“I am fine. I told you guys. I am happy the way I am,” I protested. “Please, just let me be.”
“At least give this Kyle guy a chance!” Julie said.
“Alright, fine!” I said, giving up. “I will go on one date with him, and then you girls get off my back.”
They cheered, and I rolled my eyes.
“You can borrow my little black dress,” Julie said. “In fact, you can keep it. I doubt I will fit in it anymore.”
“And you can have my matching black heels,” Erica said. “The glitter ones.”
“I will handle the makeup and the hair,” Christie said. “We’ll give you beautiful curls and complement the look with a subtle layer of makeup that will bring out your eyes.”
“We will douse you in the most seductive of perfumes,” Julie said.
“And you will be dressed in my jewelry,” Erica added.
“And you will be the fairest maiden in all the lands!” Christie sang. “And he will see you, and he will be floored. You will have a romantic, candlelight dinner, with a live band playing in the background. He will look into your bewitching eyes, and he will know that you are the one for him.”
“And she will look into his eyes and feel love pulling at the strings of her heart,” Julie said.
“And then you will get married and have children, and it will be beautiful!” Erica said.
“This is ridiculous,” I said, laughing. And yet, I couldn’t help but hope. Maybe they were right. Maybe I have been putting barriers around my heart and keeping myself away from love. Whathedid to me— It had broken and hurt me so much that I was too scared to trust anyone anymore. But perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I had been too cautious. Maybe if I just let the walls down a little and let my heart go, I would find something new out there.
The girls were, by now, in full swing and in the middle of singing Titanic’s theme song. I shook my head and joined them, letting go and singing with all my heart.
“And my heart will go on and on!” Julie belted out.
“And on and on and on!” Christie shouted.
I looked at my friends, and I couldn’t help but smile.Whatever had happened during the past few years, whatever darkness and problems I had to struggle with, these women had been there every step of the way. And I couldn’t be more grateful.
