"What made me kind of fall in love with your spirit was that you didn't just rebuild."
She nodded. "Yes, pathetic wallowing new girl has its charm."
"Will you let me talk, you self-deprecating psycho?"
Tilly nodded with a small smile.
"You didn't just rebuild. You spent time with the pieces. You got to know what the brokenness created and its shadows, and I think you learned from that. And not in a pathetic, sad victim way. But in a way that helped you know how to put yourself back together and know yourself better, all the pieces, the shadows included. It was beautiful. I knew that you'd be a soul friend. You stick around even in the rubble."
Tilly's lip trembled. "Thank you," she whispered.
"I didn't need the details to see that. But I would have taken them, you know."
A tear fell from Tilly's eye and she wiped it away as she nodded. "I know."
"Your mom and your sister suck. And your ex-husband. And Ronnie."
"This is starting to sound like a slam book."
"Adult version."
Tilly smiled. "You and our group of friends were the first time I felt like I could breathe emotionally. After thirty-some years of not being able to."
"That is one hell of a scab," Jen replied, handing back the container.
"Seriously needing debriding."
"This got really gross really fast."
Tilly laughed, pressing her shoulder against her friend's, reveling in the way that they could be so honest and vulnerable and also so light. What an art.
"So, Satan's asshat is in town?"
"How did you..." Tilly started, then shook her head. "Eloise?"
Jen nodded.
Tilly sighed. "Yeah. She's in town."
"How are you doing? We'll get to why you didn't tell me in a minute."
Tilly gave her a look. "You would have come over and called her Satan's asshat."
Jen smiled, not denying it.
"As far as how I'm doing, I have no idea. Ask me again in a few days after she's had time to make me question my sanity and worth."
Jen wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to her side. "I'll hex her if I have to."
Tilly laughed, again amazed at the silliness and beauty of having a friend to walk through pain with. Sulphur joined them in the graveyard, winding her way between them to get forced attention. By the time the moon was a ball of light high overhead, Jen stood, wiping ground from her pants, and helped Tilly up.
"Alright, it's late, I have a business to run in the morning, women to help navigate our weird bodies as we age, and you have a wicked sister to rest up for."
They walked down the path, and Jen whispered, "So, what exactly is it about Ronnie? I guess he's not ugly if you have to choose from only men. But," she made a face. "I don't get it."
Tilly sighed. "I think it's a mixture of a teenage crush carried over into adulthood and his hair."
"He does have nice hair. You know who has nicer hair, though?"
