We laughed as Karen came on the other side of me, and the two led me to the restaurant that was only a block away from the subway stop.
“So, Sara-Kate tells me you moved up here from Georgia after your Nana passed away,” Karen began. “I’m so sorry for your loss, by the way.”
“Oh, thank you.” I felt my throat close up, tears pricking the back of my eyes. But it seemed Sara-Kate’s mom could sense it and gracefully changed subjects as we made our way into the restaurant and found a small table for three by the window.
“Tell me you will help me try to keep my wild child focused on her schoolwork,” Ms. Johnson continued as soon as we were seated, pulling off her coat.
“I’m doing fine, Mom,” Sara-Kate groaned, flipping through the menu. “Besides, I’m the one helping Mari with math.”
“Yes, Sara-Kate has been a big help Ms. Johnson,” I agreed, folding my napkin in my lap as my eyes scanned the cozy restaurant with its exposed brick, black, and white tile floors, and small fireplace that filled the room with warmth.
“Call me Karen, please,” Karen chided just as she waved a waitress down, putting in an order for English breakfast tea. “I can’t imagine starting in the middle of the semester at a brand-new school in a brand-new city. Bless you.”
“Well, she has me, so she’ll be fine,” Sara-Kate playfully nudged my shoulder with hers.
“I’m so glad Sara-Kate found you after her last best friend moved to California,” Karen smiled. “It’s been so hard since Margo’s family moved in July. Sara-Kate’s been moping around the apartment ever since.”
“Oh my God, stop,” Sara-Kate complained. “Besides, Margo stopped answering my FaceTime calls. It was time to move on.”
I could have hung out for hours with Sara-Kate and her mom, tucked in the warmth of their easy laughter. For the first time since Nana died, I almost believed I couldbelong here, that I had actually made a deep connection with people who really saw me and accepted me.
I smiled as breakfast continued with easy, light conversation. Karen told me about her job as a head editor at her publishing house. I hung on every word, listening as she went on and on about the different books and authors she got to work with each day. To get paid to read sounded like a dream.
“Maybe I can see if we have an internship opening this summer?” Karen had suggested as she took another bite of her vegetable omelet. “I’ve been trying to get this one to do something productive with her summers, but all she wants to do is theater camp.”
“Theater camp is something productive, Mom!” Sara-Kate retorted. “And now you’ve ruined my grand master plan to get Mari to join me this upcoming summer.”
“Oh, theater is not for me. Performing in front of people? No, thanks.”
“Besides, you two need to be focused on visiting campuses and applying to college,” Karen continued. “If you want to get into Juilliard for voice, you’ve got to actually fill out the initial application, practice, and actually go see that singing instructor I pay for on a regular basis.”
Sara-Kate rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know.”
“Good,” Karen finished her tea, placing her napkin on her plate as she pulled out several twenties, placing them on the table. “Breakfast is on me, girlies. Now, go enjoy thecity, but don’t get into too much trouble, okay? I hope to see you around our place, Mari.”
“Thank you for breakfast,” I smiled. I was surprised when after she hugged Sara-Kate, she then pulled me into a similar, loving embrace. I blushed as she pulled back to look at me, pushing one of my wild curls back into place.
“I hope you know that you have an extra Mama in this city now,” Karen spoke so earnestly, so authentically that I had no choice but to believe her. “A best friend of my daughter’s is another daughter to me.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Karen. I appreciate that.”
“Ugh, okay, Mom. We get it. You love her and all that jazz, but we have shit to see and do.” Sara-Kate pulled on my arm as she led us out of the restaurant into the snowy November afternoon.
The day was filled with laughter, and my headache and maybe tumor were forgotten as Sara-Kate showed me around all her favorite places in New York. After a leisurely, snowy walk around Washington Square Park, we took the subway to the New York Public Library, and I registered for my library card. I could have walked for hours, perusing every shelf. Sara-Kate walked alongside me, filling the air with whispers of our conversation that varied from a test in pre-calc we had next week to my no-show chemistry study date.
“So, he literally just ghosted you on Tuesday and didn’t even have the guts to explain on Wednesday?” Sara-Kateasked, sipping her illegally smuggled-in hot chocolate she had bought off a street vendor.
“I already told you this, but yes,” I repeated, shelving another book. I already had three in my arms and would need to carry these back to the apartment later. “It’s really not that big of a deal. I don’t care.”
“The audacity of that boy,” Sara-Kate mumbled. “Well, now I hate him, so there.”
I laughed. “You can’t just hate the guy. You don’t know him. I don’t know him.”
“Um, yes, I can. He stood up my best friend. He can go suck it.”
I laughed a little too loudly, causing a nearby library patron to shush us quite intensely.
“Shhhh yourself, asshole,” Sara-Kate whispered, but just to me. We stifled our giggles as we made our way to the checkout desk with my new books.
