This was the first time she’d ever seen her without Jonathan around. The very weird thing was that Amberly always acted like she was happy to see Daisy. She waved, she smiled, she pissed Daisy off because she was sparkly and pretty and cheerful.
Because she wasn’t bitter and sad and jilted.
It made Daisy feel weird and small right then.
“I ... was thinking about it.”
“You should! It’s your color. Oh my God! Do you ever wear emerald? You should.” Amberly plucked a very short emerald dress off the rack and handed it to Daisy. “I used to work here. I love this store. This dress looks so good on everyone.”
Daisy looked at Nora and Soraya for help, but they were just standing there, staring.
“Try it on! You have the play coming up. The kids are so excited!”
“Yeah. True. I ... I do.”
What did this bright, sparkly woman see in Jonathan? It had been easy for Daisy to make Amberly a caricature in her head the few times they’d seen each other, but this interaction was nothing like she’d ever imagined.
“I’m Amberly,” she said, looking at Soraya and Nora.
Soraya smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
Nora said nothing. Her disapproval was rock steady, and no amount of smiling from Amberly would fix it. Daisy did like that about Nora.
Though Amberly didn’t notice it.
“Oh, Daisy, they have a green skirt I think you should try. Or they used to always keep it in stock. Come here.”
Daisy could tell Amberly no, but this was the kind of out-of-body experience not even drugs could provide, so she gestured to Soraya and Nora to keep shopping while she went to the opposite side of the boutique with Amberly.
Amberly’s smile faltered. “Um. I’m ... I do want to show you a skirt. But I also just wanted to say, I know things are weird between us.”
Daisy blinked but said nothing.
“I don’t want them to be,” Amberly continued. “Your kids are so great. They love you so much. Whenever Jonathan says negative things about you, I shut it down. I know you guys weren’t happy together, but I can tell that you’re really great because of how the kids talk about you.”
Daisy’s head was spinning. For the first time, she wondered if Amberly didn’t know she was the reason their marriage had broken up.
Is she? The marriage was really over when he was open to having an affair. You finding out about her was the catalyst. But it isn’t her fault.
That thought seemed so reasonable while she stood there looking at Amberly.
Who was a person and not a symbol of anything.
“Well. Thanks.”
“Women need to lift up other women.” Amberly took a skirt off the rack and handed it to Daisy.
Daisy cleared her throat. “Yeah. They do.”
As she walked to the fitting room, Soraya was just coming out in the powder-blue dress. “Damn,” Nora said. “You are built like a brick shit-chapel, my friend.”
Soraya looked both embarrassed and pleased. “You think he’ll like it?”
“I think it will look amazing on his bedroom floor.”
“I’m not going to sleep with him on the first date.”
“Sure,” Nora said. “But you could.”
