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The rest of the rehearsal went much better than the first half. She was able to focus on her scenes and give them her all, instead of barely going through the motions. Brittney was waiting for her in the green room once rehearsal was over and she’d picked up her bag from the dressing room.
“So, Delaware?” she immediately asked.
“Yes. It’s only a few hours away. He’s working out of town and it’s easier for me to go to him. Traffic isn’t bad since it’s winter.”
“I hope you have an amazing time,” Brittney gushed as they walked out the door and toward the subway.
“You don’t think it’s strange that I’m seeing someone?”
Cold air blasted them as soon as they walked outside. Samantha pulled her coat tightly around herself in an attempt to block some of the frigid wind. Brittney did the same as they walked faster.
“No, why? Your late husband isn’t coming back. I’m just glad you seem happier than when we first began rehearsals.”
Samantha turned to Brittney in surprise. Was everything really that simple? It was amazing how hearing one person’s perspective could completely change hers. She had spent so much time feeling guilty about her feelings.
“I’m so glad you said that. Even though I’ve been happy, I’ve been anxious over what other people might think,” Samantha admitted.
They descended the stairs to the subway station and Samantha immediately felt relief from the harsh wind. The after-work crowd made for a hectic commute home. People filled nearly every space as they made their way toward their train or waited in place for a train to arrive. The two women stayed close together since they lived only one stop apart.
“Unless I’m missing something, I don’t see what you’re so worried about. No one expects you to grow old and die alone. Men remarry quickly all the time. You do you, girl,” Brittney said, playfully bumping Samantha’s shoulder.
“Well, there is more.”
Brittney turned to face her, obviously excited to hear the dirty little secret. Samantha hated to say it out loud, but there was no way to whisper a secret in a crowded subway station.
“It’s Brandon’s brother. I’m sleeping with my brother-in-law.”
Brittney grabbed Samantha’s shoulders and turned her so they faced each other. “Come again?”
“You heard me. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. I never even knew he existed before my husband died. We helped each other through everything, and things just moved from there,” Samantha said before covering her face with her hands. “My god, it sounds worse the more I try to justify it.”
Brittney laughed. She surprised Samantha by pulling her into a hug. “Stop worrying so much. The people who love you just want you to be happy. One of these days we’ll have to get together and you can tell me the whole story. Not tonight, because you need to get some rest so you’ll feel up to driving to see your man.”
One day Samantha would tell Brittney how much her words meant. But Brittney was right. It was not the night for hard conversations. They weren’t able to find seats together on the train anyway, so any conversations would have to wait. Samantha closed her eyes, leaned her head back, relaxing into the movement of the train.
It was silly to spend so much time cleaning a temporary home, but Bryce wanted it to be perfect since this time he knew Samantha was coming. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to get the place ready for the little dinner party she insisted he set up. Samantha had to be the only person on the planet who made dinner plans days before Christmas.
Asher ran to the door, his tail wagging his entire body, signaling Samantha’s arrival. Bryce dried his hands on his jeans before rushing out to help her carry her bags inside. The wind blowing in from the ocean made the cold night feel even colder as he stepped outside wearing just his jeans and a flannel shirt.
“Get inside where it’s warm. I’ll carry your stuff in,” Bryce said once he reached her car.
She smiled gratefully and headed inside carrying only a few shopping bags. Bryce sensed something was wrong, but decided to hold off until they were inside with the car unloaded. She’d only packed a suitcase and two large totes which he was able to carry inside in one trip.
Samantha was already getting comfortable on the couch when he met her inside with her bags. “Do all of these go in the bedroom?”
“Yes, thank you,” she said before nodding toward the shopping bags. “It doesn’t look like Christmas in here, so I did buy a few things. We can’t have a dinner guest and look like a bunch of Scrooges.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to get rid of the dinner guest?”
“Bryce, I was being serious. I want to meet her. You’re stuck here for however long, at least you two can be comfortable around each other.”
“You went grocery shopping?” he asked after he got back from putting her bags into the bedroom.
“Yeah. I passed by a grocery store on the way here and figured I’d stop instead of making a special trip tomorrow. I knew I wouldn’t want to do a single thing once I got here.”
Bryce took a moment to look her over. She was looking even more tired than she had the previous week. He was no medical professional, but she didn’t look like she felt well. He wouldn’t comment on the dark circles under her eyes. He knew better.
“You feeling okay?” he asked simply.
