* * *
Two hours later, Valerie had searched the entire property, texted Nico a dozen times and Roger four, and had slowly transitioned from anger to shame to a nauseating mix of the two.
She had pictured Roger’s reunion so perfectly. She’d worked out the exact wording to tell him once it was sorted. She could barely wait. When Nico had come storming in—she was exaggerating; he’d only opened the door—she’d been searching for flights from Vancouver to Toronto to see how soon Rory and Yvette could arrive as she waited for a reasonable time to call the West Coast.
Then it had all gone drastically south and it was her fault. He was right. She didn’t think.
She needed to talk this out with someone. She texted Dalia.Are you busy?
Was about to go for a swim. You want to come?
Valerie hesitated, worried about being a bother, then decided to go for it.I kind of need someone to talk to.
Got it. I’ll be there in ten.
Valerie was pacing outside the house when Dalia pulled up. “Get in the car, loser,” she called. “We’re going ice creaming.”
Valerie got in. “That’s not a thing.”
“It is now, since I spoke it into existence.” She glanced over with concern. “Unless this is a vodka level of talk. We can do that too.”
“It’s barely ten. How about a drive?”
“I know the perfect route. Want to tell me what happened while I get out of this driveway? I’ve seen shorter highways.”
“Nico’s mad at me,” she said. “I kept a secret. I found out something I should have told him right away, but instead I hoarded it for myself.”
“Doesn’t seem like you,” observed Dalia. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the secretive type.”
If only Dalia knew. “No?”
“Not unless you had a really good reason,” she said.
Valerie hoped this grace would extend if Dalia ever found out about the whole Roger thing. She turned her attention to Dalia’s question.
“I thought I did but Nico disagrees,” she said.
Dalia nodded wisely. “Such is the way of an argument.”
“I was going to tell him,” Valerie said.
“Sure.”
“I only found out yesterday and I was busy with the event.”
“You were.”
“I wanted to find the right time and make sure it was all in order.”
“Makes sense.” Dalia glanced over. “Are you done justifying it to yourself?”
Valerie slumped. “Yes.”
“What’s the real reason, then?” Dalia flipped down the visor as the sun slanted through the window.
“I got carried away in my head,” Valerie said. “I got the idea and thought about how to make it special, and perfect, and all the hugs and accolades and stuff I’d get because I was the one to make it happen.”
“That’s not a bad thing.”
