Tiana stared at her reflection in the mirror and told herself she looked good.
Because she did. Her curls were glossy and loose around her shoulders. Her lipstick was a warm rust color that brought out the fire in her skin. The wrap dress clung in the right places and flowed over the rest especially the small but unmistakable bump now beginning to make itself known.
She tilted her head and whispered to her reflection, "You're still you."
Even if she wasn't entirely sure that was true anymore.
Her date's name was Marcus. A friend of Jasmine's coworker. Tall, handsome, with easy charm and a job in nonprofit finance. He texted with proper grammar and actually asked questions instead of sending emojis and bad memes.
On paper, he was perfect.
In person, he was… fine.
Dinner was at a bistro near Logan Square. He complimented her hair, laughed at her jokes, and didn't flinch when she mentioned she was pregnant.
"I think that's incredibly brave," he said. "Being open about it."
She smiled politely, even though "brave" felt like the wrong word. It wasn't a battle cry. It was survival.
They talked about books, favorite travel destinations, Chicago winters, and whether candy corn deserved to exist (it didn't). He was easy to talk to. He was warm.
But as the night wore on, her mind wandered.
To Leo's crooked smirk. To the way he looked at the ultrasound screen like it held magic. To that almost-kiss on the couch.
And she hated that it meant something.
Marcus reached across the table toward the check, and instinctively, she pulled her phone out.
A text from Leo lit up her screen:
Leo: Did the baby like the mac & cheese leftovers? Just asking for science.
Her heart stuttered.
Marcus glanced at her phone. "Everything okay?"
Tiana looked up, startled. "Yeah. Just… a friend."
She forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Later, walking back to her car alone, cold wind tugging at her coat, Tiana stopped on the sidewalk.
She wasn't ready. Not for someone new. Not when someone else still lingered in every quiet space inside her. She leaned against the door and looked up at the night sky.
Maybe this wasn't about finding the right guy.
Maybe it was about figuring out who she was now before she decided who she wanted next to her.
Her phone buzzed again.
Leo: Also, name update: not saying it has to be Zeppelin, but... just think about it.
Tiana smiled despite herself.
Tiana: Not in this lifetime, Callahan.