What does "Here it comes" mean?

Question

“There’s something I need to say,” Riley says at last, her voice serious...

Here it comes, Gwen thinks.

Could you please tell me what the meaning of "Here it comes" is?

The fuller text:

Maybe it’s time to try. Maybe it’s time to let go of the baggage, the guilt, and try to live her life, she thinks. Maybe last night is a new beginning for her. She feels a surging warmth and happiness inside about David that she can’t help, even though Dana is dead. She’d wanted so much to go to him just now. But it would have been completely inappropriate. They’d managed a warm glance at one another, but that was it. There was time. They would be together again. Riley won’t like it that she was with David last night. Gwen knows that, but Riley is her friend, not her keeper. Riley should be happy for her that she’s met someone. Gwen was always happy for Riley when she met someone, and Gwen usually didn’t have anyone special herself. She’s sorry it had to happen when they were supposed to be spending time together this weekend, but you must take good things when and where you find them. They are rare enough. Dana’s dreadful accident has brought this home to her. Riley should understand that. It’s not like she planned it this way. They reach the room and Riley closes the door behind her. Gwen looks up at her warily, waiting for her to say something. When she doesn’t, Gwen reaches for some clothes from her overnight bag. She would like a shower, but that seems out of the question. The water will be freezing. “There’s something I need to say,” Riley says at last, her voice serious, as she pulls a top on over her head and flips her long hair over her shoulders. Here it comes, Gwen thinks. “That attorney, David Paley.” “What about him?” Gwen’s voice comes out more sharply than she intended. “Did you sleep with him?” “Actually, yes, I did.”

An Unwanted Guest By Shari Lopena

Answer 1

As TheRealLester says:

the it in the sentence is referring to the thing that Riley needs to say

but this is a very flexible phrase (could I even say idiom?)

It is something you can think or say whenever you know something bad or unwanted is expected and has now arrived.

For some more examples:

• Your whole family has a nasty cold, and you have just finished a really loud long snotty sneeze. You think, "HERE IT COMES!"

This one means:

"Oh no! That sneeze means I have caught the cold, haven't I?"

• The company you work for has been losing money for months, an urgent all-staff meeting has been called. Someone says: "Come on chaps, here it comes."

This means:

"Come on, everyone; this is the meeting where they tell us we are all out of a job."

Answer 2

In this instance, the it in the sentence is referring to the thing that Riley needs to say. So when Gwen says, "Here it comes," she knows that the question was going to be asked and was preparing herself for the tough question.

Answer 3

"Here it comes."

This is a typical idiomatic spoken phrase. People say this all the time to point out something that is "heavy" (troubling in some manner) in their own head or for themselves, or which could be heavy for the other person.

In the conversation in question, Gwen knows she is about to ask a question that will be a "heavy" question for her and the other woman: "Did you sleep with him?". It refers to her being reticent to asking the question and then going ahead and asking it.

It is also used when you do or say something and expect some kind of specific reaction from the other person: anger, surprise, etc.

Answer 4

Here it comes means "it is about to come" (that is, it is incipient) and the phrase can be used of a variety of things:

I can see the train in the distance. Here it comes.

The forecast said there was a 50% chance of a violent thunderstorm, and here it comes! Look how dark the sky has become.

She thought the subject of taxes would cause him to rant. "Here it comes" she said to herself.