“I can’t really take credit,” Beth said. “Dr. Patel suggested it as part of my homework this week.”
She spent a long time with the menu, I noticed. Not in a kid-in-a-candy-store kind of way. More like a vegan at a steakhouse.
My heart hurt for her. “You okay?”
“I’ve got this.” She smiled. “I practiced with Dr. P.”
“I didn’t think,” Jo said remorsefully. “Is this hard for you? Going out to eat?”
“A little. But food has always been about me saying no. I have to teach myself to say yes.”
She was so brave.
“Good job,” Meg said after Kitty had taken our orders. “To Beth.”
We raised our glasses.
Her face glowed. “Progress, not perfection, Dr. Patel says.”
“I’m proud of you,” Jo said. “I feel guilty I didn’t see what you were going through.”
“Don’t feel bad. For a long time, I didn’t admit it to myself,” Beth said. “How were you supposed to know?”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Jo asked.
“Because as long as it was a secret, it was under her control,” Meg said.
“Says the control freak.”
Meg smiled.
“But we could have helped,” Jo said.
“Or judged,” I said. “We’re good at that.”
“You still could have told us,” Jo insisted. “We love you. We’re your sisters. Sisters shouldn’t have secrets from one another.”
Beth stared down at her place setting.
“I’m guilty, too,” I blurted.
“You tried to tell us,” Meg said kindly. “That night we were here with Trey.”
“No, I meant... I have a secret, too.”
Beth raised her head.
“This isn’t about you,” Jo said.
“I think,” Beth said in her gentle way, “Amy’s trying to distract you.”
“Oh.” Jo grinned. “Sorry.”
“So, what’s your secret?” Meg asked.
I took a deep breath. “I slept with Trey.”
“Good for you,” said Kitty Bryant, returning with a basket of hush puppies. “Anybody need a refill?”
