the here and now

Natalie knew she should have told Holly the news first, but she couldn't even tell Joon the news about the baby. Perhaps, she felt too fragile, but then when she saw Char at the commons near the Uni Art display she felt she needed to tell someone.

"I thought you moved away?" Natalie smiled.

"Um, I did get my degree," Char remembered her from the classes they'd taken together not so long ago. "I guess it wasn't enough." She was starting a night class soon.

Soon enough they were having coffee and catching up.

"You, always had the cutest boyfriends," Natalie told her. "How are you and Jared doing?"

"Jared?" Char looked at her as if it were a foreign word. "Uh.." She took a sip of coffee and cradle the cup as if she might read something from the cup. "We, we broke up."

"But, but you were so in love." Natalie couldn't forget how Jared looked when he was around her. It was a love that couldn't be broken.

"Yeah, well, things happen." Char was straight lipped. She was with Diago now. She showed Natalie his picture on her phone. Natalie showed her a picture of Joon. They both smiled as if these were the babies they looked over in their life.

Char started telling her about a new friend of hers who had a three-month-old. "I really dunno how she does it. I know, neither Diago nor I could keep up with all the feedings and diaper changes. There aren't enough hours in the day, as it is."

"Don't tell me that," Natalie winced with a laugh. She spilled the news about how she would have a baby this summer.

"Congratulations," Char's smile was open. Of course, Natale didn't want to tell her that she hadn't told Joon yet. She didn't want him going off the deep end.

"It's just, I thought it was going to take us forever to actually be together." Natalie knew Char wasn't interested in her sex life. "Maybe, I wasn't thinking that far ahead."

"Don't over think it," Char said to live in the moment. "Enjoy what's ahead. I'm sure it'll all work out."

"But, but we should get married." It sounded like a question.

"I dunno, I don't think about things like that anymore," Char shrugged. "I mean, I can't think of being with anyone else but Diago. I remember how anxious I used to be with Jared, thinking I could never live up to that fantasy of his. I'm with my best friend now. Perhaps, I'm just simple, but I'm sure you and Joon will marry for love, not anything else."

Natalie thought of Char's words long after Char left, wondering if Joon would feel trapped now.