The bistro is rather packed. No wonder, it is almost lunch time.

 

And the three of them are having their weekly brunch.

 

Jessica's cutting her mushroom spinach quiche into evenly piece while distractedly telling them about her family dinner last weekend. Frankly, it was...interesting. At least in Tiffany's opinion.

 

How could it not?! It was a kind of drama one would only find at telly. Not in real live. What are the odds of liking the same guy with your own blood sister. God, it smells of drama. It reeks drama. She felt like she's in one of the episode of 'Gossip Girl'. Gosh, she'll give everything for her to be Blaire.

 

"God, your sister and her silly little crush on your boyfriend"

 

"My sister is not silly. She's amazing, and she's brilliant, she everything but silly. She can spell 'consanguineous' when she was six. Can you do that?!" she exasperatedly says.

 

Jessica is cute when she's defending her sister. Like a mother lion when someone try to mess with her little cub. That's how she is when someone bad mouthing her person.

 

Tiffany thinks its endearing and lovely.

 

Like one time in the one of their sorority event, she and Jessica were smoking joint in the bathtub, stripped to their under wear−don't ask why cause Tiffany couldn't remember−her cream coloured lace-up espadrilles wedges were on the tile floor of the bathroom while Jessica's combat booted foot were dangling on the edge of the tub.

 

They were giggling and waiting for the new pledge got round up and yelled by Jessi downstairs. Not this Jessi Jessica. That Jessi is Jessi Ho, their prez. She has split eyes and looks a bit scary, but actually a lovely person and well liked by the people who knows her. She's stubborn and curse a lot but she's really nice. She's really cool and with famously amazing 'who are you guys to judge me' attitude.

 

New order's Blue Monday was played from Jessica's sleek silver ipod, one headphone on her ear and another on Jessica's. The tequila bottle−Tiffany stole from her father stash before she came for the new term−was between them. Then two second-year walked in and one of them talking about Sunny being a dyke and how disgusting it was to share living quarter with her.

 

Jessica, simply put, she snapped.

 

Like ing furious.

 

She knocked some sense into the girl head−literally and figuratively−and drilling about the pan-ual and how she should just put her ignorant and pseudo-literates head to out from their house. While watching that scene−Tiffany only could gap −her sunglasses slide lower on the bridge of her nose and brows flew to her hairline. Then, when she recovered from shock, she was just in time to pull Jessica from the girl. Damn, she unquestionably almost choked the girl.

 

It was sort of unnerving. Seeing Jessica like that. Tiffany never seen her like that before. Probably the alcohol and the weed took role in that too.

 

That girl's collage life was never recovered after that. Being a social pariah and a known homophobic.

 

Jessi, their house prez, made sure she stayed out of their house−or any other house−for acting such a disappointment. Jessi, much like Jessica, treasures her people and took the bashing among sisters as a betrayal, so she agreed with Jessica to sent that girl into a eternal banishment and nothing might have been enough to save her from the pit of social obscurity.

 

Not a pretty sight to remember. But it was precious to Tiffany and Sunny, although Sunny wasn't at the crime scene at that moment−probably snogging her girlfriend somewhere− because they remembered how protective and care Jessica about her closest friend.

 

"Krystal said it was nothing and I was seeing something" she mindlessly stabs the now poorly formed dish on her plate. "And I think Yoong doesn't even know about it, either"

 

"When I thought I cannot feel sorry even more for you sister" Sunny says, sipping her lemon infused water. "Should I send her something? Plant maybe? Dieffenbachia? Or philodendron, maybe? She like those kind of things, right?"

 

"Yeah, she'll love it. And don't forget the card. You could write something along 'sorry, your sister snagged your crush right under your nose, honey'. Good point. Maybe I should do that myself"

 

"Nobody likes a smart-arse, Jess. I'm just a concerned friend" Sunny breaks her raspberry scone−put one half to the plate and bit the other one−then told Tiffany about how she met this good-looking guy during a random shopping trip with Jessica when he so rudely started making catcalls and wolf-whistles at them.

