N o w and T h e n

Finally, she was here! Christie could not believe after a month of planning (or conspiring as Miguel remarked one night as he prepared the guest room) that her best friend had finally managed to find the time to visit.

"I'm off to Taiwan to continue my research there, Chris." the Brazilian girl recalled her saying long ago. "Some locals I met in Japan mentioned these inexplicable anomalies growing on the flora that may be prolonging natural senescence. Isn't that interesting?"

Although it took the help of a dictionary to understand her, it was not necessary for Christie to understand how fascinating her friend's life was. To the sheltered girl from Sao Paolo, how much more captivating could a young woman be? Waking in one country and falling asleep in another, acquiring vast stores of knowledge like a Rhodes scholar from every bank in the world, even becoming a crucial activist for her fellow man and the environment. Indeed, she was of noble purpose and intent, and was intuitive and keen in all senses! Through her humble exterior, she still possessed the same appetence of the material world like any other woman and for that matter, kept her physique prime. Indeed she was a true character, an irreplaceable friend who, as Christie had once told her, was as sublime as Lara Croft but as demure as Maureen O'Sullivan.

Now as she impatiently waited for an application to load on her phone, she excitedly scanned over the broad lines of the porcelain skinned woman across from her. Clad in her customary denim attire, she delicately sipped at her coffee and crossed her legs on the black armchair.

"Julia," Christie sang, noticing the American girl's grin on both sides of her mug. "I'm just so happy that you're here, you have no idea..."

Julia slid forward to the edge of the chair. "As am I, Christie! I missed you so much and the sporadic communication was dreadful in the time between!"

Yet Julia could not completely perpetuate Christie's emotions. As her own brown orbs rolled down the new, leaner figure before her, Julia failed to believe the prior reassurances of her friend claiming to be the same strong person from long ago. Anxiously, she twisted the mug in her hands and eyed the bulging blue tiered blouse resting on Christie's lap."So how does it feel?"

"Well, it's interesting, Juls. To be honest, I'm super emotional and my body kind of fights itself, you know? Like one minute I'm full of energy and raring to go and then the next I'm fatigued and sick as a dog. On top of that, every thing below my belly button is tight, like there are little hands pushing against my insides and they're not letting up."

"Ha. That was a mouthful, but I guess that puts things in perspective."

"I know! See, I told you! I'm on an energy spurt!" Christie laughed. " But seriously, aside that its not so bad. I kind of like the attention I get from Miguel."

With meager eyes, Julia cocked her head much in the manner as a foul and squawked. "Really?"

"Yes. He's so much more...gentle and sweet and aware and..." She trailed off, following her words into a daydream.

Julia drew back and placed the mug on the coffee table. "So how is he usually then?"

"Usually he- oh Julia, wait! I didn't mean for that to sound that way!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Like he was some kind of abusive jerk before I got pregnant... because he wasn't."

"Whoa, girl...I wasn't even thinking of it like that." Julia noted Christie's reaction to a possible double meaning in her own words.

"Honestly. He's a good guy. He just has his days..." Christie didn't mean for her voice to sound as assuring as a dying mouse. But she could not help herself; she did not wish to provoke a fight or to begin having second thoughts. Yet fearfully she rested her hands on her bump and began to recall her friend's disapproving passes on Miguel. Since Julia had a adopted a sisterly role, she made it her obligation to keep Christie safe from herself, stating she could be naive at times and had an indecisive heart but no less a good one. It was her firm belief that men like Miguel only sought after girls like Christie for carnal pleasure, keeping them and being loose with them to feed their insatiable appetites. And now as Christie stared down at her belly, she began to feel Julia's words become justified against hers.

"He's devolved from slime, Chris..." Julia once said. "No good for you at all."

"Oh I think you should give him a chance...he's actually quite cultered.

"The bacteria in between his toes do not count..."

Sensing the thick tension mounting Julia rushed to sit next to her. "Hey! Let's just forget that, ok? Umm...Oh! New topic. I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"A letter." Julia searched through her leather bag.

"A letter? From who?"

Hesitantly she replied, "Steve."

For a moment, Julia stopped her search to see Christie's expression. To her surprise, it wasn't anger or contempt but blank, and partially hidden by her loose Botticelli curls. Nervously, she continued to dig, fearing this time she truly upset the silent girl next to her. "Julia..."

"I know. But I really can't keep this from you. Its against the law." Julia dismally joked

"I guess."

"Perhaps you should just take a peak at it?"

Christie halfheartedly laughed, "or do you want me to so you can take a peak at it?"

"Maybe." She gingerly smiled.

Christie opened the envelope and read of over the neatly written lines that begged of forgiveness and promised compromise. As she continued to read, Christie felt her heart flutter between every line because what she understood of his plea was his new proposal for getting back to where they once were. Deeper so, she felt temptation taking its qualm on her heart. "When did you get this Julia?"

"About a month ago. We had a run-in in New York. He said he would call you; has he?"

"No. But Julia I-" a fanfare and jingle interrupted Christie. "Never mind, it finally loaded..."

"What did?" Julia asked, taken aback by the sudden change in conversation

"This baby name app."

"Umm..."

"You wanna search with me?" Christie laughed, her face contorting between a pout and a smile.

Julia was again surprised by this sudden change in emotion but realized Christie was on the verge of tears. She inwardly cursed the crazy hormones with pregnancy but obliged. " Yeah, Sure."