Liv was quiet, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Her silence felt like respect. Respect for Beth’s admission. Then came her soft voice. “I’m really sorry.”
Beth let out a long breath, relieved. “Thank you, I appreciate that. But I’m good.” Shewasgood—she wouldn’t have said yes to this date if she weren’t ready. And when Liv had asked, it had felt right. It was time. She needed to move forward in life again. “It is—itwascomplicated.” Beth shifted in her seat. “But, enough about my baggage.” She tried to laugh it off,triedbeing the key word, because what came out of her mouth instead was an uneasy sound that definitely wasn’t adding to the air of confidence she was trying very hard to hold on to.
Liv looked at her, lips curving into a smile. The sun glinted off the frames of her aviator sunglasses as she tilted the plane down, easing it into a gentle descent. “We all come with baggage. Isn’t the whole point to find someone whose baggage goes with yours?”
“I guess when you put it like that,” Beth mused, grateful for the way Liv seemed to exist so easily, like nothing could weigh her down.
The plane glided across the water with a splash, sending ripples across the surface as it moved towards the end of the dock. Liv hopped out to secure the plane before holding a hand out to Beth, helping her down.
Beth’s head was still buzzing from the excitement of the flight, their conversation, and the way Liv had made everything feel so effortless.
“Seriously, that was incredible. What an experience.” Beth turned to face Liv. “I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun. Thank you for inviting me out today.”
Liv tilted her head, smile wide. “I had a good time too.”
The sun peeked out from behind a cloud, the light hitting them, making Liv’s hair glow a fiery red. Their eyes locked, and a moment passed between them as Beth nervously fiddled with her sunglasses. There was a beat of something, a flash she thought she saw in Liv’s eyes, too. Beth instinctively leaned in, following that feeling, her gaze dropping to Liv’s lips as her pulse quickened at the thought of kissing someone who wasn’t Jamie, but as soon as that thought entered her mind, a louder voice saying it was time pushed it out.
Liv was leaning in too, but to Beth’s surprise, instead of a kiss, Liv hugged her. Firm and friendly. A swift sucker punch to her ego.
Beth blinked becausewhat was that?
“Oh,” she said, surprise covering up the embarrassment that was slowly creeping in. “I—I thought…”
Liv met her eyes. “You were reading it right, don’t worry. I did have a great time. And I’m not going to lie, the physical attraction is definitely there.” Her gaze dropped the length of Beth’s body, which confused her even more.
Beth tilted her head. “But?”
“But I’m not feeling it. I don’t think you and I are supposed to go past this,” Liv said gently. “It’s just not the vibe I’m getting.”
“Not the vibe?” Beth said, trying to follow.
“And it’s not because of the dead girlfriend thing,” Liv added quickly. “I actually think that part of your story is fascinating. I’d love to hear more about it over a glass of wine sometime. But just…as friends.”
“As friends.” Beth exhaled, nodding as she rearranged her expectations. She was a big enough woman to admit her ego wasperhaps the tiniest bruised in that moment. But that was the risk of dating, right? “You know what? That sounds like what I need more of right now anyway.” She smiled, juggling her keys in her hands. “Thanks for the day, Liv. It was fun. Text me when you want to grab that drink,” she said, pulling her car door open, sliding in, and driving away.
At home, Beth pushed her way through the front door, the whine of the hinges reminding her that she needed to WD-40 them. Jamie had always taken care of that. Excited chatter coming from the back of the house met her ears. Sarah was here, her familiar Porsche parked in the driveway. Beth slipped off her sandals and placed her keys in the dish on the entry table.
Lily was propped up on the couch, exactly where Beth had left her before heading out for her date. Sarah, however, was a new, though not unwelcome, addition.
“Hey, you two,” she called, making a last-minute pivot into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Sarah and Lily looked up at her with matching smiles.
“Hi! How was your date?” Lily asked excitedly.
“Oh, a date?” Sarah looked at her from her spot on the sunken couch opposite Lily, eyes bright.
“Yeah, Mama has some serious game,” Lily said, launching into a retelling of how Beth had given Liv her number at the coffee shop. Heat rose in Beth’s cheeks as she sipped her water. It was interesting hearing her daughter talk about her flirting game.
“Ah, yes, I am familiar with your mother’s game. Sounds like it’s gotten better since the last time I experienced it.” Sarah winked at Beth over the frames of her tortoise shell glasses, making her pause.
The teasing was back.
Sarah was using the same teasing tone that had always been so quintessentially them. It had waned over the years,disappeared completely when Sarah had taken her space the year before Jamie died, but it was slowly slipping back into their interactions. Beth had first noticed it back in the hotel room before Lily’s trials, when she had pretty spectacularly managed to mishandle their daughter’s coming out.
“I’m extremely suave these days,” she said sarcastically, crossing the room and plopping herself down onto the couch next to Lily.
“So how was it?” Lily pushed, wanting all the details.
“It was good. I had a lot of fun,” Beth said, attempting to keep things on the surface.
