This one is for my sister-friend, Sunny :) Happy sixteen years!

Suspended In Time Photography Studio, Flower Garden Room

Tribeca, Manhattan

Next morning, 9:15 AM

Just as I'd predicated, I was as right as rain after a good night of sleep. However, as Melissa and I prepped our photography suite for our first session of the day, I was only going through the motions of it.

"Hello in there! Anyone home?"

Jumping slightly, I looked back at Melissa. Despite the cute kneed-length casual dark blue dress, black leggings and yellow flats that she was wearing, and that she stands close to six feet tall with a tattooed and lean but muscular build, my partner doesn't look like someone you don't want to meet in a dark alley late at night. Her cropped red hair and her expert black belt skills add to that image, as does the somewhat disfiguring scar running from just under her left eye to the left corner of her mouth. All I know is that she sustained the scar in a knife attack over a year ago.

Once you see past all of that, you realize that she has the kindest and most calming blue eyes of anyone you'll ever meet. Her heavy Australian accent is also very calming, but it's usually her eyes that win out.

"I'm here, don't worry. I just have a lot on my plate."

"Do you want to talk about it? We still have some time."

Everything about the negative pregnancy tests and Elijah's non-proposal came tumbling out and Melissa was very sympathetic.

"I completely understand because Calvin and I had many discussions about marriage and babies before they actually happened."

"You have Kitty now and she's happy and healthy, but you aren't married."

"No, but we've been engaged" (my friend wiggled the fingers on her left hand to show off her engagement ring) "Since the day we made Kitty, and she's over a year old now, but there haven't been any wedding plans made yet because Calving and I both been too busy with work, and now that he's been taken on by Tillie Brigid—your stepfather's younger sister, if I recall—his illustrating skills are getting more notice. In fact, he and Tillie have a book tour coming up with today's client. She's a children's author who just put out her first book…"

I perked up at this. "What's her name, again? All of yesterday's puking distracted me."

Melissa consulted her notes. "It's State Senator Jin Choi's wife, a Frances Matheson Choi—what?"

"D-did you say her name is Frances Matheson?"

"I did, but what's the matter? You're acting like you've seen a ghost."

"When I was put into the group home after 9/11, there was an older girl named Frankie Matheson who protected me. We were best friends until she aged out first, and we fell out of contact. I haven't seen Frankie in something like fifteen years now, so she must be pushing thirty."

"If it's her, I'll be sure to catch you if you pass out." She checked her watch. "Now look sharp—Frances and her daughter Dae Sora should be here at any moment."

Not even five minutes later, a little girl about four years old came bounding in. Dae Sora had classic Korean features with her golden-colored skin, round face, brown almond-shaped eyes and a long flat nose. She was dressed in a rainbow-colored tutu dress, and also had on white tights and black Chuck Taylor sneakers. There was even a big white decorative daisy tucked into her mop of curly brown hair.

"Hi-hi!" she chirped as she held open the door. "I'm Dae Sora, but please call me Daisy 'cause that's my English name!"

Before we could say anything to her, she looked down the hallway.

"Hurry, umma; I'm already here!"

A few seconds later, Daisy's mother entered, and my heart almost stopped because there she was—fifteen years older—but still with the same tan skin, graceful build, cascading chocolate-colored the same shade as mine, the same kind face and the same vibrant blue eyes. It was almost like looking at a tan version of myself. Sometimes people would think we were sisters.

But, oh my God…

"Frances Matheson, is that you?"

She looked up and when she saw me, she dropped everything she was holding because the feeling of recognition was as intense for me as it was for her and in the blink of an eye, I was being swept up in a total joy-filled hug. I returned it, careful not to squash her baby bump. When Frances pulled away, she held onto my hands.

"Goodness, Flora—you've grown up!"

"And so have you, Frances—you're married to one of the most powerful women in the whole state; you're a newly published children's author; and you have a child, as well as another on the way!"

"I won't deny any of that," She answered cheekily. "But I scarcely go by Frances or even Matheson anymore, unless it's about writing."

"What's the name you prefer, then?"

"Frankie, and there will be plenty of time to catch up because I want to introduce you and Melissa to Daisy properly before we start the photo shoot."

From across the room, Daisy informed her mother in a matter-of-fact tone that she'd already told before carrying on with cooing over all of the flower decorations in the room. Frankie just shook her head at Daisy's sassiness and once she got through explaining that I was an old friend, Daisy was more than happy to cooperate.

The photo shoot had requested the photo shoot because Frankie's wife has been away in South Korea for a week, on account of a family emergency. Frankie said she would have also gone with Jin, but wasn't keen on flying while four months pregnant or with an energetic child, and on top of all of that, she was a book tour to get ready for. The photo shoot is a way for Frankie to take her mind off everything for awhile and they're also going to be a welcome home present for Jin. We did Daisy's photography session first and were in the middle of Frankie's session when she suddenly went still.

