"The water was so blue you wouldn't believe it." I waved my arm out, my tea slushing slightly making me laugh.
"You should've taken pictures, I would've framed them." Piper sat across from me and I shrugged my shoulders.
"I have no room to carry any of those things, besides, it'll just give you an excuse to go see it for yourself someday."
Piper shook her head, rubbing her swollen belly tenderly. "I don't think I'd be able to do much traveling for at least a decade."
"Oh yeah, the alien thing spawning inside of you." Piper rolled her eyes.
"3D sonograms always look weird, just be happy I didn't show you her rear end." I saw slight movement coming from her stomach and I cringed at the sight of it.
"Pregnancy is the most insane thing I've witnessed. You have an actual human being just curled up eating half of the food you eat and kicking your bladder to put itself to sleep."
"You'll see the beauty in it one day when you have kids of your own." As soon as she said it she looked towards me apologetically. "I'm sor-"
"No, no you're fine. I'm not completely turned from the idea of kids." I was reminded of the beautiful cherubs I saw from my week spent in Utah. "Kids would be nice." I nodded my head and Piper laughed.
"You would be a wonderful mother." She said sincerely and it sent a pang to my heart.
"R-really? You think so?" Piper nodded her head and I looked towards the floor in thought, trying to imagine a future where I find someone I trust enough to bare children with.
But the only person I could see it with would rather not hear from me anymore.
Seeming to read my thoughts Piper asked. "How's Ross?"
•••
Two months prior
When traveling there's really good times, then there's trips from hell.
Italy was one of those trips. After spending a month in Greece I had said goodbye to the friends I made and the flings I started, only to find that as I had gotten on a bus my wallet was pic pocketed. It wasn't a total loss, considering the fact that I keep my credit cards and ID's stuffed in my bra, I only had some euros in it, but it was a coin purse I had gotten from South Africa made by some of the village women in Zimbabwe.
Then the bus I was on had broke down so me and a group of retired, elderly passengers had to trek 8 miles, down hill just to get to some crummy motel and wait two days for a replacement bus. And the motel had many rusty pipes so all of their tap water was brown, and the house keeper was the wife's owner so here she was at 3 am. Outside of my door yelling at her husband in a language that I couldn't fathom to try and decode due to the time.
The last straw was getting my luggage stolen. I had so stupidly thought that I could trust a woman to watch my luggage as I returned my room key but when I returned it was gone.
I don't know what possessed me, but through my tantrum I had dialed a number I knew by heart, paying the expenses of a long distance call it rang only three times before I heard his voice.
"Hello? Who's calling."
"This is a trip from hell, I swear someone is out to get me." I cried.
"Caspian?"
"First my wallet was stolen, then the bus broke down, the water at the motel was disgusting, and I could hardly sleep with all the noise, and this woman stole my luggage so now I have nothing to change into to roam about Italy." I shook my head. "I'm taking a train next time."
"Caspian." His tone was exasperated. "You called me at four in the morning to tell me about some shitty trip?" I heard shuffling. "And not to mention we haven't been in contact with each other for three years this is how you greet me?"
"Sorry, I just didn't know who else to call, I would call Vi but she hasn't been answering me lately, and Keith has been busy with wedding planning- I'm rambling on sorry." The new hotel I was in overlooked some pottery top houses, the sun was just setting behind them. "The view is beautiful in Verona, I could take you sometime if you'd like."
"As appealing as that sounds I'm going to have to pass." He said quietly. "Listen Caspian, it's been three years. I'm going to have to ask that you stop calling me." I heard some shuffling and a woman's voice. "Please, for both of us. It's not healthy. I can't just keep getting woken up by calls, I have work in two hours."
"No- no I completely understand I don't know what I was thinking." I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. "Uh, well I guess I should let you go now."
"It's for the best."
"Goodbye." I whispered. "I love you."
And like a fool I waited to hear something back. Even as the line made a long beep, and an Italian voice was telling me instructions for long distance calls, I sat with the phone to my ear, tears just waiting to be released.
In anger I had slammed the phone down swiping it off of the desk completely before collapsing onto my bed.
"He didn't say it back."
•••
"And you haven't spoken since?" Piper looked at me worriedly as I shook my head.
"Why would I call him back? That call was humiliating enough as it was." I sighed. "Californian sun does wonders for my skin." I changed the subject making Piper roll her eyes, but her features softened as the front door opened revealing her wife Elle and their adopted son Augustine.
Elle was a long legged blonde with piercing blue eyes and freckled cheeks, she always looked runway ready despite the fact that she is a microbiologist who makes a living digging in the dirt. Or so Piper told me.
Augustine, who they had adopted from Colombia was a rambunctious little eight year old boy who was officially welcomed into Mensa two weeks ago. He's a math prodigy, which is a blessing that he's with Elle and Piper now, who I consider the brainiest couple in the world, with Elle being a biologist and Piper being a computer systems engineer they're the only ones I could ever see helping Augustine with his gift.
"Mom! Mama did really good in soccer today!" Piper smiled at him as he kissed her cheek in greeting and kissed her stomach as well before bounding off towards his room.
"He kicked your ass didn't he?" Piper mused and Elle sunk down in a chair propping her legs on the couch.
"Darling, he showed no mercy, I demand to be coddled." Piper swatted at her.
"I have to save my coddling for the baby."
"Did I ever tell you that your pregnant belly is very becoming of you?" Elle sat up and leaned towards Piper to kiss her.
"Quit kissing my ass, you're still making dinner tonight."
"I beg to differ." Elle laughed pulling her phone out. "I got Chinese take out on speed dial."
"Of course you do." Piper rolled her eyes. "Probably have their number listed before mine in emergency contacts."
"You know it hun." Elle her cheek.
Sighing I stood to my feet. "I should probably get going, I have an early flight tomorrow."
"Oh, where to this time? Paris? Monroe? Alaska?" Piper struggled to stand up but Elle was quick to help her.
"No I wish." I snorted. "I'm going to New York. Guess who's best man in Keith's wedding?" Piper and Elle both laughed, giving me big hugs, yelling for Augustine to say by, and he shyly gave me a hug.
And as I walked towards the car I had rented I looked back at Piper's complete domestic bliss, envious and sad. Because I know I'd never be able to obtain that.
•••••
Aye, school is almost over, finally.
I'm turning 17 next month as well :)
Man this story takes a lot out of me, I don't know how I could possibly write anything else to top this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyways, I hope you guys liked it, thanks for reading voting and commenting!
Love, Aliah