The line rings twice before Harper picks up, her voice bright and teasing. “Changed your mind already, huh?”
I can’t help but laugh, though it feels forced. “Guess I’m in the mood for waffles after all.”
“Good,” she chirps. “We’re at Rosie’s. You want us to wait for you?”
“I’ll be there in ten.” I hang up, taking a deep breathbefore starting my car. I try to push Gray and Claire out of my mind, but her name lingers like a shadow, creeping into every thought.
The drive to Rosie’s Diner is short, and I pull into the gravel lot to find Harper and Olivia already settled at a corner booth, cups of coffee steaming in front of them. Harper waves me over, her expression warm and inviting. I muster up a smile and head inside, the bell above the door jingling as I enter.
“Look who decided to join us,” Harper announces as I slide into the booth across from her.
“Couldn’t miss out on those waffles,” I reply, forcing a grin.
Olivia nudges the extra mug of coffee toward me. “Figured you’d want one.”
“Thanks.” I take a sip, the warmth settling my nerves just a bit.
Harper wastes no time, diving into her menu with a kind of intensity that only she can manage. “I’m thinking blueberry pancakes this time. What about you guys?”
I shrug. “Waffles, I guess.”
Olivia just nods, her eyes flicking between me and Harper.
“So,” Harper says, folding her menu and setting it aside. “Did you get to talk to Gray? Is he ok?”
My hand stills on my coffee mug. I swallow, trying to sound casual. “Oh, he…uh, he had plans with the worship team. I didn’t want to bother him.”
Olivia glances over her menu, eyes sharp. “Did you two get into a fight?”
“No!” I rush to say, my voice a little too high. I clear my throat. “No, everything’s fine. He’s just…busy.”
They exchange a look I can’t quite decipher. Harper leans back, crossing her arms. “Well, if you say so.”
I force a smile and change the subject. “So, what were you guys talking about before I got here?”
Harper and Olivia glance at each other, almost like they’re deciding who’s going to speak first. Finally, Olivia sighs, setting her menu down. “We were actually talking about church…and faith.”
My eyebrows lift. “Oh?”
Olivia hesitates, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her napkin. “I don’t know…I’ve been thinking about it a lot. You and Harper seem so at home there. Like you belong. I just…don’t feel that way.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s easy.” I say.
Olivia’s gaze sharpens, turning back to me. “But it is for you. I mean…you didn’t even go to church a few months ago. Now you’re practically a regular.”
The words sting more than I expect. “I mean…yeah. I guess.”
Olivia leans forward, voice dropping. “How? How did you just…change like that? Because I’ve been trying, Ivy. I really have. And it just…I don’t feel what you feel. I don’t understand it the way you do.”
I blink, completely caught off guard. “I…I don’t know. It’s not like it happened overnight.”
“Didn’t it?” she asks, her voice sharper than I’m used to. “You go to one service, then you’re going every Sunday. You’re volunteering, doing graphics, dating the worship leader…”
Harper’s eyes widen. “Olivia…”
Olivia’s shoulders sag. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean it like that. I just…I don’t get it.” Her voice cracks a little, and she looks down at her coffee, fingers tapping the side ofthe mug. “I wish I could feel what you and Harper feel. But I don’t. And I don’t want to fake it just to fit in.”
I feel the weight of her words settle between us. For a long moment, none of us speak.
