with crispy bacon, onions, peppers, and shaved hash browns. My mouth watered aggressively as I placed my order and sat in my chair itching for a cup of coffee.
Everyone’s coffees arrived in less than two minutes. We stirred in cream and sugar, and I added a dash of cinnamon to mine before I lifted it to my lips and sipped.
“Heaven,” I breathed.
Kim nodded her sentiments as she blew on her piping hot black coffee. “It really is. Nothing better to cure a hangover than coffee.”
“Aside from milkshakes,” Jackson said.
Kim arched an eyebrow. “Milkshakes? That’s a lot of dairy on an upset stomach.”
“Try it next time,” he said. “It works like a charm.”
Rick nodded his agreement. “I used to use milkshakes as a cure when I was young and stupid and drinking every weekend.”
Hailey watched me sip my coffee with envy. “Can you describe what it tastes like so I can live vicariously through you?”
I laughed and put a hand on her knee. “I’m sorry, Hailey. You only have a few more weeks to hold out. You can handle that, right?”
She grumbled under her breath about how I had no idea how long a few weeks actually felt with a human brewing in your belly.
I didn’t argue with her. She was right. And I would never know.
I sipped my coffee and tried to stop my thoughts from spiraling down the depressing well of my infertility.
“What an incredible wedding,” I said, trying to change the subject. “Kim, you really outdid yourself. I’ve never seen such a beautiful ceremony or reception. It was truly magical.”
Kim beamed and it looked like she wasn’t hungover at all. She took great pride in her work, like I did mine. It was what had bonded us and made us such good friends after Jackson first introduced us.
“Thank you,” she said. “Vanessa and Rhys had no idea what they wanted. Their ideas kept clashing together, and poor Vanny was exhausted trying to plan the wedding while being a new mommy. So I took the reins. I made sure it was what they wanted, of course. I think they were thrilled with it.”
“How could they not be?” I asked. “It was perfect.”
“Maybe in the near future, I’ll be planning your wedding.” Kim winked.
I sputtered into my coffee. The others chuckled.
Jackson leaned back in his chair and rubbed Hailey’s back in slow circles. “Yeah, this Peter guy? We like him. He’s funny and a good time. And we all saw the way he looked at you.”
“Like a lovesick puppy,” Kim said.
“I was going to say adoring fan,” Rick said.
“Like he loves you,” Hailey said. “Ignore the others. Analogies are useless. Facts are better. The guy is head over heels for you, Katie. It’s obvious.”
I blinked and felt my cheeks burn. “What? I don’t know. We haven’t known each other all that long. It’s still pretty fresh.”
“Love has no timeline,” Hailey said simply. “Look at Jackson and me. We’re the polar opposite of one another. We took way too long to figure our love story out. But you and Peter? I don’t know. I’m pretty sure you’re right at the beginning of something epic. Don’t you guys think?”
Everyone nodded.
I swallowed my excitement. I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself. “If I’m being honest, I really care for him, too. He’s special. And different. And he makes me so happy when I’m with him. But we still have a lot of things to talk about before we can get any more serious.”
“Things like what?” Jackson asked as he sipped his coffee.
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “Things like what we want out of the future. And each other.”
Kim nodded knowingly.
All my friends knew that I couldn’t have children of my own. When I’d first gotten the news from my doctor, I’d been shell shocked, and the first person I called was my brother. He rushed to my side and got me through the initial week, which were the worst days of them all. Our other friends rallied to support me, too. I’d never felt more broken and more loved in my entire life. My biggest hopes and dreams had been shattered and yet I had people in my life who were able to make me smile and laugh as they pulled me through it.
Without them, I never would have believed I could survive it.
But I had. And I came out the other side a stronger woman because of it. I could still have a family, just not the one