 

"And you didn't do anything? That so uncharacteristically of you" Tiffany asks.

 

Sunny has always been some sort of feminist, always ranting about how it was unfair that men can do things that women couldn't without being judge. She rant about women always being told about what they can or cannot do. Like people saying about freedom without giving real liberation. She even went into punk rock concert to prove that a petite girl like her could survive in it. Well, she experienced the firsthand moshing.

 

And somehow, she survived. Lost a shoe and a couple of her things. Few scratch here and there, but nothing that Jessica and Tiffany couldn't heal.

 

Sunny is awesome.

 

And regularly watch 'Girls' in daily basis, illegally downloaded, and safely kept in her laptop.

 

"He was an obnoxious jerk and I almost marched to him and smack that conceited smile from his face. But Jess did it first"

 

"You slapped him? I expected it from Sunny but-"

 

"No. She didn't harm him. Not physically" Sunny scoffs and tells Tiffany how Jessica made snide remarks to the 'gentleman'. Jessica has always a way to make that kind of speech that make you felt patronized.

 

You see? The lioness and her cub. Don't wake a sleeping dragon. Or in this case lioness. Jessica could go rampage, like, to Dominic Toretto level, if one mess with her friend.

 

"Well as Sunny said, he was being obnoxious and my erratic moodiness, cramping, while shading my uterine wall that day wasn't sit well with the pratness of that prick"

 

Normally, Jessica is the not most patience person, but facing her in that time of the month is very serious act of death-defying. When she got her period-

 

Wait.

 

Tiffany looks at her almost full plate of chicken salad that she put away earlier. Which she had not-slightest-interest to touch anymore.

 

.

 

"Hey guys, what day is today? What's the date?"

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It is one of the torturous silence moment in Tiffany's life. How many minutes has past already? It's agitating and Jessica somehow found-a-heart to glare at her at this moment. Maybe because Tiffany's taping her fingers on edge of the bathtub she is sitting. She realizes it could be annoying but, please, she's anxious. And she didn't know why Sunny's humming that New Kids On The Block song she cannot recall the title. It irks her.

 

"Can we just check it now? It's already like, what? It must be already showed a-"

 

"No! Don't touch it" Tiffany cuts Sunny, she sounds panic, like Sunny almost pushes the red button in the one of the stage in Dumb Ways To Die panic. Sunny−still slightly shock−is retracting her arm, slowly as Tiffany still eyeing her.

 

Of course Tiffany won't let her. She could be smarmy like that, mostly when she didn't know what to do and in the highest level of panic. It could be insufferable, as Jessica and Sunny said. So insufferable was her strict adherence to meaningless rules. Like now. She read the instructions, she remembers the instructions, she follows the instructions. If it says they have to wait then they have to wait. No. It isn't the time. This isn't the time. It isn't ready yet.

 

She is not ready. Yet.

 

Another minute past, Tiffany and Jessica are inside the tub, braiding Tiffany's hair. Sunny is in front of the sink, flossing her teeth.

 

Then the alarm goes off.

 

They jump, scramble to their feet and stand in front of the closed lid toilet. With not just one−because no ing way Tiffany will let a single bloody stick tell her fate−but one for every brand stick tests on it.

 

"Did it work? Are you guys seeing what I am seeing? Or did my eyes fool-"

 

"Just take the damn sticks, Tiff"

 

"You take it, Jess. I-"

 

"Are you crazy? You piss on it! Sunny, you do it"

 

"What?! I helped her to raid that drug store before. You should see what kind of face that cashier lady pulled when I bought those" she's wrinkling her face "No. You do it, Jess"

 

Now Sunny's muttering about how that judging arse of old bat at the drug store should be incinerate from this world. Tiffany thinks that she and Jessica should suggest the poor lady to put restraining order on Sunny, for her own good.

