Page 4 of Buttons

“Indeed, they are. So important, in fact, that if you don’t get dressed right this minute, you’ll miss the best parts of your important day.”

“What’s that?”

“Your friend! She’s wearing her tutu today. As your grandma says, the day starts and ends with fashion.”

“Oh, yeah! Her purple tutu!” She then bounces out to match her friend. Julian’s parents live in Paris, and my dad passed away fifteen years ago, so Grandma Fallinger is the only family Meredith and Leo have besides Julian and me.

Once the eggs are plated and the toast is buttered, I head to the bathroom. The straightening iron hisses as it clamps down on my natural curls. The woman with the wild hair disappears strand by strand, replaced by the polished version of Mrs. Plaza. If Julian knew about chemical straightening, he would suggest it. I’m glad he doesn’t.

One of the last days I wore my curly hair all day was the night he proposed. It was late at night in his office without a bent knee or a romantic speech. He just slid a black velvet box across the mahogany desk and told me he loved me, noting that I held his life together better than he did and that we made perfect sense together. The diamond was a flawless princess cut, and I saidyes.

Back in the kitchen, the scene is set with the coffee at the head of the table and the eggs cut into perfect squares for Leo.He’d had them that way at McDonald’s once and has been obsessed ever since. It took me two solid days of experimenting with kitchen gadgets just to figure out how to get them perfectly square. Then, Julian enters in a tailored suit. He reaches for his coffee. When our fingers brush, I feel that familiar, involuntary swoon in my stomach.

“Thank you, Elowen,” he says, taking a sip before he leans over to gently kiss my lips. He rarely verbalizes his love anymore, but I have grown used to these tiny, quiet kisses.

“Your day,” I say, handing him the phone. “Singapore confirmed. Lunch moved to 12:45. Drycleaning at four-thirty.”

He scans the screen. “Push the dry-cleaning delivery to five. I can’t have any interruptions before the investor meeting.” He hands the phone back. The adjustment is already made in my head.

“Dad.” Leo’s voice is a squeak. He holds up the poster in offering. “This is the first draft of my science fair project. I’m thinking of changing my topic, though.”

Julian looks down. Leo shrinks.

“The color-coding works,” Julian says after a pause. He points a manicured finger at the page. “But this graph is off by a few millimeters. It looks sloppy.”

Leo’s shoulders slump. “I’ll fix it.”

“See that you do.”

I step closer and press my hand against Leo’s back, rubbing a small circle of warmth through his shirt. “It’s wonderful, Leo,” I whisper, wishing my voice could undo the damage.

Before Julian can head for the hallway, Meredith slips into the kitchen, planting herself like a tiny barrier between him and the door. She looks up, her head tilted. “Why do you wear a tie? Does it help you think?”

A faint, amused smile touches Julian’s lips. “It helps other peoplethinkI’m thinking, Mi-Mi.”

“It’s like a leash,” she says.

Julian’s smile tightens. I step in, sliding berries in front of her. “Eat up, sweetheart,” I say, redirecting the conversation.

“I’m heading out,” Julian says while Meredith double-fists breakfast. “I have a client walk-through at two and need you there.”

“Of course.”

I follow him to the door like a good wife. And as a good husband, he leans in to kiss me. It’s not passionate, but it’s still nice. The press of his lips and a soft stroke of his thumb on my arm have gotten me through the years.

Pulling away, he says, “See you at two.”

The door closes.

I’m cleaning up breakfast when my phone pings.

Trey Mendoza:Hey folks! I have touched down in your fine city. Ready to get this party started? Jules, drinks tonight? E, it would be great to see you both!

It’s friendly enough, but I can’t stop the cold dread sliding down my spine. Trey is Julian’s oldest friend from college, all loud laughs and loaded inside jokes. While Julian is perfectly orderly, Trey is pure chaos, but somehow their dynamic works. Still, I always feel like an outsider on the edge of their circle. It gets worse when Julian reunites with his college crowd, including his old flame, Carmella.

Shaking my head to dislodge my insecurities, I type ‌a message to Julian about Trey’s visit.

Trey’s here. Don’t forget we have drinks with him and your old friends.