Or maybe, who knows, those two might not hate each other after all.
They’re different as night and day, sure… but sometimes that’s how the most unexpected friendships begin.
SEBASTIAN
I don’t know what to do.
I keep going back and forth, should I go out with Remi and try to distract myself from the storm in my head, or stay in, unpack at my own pace, and use the evening to ease into this unfamiliar space?
What if I have one of my episodes? What then?
The idea of dinner with a bunch of strangers doesn’t exactly sound appealing right now.
I’m exhausted. Rest would probably be better for me than trying to make small talk and polite smiles.
But Anne will be there.
And after Maddie, she’s the closest thing I have to a true friend.
She’s from Stratford too.
We met in primary school, Maddie, Anne, and I, and from that moment on, we were inseparable.
At least until I left for Paris.
Anne was always the wisest of the three. Not in a boring or preachy way, just naturally grounded, with a dry wit and a calm, steady presence.
There’s a quiet brightness to her, a kind of steady optimism that never felt forced. She saw things clearly, but never unkindly.
When Maddie and I started looking at each other differently, Anne wasn’t the least bit surprised. She used to joke that we were stuck together like glue. Even when we became a couple, our friendship didn’t really change, at least, not until I suddenly broke things off and left for France.
I didn’t just leave Maddie, I left them both, right in the middle of moving into the flat we were meant to share for uni.
If Maddie was heartbroken, Anne was livid.
And yet, true to form, she stepped up.
She focused on what needed doing, calm, steady, practical as ever, doing everything she could to support Maddie and quietly clean up the mess I’d left behind.
She called Maddie’s parents in London and asked them to come. She found someone to take over my room so the rent could still be split three ways.
All of it done without fanfare, without blame.
Things I didn’t even know about, until much later, when the dust had settled and we were finally able to speak again.
Strangely enough, it was Anne who seemed angrier than Maddie in the beginning. In a different way, of course.
Because I hadn’t just walked away from my girlfriend, I’d walked out on her, too. She’d been left to deal with her own disappointment while carrying the full weight of Maddie’s heartbreak on her shoulders.
It took time, months, maybe longer, but once Maddie and I began talking again, Anne slowly started replying to my messages as well. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve apologized to both of them over the years.
Never with a proper explanation. Never one that felt like enough.
But every word was genuine.
And even though I know the bond we shared will never quite be what it once was, I truly believe they’ve both forgiven me. Which is exactly why they deserve to hear the truth, soon.
After thinking it through, I decided I’ll go to dinner tonight with Remi, Anne, and the others. There’ll be time to properly settle in later.
