Echo

Together Again

Minerva 'Minnie' Louise Chung had been Aurora's best friend for the past three years, ever since Aurora had moved to town when she was almost six months pregnant with Alice and wanting to start over again. How Minerva and Aurora even met was a very interesting story to begin with, but when she learned that Aurora was new to the D.C. area, she and her mother, In-Sun, acted as her surrogate family, and helped her get settled in and plant some roots.

At the time of their first meeting, Minerva was also six months pregnant and also doing the motherhood job solo, although it had been her choice from the very start. Three months later, through one of the most amazing coincidences Minerva had ever experienced in her entire life, she ended up giving birth on the same day as Aurora. She had a beautiful baby girl named Constance, although on the day the little one was born, she almost died because of a last-minute complication.

After a two-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, Constance pulled through and because of that, Minerva changed the middle names she'd been planning to bestow on Constance, Marie Elizabeth, to Rebel because it seemed more fitting because she'd seen death and gone on to defy it, coming through with flying colors. Constance Chung truly was a rebel.

Like Alice, Constance had also been diagnosed with myopia and also wore special glasses, but even still, she was as happy as a clam and marched, shimmied, and danced to the beat of her own drum. She also preferred to be called Rebel, so everyone in her life abided by that wish.

As for Minerva, for a living, she ran a popular tea room in town and was often dreaming up new recipes to serve. Because of that, she helped Aurora put together a delicious meal for her dinner with Emily, and was currently at her house, helping her put the finishing touches on everything.

"Okay, you," Minerva said to Aurora. "I finished making the appetizer, and the dirty dishes are soaking in the sink. Have you put the bread, baked ziti, and the cake in the oven?"

Aurora took the art of cooking very seriously because it was her parents' trade and she'd practically grown up in her mother's kitchen. It was only natural that she had a top-of-the-line kitchen equipped with very modern appliances, and her favorite was a very nice dual range oven that was capable of cooking different kinds of dishes at once.

"Everything is in the oven and I've got the alarm set on my phone, since they'll be done at the same time."

"Good." Minerva chirped and then studied her friend for a moment. "Everything alright?"

"I'm super jittery, Minnie." Aurora let out a puff of air and pointed to her middle. "It's mostly in my stomach."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to be ill?"

"No."

"Are you pregnant?"

Aurora immediately turned red. "One of the kids will hear you! Hush!"

Now Minerva's face bore an expression of amusement as she rubbed her baby bump to quell her squirmy offspring. "Oh, so the second I bring up the topic of a pregnancy, you tell me to shut up?"

Before Aurora could answer, a small voice from the next room called out, "Shut up is a bad word!"

"You're totally right, Rebel!" Minerva called back as she and Aurora stifled giggles. "And I hope you're staying out of trouble because it's almost time to go!"

When Rebel started to protest, Minerva reminded her that it was their movie night, and the little girl immediately promised that she would be good.

Turning back to Aurora, Minerva saw that she was looking lost in thought.

"Talk to me, Rory." Minerva said seriously. "Clear your head before Emily comes."