Bernice

39

August 28,
Bernice,

"Are you ready?" Saraphine asked. I nodded. I gathered my things and we left. We're meeting Anthony at a restaurant. Saraphine is really nervous. She's wearing a brown halter dress with black heels while I'm wearing a short white cami dress with beige flats. If I wasn't pregnant, I would've opted for heels instead. I've been avoiding form-fitted clothes since a month ago.

She decided to pick me up. I am capable of driving but she didn't want me to stress. She played "Ye Le" by BM through Apple CarPlay. BM is one of my favorite artists.

August said that I shouldn't interfere in what's going on between them, but I can't. She asked me for help. I can't not help her. We're really close.

It took us forty minutes to get to the Steakhouse. It doesn't look different than any other steakhouse. There were vintage photos of the Old West and the seats and tables were wooden. The lights are dim.

"He'll be here in a couple of minutes." Saraphine informed me. "Should we wait for him or get seated?" I asked. "We can get seated." She chose. We waited for a hostess to come and show us where to sit. We got to decide where to sit. There was a family and two couples here. It was pretty empty on a Friday night.

Anthony came and I got introduced to him. He's Nigerian-American. We chatted for a bit before the waiter came and took our order. I ordered a ribeye steak with fries as a side. "How's basketball going?" I asked. He talked a little about it, and I zoomed him out halfway. I don't know a thing about basketball.

I took a sip on my lemonade. He's doing his masters in business administration. He'll be done in December, and he's already got a financial analyst job waiting for him in California and I don't know how they're coping with long distance. I couldn't do it.

In the middle of the meal, Saraphine went to the bathroom and texted me to interrogate him. With the way they are interacting and stuff, I didn't see anything off. "So..." I dragged out. He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Saraphine's says she feels something is off. Is there anything going on?" I asked wearily. "Nothing's going on." He said quickly. I stared at him. I don't believe him. "You can tell me. I don't have to tell her. She thinks there's another girl." I pointed out.

"There isn't. I don't think there's been any reason I have given her for her to think I'll see anyone else." He confirmed. He doesn't seem like he would anyways. "Ok. What is the issue?" I asked again. He sighed. "I want her close to me but I know she'll never make that mistake again even though I'm confident it won't be one." He breathed.

There's no way she would do that again. I won't even let her. She left us and her life here to go to Maryland because of him, a state she didn't even like.

"You only have a semester left to finish and I think you should just finish that up and then y'all can decide on what to do. Right now she's looking for remote jobs so it'll be easier for her to travel when she gets it." I told him. He's got a big semester ahead, and he won't be able to travel as often.

"Yeah but long distance is tough. We don't talk as much as we need to and it's going to get worse this semester." He noted. She's been really busy either work, so she misses a lot of his calls. She's saving up for an apartment in the city. She wants to be in a high-rise apartment.

I told her she could just continue living in the townhome and all since she has her own room now, but she loves living alone. I've never lived alone. I've always lived with roommates that I went to college with or my family. I'll never get to.

"That's something you should work out with her. Y'all need to coordinate schedules. That's the only option y'all have." I suggested. That's what me and August needed to do if I was going to New York. I have decided to start school in January. By then, I'll have the baby and won't have to go to school pregnant.

"I know. I'm scared that we'll drift apart." He admitted. I didn't know what to say. "Time will tell." I shrugged. If they are willing to put in the work then they won't. Saraphine came back from the restroom. She kept looking between us. "Babe, I love you and only you. You should never doubt that." He assured her.

"Oh, really? What's going on then?" She asked. "I'll tell you later." He mentioned. She narrowed his eyes and stared at him. "Later." She muttered. I got a text from August that he's nearby and he can pick me up when we're done. With the way she's worried, I declined August's offer. She overthinks a lot. I don't want a car crash to happen because she's driving by herself.

"Since tomorrow is my last day here I was thinking we could spend the day together since you're off work." He mentioned. "Ok. That's fine." She agreed. I took a sip of my drink. They figured out the details and then we left.

"What did he say?" She asked. It hasn't even been five minutes since we got in the car. "He'll tell you." I replied. "Please tell me." She pleaded. "I won't. The both of  y'all need to talk that out. I know that he really does love you." I told her. She stopped at the light. "Ok." She put on Summer Walker, which is her favorite artist.

***

August put the kids to sleep and joined me in bed. I'm catching up on Love Island. He kissed my neck, and I moaned. "Stop." I ordered. "What's wrong?" He looks worried.

"I'm tired. You know we have an appointment in the morning." I mentioned. We're going to find out the baby's sex. I want another girl while he wants another boy.

I heard noises from the door. August went to open it, and it was our kids. "I thought you put them to sleep." I said. "I did." He confirmed. They ran to the bed and climbed in.

I turned the tv off. "Y'all can't sleep?" I asked. Aaron shook his head. We have been trying to get Aaron to sleep on his own. That failed. We thought that what if we put Ashly to a
sleep with him he'll be comfortable, and it looks like that has failed too.

Ashley quickly fell asleep. She's snuggled up with her dad. She's such a daddy's girl. "He's definitely not ready to sleep on his own." August stated. "Yep." I agreed. Violet will be here to watch the kids while we're at the appointment. My appointment is at 10. She's just going to close work and come right here.

I don't know what I would do without her. She's always there for me. She even moved to Wales with me so that I wouldn't be alone. I owe her a lot.