"I heard you and Immanuel made an offer on a house," Queen said, stabbing into her pasta salad. She was out with Winona and Savanna during their lunch hour, soaking up the sun before another storm hit. Autumn was approaching, but the heat beating on her back was still unbearable. Nevertheless, she ignored it as she raised her cup of iced tea to the women. "I'd like to make a toast. Vanna, congratulations on the engagement, and Winona, I hope you love your new home with Immanuel."
Winona reluctantly clinked her glass against the other two and slowly sipped from her straw. The tea left a bitter aftertaste that didn't agree with her. She gagged on the liquid and quickly grabbed her napkin, heaving into it.
"Are you okay?" Savanna asked, concerned. She pulled her friend's hair out of her face and rubbed her back comfortingly.
Winona nodded to respond. "I'm good. I haven't been able to keep anything down lately. I think I just need some rest when I get home."
Queen frowned and studied the woman's pale face. A bead of sweat had formed on her forehead, and her lips looked almost purple. "Sweetie, have you taken a pregnancy test?"
"No," Winona said, chuckling. "I don't need to. I'm on the pill."
"It's not foolproof," Savanna reminded her.
"Perfect example," Queen said, pointing to herself. "I was on birth control when I found out I was pregnant with Giana. It was great news for Kyrie because he wanted to trap me—"
"What Queen's trying to say is that you need to take that test," Savanna interjected. "We can go with you to pick up a home test right now."
"Seriously, I am fine," Winona protested. She picked up the cup of iced tea and pressed the cool glass to her temple in hopes to alleviate her headache. "I should really get back to work. It's busy at the office this week."
"If you get back up, I'm calling Kyrie to send you home early," Queen threatened, holding up her phone.
Winona laughed at the women. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay. Maybe it's the heat or humidity. I'll just turn up the AC in the car."
"That's crazy, babes," Savanna said through a grimace. "We're going to the store right now."
Winona tried to protest when Savanna grabbed her elbow and pulled her out the chair. She immediately felt dizzy and tried to sit back down, but the woman was strong enough to hold Winona's weight. Queen left a few bills on the table and followed the women into one car. They had all driven separately, but the pregnancy test was far more important than their individual vehicles parked at the restaurant.
"This is so stupid," Winona murmured as Savanna forcibly shoved her into the passenger seat.
"You have to know if you're pregnant," Queen said from the backseat. "Immanuel would be so happy."
"What if that doesn't make me happy?" Winona asked no one in particular. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking, so she shoved them into her lap.
Queen and Savanna were both quiet as they shared a glance in the rear view mirror. Neither one of them had even taken Winona's thoughts and feelings into consideration.
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