A Secret Better Said

It was Sunday. I hadn’t heard from her for three days. I knew she was in Long Beach visiting her boyfriend for the weekend; but that had never kept her from texting and calling every day.

“Corina, have you heard from Erica yet? She’s starting to freak me out.”
“Yeah! She texted me last night. She said she needs to talk to us in person and was wondering when we’d be able to meet up with her, Julia, and Danielle?”
“What?... What does she want to talk about? Do you think Sean and her broke up?”
“No, she wouldn’t have us drive two hours home just to tell us that.”
I spent that entire morning worrying about what was so important that Erica needed to tell us. The only thing I suspected was that her parents were separating; but something told me that wasn’t it.

                I was sitting at my desk when my phone began to buzz.

“Erica! Are you okay?”
“No. I’m pregnant.”

I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. I could hear the hum of the freeway behind Erica’s soft cry.

“Don’t cry. This is okay. I promise this is okay. I need you to calm down so you can drive safely. I’ll pick up Corina and be home in a few hours. I love you.”
“Wait, Galen… don’t tell Corina. I didn’t even mean to tell you. I wanted to tell you guys in person.”

“Okay. I won’t tell. I love you so much.”

                Corina and I met Erica, Julia, and Danielle at Z Café, the restaurant Julia works at; she was just getting off work and didn’t know we would be meeting her there. Erica shared the news and plenty of tears followed. She had taken a test while at Sean’s for the weekend. She had known that she was pregnant for two days. As much fear and apprehensiveness I could see in Erica’s eyes, a sense of relief fell over her after she shared her secret with us.