All The Odds

Forty-Three

Biggie.

Bella gaped at him with wide opened mouth when he walked into her line of vision, a smile on his face and playful mirth twinkling in his grey eyes just as always.

The last time she saw him was that dreadful day he and Iverson came to rescue her.

He was a really good friend and she owe him big time. If it wasn't for him, Iverson would have bled out before the paramedics even got there.

Iverson saved her life and Biggie saved Iverson's, all Bella did was scream through it all.

The past years seemed to have been very kind on him, he stood larger now and way more intimidating than she remembered. Or maybe that was his charcoal black-tailored to fit suit doing a really good job at enhancing his tall and broad fame.

"And you might wanna get your carburetor checked, your car smoke like an inferno. Did you not have trouble starting it?" He asked but the question flew right over Bella's head, because stepping out from the passenger's side of the Range Rover was another person she never expected to see.

"Behave yourself, Big. Else the woman have my permission to whoop your arse." Claire said as she came to stand beside him and flashed an apologetic smile at Bella.

Goodness, how Bella have missed her best friend's chirpy voice. Her jaw dropped further as she stared at the two of them in total wonder.

They both exchanged a confused look at the unmistakable struck expression on Bella's face.

"Is everything alright?" Claire asked with a slight frown. Only then did Bella realized they've been looking back at her with no recognition what so ever.

Did she changed that much?

She touched a hand to her face and was met with the face mask. Ah, that was the magic. They couldn't possibly recognize her with the blonde hair and blue eyes she had going on, not to add a mask to the mix.

That was as good as miracles get, but she wouldn't risk saying that early, to avoid jinxing it.

She tried to collect herself and act indifferent. As nice as it was to see familiar and friendly faces, she didn't have any space for them in her life, it really wasn't a good time and it was better if they didn't recognize her.

"Mommy, let's go." Lyric whined impatiently as she joined Bella behind the car with her backpack and milkshake bottle in hand.

"I'm coming, Honey." Bella said and licked her suddenly dry lips, her eyes went back to take Claire and Biggie in once again. Who knows, it might be the last time she ever saw them.

Claire hasn't change much, she still wore her blonde hair in a short bob and standing beside Biggie she was still quite short but a lot rounder. Her long white strapless gown did nothing to conceal her huge belly.

"You are pregnant!" The words just had to slip out of Bella's mouth when what she should be doing was getting away.

Biggie exchanged an amused look with Claire, then he draped an arm around her and pulled her closer to his body, lovingly covering her protruding belly with his large palms. Bella felt her heart constricted, when she was that big with Lyric the only people touching her belly were the nurses and doctors.

She'd often close her eyes and imagine Iverson doing that.

"This ain't a taco belly, Ma'am." Biggie said with a hint of pride as he pressed a quick kiss to Claire's temple. "Took me nearly eight years but I finally hit it right and scored. Didn't I, Cupcake?"