“It’s no big deal,” Tachina stressed, but it seemed neither of them believed her.
“Well, I see she doesn’t want to talk in front of me. Let me take your order so she can spill her guts to you, Addy.” Monica turned to Addison who promptly gave her order.
Tachina glanced back down at the menu. Mind made up, she waited her turn.
“And Miss Tachina, what will you be having?”
“I’ll take the Reuben with extra cheese, extra mustard on the side, make sure they give me the biggest slice of pickle they have, and no chips, I’ll have the house fries instead, please.” She placed her menu back down on the table and again found two sets of eyes on her. She shrugged, unapologetic. “I said I was hungry. Oh, and for a drink, I’ll have a Diet Coke.”
“Really? A diet?” Addison muttered.
“Shut your face.” Tachina blew a kiss at her bestie who rolled her eyes at her.
“I don’t judge. I’ll get your order in and I’ll be back with your drink, babe.” Monica offered her a wink as she collected their menus. She spun on her heel and beelined it through the busy establishment.
“Okay. Now spill it.” Addison was not going to let up on her.
Tachina blew out a deep breath.
It was now or never.
“I need to speak with Vic.”
“Vic?” Addison blinked. “As in Victor Maxwell, your perfect co-parenting partner? That rich, handsome, emotionally stable unicorn that you procreated with?”
“Addison…”
“I’m just making sure I have the correct Vic in mind.” Addison swirled her straw in her iced tea. “Why do you need to speak with him? Don’t tell me you are finally going to ask him for more child support. Because you should. That man has a literal mansion in a ritzy suburb. He can afford to upgrade Kian’s daycare snacks.”
“Addison!” Tachina gasped. She clutched her nonexistent pearls.
“What? If Kian wants organic strawberries and special fruit snacks then he should have them.”
“He already has them,” Tachina replied dryly.
Her son didn’t want for a thing. He had two highly successful parents who provided for him.
“Exactly. And Vic should foot the bill.”
“It’s not about child support.” Tachina laughed.
What was she going to do with her friend? She and Vic had an arrangement that worked out well for the both of them. She hadn’t shared with Addison that Vic had tried multiple times to increase what he paid in child support,but it was she who refused it. She was an independent Black woman who could provide for her and her child.
“Is he giving you a hard time about the budget for the birthday party? We are not skimping on the bounce house. I will fight him for that myself.”
“It’s not about the birthday party either.” Tachina held up a hand to slow Addison down. Their son was turning five soon, and Vic had agreed to everything she’d wanted to do for Kian’s fifth birthday celebration.
“Then what is it? You’re killing me?” Addison fell back against her chair practically looking defeated.
Tachina hesitated for a moment. She knew once she said the words out loud, she couldn’t take them back. Shit was about to get real. This was something she had thought long and hard about, and in her gut, it was truly something she wanted. She felt a little ridiculous for considering it, but she’d come to the final conclusion about it.
“I think…” she began. She closed her eyes and exhaled. “I have baby fever.” She opened her eyes.
Addison froze. Then she blinked. Then her mouth fell open.
“Oh.”
“But I don’t think it’s just baby fever,” Tachina continued. Now that the flood gates were open, the words continued tumbling out. “It’s like baby inferno. Or a baby blaze. Or maybe apocalypse.”