“And I’ve gotten to know you over these past three months and can tell you that you’re kind of impossible not to like,” Erica added.
“Isn’t she?” Max agreed.
“She kinda grows on you,” Becks chimed in.
“Like mold,” Erica said, making the four of us burst into laughter.
“Thanks.” I chuckled. “That does make me feel better.”
“Well, this is beautiful and all”—Erica rose from the table—“but we’ve been waiting for you to wake up to eat, and I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m hungry.” She began pulling groceries out of two large paper bags on the counter.
“I’ll help you cook.” Becks rose from the table and began pulling pots and pans out of the cabinets.
“I’ll make some iced tea.” I tried to join the other women fluttering around the kitchen like hummingbirds before I was sent back to the table.
“I don’t cook, but will offer moral support,” Max said with a laugh.
“You paid for the groceries,” Erica called over her shoulder. “You did your part.”
We spent the rest of the morning talking, laughing, and eating the best meal I’d had since the Harvest Festival, made even better by the presence of my best friends. They were three women who’d never met each other but were willing to drop everything and come together like the Avengers when I needed help. I had no idea what I’d done right in my life to deserve friends like Erica, Max, and Becks, but I was so grateful to have them. My future was still dark and uncertain, but the presence of my friends was a bright spot that I would cherish.
“Emma.” Max clapped her hands in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. “If you start crying again, I’m gonna slap you.” I let out an involuntary chuckle that sounded like a snort. “Because if you start crying, then I’m gonna start crying, and this is limited edition Chantecaille mascara.”
The afternoon found the four of us full, laughing, and sprawled out on the living room floor. I spent the afternoon telling them every detail of the past three months, at Becks and Max’s insistence on not skipping over any of the scintillating details of my relationship with Dan.
“He sounds amazing, Em,” Becks said. “And just what you need.”
“He was,” I said with a little tinge of sadness. “But that’s over, I guess.”
“I don’t think so,” Erica said, reentering the living room with a bowl of chips and setting it on the floor. “I’ve known Dan for years. He was always sweet, kind, and generous. He bonded with Melissa right away. Your grandparents loved him like a grandson, but he always had this dark cloud over him. It was like a sadness that no one could break through… until he met you.”
Erica’s words made me tear up. I was overcome with a mixture of sadness and hope.
“Did you know Dan had an IG account?” Max said, holding her phone out.
“No.” I grabbed the phone from her hand and stared at the screen. He did have an account, and predictably, it was filled with photos of plants. There were a few newer ones, a few from the wedding. My heart clenched to see how handsome he looked. He was dressed in an outfit similar to the one he’d worn to the will reading, but it was emerald green and accented with a matching vest embroidered with gold vines. He’d also gotten a fresh haircut, igniting a pang of longing and jealousy making me quickly scroll to the next photo. It was an empty row of marble chess tables in a rainy park. The caption was two emojis: a chess pawn and a crown. My eyes stung with tears, and I quickly blinked them away.
I wondered if I was imagining things or if he was trying to send me a message.
“Emma, you really should have told us all of this sooner.” Becks reached out and squeezed my thigh. “How could you let it get so bad?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I just thought I could handle it.”
“Oh, yeah.” Erica laughed. “You were handling it, all right.”
“Was she like this as a little kid?” Becks asked Erica.
“You know, come to think of it, she was!” Erica laughed. “She always had to be in charge and never asked for help.”
“Exactly,” Max agreed. “You have the brains and the skills to back it up, baby girl, but sometimes you have to let people help you.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here now, but I don’t think there’s any help for my situation.” I took another sip of my iced tea, wishing it were something stronger.
“I still can’t believe Teddy is pulling this shit,” Becks said. “I knew he was ambitious, but loco never occurred to me.”
“Me neither.” I shook my head and took another sip of iced tea and followed it up with another mouthful of Doritos.
“He’s like a little boy unwilling to let go of his favorite toy,” Max mused.
