I couldn’t rely on my friends to talk me out of every breakdown, and I hated feeling so out of control.
“I’ll take her info,” I finally said.
Dani smiled gently, reaching down into her purse and pulling out a business card before handing it over. “No pressure from me. I’m always happy to listen or help how I can, I just can tell that you’re struggling and I care about you.”
“You guys read me so well, don’t you?” I said, shaking my head.
“That we do,” she said with a shrug, her red curls bouncing at the movement. “We do it for each other. You’d call my ass right out if I needed it.”
“I absolutely would,” I agreed. Letting out a breath, I propped my hip on the counter and turned to my friend. “All that to say, my sister wants to meet up, and I just… I don’t knowif I can. But I might regret it if I don’t go. I have a niece that I barely met. She doesn’t know who I am and I think that hurts the most.”
“Well, if you want to change that, then you could always bring one of us along. We’d be happy to support you and maybe even drop some habaneros in your sister’s food.” There was humor in her words, but also a hint of anger. They definitely would if I asked.
I was already shaking my head, more out of embarrassment than not wanting them there. “No, this is something I think I need to handle alone. Plus, I need to know that Phoenix is safe. She’s fourteen. I haven’t seen her since she was three. That’s a long time spent with my sister.”
“We’ll be here after,” she offered. “We could do a girls’ night and you can vent. Oh, maybe one of those rage rooms.”
That didn’t sound like a bad idea.
“Maybe. For now, I’m going to go make a phone call,” I said, flashing the business card and heading for the back.
I turned the business card over and over again in my fingers as I sat at my desk in the back. I took another twenty minutes before I was brave enough to make the call.
If the secretary noticed that my voice was shaking, she at least didn’t call me on it.
“We do have an opening,” she reassured me. “Actually, we had a cancellation today at twelve-thirty, if you’re up for it.”
That was much sooner than I anticipated. I had to decide to decline or rip off the Band-Aid, and honestly, the sooner the better.
I was silent long enough that she let out a, “Ma’am? Are you still there?”
“Yes, yes,” I answered quickly, feeling silly. I was already this far, and I wasn’t sure that I could back out now. “I’ll be there.”
Taryn and Dani would make sure I could go.
I wrapped up the phone call and buried myself in inventory. Hours passed in a trance but eventually, my friends had enough of it.
“Enough of this. What the hell is going on?” Taryn demanded, backing me into the corner among the shelves. I swear she must’ve designed this place for this purpose.
Not to mention, where the hell had she even come from? It couldn’t be that late already, could it?
I tried to play it off, rolling my eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just fine.”
Taryn narrowed her eyes at me, and I knew I was defeated. Not bothering to make more excuses, I explained everything all over again.
“We’ve got your back, whatever you need,” she promised just as easily as Dani had.
“Actually, Dani hooked me up with her counselor. I have an appointment at twelve-thirty, if you guys can cover me.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Taryn said without hesitation. “I’m really proud of you for doing this, Bea.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, hating that this was even a topic of discussion.
She checked her watch. “Honestly, it’s eleven now. Should you head out and grab lunch first so you’re not going on an empty stomach? If you wait much longer, you’re not going to be able to eat at all.”
“You’ve got a good point,” I said, jumping at the opportunity to put space between me and this awful conversation. “I promise I’ll stay late.”
“You know that’s not necessary,” she protested. “We hired help for a reason.”
