Sarah studied her—a feeling Beth wasn’t used to anymore.
Lily groaned, tossing a throw pillow at her. “Details, Mama.”
“Okay, fine,” Beth conceded. “She took me flying around the sound in a seaplane. We saw a handful of humpback whales and a ton of sea lions. The weather was great.”
“And?” Lily pressed.
Beth laughed. “And there won’t be a second date.”
“What? Why not?” Lily sat forward, her leg shifting and nearly falling off the pile of precariously stacked pillows elevating it.
“Because not every date leads to a second date, love. And that’s okay.” Her gaze shifted to Sarah, who was still looking at her over the rim of her glasses. Beth stood, brushing invisible lint from her shorts. “Do you have everything packed downstairs?” she asked Lily.
Lily didn’t answer, her attention on her phone. Sarah nudged Lily with her foot, making her look up. “Hey, what was that for?” she asked.
“I asked you a question and you didn’t answer,” Beth said. “She was getting your attention. Who’s so important?” She already knew the answer.
Lily smirked, a hint of a blush tinging her cheeks. “It’s Wren. We haven’t been able to catch up in a few days since her schedule has been insane. But she finally has a break in all her interviews and training to FaceTime, and then she’s home next weekend. What was your question?”
“Is your bag for Mom’s ready to go?” Beth repeated.
“Yup, all set. There’s a bag and a backpack.”
Sarah rose from her spot on the couch, taking a moment to stretch. “I’ll help you,” she offered, heading toward the hallway before Beth could say no.
Together, they moved down the hallway towards the basement staircase. Beth was aware of Sarah’s proximity beside her—an oddly grounding presence even after everything that they had been through. They moved easily together, falling into an old rhythm that sometimes still surprised her.
At the bottom of the stairs, once they were entirely out of earshot of Lily, Sarah touched her arm lightly. “You okay? I’m sorry that the second date didn’t pan out. Her loss.” She smiled reassuringly.
Beth looked at her. “Yeah,” she said. Then quieter, “You were right. Dating is weird as hell. Especially after everything.”
Sarah let out an easy laugh. “God, it really is. Dating in your forties is not for the faint of heart. Is it asking too much to find a woman who is financially secure, emotionally intelligent, and has a modicum of their shit together?”
“I take it no luck with the matchmaker?” Beth asked, reaching for one of Lily’s bags as Sarah reached for the other.
“I wouldn’t know, haven’t been on a matchmaker date yet. I rescheduled the last one because Nell and I had to go to Connecticut for a fundraiser,” she said with an unbothered shrug. “But I promise, as soon as I do, you’ll be the first to know. I need to commiserate with someone through all of this. At least we have each other, right?”
Each other.
Sarah’s comment rang in her head loud and clear. “Yeah, thank god for that,” Beth said, a tiny smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
They reached the top of the stairs where Lily was waiting for them with her crutches. Sarah held a hand out, taking the bag from Beth.
“You sure? I can bring it to the car,” she offered.
“I’ve got it,” Sarah reassured with an easy grin.
Beth leaned in, hugging Lily, kissing the top of her head. “Be good. I’ll see you at the coffee shop on Tuesday?”
“Yeah, Wren will probably come too. She has an off day,” Lily said into her shoulder.
“Can’t wait to see her,” Beth said, releasing Lily and pulling the door open for the pair. “Have fun, you two.”
She watched from the porch as Sarah and Lily maneuvered their way down the steps to the car. Once Lily was situated, Sarah climbed into the driver’s seat, giving Beth a small wave as she pulled out of the driveway.
The house was quiet in the wake of their departure. Beth stood there for a moment, her fingers still curled loosely around the doorknob, listening to the silence. She was alone, something that had become a little too familiar. She exhaled slowly as the weight of her day—the weight of the year, honestly—pressed in on her.
She had done it. She had gone on a date. Something that even a few weeks ago had felt so impossible. But she had done it. And she had even enjoyed herself, which surprised her most of all.
