‘Me too.’ I laugh.
The train grinds to a slow stop, drowning out our nervous laughter, and Luke reaches through the window to open the door. We bundle outside, weary, relieved, happy, and not too late for the wedding in the morning.
I look up and down the platform for that final, familiar face that’s been missing up until now. ‘There she is!’
Bryn is standing on the platform, holding up a sign that says ‘I’M SORRY!’ and looking for us. Her hair is shorter, it looks freshly coloured, her skin is more tanned than she ever achieved living in London. She still dresses like one of those rich people who aim to look casual but end up looking like they’ve just come from buying a country club, and still sports an impressive fuchsia lipstick.
‘Bryn!’ I call, my voice loud and high-pitched and drawing the attention of several people who aren’t even Bryn, and I wave until I’m the first one to catch her eye. She lowers her sign, puts her hand on her heart, smiles, and then starts running towards us. It’s very movie-like. Well done, Bryn.
She stops short though, and studies us, and for a moment we’re back at that place of awkwardness and silence, and nobody quite knowing if we can call each other friends again or not.
But then it’s Joss, Joss, who steps out of the crowd and hugs Bryn first, and that’s all it takes.
We envelop ourselves into the group hug I’ve needed for a long time, all arms and hot breath and talking over each other and rushed compliments.
Afterwards Bryn steps back and takes us all in. ‘You came.’
‘Of course we did,’ I reply.
‘And you didn’t kill each other on the train. Are you all very angry about the train?’
‘No.’ I wave her away, and can’t help but sneak a subtle glance at Luke.
Bryn sees and gasps, pointing at me and then him and then back at me. ‘Did you two hook up again?’
I stutter a non-reply, looking from the others to her, and, thank God she’s smiling. ‘We had sex on the train!’ I blurt out, and slap my hand across my mouth. ‘It was awesome!’ Shut up, Cali! ‘Are you mad?’
‘Why the hell would I be mad? I feel like a matchmaker!’ She laughs in delight and slings an arm around my shoulders. ‘Listen, we have some catching up to do, but it’s also the night before my wedding so I don’t want to catch a cold from hanging around a freezing train platform for too long. Who wants something to eat?’
In the warmth of a large pub with mahogany tables and gigantic burgers, Bryn chats about her wedding the next day, and even as she’s stuffing cheese-topped chips into her mouth she’s grinning with infectious happiness.
‘You are going to love Ruby. She’s so creative and funny and we’re into the same things and she’s Canadian so has the hottest accent. And she’s so organised, which you know I love; she’s almost single-handedly planned this whole wedding.’
‘She has? In what way?’ I ask, Ember and her social media stalking coming to mind.
‘Well, the venue is her family’s cabin, and she wanted red bridesmaids’ dresses because it’s her mum’s favourite colour, hence the name Ruby, and . . . oh God, everything really. But we have similar taste, so it’s all good with me.’ Bryn is glowing, giddy, totally and utterly in love with the right person, and it’s the loveliest thing to witness. Thank God we’re all here.
I nod along, listening, and I sink back into the seat with secret relief. I wish Ember all the happiness in the world, and later I’ll check in with her, make sure she’s made it back to Jasper and is doing okay. But I don’t think Bryn’s had any thought to luring her out here or rekindling what they once had, I think Ember just saw what she wanted, maybe needed, to see. And Bryn is just a happy bride, completely in love.
‘Listen,’ Bryn says, growing serious for a moment. ‘My big plan was that we would have had the whole day today to talk everything out, wipe the slate clean, as it were, but I’m sure you’re all tired now. I wanted to show you Vancouver Island, all the things I love about it, introduce you to my second family. But that’ll all have to wait. So, none of you need to say anything, but can I just tell you all how sorry I am for how everything went down on that holiday? I never wanted to lose you all. And if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know. Maybe after the wedding, though.’
‘Yeah, I’m annoyed you aren’t putting us first since we’ve come all this way, but it sounds like you have a pretty full day tomorrow,’ Joss says, and she flashes a grin at Bryn. ‘But just to add, I’m sorry too.’
We all parrot each other, apologising, expressing regret, vowing to take back everything we said, and I’m definitely not crying, it’s just that my burger has chillies in it or something.
By the last bite, I know I’m not the only one stifling a yawn.
‘Come on, sleepyheads,’ Bryn says, standing and gesturing for us all to bundle back into our big winter coats. ‘Ready for one last leg of the journey out to that beautiful cabin I promised you?’
Luke stretches on the way out of the pub. ‘I don’t know; do you have a bunk bed Joe and I could sleep in?’
Chuckling, Bryn leads us to a chauffeur-driven minivan she’s rented to take us to the cabin (she’s such a good host).
Vancouver Island is a little drive out of the city of Vancouver, including a ferry crossing which I’d love to say we were wide awake for and enjoying but actually I’m just sleepily watching the city lights melt away into the dark. Bryn is beside me, and the others have all drifted asleep by the time we reach the island, so I say to her quietly, ‘Can I talk to you quickly, about . . .’ I nod my head towards Luke.
‘Of course,’ she says, leaning into me, her arm against mine, and it’s just how we used to sit on her sofa on a weekend morning, half gossiping, half watching whatever random cooking show we could find on TV.
‘Is it . . . am I . . .’ I glance at him. His head is flopped against the window, his eyes closed, his eyelashes soft-looking, his arms flopped out to the side like he’s fallen asleep giving blood. His breathing is deep and steady. Sleepy boy. ‘I want your opinion; what would you think if he and I gave it another try?’
