old soul | matthew gray gubler

34. eight of wands

TW: the topic of abortion is HEAVY in this chapter ❤️

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"Let's ask the trusty, handy, dandy Magic 8 what she thinks," CeCe murmured into her palm as she swiped through her phone.

Charlotte dragged the tips of her fingers over her stomach, sighing at CeCe's response. "You can't just keep asking for the universe for signs when she's sending mixed signals."

"Yes, I can," CeCe sung back. "Hm...magic8ball.net, should Charlotte have a baby?"

"Oh, my God," Charlotte's forearm dropped over her eyes, blocking the dim light of her living room from her eyes. "Please, stop. Every time you say it, I feel a piece of my soul latch onto to this stupid thing rolling around in my uterus."

"Sheesh!" CeCe raised a hand towards Charlotte, who was sprawled out on the couch across the room. "Down, girl!"

Charlotte snickered slightly. "What does magic8ball.net say?"

"She says," CeCe shook her phone around, although the website didn't require that. You only had to press a button, but CeCe thought shaking it added to the experience. "She says, 'My reply is no.'"

Charlotte groaned into arm and CeCe lifted her head. She scrunched her nose up, "Why're you angry at the 8 ball? It just gave you a good, firm response. No. Don't have the baby. Go deletus the fetus."

"But," she whined, "but, I kinda want to. Like a little bit. Is that bad? I feel like abortions are reserved for people with real problems, not actresses with busy schedules who suck at taking their medication."

"I don't know what you want me to. That's society. It's bullshit. Your body, your choice, bitch. Have a million abortions for all I care. It's nonima," CeCe's head plopped back against the couch.

"What the fuck is nonima?" Charlotte looked at her through the crack between her bicep and forearm.

"None of ma business," CeCe shrugged. She continued scrolling through her phone. Then, an idea pulled her brows up her forehead. "Oh! Do you have those tarot cards I got you for your birthday?"

"Yeah, they're in my office," Charlotte pointed at the hallway.

"Kay, brb," CeCe shot up from the couch.

Charlotte moved around until she was slouched against the couch. She set a hand in Prune's fur, twisting her fingers through his hair. CeCe stumbled back into the living room. She kneeled on the floor in front of Charlotte and pushed the things on her coffee table to the side.

"Okay, okay, okay..." CeCe murmured to herself, shuffling through the deck, "how should Charlotte go about this decision?"

Her hands relaxed as she let a few cards fall from the deck. She carefully picked them up as they were and made a pile on the coffee table. "Let's see, what do we- oh!"

Charlotte perked up, looking at CeCe with widened eyes. "What?"

CeCe flipped the card towards her, "Ace of Cups. So, the universe of offering you this new life, this new relationship of love with this...baby thing. The universe, she is asking you with this card, 'Are you going to accept this offer?'"