I give too, and I will continue to give because I know he needs me just as much as I need him. And I want to be the person he turns to, the one who’s there when he’s in crisis mode. I want to be everything he is to me.
I am in so deep, and I never saw it coming.
“So…what happens now?” I ask. “How do I…you know…stop being a neurotic mess?”
“You let go of the parent thing,” Loren says. “Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done, but…how often do you even talk to them?”
“Once a month,” I reply, and it’s the absolute truth. They’re busy, I’m busy, and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone that we speak so infrequently.
“Damn, Liv,” Vanessa whispers. “I can’t even imagine what that’s like. Thank God you and Ash found each other.” Then she laughs softly. “It’s still the strangest thing, isn’t it? Every time I think of it all, it still boggles my mind how the two of you just met on a plane and had no idea how connected you already were!”
“It’s going to make a great story to tell your grandkids,” Loren says, squeezing my knee again. “What do you say? Are you okay? Should we all go and shower and start thinking about dinner?”
Am I good?
I hesitate and sort of mentally take an inventory of myself and realize…yes. I’m okay. I feel better, and my friends all gave me the kind of pep talk that I so desperately needed.
Swallowing hard, I nod. “I am,” I assure them. “I’m going to be okay. Thank you for talking me off the ledge.” My shoulders drop and I feel all the tension leaving my body. “So, what are we thinking about for dinner?”
Roxie stands and stretches before glancing at her smartwatch. “I’m good with whatever you guys decide. I’m going to take the dogs for a walk. I’ll be back in like…an hour.” And without another word to us, she rounds up the dogs, leashes them all up, and walks out the back door.
“Is it just me or is she walking them a little more than she did like a week ago?” Loren asks.
“I really haven’t been paying attention,” I admit. “Maybe she’s just getting in all these long walks with them because it’s almost time for us to go back to reality. I imagine walking along a dog trail behind her apartment complex isn’t nearly as relaxing as walking on the beach.”
“Hmm…maybe. I don’t know. It just seems like she’s watching the clock and leaving at a very specific time each day.”
“You’ve got a point,” Van chimes in. “Between the long walks and her time at the yarn shop, she’s been a little distracted. I think we’ve all been very close since the guys left. We don’t talk a lot about them or rub our relationships in her face, so she can’t be feeling excluded again, can she?”
“I don’t see how,” I tell her. “We’ve been focused on ourselves as a group—talking about things we used to do and sharing our hobbies and things we want to do. And she’s been an active participant in all of it. I’m sure she’s fine.”
Slowly, we all stand, and I eat the cookie that’s been sitting in my hand as we head to the kitchen.
“I’ve been thinking about your book, Liv,” Vanessa casually mentions. “What about a story about a doctor who’s murdered and his daughter is the prime suspect? The hero is an old childhood friend or an ex-lover who got thrown out of the police force, so now he works as a private detective, and she goes to him for help. He doesn’t believe she’s innocent because he knows her history with her parents, but when someone attempts to kill her, he takes her to his secret cabin—you know, where he goes when he wants to be alone—and they rekindle their physical relationship. What do you think?”
“I think after our discussion in the den that you think having me kill my parents in a book would be cathartic,” I say around a mouthful of cookie. “But I’m sure some shrink would have a field day with that.”
“Then kill the brother,” Loren adds with a laugh. “We all know your brother’s also an uptight prick.” She shudders. “How does his wife even stand him?”
“Because he makes a lot of money and she’s an uptight bitch,” I deadpan.
Luckily, they both laugh, and because they are familiar with my entire family, they get it.
We rummage around in the kitchen, seeing what we have to work with, when Vanessa loudly announces that she wants to go out.
“I just feel like tonight we deserve a night out. I think we’re all a little emotionally drained and it would be nice if someone else waits on us. What do you think?”
“I’m fine with it,” I tell her, and Loren agrees. “And I’m sure Roxie will too. After all, we only have a few more days here with all these wonderful restaurants.”
“We have some pretty great ones back in Raleigh too,” Loren reminds me.
“Yeah, but…not right on the water that serve fresh seafood.”
“True.”
We’re all standing around the kitchen island, and I realize we each somehow grabbed a snack that we’re now eating. I guess it’s a good thing, so they don’t go to waste.
“Okay, I need to talk to you guys about something, and I guess I was hesitant because of the whole Roxie situation,” Loren says, sounding a bit timid.
