I set the phone on the nightstand and leaned back against the pillows.
The ceiling fan turned slowly overhead while the quiet of the evening settled into the room. Outside, a car moved down the road, then disappeared into the distance.
Dr. Ellie’s words returned.
People who respect your boundaries.
People who don’t require you to fix everything.
People who allow you to move at your own pace.
I rolled onto my side and looked at the phone again.
The message thread was still open.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before I locked the phone and set it back down. “Maybe tomorrow.”
Markie rustled his feathers. “DOG.”
“Yes.”
“DOG WAIT.”
I stared at the ceiling.
By the timeI pushed open the restaurant door in Albany, I already regretted my choice of footwear. Heels had seemed like a good idea when I left the apartment. Heels made me feel confident and a little dramatic in the best way. They also currently made my feet feel like they had been personally offended by my life decisions.
The hostess looked up. “Meeting someone?”
“Yes,” I said. “I think I see them in the back.”
My party had taken over a long table near the window. Cris spotted me first, waving both arms in the air with alarming enthusiasm. “There she is!”
Four heads turned.
Cris. Jamie. Morgan. Alex.
I walked over carefully, which meant slowly and with the dignity of someone pretending her feet were not currently screaming.
“You’re late,” Morgan said.
“I live an hour away now,” I replied. “Geography complicates things.”
Cris stood and pulled me into a hug before I could sidestep it. “You look so good!”
“It’s just the lighting.”
She ignored that and pulled out the chair next to her. “I saved you a seat.”
The small gesture warmed something in my chest before my brain could object.
I sat, smoothing down my dress while the familiar noise of the table wrapped around me. Plates clinked. Someone laughed at the bar. The restaurant smelled faintly of soy sauce and rice.
Normal life.
Cris leaned toward me. “I ordered tea for you.”
“Thank you.”
