“Of course I will.” Nora reached across the table and squeezed Lila’s hand. “I’d be honored.”
“Good. Because I can’t imagine getting married without you there. You’re the sister I never had.”
The words made Nora’s throat tight. After years of foster care, of never quite belonging anywhere, she’d found family in Lila. Had built something real and lasting.
“You’re my family too,” Nora said. “The best family I could have asked for.”
They spent the next hour talking wedding plans. Venues and flowers and dresses. Lila pulled up Pinterest boards she’d apparently been secretly creating for months. Jake contributed occasionally but mostly just watched his fiancée with obvious adoration.
“What about you two?” Lila asked eventually, when they’d exhausted wedding topics. “When’s Carson going to make an honest woman of you?”
“Lila!” Nora felt her face heat. “We’ve only been back together for six months.”
“Six months on top of the six months before that. You’ve been together a year total. That’s plenty of time to know.” Lila leaned forward. “Has he mentioned it? Marriage?”
“We’ve talked about the future. About wanting that eventually. But we’re not in a rush.”
“But you want him to propose.”
It wasn’t a question. Lila knew her too well.
“I do,” Nora admitted. “But I also want to make sure we’re solid first. That the changes he made stick. That we can really do this long-term.”
“And can you?”
Nora thought about the past six months. Carson showing up for every date. Maintaining his boundaries at work. Going to therapy consistently. Being present in ways he’d never been before.
“Yeah,” she said. “We can. He’s not the same person he was a year ago. Neither am I. We’ve both grown. Both learned how to be partners instead of just two people who love each other.”
“That’s beautiful.” Lila’s eyes were suspiciously shiny. “I’m so proud of you. For not settling. For demanding better. For teaching Carson how to show up.”
“I’m proud of you too. For giving love another chance after what’s-his-name.”
“Old Jake was a disaster. New Jake is—” Lila looked at her fiancé with such obvious love it made Nora’s chest ache. “He’s everything I didn’t know I needed.”
Jake blushed. “You’re making me sound like a saint. I’m just a guy who’s crazy about you.”
“See?” Lila gestured at him. “Perfect.”
They finished dinner and lingered over coffee, talking about life and love and the futures they were building. Nora told them about her business—now with an assistant she’d hired last month. Lila talked about her own career promotion. Jake shared his plans to open a second location of his restaurant.
Everyone was moving forward. Growing. Building lives they were proud of.
“Before we go,” Lila said as they waited for the check, “I need to apologize. Again. For not believing you when you first told me about Eugene. For dismissing your fears as anxiety.”
“We’ve been over this—”
“I know. But getting engaged makes you think about the important people in your life. About the moments that mattered. And I keep coming back to how I failed you.” Lila’s voice cracked slightly. “You came to me terrified and I told you it was in your head. That’s not what best friends do.”
“You didn’t know. No one did. Eugene was careful. Manipulative. You weren’t wrong to question it. You just didn’t have all the information.”
“But I should have trusted your instincts. Should have believed you even without proof.” Lila reached across the table. “I’m sorry. Truly.”
“I forgive you. I forgave you months ago.” Nora squeezed her hand. “We’re good, Lila. We’re better than good. We’re sisters.”
“Sisters,” Lila agreed, wiping her eyes. “God, I’m a mess. This is supposed to be a celebration and I’m crying about the past.”
“You’re crying because you love me. Because you care. That’s not a bad thing.”
