the edge of the bed. "He's made a few small comments about me being here with him, but he knows I have Magnolia. Surely he's not expecting me to move here."
This time Laura leans against the doorframe, facing Opal. "Ya know, he looked into transferring to Jacksonville, but there was nothing available."
This news surprises Opal, he hadn't said anything to her. "Really?"
"Yeah. He said something to the guys the night before I moved up here actually. Spencer said he was even surprised by the news."
Opal doesn't know what to do with this information, except question her own self further. We hadn't even talked about who would go where in order for this to work. Opal had been so set on this going nowhere that once it actually went somewhere she didn't pay attention to the 'little' hiccups it would bring.
"Enough about me," she says, jumping up from the bed. "Let's find out if you've got a honeymoon baby." She pauses, mid step, looking at Laura. "Not a honeymoon baby." Laura shakes her head no. "Okay then. Let's find out if you were knocked up when you got married."
"That's more like it," Laura giggles, turning around to go back into the bathroom. She picks up the test without looking, passing it on to Opal.
"I don't wanna touch that. You peed on it."
"We have no shame here, remember Opal?"
Opal puts her hand out, Laura drops the test in her outstretched palm. She glances down, reading the results.
"Well?" Laura pleads.
Opal takes a deep breath. "It's a good thing your dress isn't skin tight like usual friend." She smiles widely at Laura. "You're preggers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You thinking up, down, half up half down?" Laura asks me as we make our way into the salon.
Opal shrugs her shoulders a bit, unsure. "I don't know. This is the longest my hair has been in so long that I'm kind of thinking an up do might be nice. I don't want anything super curly, or tight. I don't want to relive senior prom."
Laura laughs loudly, remembering the photos of Opal and Lily both sporting tight curls on top of their heads. She leads them past the receptionist desk, giving a small wave to the girl sitting there. "I'm sure Mallory can make sure your hair doesn't look like a bunch of actual pig's tails."
"That I can!" Mallory calls out, joining the women from the back room. She leans in giving both a hug. "Good to see you again, Opal."
"Same. This was definitely a surprise," Opal admits.
"Those fella's yall have got sure know how to spoil you." Mallory ushers Opal to take a seat at her station.
"That they do," Laura concurs taking the seat next to Opal. The two friends share a quick glance at one another, aware of the secret that only the two of them know.
"Do what you do best, Mal," Opal says, sitting back in the chair, turning over all decisions to the stylist.
"I've got you girl."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opal POV
The last few hours with Laura have been amazing. Our friendship has been very different since my accident, and I welcome it. I also love the fact that she hasn't stopped smiling once since seeing the positive pregnancy test.
"Can you help zip me?" she asks me before I leave the master bedroom to go get myself dressed. Chris text me earlier and said they'd be there around 5:30.
I pull the zipper up and fasten it in place. "Ya know how you're gonna tell Spencer?"
"Well, I'm hoping he won't figure it out when he see's I'm not drinking tonight," she pinches her lip between her teeth. "Any ideas?"
"Guess he'd ask too many questions if you said it would interfere with a new medication?" I ask. She nods as she reaches for her earrings. "Well, it's not Lent, so that won't work either I suppose."
Laura suddenly snaps her fingers. "I'll tell him I'm doing it in solidarity with you."
I lower my eyes, narrowing them. "You think he'll fall for something you've never offered to do before?"
"He doesn't know that."
"Worth a shot, I suppose. I'm gonna go get dressed then we can take a photo and send it to the others," I offer up, stopping just as I get to the door, my eyes lighting up. "Let's put the pregnancy test in the photo and see if they notice it."
"I love it!" she squeals, clapping her hands together. "Hurry!"
Once in the guest room I slide the zipper down on the garment bag, revealing Granny's dress. The light yellow tint, with small floral vines reaching from the chest down the top of the skirt. I step into it, carefully placing the straps on to my shoulders before zipping up the back. I situate 'the girls' to sit correctly under the sweetheart neckline. Digging through my toiletry bag I locate my opal earrings and the necklace Chris gave me for Christmas.
A quick look in the mirror and I suddenly feel insecure once more.
What if this isn't what I should've chosen for something like this? What if I look ridiculous in comparison to the other women there tonight? What if I look out of place next to Chris?
"Opal? Are you ready yet?"
"Doesn't matter now," I whisper quietly to myself. It is what it is.
I exit the room as Laura is coming down the hall, pregnancy test in one hand and her clutch in the other. She suggests we take the photo in front of the fireplace. After setting up the timer, Laura does a very Laura like thing and sticks the pregnancy test smack in the middle of her cleavage. I send the photo off into our group text before sliding my cell into my own purse.
Laura drops the test into her clutch. "Should the opportunity arise," she says, noticing the look on my face.
"You do you, boo." I hug her tightly once more before we hear the doorbell ring.
Since it's Laura's house I stay back, letting her open the door. I hear Spencer compliment her before there's another set of footsteps. Footsteps that I'm sure by now I'd recognize anywhere.
I look up from fiddling with my fingers to see Chris standing completely still just at the entry way to the living room. I'm waiting for his patented 'hi gorgeous' comment.
But it doesn't come.
Making my chest begin to ache once more.