 

"Oh God.." Jessica mumbles, looking around then pick a rolled toilet paper and roll her hand with it. "No offence, Tiff. Only for sanitary reason"

 

"Whatever" Tiffany huffs "Just..you know. Just do it"

 

They look at it, one by one. Tiffany's feeling lightheaded. Maybe she should get another one and starts to slosh another bottle of orange juice and squatting over another sticks. You know....just to be sure.

 

She scowls.

 

.

 

"Sooo..." she blinks at her, sound hesitant that moment "Congratulations?"

 

Yeah, that's definitely not an exclamation. Her friends must be confused and uncertain how to react with this situation. They exchanged look. They are unsure.

 

Well. They should be. They must be.

 

Because Tiffany, herself, isn't sure how to react about this.

 

"It's a good news, right?" Sunny says, still, hesitant. "It's not like you're a teenager and got pregnant out of wedlock or carrying baby from your secret affair or something like that, right?"

 

Jessica slaps her arm after she said that and glares at her. Tiffany, mentally note to herself to thank Jessica when she back into right mind.

 

How did she suppose to react? It's a happy news. Right? Is it? She doesn't know. They haven't talk about it. They weren't even trying. But now her womb isn't empty and dry anymore they definitely have to talk about this.

 

Taeyeon and her really should talk about this. Later.

 

 

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(8:23 pm) tae

(8:23 pm) be a darling and dont come home tonight

(8:23 pm) k?

(8:30 pm) what the..

(8:30 pm) tiff what is this?

(8:30 pm) did i do something?

(8:32 pm) hey tiff

(8:32 pm) im serious

(8:33 pm) dont worry and no need to come home

(8:33 pm) im having sleep over w/ the girls

(8:33 pm) ...

(8:33 pm) at our house

(8:33 pm) so...

(8:33 pm) why can i stay at my own home?

(8:33 pm) im not invited?

(8:33 pm) shut up tae

(8:33 pm) we are having our girls night on our bed and dont want you here

(8:33 pm) can i just like

(8:33 pm) invite myself right? its my home

(8:34 pm) isnt it obvious

(8:34 pm) i thought menage a trois should involved the husband

(8:34 pm) so..

(8:34 pm) no need

(8:34 pm) really?

(8:34 pm) no. we are doing just the girls

(8:34 pm) can i join? i think i could be you know

(8:34 pm) great addition

(8:34 pm) no thank you

(8:34 pm) for variation

(8:35 pm) we dont need your prick near us when we are getting to know each other

(8:35 pm) can i just watch?

(8:35 pm) just dont come home tae

(8:35 pm) btw do you have another secret stash of oreo around here?

(8:35 pm) what?

(8:35 pm) no and wht do you mean by another?

(8:35 pm) i do have a stash of condoms at the drawer

(8:36 pm) ugh shut up you

(8:36 pm) just go to yoong and come back tomorrow morning

(8:36 pm) whats this? switching?

(8:36 pm) we need to talk

(8:36 pm) i never knew youre into that knid of thing

(8:36 pm)

(8:37 pm) oh and buy oreos

(8:37 pm) you tae

(8:37 pm) oh you certainly did and  good at it

(8:38 pm) bye arsehole

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

They are hanging out in her house, sipping mimosa−Jessica and Sunny, not her−she's embracing the beauty of gestation. To be frank, she slightly forced them by using those ridiculous pregnancy act. And her husband is out of town.

 

And it is weekend. And she is alone. And she cannot drink. That is quite something because her friend used to said that Tiffany is like Olivia Pope− her husband used Cerci Lanister for the comparison, that bastard−with wine. It's always there, like every freaking episode. Her friend once raised a question about her alcohol intake.

 

So she called her friends over.

 

Plus, there's no way she's willing to be shipped to her mother house. Her mother is a worrywart who probably would bed rest her for days like she a severely damaged goods. She understand that her mother quite sensitive about pregnancy. After experienced a couple of miscarriages, it took a long time for her mother to recuperated from her grief.

