Page 85 of The Write Choice

“Who’s ‘we?’”

“Ben and Jenny are here, too. And Ben’s sister, Ashley. She heard about the roller coaster and brought her kids. Her daughter, Amelia, is in the library reading.” He motions toward the front room he had repurposed into a library for Mac. The door is closed. Lucky girl, I think. “The boys and Christine are playing in the living room. Seriously, come see.” He takes a few steps and motions for me to follow.

I stand where I am, my feet planted into the welcome mat. “I think maybe I should just take my kids home.” I don’t know if it’s all the noise or the unexpected crowd of people or the fight Brandon and I are in the middle of, but I suddenly want nothing more than to get out of this house. Facing Brandon at home feels easier than facing all these people with this weight pressing on me.

Mac comes into the front room. She walks right up to Daniel’s side, fitting into him like a missing puzzle piece. She puts her arm around his back, and he puts his over her shoulder. It’s instinctual, like they’ve done this a million times. I’m so fucking happy for them I could burst, but that happiness is tainted with envy. I know they’ve had their share of problems like everyone else, but their love is so relatively new. It hasn’t had the chance to be watered down by life yet.

“Hey, Katie,” Mac says brightly. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better. Thanks for taking the kids. It was a huge help.”

She eyes me with a dose of skepticism, but says, “We loved having them. We were just about to eat lunch and watch a movie in the basement, too, if you want to stay? Daniel set up a media center down there.” She flashes a tight smile, and I can tell from the look on her face that she thinks his setup is ridiculous. Knowing Daniel, it probably is.

“No, we should get going. I don’t want to impose on you any more than we already have.” I use the voice I learned to use with Brandon’s rich friends when trying to get out of something I didn’t want to do. It’s polite and firm, but sickly sweet, leaving no room for argument or hard feelings.

But I forget Daniel is one of those rich friends and has seen this song and dance a thousand times over the course of our friendship. “Katie, are you okay?” he asks. Mac glances at him, but I’d bet she hasn’t missed it, either.

“I’m still feeling a little off,” I lie.

“Okay.” Daniel is clearly unconvinced. “I’ll help the kids get their stuff ready.”

He leaves, but Mac stays. She crosses the distance between us and puts her hand on my upper arm. “If you want me to leave it be, I will, but I don’t think you’re still feeling sick.” She pauses for a moment, her green eyes searching mine. “We’re friends, Katie. You can talk to me if you want.”

Jenny’s head pops around the corner. “Oh hey, Katie. Evans said you were here.” She comes fully into the front room, eyes bouncing back and forth between us. “Are you two having a moment? Did I miss it?”

Mac’s hand is still resting on my upper arm. She looks at me, eyebrows raised and seeming to say, We can let this go if you want.

But I don’t want to let it go. In all my conversations with Nora about meeting people, in all my complaints to Brandon about being lonely, this is what I was looking for. Friends. Specifically, friends who get it. Friends who care about me for no other reason than they want what’s best for me, and don’t mind if I vent a little on the side. Friends I can return that favor for, too. I glance at Jenny, remembering some advice I gave her when she was in a similar situation only a few months ago and realize I already have exactly what I want. It’s been staring at me in the face this whole time.

It shouldn’t be a revelation, but it is. This is how friendships form. You seek the other people out for the fun stuff, then inch toward the hard stuff, and before you know it, you have people who will happily watch your kids for a whole weekend. People whose house you can show up to unannounced and vent about your husband’s lack of faith in your sobriety. And you don’t notice it until you need them and they’re just… there.

“Actually,” I start, then swallow hard. It’s the admitting you need someone that’s the hard part. “Can we… talk?”

Jenny nods once, the curve of her lips suggesting she’s pleased I asked. Mac smiles warmly and squeezes my arm. “Daniel,” she calls. “Why doesn’t everyone take lunch downstairs for the movie? We’ll be down in a bit.”

Chapter 25

Brandon

I don’t know how long I stare at the half-empty bottle of whiskey. I should have followed Katie out, but I didn’t. And now I have no idea where she could be or if she’ll ever want to talk to me again.

I know I had no right to demand an answer. I found that bottle and freaked out. If she’s been drinking again, it’s because of me. She’s been completely transparent about everything except for this. And if she’s overwhelmed and wants me home because it’s too hard to stay away from alcohol when she’s alone, then it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so naïve as to think her relapse at the fundraiser was a one-and-done thing.

I’m drowning in all the things I should and should not have done when my phone dings. My heart skips hoping it’s Katie, and it falls when I flip it over and see Daniel’s name on the screen.

Your wife is here. She used her fake party voice on me, so I thought you should know.

Thank goodness for Daniel Evans. I have never been more grateful for his ability to read a room. Is she bringing the kids home? I type back.

Instead of a return message, my phone rings with a call from him. I answer immediately. Before I can even say anything, I’m greeted with a cacophony of noise. It sounds like there’s at least two other kids there besides mine, and another adult male is trying to corral them all in the background.

“Were my kids not enough for you?” I ask, raising my voice so he can hear me.

There’s some movement on the other end of the line, then things get quieter. “I may have bought your kids a kiddie roller coaster, and Mac may have told Jenny, who may have told Ben, who may have come over with his niece and nephews and their mom. And I may have suggested we test out the new home theater in the basement with a movie during lunch. I don’t know, man. It’s a whole thing.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What movie?”

“Who cares what movie?”