“What you mean you ain’t going? You betta go!”

Diane paced back and forth while squeezing the phone so tight her palm began to sweat. If only she had the ability to hang up on her mother she would have pushed end that very second. But she knew better.

“Now you known Cora all your life, and you’ll get to see Madison,” her mother added with a softer tone. “I’m sure she’ll be there too.”

Diane sighed. If that point was supposed to persuade her to go, then she was still trying to find a valid excuse as to why she shouldn’t. She loved Cora and Madison. As little girls and teenagers they’d spent many Saturday hours in Mrs. Mary’s beauty shop reading old Jet, Ebony and Black Hair magazines, laughing and gossiping under the harsh heat of the dryers while waiting to have their kinks straightened with a steaming hot comb.

“Ahh! You burned my ear!” Diane would always yell when it was her turn.

“Dat’s just the heat,” Mrs. Mary would reply sharply. “Keep still.”

The three of them shared their dreams of the perfect man, the number of children and the type of house they wanted, believing that they would be best friends forever to see it all happen for one another. But, people change and one day playing a good game of hide and seek or house with your baby dolls isn’t the only thing friends argue about.

“Ya’ll grew up on the same street,” Diane heard her mother continue. “And that poor chile—it’s been Cora’s cross to bear to have her womb strong enough to hold babies. But now the good Lord has finally blessed her with one. So, you will be goin’ to her baby shower. You hear me girl?”

She heard her loud and clear. But she also heard the even louder voice in her head telling her that she did not want to see Madison. What had transpired between the three of them the last time they were together had not been pretty.

“Danisha! Are you listen’ to me?”

“Huh? Yes ma’am.” The call of the name she had laid to rest a long time ago brought her back to the present. Very few people still called her by her given name and that was the way she preferred it.
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