Charlotte’s phone rang, and she took a step back. “All right, well, I should get going. I’ll see you around, Libby.”
Libby balanced the box against her hip and gave her a small wave. “See you.”
For the first time in a while, Libby walked to the clinic with a spring in her step, some of the knots in her stomach having loosened. Talking to Annie’s teacher made her feel like there was still hope after all.
Maybe there was still a chance for her not to screw up Annie’s life any further.
Chapter Four
Charlotte chuckled and switched the phone to her other ear. “I didn’t forget the wine, I promise.”
“What did you get?”
“Merlot,” Charlotte replied before kicking the door to her car shut. “Now, can you hang up so I can take the rest of the stuff out of the back?”
The curtain swished, revealing Addison’s face pressed to the glass. She offered Charlotte an enthusiastic wave before hanging up. With a sigh, Charlotte popped the trunk of her Nissan open and took out a large bag full of snacks, face masks, and candy. Then, she slammed the trunk shut and raced up the cobblestoned path that led her to the two-story Victorian-style house with a wraparound white porch, a bright red door, and a chimney jutting out of the middle of the roof. On the front porch, she shifted the bag from one hand to the other and almost barreled into Mason, Addison’s husband.
He was dressed in a button-down shirt and black jeans and looked like he’d just come out of the shower. “Need a hand with that?”
Charlotte huffed and switched it back to the other arm. “No, thanks. You know that Addison will lecture me about working out if she sees me hand you the bags.”
Mason chuckled. “God bless you for letting her get away with it.”
Charlotte shrugged. “It’s easier than the alternative.”
She knew Addison’s heart was in the right place. While her mouth and brain often weren’t on the same wavelength, Addison had gotten much better. And when the front door swung open to reveal Addison in pink pajamas and rhinestone flip-flops, Charlotte immediately knew she’d made the right choice.
She handed Addison some of the things and turned to wave at Mason.
He pulled Addison in for a quick kiss and lingered. “You sure you don’t want me to stay tonight?”
Addison pretended to shove him. “I’ll be fine. Charlotte is here. We’ll have a movie night, and you’re going out with the guys, remember?”
Mason lingered. “Yeah, but they won’t care if I cancel.”
Addison took his arm and tugged. “I’ll care. We’re going to be doing our faces, our nails, and we’re going to be talking about you, so you can’t be here.”
Mason threw his head back and laughed.
On top of the stairs, he paused to give Addison another kiss. Then, he shoved both hands into his pockets and started to whistle. Addison stared after him until he was swallowed whole by the night. Slowly, she walked back to the door and stepped in after Charlotte. She slammed the door shut and rubbed her hands together.
“I’m really glad we’re finally getting our girls’ night.” Addison dragged Charlotte into the living room, where she had more snacks and wine set up on the coffee table, and the TV mountedto the wall was already pulled out, with a few of the classic rom-coms cued up.
It was usually the kind of sight that would’ve cheered Charlotte up, but since she was still on the outs with Savannah, she couldn’t concentrate on anything. The past few days were a blur of work, lesson plans, and nights spent stuffing her face while she watched cheesy reality TV shows. When Addison had called to insist on a sleepover, Charlotte had jumped at the chance.
Finally! It was time for something different.
Addison linked her arm through Charlotte’s and pulled her to the couch. “I know things have been intense, but I just want you to know that it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.”
Charlotte sat down and took the glass of wine offered to her. “What does that mean?”
“Now that the treatment is over, we can go back to the way we were. The cancer’s gone, Char. And good riddance too.”
After years of fighting that ugly disease, years of hospital visits that left her pale and sallow, and chemo sessions that left her crying over the toilet seat while clutching strands of hair that were falling out, Charlotte was thrilled that Addison was in remission. Not only was her friend finally healthy and looking forward to life, but she was also getting her life back on track.
Charlotte couldn’t have been happier.
She cleared her throat and touched her glass of wine to Addison’s. “Here’s to being healthy.”
