Her expression sobers. "I know."
"She's going to freak out."
"Probably." Nina takes my hands in hers. "But Joel, she's going to freak out whether we tell her now or six months from now. At least if we tell her together, as a united front, she'll see this is real."
"What if she asks us to end it?" The question terrifies me. "What if she says she can't handle this?"
"Then we give her time." Nina's voice is steady, certain. "We give her space to process. But Joel… I'm not giving you up. Not after finally having you. Not after wanting you for so long."
"Even if it costs you your best friend?"
"It won't come to that." She sounds more confident than I feel. "Yes, she'll be weird about it at first. She might be angry, might need time. But Alexis loves us both. She wants us to be happy. Once she gets past the initial shock, she'll come around."
"You sound sure."
"I am sure." She squeezes my hands. "Because I know my best friend. She's the most open-minded, loving person I know. She'll be okay with this."
I want to believe her.
"What about work?" I ask. "Your ex is there. Are you going to be okay?"
"I've been updating my resume," she admits. "I think... I think I need a fresh start. New company, new opportunities."
"I could help you financially if you need time between jobs."
"Joel." She cuts me off gently. "I appreciate that. But I need to do this on my own, okay? I need to know I can stand on my own two feet."
Pride. I understand that. "Okay. But if you need anything…"
"I'll ask." She leans in to kiss me. "I promise."
Her phone buzzes on the counter, and she glances at the screen. Her expression shifts. "It's my mom. FaceTiming from the cruise."
My stomach tightens. "You should answer."
"Joel."
"Answer it."
She takes a breath and answers, angling the phone so I'm not in frame. "Hey, Mom! How's the cruise?"
I can hear her mother's excited voice, something about the Bahamas and the buffet. Nina smiles and nods, but I can see the tension in her shoulders.
"How are you spending Christmas, honey?" her mom asks. "With that nice boyfriend of yours?"
Nina's eyes flick to me. "Actually, we broke up."
"Oh no! Honey, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I'm at Alexis's dad's place in Connecticut. We got snowed in, but it's been... really nice actually."
There's a pause. "Joel? Alexis's father? That's sweet of him to take you in. He's always been such a gentleman. Give him our thanks, won't you?"
"I will," Nina says quietly.
After she hangs up, she sets the phone down and just stares at it for a long moment.
"You okay?" I ask.
