Tiana balanced a carton of pad thai on her belly while Jasmine dug through her pantry like she lived there which, to be fair, she kind of did.
"Why do you even have quinoa in here?" Jasmine called from the kitchen. "You don't even like quinoa."
"I wanted to like it. That's different."
"You're a liar and a fraud," Jasmine said, walking back into the living room with a bag of popcorn and zero shame. "Also, I got your text. You went on a date with Marcus the Finance Guy and didn't tell me how it went? I'm offended."
Tiana groaned. "It was fine."
"Fine? As in 'maybe I'll see him again' fine, or 'I spent the whole time thinking about Leo's forearms' fine?"
Tiana shoved another bite of noodles into her mouth to stall.
Jasmine's eyes narrowed. "That's what I thought."
"It's not that simple," Tiana mumbled.
"It never is," Jasmine said, sitting cross-legged beside her. "But girl, come on. You're glowing when you talk about Leo. I've seen it. And I've seen him look at you like you're the last safe place in a burning world."
Tiana blinked hard. "He hasn't said anything. He hasn't… done anything."
Jasmine tilted her head. "Did he kiss you?"
"No. He almost did."
"But he didn't."
"Nope."
Jasmine popped a kernel in her mouth, chewed slowly, then said, "So what you're telling me is: a guy with commitment issues who's terrified of turning into his absentee dad didn't cross a line with the woman carrying his child? Sounds like growth to me."
Tiana stared. "That's a very generous interpretation."
"You're protecting your heart so hard, T," Jasmine said gently. "And I get it. You didn't choose this path, and it's terrifying and weird and hormonal. But don't punish Leo for not knowing how to be perfect right away."
Tiana opened her mouth, closed it again.
"You want my opinion?" Jasmine asked.
"Always."
"You're not scared he'll hurt you," she said softly. "You're scared this is real. That you might actually want it. That it might be good."
Tiana felt the words land like a quiet truth.
"And honestly?" Jasmine added, leaning back with a sigh. "You deserve good."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was heavy in that healing kind of way.
Tiana looked down at her stomach and whispered, "What if I'm not ready for good yet?"
Jasmine leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Then let it take its time. But don't run from it just because it didn't arrive the way you pictured."