There’s a beat of silence.
Then we all burst out laughing.
Viv claps. “That was poetry. I think my nipples saluted.”
Marin wipes a tear. “I didn’t know how much I needed that.”
“I might throw up,” I whisper.
“You won’t.” Viv hands me a tortilla chip. “You’re reborn.”
And honestly? Maybe I am.
“Don’t think that you two are going to get out of your own grief dares this week.” I get out my hot pink notebook. “Viv, you’re going to let someone see you cry. Ugly cry. Because we both know how much you still miss him. Marin, you’re going to tell someone a memory about your husband that doesn’t have a silver lining and let it just sit there.”
“Those feel worse than an email.”
I level them both with a glare. “I dare you.”
Chapter Seventeen
I’ve written and rewritten this text five times.
“It’s really not that hard, Birdie. Suck it up and press send already. You’ve birthed two babies, unmedicated. You’ve survived your husband dying and that atrocious, yet no less courageous, email to the PTA. You’ve got this. Do it.”
I hear the floorboards creak and glance up, hoping Viv, Marin, or worse, Harper, isn’t going to walk into the room to overhear my less-than-stellar self-pep talk. Luckily, it’s just Frank. Although, surprisingly, he’s mastered the same judgy eyes that Harper nailed in high school. The two must be spending too much time together.
The text is simple enough:
So about Saturday.
I pause, my thumbs hovering over the keyboard, debating if I should send a wide-eyed emoji or carry on with the rest of the text.
Decisions, decisions.
Before I can finish typing the restof my hours premeditated thought, my jumbled nerves cause my thumb to slip, and I accidentally hit send. He’s not going to message back. Or maybe he will. Honestly, I’m not sure what would be worse at this point. Can I unsend a text? It’s not even a finished text? It’s half a text.
Wait… he’s typing back.
He’s responding to half a text.
Damn you nerves and my trigger happy thumbs.
Noah: What about Saturday? Are you going to tell me you came down with Kuru?
Me: A prion disease transferred by cannibalism? Don’t forget I was there when your last date tried that on you. She really should’ve read the entire Web MD article before choosing that one.
Noah: Phew. Good cause I’m still recovering from that ego blow. So what about Saturday?
Me: Why are you answering so fast? I wasn’t done typing.
Noah: Pretend I didn’t say anything. Continue.
Me: Is it alright if Viv and Marin come?
They also have dates.
Not that I don’t want to spend time just us.
