Faithful by S. A. Wolfe

with concern because I’m taking much too long to react. The longer I gasp in silence, the more it comes across as judgment.
    “Oh, Lauren,” I utter softly and reach over to hug her.
    She exhales in relief and squeezes me hard. “You’re going to be an auntie.”
    “Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m going to be a step-sister,” I correct her, and she laughs against my shoulder.
    “There’s more.”
    “Oh, my God, you’re having twins?”
    “Leo and I are getting married in a month. We wanted to have a wedding at the end of summer, but the baby news has pushed it up. Since it’s early, we don’t want to tell people, other than our closest friends and our parents. So I want to get married before I start showing. We have four weeks to get it planned and organized, but I think I can pull it off.”
    “Jesus! I’m still on the ‘I’m pregnant’ part!”
    Lauren bursts out laughing. With her being overjoyed, I must tread lightly when it comes to my cynicism. A baby and a husband and a little business with me—she has everything she has dreamed of, and I feel genuinely happy for her. If she weren’t pregnant, I’d call in the reinforcements for an alcoholic celebration.
    “You’re having a baby and getting married …”
    “Wedding first, baby six months after, and I want you to be my maid of honor.”
    “Yes, I’d like that.” I laugh, trying to think of what those duties entail.
    “We’re skipping over the little parties. I don’t want you to plan anything like that. You’re my best friend, Imogene. I just want you by my side when I marry Leo and when I have this little human.” She’s almost in tears.
    “I can do that. I can.” I nod vigorously as if I’ve been asked to join a special task force. Truthfully, before this, I’ve only been a tipsy bridesmaid. I have never been asked to be the maid of honor, and I haven’t had any friends give birth yet. We’re entering a new phase in our adult lives, and it’s time for me to step up to the plate for my friend.
    “It’s going to be fine, right?” Lauren asks me, the least knowledgeable person on marriage and parenting.
    “Yes, just tell me what I need to do.”
    “Leo is telling Cooper right now. That’s why he decided to go with him tonight, so he could ask him to be the best man.”
    “Cooper is the best man?” I ask, envisioning him standing in a tuxedo at the altar with a sword.
    “Yeah, and we’re going to call Carson and Jess and Dylan and Emma when Leo gets back. We want all of you to be in the wedding party. We already told our parents this afternoon.”
    “Uh-huh,” I reply, realizing the others are married couples, and once again, Cooper and I will be the only single people in the group, except this time, we’ll be matched up with duties.
    “Since we’re pressed for time and you and I have a big deadline, the wedding plans will be simple. Leo wants us to do one last outing together before we get married, like a camping trip,” she explains, and this is where my mind goes into a foggy state of ‘ oh fuckerooni’! Lauren rambles on about dance classes and some state park, and I only hear verbs: dancing, grilling, and hiking.
    “Did you say dance classes?”
    “Yes, we want to have a quartet at the church and to open the reception. Our first few dances will be waltzes, so Leo and I decided the wedding party, our best friends, will take dance classes together. It’ll be a blast!”
    “You don’t want to take the easy way out with a DJ and let people shake their booties any which way they want?” I ask, hopeful.
    “That will happen later. But I want to have classical music and start the dancing with that, and …” she trails off. “I see your big noggin spinning, Imogene. Can you handle being paired up with Cooper for this? He’s Leo’s best friend, and you’re my best friend.”
    It’s not like I can say no to her. “Yes, Cooper and I can boogie the night away and handle a little waltzing.