“Let me grab the other box.” Emmaline hooked her thumb to the garage where she kept the overflow pantry. She hurried there and back, setting the box on the counter next to the empty one.
“What’s your favorite part of fake-dating Ethan?” Barbie asked.
“The very real orgasms.” Em dropped her head to the counter. “And when he looks at me, my insides get all fizzy.” Her face warmed like she drank more prosecco instead of red. “Like champagne.”
“Ooh, I love champagne.” Barbie lifted her glass. “That’s a good one.”
“The thing about champagne is you get the lovely feeling, and then the killer headache.” Em wasn’t trying to be a downer. Protecting her heart made her think of all the things that could go wrong.
“Lots of people have champagne fizzy bliss,” Barbie said. “With only a little headache. But that’s life, not the wine.”
Oh God, she was going to cry.
Dammit. No crying in this life.
A tear fell along Emmaline’s cheek. Then another.
She’d survived the entire night without tears, and now they fell? It’s like Barbie opened the floodgates.
“I’m sorry.” Em brushed at her cheeks. “Give me a second.”
“Why are you sorry?” Barbie asked.
Em shrugged between Dorito bites.
“I used to think strong women didn’t cry,” Barbie said, setting the rest of the uneaten chip beside her glass. “But then I realized something.” Barbie drummed her fingertips along her thigh. “The strongest women I know are the ones who feel all the emotions. The ones who let the tears fall when they need to, and laugh like no one’s going to judge them when something is funny. The ones who let themselves feel the emotion of the moment are the ones strong enough to withstand the force of the wind.”
“I don’t feel very strong.” Emmaline was a lot of things, but strength was not hers right then.
“I’m so impressed that you are standing up for what you need. Telling Ethan exactly what you want. You don’t want friends with bennies? Great. Don’t do it. You want to be seen and not shoved in the corner? Great. You make that happen. But here’s the thing, and I say this with all the love of your best friend: you haven’t been this happy since Willie Redd asked you to homecoming and gave you your first kiss. Ethan’s still the man up the street. He’s still that guy. And going on TV won’t change that.”
“What about me?” Em asked.
“You’re you. You’re you when you’re with him and you’re you when you’re by yourself. You’re Em.” Barbie waved a hand all the way down like she was on a game show and Em was the prize. “But you’re happier withhim. It’s better than dating a lawyer who’s never home and can’t cook. I mean, look, you don’t want to go on his show? Fine. Tell him to do aMy Celebrity Dad Cooks! show and make that work. Clearly, his kid came up with a solid concept.”
“You’re not wrong.” Em pressed at her temples.
“If you ask me, I think this whole thing is the meaning of life,” Barbie said. “You’re you and, I’m me, and he’s him, and that’s the reason we’re all here on this planet, spinning around the galaxies.”
“Which part, exactly?”
“All of it.”
“Did you just try to unlock the secret of life?” Emmaline asked.
“That’s the best part.” Barbie leaned in and whispered, “Anyone who tells you it’s a secret is just trying to bamboozle you into not seeing your own worth. It’s about what makes us happiest.Whatever that is!We’re told to blow out our candle because you can’t shine too bright. Stay against the wall. Don’t make a fuss.” She waggled her finger. “But just because you blow out your candle, so the others look brighter, doesn’t mean theyarebrighter. It means they’re lonelier. And you’re colder.”
Em let out a long breath, breathing in deep, then releasing it again.
She went in for a hug. “Thank you. Thank you for being my friend and thank you for shining bright and thank you for reminding me that Ethan makes me happy.”
“Now, my theory is that when you burn brightest, there’s always more fuel for the flame. Thinking there won’t be is what scares us into blowing out our candle. Sometimes it feels easier to stay in the dark than to embrace what we’re made for.”
“You’re fantastic at this,” Em said. “I feel like I should take notes.”
Barbie went back to nibbling at her chip.
The pounding on the door brought them out of their bonding moment because it was the kind of knock that made a person’s toes curl.
