Great UNexpectations

It's funny how expected milestones can become unexpected.

The forecast today called for rain, but we only see blue skies adorned with wispy clouds. The blazing sun reflects off of the white sand, while the waves spill onto the shore. As they recede, my eyes settle on a growing figure, approaching me with a drink in hand.

"You have to try this," Quiana says, letting the white drink swirl in the tall glass, some drops spilling onto the sand. I shake my head, laughing. Is this her fourth glass today? Fifth?

She hands the glass to me, and I take a sip from the straw, immediately closing my eyes from the brain freeze. "Yeah, I think I'll stick to my coconut water," I tell her, gesturing to the freshly cut coconut on the side table. The Dominican Republic is known for their fresh fruit and going to the market this morning to buy some from the locals was the best decision ever.

"Suit yourself." She snatches the glass from my hand and chugs it down. Then, she goes ahead and pops some starfruit pieces into her mouth—which she stole from my plate. Her face scrunches up as she mumbles, "sour," with a full mouth.

I roll my eyes. "Girl, these are fully ripe but if you eat them right after liquid sugar, they're obviously going to be sour."

She shrugs. "True."

When my best friend and I met in kindergarten, we knew we'd be best friends forever (and even bought cheap half-heart necklaces to solidify that). By eighth grade, we had our lives "planned out". The things we came up with were crazy—skydiving when we turned eighteen, getting married to popstars, and living in a mansion with our combined families... Yet, nothing felt out of reach when we were together.

One thing that was remotely possible, was a trip for Senior year; we'd travel to the Caribbean for our first actual trip together. After fifteen years of being childhood friends, we would step into adulthood together in celebration.

The threshold between seventeen and eighteen was the supposed peak of being a teenager. While we didn't expect High School Musical, we expected diplomas and prom. I expected my longed-for Debut and she expected to be there.

Still, the pandemic came like a wild storm that nobody anticipated. The forecast read twenty-twenty vision, it saw holidays on weekends, and a list of events that would make history. Nobody spotted the brewing hurricane about to hit the shore.

And so it hit.

I don't think anyone could ever be happy about what happened, but slowly, the storm gets smaller and destroys less. Slowly, we rebuild.

I watch my best friend walk away and when she looks back to ask if I'm coming, I feel hope rising in my chest.

Maybe it doesn't matter when milestones happen, but who we spend them with. And if our friendship truly lasts forever, surely, we can make do with some late milestones.