 

That's how Tiffany ended up with a teenage little sister. Yeah, teenage. The is so... obviously apparent. Maybe that's one of the reason they cannot have those really close sisterly relationship. She and Jessica is more sisterly that Tiffany and her biological sister. When she drunk-dial Jessica−after she failed to be a selected as the homecoming party planner−she yelled, like literally; 'i love you so much' and 'you mean so much to me' and 'you're so much more like sister to me that my sister who only babbling about glittery pony' and, 'my sister who isn't feel like my sister, now looks like you whom I actually feel like a sister', and something about how grateful she was to share her many first with her and, an extensive and disturbingly descriptive explanation about her first body shot experience.

 

Which really embarrassing. And Jessica, like, so cool. Because, of course, she is Jessica. She's just that level headed. She answered her with; 'where the hell are you?' and 'Eunbi is nine years old' and 'I'm glad that we have each other, but I don't need to know how I actually taste when you the salt from my ing belly'. Then she found her. She drove to her house and sneaked into her room and held her hair when she threw up on the toilet.

 

"You've got a nice pool there, Tiff"

 

So, yeah, she forced her friend to her newly renovated house.

 

She said something along like 'shouldn't let pregnant women unsupervised' and 'I'm all alone. You guys all I have'. Yeah, that . It's unethical and annoying. But it works.

 

Because she's lonely and bored. Like super bored. Exceedingly bored.

 

It is called: 'desperate times call for desperate measures'.

 

Her husband, Taeyeon, was so happy when she said that his seed is doing its job outstandingly. Well, first he choked on literally nothing but air then he was elated at the idea that his spawn is residing her uterus. And then it's settled. They are having a family. Which drove that crazy man into a frenzy of rage. He told her to take maternity leave right away, like seriously, who takes maternity leave when still in the first three semester, and started to plan a house renovation to add the nursery, even subscribing to Home & Garden and totally obsessed with it. Like Star-Wars-fan-dressed-like-full-armed-Chewbacca-to-comic-con level of obsessed. That was nearly five months ago.

 

The most bizarre thing was he planned to add a cave in their pool. Then she asked him if he wants to turn their house into frat house or what. Which Sunny quips:

 

"Maybe he wants to build a playboy house" she nonchalantly shrugs her shoulder.

 

"There's the possibility. But the likelihood for it to really happen is nearly none" Tiffany says, chewing her freshly cut fruit. They're looking at the cave-less pool of hers as Sunny telling them about her recent date with Hyoyeon. Taeyeon's cousin. It is their fourth, or fifth, date, maybe Tiffany should talk about this with Taeyeon.

 

"How bout you, Jess? How're you and Yoong?" Tiffany asks after putting her fork down and gently put her hand on hers.

 

"We're fine" she sounds dubious, like an 'I guess' is already at the tip of her tongue but she swallow back. Which is hard to watch.

 

Because mostly, in all her life−for as long as Tiffany knew her, which is quite say something−is never unsure about what she does or what she wants. Now that she thinks about it, that was probably because she had almost nothing to lose. Maybe. Just maybe, finally Jessica finally found something that she didn't want to lose.

 

It is sad for Tiffany to see Jessica like this. Well, for starters, Jessica didn't tell so much about her on-going relationship. Like no unnecessary details. Never. Not when she's with Yoong, not when she was with Donghae, or her other ex. Especially, she didn't articulate her real feeling. It is way−so much way−better now than the earliest days of their friendship. At the beginning, her posture the kind of perfect that reeks of strict grandmothers, she hardly cursed−Sunny and her kind of ruined a rare and perfect goods−and behaved like showing a deep emotion was a sin. She hardly declare her feeling and if she did, she preferred to deliver it in a hazy, equivocal, inexplicit way. She was fine dealing with other people emotional rampant and so kindly not to judge it, but not hers.

 

Jessica has a stubbornness that people might envy, but they themselves have hard time.

 

Jessica isn't a romantic, okay. It's general knowledge for the people who knew her. She didn't gush or chatty. She was the one who would cringe and sensitive to cheesiness and found it nauseating. Normally, she was more of Wes Anderson than Woody Allen. Only after Tiffany and Sunny's monthly romantic movie marathons, she began to developed the comfort of cliché romantic movie as escapism. She especially has soft spot for the 90s.

