JADE

JADE [38]

(Saturday) (January)

-JADE-

MAYRA STARES at me like I have ten heads. She stares at me as if I'm an alien that's been casted out from an unknown planet. Slowly her hand, the one that contains her wedding ring, comes up to cover her mouth in shock. Just like everyone else that I've seen today, she can't believe that I'm back. That I'm standing before her.

I get up from my chair and surprise everyone. Myself especially. I open my arms out to Mayra and smile. Her eyes says everything that her mouth doesn't. They glisten with the tears that to built up in them.

There's music still playing, but it feels as if everything's stopped. With my eyes staring right back into Mayra's, I forget if there are people watching us.

Mayra walks into my open arms and wrap her own around me in a tight embrace. I close my eyes and fortuitously inhale the scent of her hair and a whiff of her perfume. I hear her do the same for me but we don't say anything. We share a hug full of words in complete silence. She wraps her arms tighter around me and I do the same.

"Hi" she begins breathily when we pull back. "Omigod you're here"

That makes me smile. She looks so nervous and so delicate. Tears fall from her eyes and she quickly wipes them. "Hi. I'm here" I reach out to grab one of her hands.

"I can't believe it. How've you been?" She releases a nervous chuckle and wipes underneath her eyes again. "Hell, I don't even know what to say"

"I've been very happy as of lately. How've you been married woman?"

She smiles. "I've been trying to not get pregnant, that's for sure" we both laugh. "Oh wow Jade, you look great"

"Thank you. So do you" and that's the truth. Mayra's always been gorgeous. And rich. So based off her name brand attire that she's sporting right now, it doesn't look like much's changed. Other than the huge diamond ring on her finger, of course. Just like Melanie, Mayra never really wanted to get married, so this is a shock to me.

"No, I mean you look freaking fantastic!"

"Thank you"

Silence stretches between us after that. But it's not uncomfortable. We just have so much to say that we don't know where to even begin.

"We have so much to talk about" she voices my thoughts and I nod. We certainly do have a lot to talk about. "Are you back for good or are you here for a period of time? We have to catch up"

I open my mouth to respond, but my answer never makes it out.

"Mom, daddy is looking for you" Lucky steps in front of Mayra with a little boy on her hip this time. He resembles Vanessa's husband so immediately I know that he's one of their kids.

"He's here?" Mayra asks Lucky. I know for sure that Mayra didn't have a kids that would be Lucky's age so I know for sure that Lucky is her husband's daughter. Unless they adopted her.

"Yes, he just got here"

"Tell him I'm coming. And stop kidnapping Vanessa's kids"

"They love me, I can't help it" Lucky chuckles and hold on tighter to the little boy. His grey eyes bore into mines and I smile at him. He's adorable. "That's Lehi's mommy, Vashti. Say hi"

I wave at him, but he quickly buries his face in Lucky's shoulder. Lucky shakes her head and walks off.

"That was Vanessa and Jerome's second son. He's so shy" Mayra informs me with another smile.