Page 12 of The Best Friend Problem
She lifted one shoulder. “You are such a hipster. You really need to branch away from IPAs at some point. There’s a whole world of beer out there.”
Her bestie lifted his hand to count on his fingers.
“First of all.” His gaze fell to her cider. “Cider is the hipster drink for cretins who can’t stomach a good hoppy drink. Second, I like supporting local brewers. And third, IPA is delicious.”
Gross. She couldn’t stomach the bitter drink. She preferred the crispness of a fruity cider. Not too sweet, zero hops, all delicious. It was a playful argument they’d been having for years now: beer versus cider. She supposed if all went well in a month or two, she’d be off alcohol for at least nine months.
Please, let everything go well.
Which brought her right back around to the reason she’d invited Finn out tonight. Operation: spill the baby news. Laura came back with Finn’s beer and took their order of burgers and fries, and once she’d left, Pru knew it was now or never. Lifting her bottle to her lips, Pru took a deep, fortifying chug of cider.
“All right, now you’re freaking me out.” Finn’s brow pinched. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, I swear. But I do have big news.”
The soft squeak of flesh gripping glass sounded in the air as Finn’s knuckles turned white with the tense grip he had on his drink. A slight pinch of guilt turned her stomach. She hadn’t meant to make him worry about her.
“Okay.”
“You know how I’ve always wanted to be a mom?”
Finn nodded, lifting his beer to his lips. “Sure.”
“I’ve decided to pick a sperm donor and be inseminated.”
Beer spewed across the table, sprinkling her face with a fine mist of sour-smelling liquid as Finn snorted and choked on the sip he’d just taken. Pru jumped from her seat, rushing over to pound him on the back as he coughed and hacked the alcohol from his chest.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?”
“What *cough* did you *cough* say?”
She waited a moment, rubbing his back until the hacking and wheezing subsided then retaking her seat.
“I said I want to be a mother, and since all men suck—”
“Hey!”
“Present company excluded!” She gave him a sassy wink. “Most of the time.”
He rolled his eyes but motioned for her to continue.
“Since it doesn’t look like I’m going to find a life partner anytime soon, I’ve decided to become a mother on my own.”
He sat there, a stunned expression filling his face, mouth slightly open in shock.
“I’ve already gotten approval from my doctor. I have enough in savings for multiple tries in case it doesn’t work right away. Plus, I’ve talked with Lilly and Mo to ensure I can take time off after the baby is born. I’ve researched Head Start programs and applied for the waiting list on some very highly rated daycares. I’m prepared for anything—”
“Pru, Pru, Pru.”
Finn leaned forward, grabbing her hands. She hadn’t even realized she’d gripped her napkin and started nervously ripping the poor, flimsy paper into a pile of tiny flakes.
“I have no doubt you have researched, prepared for, and pro-and-con-listed every infinitesimal detail of solo parenting.”
Most people might take his words as an insult, but Finn knew her, knew how important something like this was to her. She took it as the compliment he intended it to be.
“You are going to be a terrific mom.”
Erratic nerves settled as warmth filled her. “Yeah?”
