AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Since he was working late, again, Amelia had made plans with Stacey that afternoon to get out of the apartment.
After she left her last company, Stacey reached out, hoping to become friends now that Amelia wasn’t her boss. It worked out great. Having a friend in town made everything easier.
Stacey also lived close by. She had left their company for a tech job in the city that paid significantly more, so they were within walking distance of each other. She always came by when she had a free minute, and they would walk through the underground mall or grab coffee when they had the time.
“Are you ready for your vacation?” Stacey asked when Amelia opened her apartment door.
She gestured to the bags in the entryway. “I’ve never been more prepared in my life.”
“Isn’t working from home great?” Stacey asked. “You have so much more time to get things done.”
Amelia laughed. “It also helps that I feel like getting things done. Daniel was so right when he said I should try something else.”
She had finally worked up the nerve to share her mental health journey with Stacey, and her friend didn’t even flinch at the news. Surprisingly, she had been in the middle of getting a diagnosis herself.
And now that she had a better support group, her mental health wasn’t shameful anymore. It was just a fact of her life.
The women caught up while they walked through downtown. They first stopped for coffee on the way to the mall, and when they got there, they looked around the shops.
Amelia wound up buying a dress from one of the local sellers. It was a bright red number with cutouts on the sides that showed off her midsection. Stacey had told her it would be a crime if she didn’t get it. Usually, Amelia would have said no. She never had anywhere to wear a pretty dress.
But maybe on this vacation, she would.
“Has Daniel put two and two together?” Stacey asked.
“Not yet,” Amelia said. “For once in my life, I think I’ve actually been smooth.”
“Do you have it?”
She smiled and brought out the box in her bag. It was a simple titanium band. “It came in a few days ago.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to be the one to propose.”
“Apparently, Lucinda had made her proposal a whole affair. It’s only fair if I do it.”
When they last talked about marriage, Daniel had been for it but hadn’t brought it up since. He’d said he wanted things to be low-key since Lucinda had expected the world and more. Amelia figured her planning the proposal was the perfect idea.
She only hoped he said yes.
“So, who is this date you have tonight?” Amelia asked, content to change the subject. She’d get nervous if she thought about it too long, and that was the last thing she needed.
“Oh, he’s just some guy my mom set me up with. I doubt it’s going to go well.”
“Don’t think of it like that,” Amelia said. “If you do, then it definitely won’t go well.”
“I suppose . . . I guess I’m still down on my luck in the romance department. It’s easier to think of it this way. It doesn’t get my hopes up too high.”
“Romance is great when you have the right person.”
“I know. I’m just waiting on my own perfect man. But I doubt I’ll be able to top you faking a relationship to get your family off your back.”
Stacey had been floored when she found out the truth, but Amelia was glad that someone finally knew. One of these days, she’d have to let her family in on the secret. Her mom remained ecstatic that Amelia and Daniel were still together, and she didn’t want to let them know that, technically, it was newer than they thought.
Amelia and Stacey hung out until seven when Daniel texted her that he was leaving work. They walked back to the apartment, waiting for him to arrive.
“Hey,” he said to both of them. “Have a good day at the mall?”
“It was fine,” Stacey said. “This one wasn’t too damaging to the bank account.”