 

By the way.

 

Tiffany knew her friend is feeling down. And she looks uncomfortable to just candidly or simply say that she miss him. Yeah, three months−almost four−being left and the only communication form they did are text and phone call and Skype or whatever. No physical contact. None. Not to mention, Yoong works in lab most of time and scrutinizing at a microscope in daily basis, so his phone isn't always be with him. Because it could be distracting. And because he's there for research, not holiday.

 

And of course Jessica understands. She's always level headed and composed and logical and reasonable and won't let her feeling flipped over her brain and makes her a mindless lovesick bimbo. Tiffany always admires her for that. But now it's killing her. Because following her feeling would be an oxymoronic act to her objective and reasonable and rational opinion.

 

"He's fine too. Although he isn't sure if he can comeback for Christmas or not"

 

Although, a part of her still think that Yoong is stupid for leaving such a good catch−nah, more like, extremely attractive and extraordinary human being−as Jessica alone, unattended, like this, Tiffany knows that he's actually a great bloke. Because he's the same Yoong who meticulously reminded the waitress to not put any cucumber to their food when they went double date with her and Taeyeon. This is Yoong, who put Jessica on the inside part of the road and always holds her hand before crossing the road.

 

Beside, he is liked by the Jung patriarch. Jessica said that her father is pleased with Yoong after the dinner, only felt a hint of misfortune that Yoong didn't have any interest in lacrosse, but they share the same taste in music. Jessica and her father was bonding through music. That's why she and Yoong clicked.

 

"But it's fine. We're steady" she smiles, forced, but nice try Jess. "No need to be so glum about it. I'm great"

 

"Oh yeah that steady thing" Tiffany casually says.

 

"What is it? 1952? What reference is it?" Sunny asks.

 

"Probably The Godfather? He must have a complete blu-ray set. Tae owns one"

 

"I think it's Greys Anatomy reference. I told him I like it and we watched the last season together. He caught up then"

 

"That...impressive. That's bunch of episode to catch up. And hey, maybe you could tell him watch Mcdreamy carefully, so he could be your Mcdreamy. Or Mcsteamy-"

 

"Or both" Tiffany quips.

 

"Yeah. Both would be amazing. Quite greedy, but understandable and not completely impossible"

 

"Yeah and I'll be the dark and twisty early season Meredith" Jessica comments dismissively. "Just stop it. Both of you. I don't need Mcdreamy or Mc-"

 

"Oh yeah, who needs all that fictional hot and mesmerizing doctors when you have your Romeo" Tiffany sounds playful. "But he's so far away. Romeo; oh Romeo. Wherefore art thou Rom-"

 

"Stop being dramatic and off, Tiff" Jessica huffs out a laugh and slightly nudged her friends shoulder. Tiffany should acknowledged her penchant for being dramatic. The really, truly, and utmost embarrassing video of her crying about the suppose to be non-existence pineapple in a pizza−over a hawaiian pizza, mind you−is the proof. She bets Sunny still has that video somewhere in her possession. But she was kind of drunk that time, that's legit reason right?

 

"But hey Jess" Tiffany places her hand on Jessica's arm. "You know, if anything happened with you and Yoong, you can tell us. About anything"

 

"Yeah. And if that prick mess with you, give me his address. I can set the prat straight, alright" Sunny sounds indignant, but her well know that her smirk is a dead gave away. Jessica laughs and shakes her head while telling her friends to not to worry about her.

 

"Now come, both of you. Tae said I should start to do some breath exercise. You two should also do it with me"

 

They groans. But still let themselves got drag by Tiffany. For they knew better how persistent Tiffany could be. She's embracing the mommyhood and her bestfriend should be part of it.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

(2:10 pm) Tiff

(2:10 pm) i hope you dont mind

(2:10 pm) i accidently bought something

(2:10 pm) but its cool dont worry

(2:10 pm) can put it in the nursery?

