Wait. That might have more to do with the alcohol that she’d ingested and less to do with her admission. But she’d never felt this floaty before when she drank.
“Do you think that might just be a defense mechanism because if you let yourself feel, it would be too much?” Grace countered.
Grace never accepted what people said at face value. It was probably what made her good at her job as an attorney. She loved to challenge anything and everything.
“I totally understand why you would think that, but no. That’s not the case.” Ava could feel the alcohol in her system causing her filter to disintegrate. “I mean, when you guys woke me up, I was having a sex dream about tall, dark, and dangerous!” she exclaimed.
Thankfully, the bar was crowded, music was playing, and no one was paying attention to what Ava was saying.
Her sisters all stared at her.
“She knows!” Ava pointed at Viv.
“It’s true,” Viv confirmed. “She was.”
“Sweetie, I’m sorry.” Audrey put her arm around Ava.
“I said, I’m glad I didn’t marry him!” Ava felt herself getting emotional that her sister wasn’t getting it.
“No, I’m sorry that you felt like you had to.”
Aww, sweet, sweet Audrey, Ava thought to herself.
“Yeah, great Ava’s sweet.” Viv waved her hand dismissively and Ava realized she must have actually said that out loud. “But I am going to give you real world advice. Do not, and I repeat, do not cut your hair.”
“My hair?” Ava questioned running her hands through her hair, that she’d spent a half an hour drying and straightening.
“You know the dreaded breakup haircut. It’s so cliche. And your hair is one of your best features. You need to think about those things now that you’re back on the market.”
“Thank you?” Ava wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.
“I don’t think she’s on the market,” Audrey reasoned.
“Of course she is. When did you and the one that shall not be named get together?” Viv pointed at Ava.
“You can just say Ian.” Ava took a sip, finishing off the rest of her drink.
“No, I can’t.” Viv stated firmly. “You might be happy that he called things off, but I still say that it was a pussy way to do it. A man, a real man, or woman would have done it face to face.”
Ava had to admit, her sister had a point. She continued sucking through the straw and it made a loud slurping noise indicating it was empty. “We got together when we were twelve.”
“Twelve? So that’s twenty years together?!”
Ava nodded.
“You’ve never dated anyone else,” Viv said as if that fact was just dawning on her.
“I know.” Ava was well aware of her dating history, or lack thereof, she didn’t need her sister reminding her with a look of abject horror on her face.
“Why am I just realizing this now?” Viv shook her head back and forth slowly.
Audrey was only ten and Viv was eleven when Ava and Ian began to date, so it made sense that they didn’t remember a time when Ava was single.
“Oh, we’ve got to get you on apps!” Viv exclaimed excitedly as she pulled out her phone.
“Apps?” Maybe it was the alcohol, Ava’s head was feeling a little fuzzy, but she didn’t understand what getting her appetizers had to do with her only dating Ian, and why her sister would be so excited about the prospect. “Like nachos?”
Viv stared at Ava and tilted her head to the side, “No, dating apps. Like Bumble or Tinder.”