"What's wrong?" I walked over and knelt down in front of her. "Is it the baby?"

"He's fine," Frankie's voice was quiet as she tracked a hand across her belly. "But he's kicking me for the first time!"

"You sure? You're only seventeen weeks."

"Completely, because I also carried Daisy." The other woman reached for my hand. "Feel this and tell me you're unsure. I dare you."

Chuckling at her juvenile challenge, I let her hold my hand to the spot and I was immediately rewarded with a series of incredibly intense punches from a pair of tiny feet just under my palm.

"Wow!" I marveled. "Your baby is really strong!"

"No kidding! You'll understand when you're a mother."

"Actually, I do have a child." I smiled shyly. "He's four years old, and his name is Francis, but with an 'i.' You're his namesake."

Frankie wiped at tears as they fell down her face. "Flora, I want to meet your son!"

"I promise that you will, and you can also meet my mother, if you'd like, maybe after Jin returns."

"Okay, but wait—you found your mother?"

"And the rest of my family, too. I have more cousins than I have fingers, and I even have three younger stepsiblings who are each a delight of their own. Did you ever find any of your kin?"

"Nope, I've been a loner since before we met. Jin's parents really like me, but that's because I fell in love with their daughter and proposed to her."

"Well, it's impossible to not like you, Frankie, and when you meet my mom and my stepdad, and I tell them how kind you were to me when I was in the group home, they're going to take you under their wing, kind of like adopting you. It's this thing they and their friends do when they meet a wandering soul like yours, no matter what stage of life you're at, or how successful you are."

Frankie beamed but then gave a small groan as she clutched the underside of her belly. "This kid is going to keep me up twenty-four seven now because he's kicking me for pleasure! Daisy didn't torture me like this at all!"

Upon hearing her name, Daisy slid out of the green kid-sized chair nest hanging from the ceiling and scuttled over, having eyes only for her mother.

"Umma, what's the matter?"

"Your brother is kicking me!"

Daisy immediately plunked down in Frankie's lap, facing her.

"Please could I feel?"

"Of course, Daisy-girl!"

Frankie held one of her daughter's little hands on the baby bump in between them and Daisy giggled in delight and proceeded to blow kisses to it with her free hand.

In the meantime, I'd rejoined Melissa so we could start discussing the next few poses. Frankie looked over at us and I saw that my friend looked happy but sad at the same time, no doubt regretting that her wife wasn't here to take part.

"Could you get some extra snapshots of this for Jin? I want her to see how Daisy is doting on her brother."

"Sure, Frankie," I told her. "But smile a little more—happy looks good on you."

She gave a radiating grin and right on cue, Daisy gave her a matching smile.

"Umma, you so prettyful!"

"Thanks, baby girl. You're beautiful, too, and look at this!"

Holding a hand in the small of Daisy's back, Frankie pulled back her own shirt to reveal her pregnant belly in the flesh. Excited, Daisy framed the bump with both of her hands, leaned forward and shower it with affectionate kisses.

Melissa was taking the pictures now, and I was thankful for it, because watching Frankie's and Daisy's interaction was making me feel extremely flip-floppy. My partner picked up on what was happening and pulled me aside for a minute.

"Seriously, Flora—what's the matter?

"Nothing." I promised. "We see things like this all the time, but it must be getting to me because I haven't seen Frankie in such a long time. She took care of me like I was hers, and let me tell you, when you grow up in a farm group home like I did where everyone is catching the chicken pox or the flu like the bubonic plague, looking out for others is unheard of. There are no words to explain how proud I am of her and she knows. That's all this is, Melissa, I swear."

"Uh-huh, sure." Her tone was very skeptical. "Whatever the reason, you just need to pull yourself together because the last thing we need is for you to spook any of our clients today because you know how busy we are!"

I hung my head. "Two more maternity sessions, a newborn session and on-location engagement session in Central Park at six."

"That's right." Melissa put a hand on my shoulder and looked me straight in the eyes. "Are up for it?"

"Absolutely!"

"Fantastic! Now let's go finish up the session with Frankie and Daisy so we can move on to the next one because as nice as it is for you to see them, we are on a tight schedule right now!"

She had a point, so I followed her back to the photography area where Frankie was now getting Daisy to laugh up a storm at a funny story. The scene made my heart turn over again, and I quickly schooled my emotions, but I couldn't shake a thought off.

What if I actually am pregnant?

…No, I can't be because I don't have time for a baby now…

But still, what if—

Nope. I just don't have the time.