(2:15 pm) wht tae

(2:15 pm) u bought something ridiculous again

(2:15 pm) again

(2:15 pm) right???

(2:15 pm) again??

(2:15 pm) i never bought anything ridiculous

(2:15 pm) after what u bought last time i assumed all ur purchase r ridiculous

(2:16 pm) you assumed??

(2:16 pm) oh of course u think all ur assumptions must be right

(2:16 pm) you swot

(2:16 pm) because you bought a freaking jumbo floating flamingo last time you were away

(2:16 pm) its ridiculous

(2:16 pm) and ridiculously big like enormous

(2:16 pm) and im not swot

(2:17 pm) its the truth

(2:17 pm) i though youll like it cuz its pink and all

(2:17 pm) and my stromtrooper is not ridiculous

(2:17 pm) as i said

(2:17 pm) its cool

(2:17 pm) like the one barneys has in his flat

(2:17 pm) like what?

(2:17 pm) wait

(2:17 pm) you bought WHAT

(2:17 pm) stromtrooper

(2:17 pm) scale 1:1 really cool

(2:18 pm) we can set it on the nursery

(2:18 pm) or beside the telly

(2:18 pm) omg

(2:18 pm) i cant even..

(2:18 pm) its cool right?

(2:18 pm) right?

(2:18 pm) well the deed was done and im bringing it home

(2:20 pm) just come back tae

(2:20 pm) im tired if this

(2:21 pm) its kinda hard to bring like i have to lay it down at the trunk i feel like driving ambulance with casualty

(2:24 pm) my legs swolen

(2:24 pm) and i ing walk like penguin

(2:24 pm) and im fat and ugly

(2:24 pm) tiff

(2:24 pm) and i dont need the pink flamingo

(2:24 pm) i weight like a ton

(2:24 pm) hey tiff

(2:24 pm) tiff

(2:24 pm) im worried now

(2:24 pm) u ok tiff?

(2:35 pm) tae i hardly see my feet

(2:35 pm) how am i going to wear my ing shoe

(2:35 pm) bloody hell woman

(2:35 pm) you ing scared me

(2:35 pm) i thought u r awol or run away

(2:35 pm) youre not fat and youre not a penguin

(2:36 pm) your carrying my daughter

(2:36 pm) and if youre a penguin u must be the prettiest bloody penguin

(2:36 pm) I dont want to be penguin

(2:36 pm) and i would be a penguin too

(2:36 pm) you dont have to be a penguin

(2:36 pm) so pull yourself together

(2:36 pm) im on my way home

(2:36 pm) just do ur breathing exercise and wait till i come

(2:36 pm) ill give u foot massage later k?

(2:36 pm) alright tae

(2:36 pm) just..come back

(2:36 pm) w/ or without that stroomtrooper i dont care

(2:36 pm) im on my way

(2:36 pm) dont worry

(2:36 pm) btw

(2:37 pm) i told yoong he has to come back when u get into labor if he still want to be godfather

(2:37 pm) and he said hell come

(2:37 pm) so

(2:37 pm) he said yes?

(2:37 pm) thats good right?

(2:37 pm) yeah he said yes like 100% yes

(2:37 pm) so thats good right?

(2:37 pm) you can tell jessica that or.. Not

(2:37 pm) i dont know its ur call i dont want to meddle to much

(2:40 pm) honestly tae tell me

(2:40 pm) what do u think of them? R they good? Like together

(2:40 pm) they can be if they want to

(2:40 pm) do you think yoong is good enough for jessi?

(2:40 pm) because jessi is hot and smart and amazing and awesome and briliant

(2:40 pm) well

(2:40 pm) and no one deserve her

(2:40 pm) or worthy enough

(2:40 pm) hey yoong is also awesome

(2:40 pm) and funny

(2:40 pm) i know yoong is nice and all but..

(2:40 pm) and cool

(2:41 pm) shes as lucky as him if they want to be with each other

(2:41 pm) tiff

(2:42 pm) hey

(2:44 pm) so... r u going to tell jessica or not?