“No, sugar. Your man.”
And there went her momentary happy. “What man?”
Kaci pointed to Anna’s ring finger. The indentation from six years of wearing a wedding ring had completely faded already, but the spot burned under the woman’s scrutiny. “That man,” Kaci said. “You got the look.”
She slouched. “I’m fine.”
Kaci pursed her lips, then nodded. “You bet your britches you are.”
She could’ve made an excuse and left. Gone back to her apartment, pulled out her label maker and used it until she felt better about having to downsize in the first place. But there was something perceptive about Kaci’s gaze. Something that told her Kacigotit in a way her family and her friends couldn’t.
So Anna took a sip of herchai latte, then went for the distraction. “What are you studying?”
“Efficient combustion physics.”
Anna stifled a hiccup of surprise. “Grad student?”
Kaci grinned. “Professor.” She gave her own baby cheeks a pat. “Good genes. Still working on my tenure.” She gestured to the scattered papers on her table. “Means I get to babysit the high school programs too, but that’s the most fun part. Still got some influence over those minds. You need any physics classes?”
“Those transferred.”
“Perfect. You got plans Friday night? Some of us girls are having a pinot and pedicures night. You come on over, and I guarantee you’ll be happier than a goose on tequila come Saturday morning. Most of the rest of ’em are busy tonight.”
A girls’ night.
With real girls.
Longing welled in her chest and almost choked her. “I can’t.”
“Kids?”
Anna shook her head.
“Well, you’ve got my blessing to slug the first person who says that’s a good thing.”
“They don’t really say that, do they?”
“They say all kinds of crap. That kid question, it’s barely the start. Hope you got some good family to back you up.”
Her chai latte got stuck between her throat and her stomach right about where her heart used to be.
It wasn’t that they didn’t support her. They were simply disappointed.
“He did you good, didn’t he?” Kaci said.
And there was that damn stinging in her eyeballs again.
“Don’t you worry,” Kaci said. “Whenever you’re ready, I got just the thing for you.”
Anna leaned into the table, a real smile threatening to show. “I hid his electric toothbrush so he’d have to ask mewhere it was.”
“Good on you, sugar. Good on you.”
“And—some other things.”
“He notice they’re missing yet?”
Anna’s shoulders sagged.
