From: [email protected]
Re: Puppies and fluffy things
Solid apology. I deem this email fight over. Attached please find an olive branch in the form of a picture of my boobs.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Harper huffed and puffed her way up to the third floor under the weight of an ottoman. Making it to the top of the stairs, she took the final steps into Gloria’s new one-bedroom and collapsed on top of the ottoman in the middle of the living room.
“You’re going to be in amazing shape just from bringing groceries home,” Harper gasped. “I can’t believe we got the couch up here ourselves.”
Gloria laughed from the tiny kitchen where she was unpacking brand new dinner service for four.
“I can’t believe it’s mine,” she said with a happy sigh. “I can put something on the counter and it will still be there when I come back. I can watch anything I want on TV. I can lounge around naked all day if I want!”
Harper sat up and surveyed the apartment. Scarred hardwood floors, a handful of cracks in the plaster. But the view of Main Street Benevolence was straight out of a painting. Gloria was three floors over Dawson’s Pizza and the living room’s huge bow window overlooked the police station and Common Grounds Café.
She was walking distance to work and the grocery store.
“This is pretty perfect,” Harper agreed.
“Want a drink?” Gloria offered.
“For the love of God, yes! Please!” Sophie’s voice was muffled by the box of kitchen miscellany she was hefting. She dumped it unceremoniously in the middle of the kitchen floor and collapsed onto a dining chair. “That’s literally the last thing. You’re all moved in.”
Harper jumped up and reached into her bag. “Wait, Gloria! Put the can down. We can’t let the first drink in your very own home be diet soda.” She pulled out the chilled bottle of champagne she had picked up on the last car trip between Gloria’s mom’s and the new apartment.
“Nothing happier than the sound of champagne being uncorked,” Sophie said, clapping her hands. Harper poured the bubbles into coffee mugs and handed them around.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Gloria announced. “Thank you both so much. It means the world to me to be independent, but it’s even better to have you two as friends that I can depend on if I need to.”
“Aw! Cheers,” Harper said, clinking her mug to Gloria’s.
Sophie left shortly after to go rescue Ty from Josh who had decided he was a dog like Bitsy and would only go to the bathroom outside. Harper stuck around to help with some of the unpacking.
“I really appreciate the help,” Gloria said, stacking glasses neatly in the cabinet next to the sink.
“I’m happy to help,” Harper said, taking another sip of champagne as she untangled cords wrapped around the DVD player. “I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to set this up so you can at least watch movies tonight.”
She scooted across the floor to sneak a peek behind the TV.
Gloria abandoned the kitchen and sat down on the couch. “So, how’s Aldo doing since he came home?” She hugged a cheery yellow pillow to her chest.
Harper’s fingers fumbled with an input. “He’s, uh, doing okay. I think the therapy is helping mentally. Physically he’s a beast.”
“He always was,” Gloria said a little sadly.
Harper stopped her fiddling. “Listen, Gloria, I don’t know exactly what his problem is, but I hope you know that that’s what it is.Hisproblem. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I think I had got my hopes up a little too high that we could be something together. That I could be something to him.”
“Whoa! Let’s back that truck up real fast,” Harper grabbed her mug and sat down next to Gloria. “You can’t put your worth in someone else’s hands like that. Whether those hands are stroking you or hurting you. It doesn’t matter. Your value comes from inside. Whether you mean something to him or not has nothing to do with how inherently valuable you are.”
Gloria sighed and flopped back against the cushion. “I get it. And I think I’m starting to believe it. I know I’ll beokaywithout Aldo Moretta, but I’d still like to at least give it a shot.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
