Page 149 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Bring your exercise band.

I laugh quietly.

Trust Annette to write on my calendar to remind me of homework.

The sound surprises me. A few months ago, tomorrow felt like another hurdle. Therapy felt like another reminder of everything I'd lost.

Now it feels like the part of the day I'm looking forward to most.

Chapter nineteen

Annette

Things He Never Told Me

The arrivals board flashes ON TIME just as Keisha steps through the sliding doors, pulling a navy suitcase behind her.

I don't wait.

I weave through the small crowd and wrap her in a hug before she has a chance to set it down.

She laughs. "I was hoping for at least five seconds before you tackled me."

"You've been gone three months, Netty."

"Four."

"That's even worse."

She hugs me tighter before stepping back to look me over.

"You're thinner."

"I've been busy."

"You've always been busy."

She narrows her eyes. "Something else has changed."

I immediately look away. "Can we at least get you to the car before the interrogation starts?"

She grins. "Ah."

"There it is."

"What?"

"The subject change."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mmm-hmm."

She hooks her arm through mine as we head toward the parking garage. Forty minutes later we're sitting in my apartment surrounded by takeout containers, two mugs of tea, and enough laughter to make the quiet rooms feel lived in again.

Keisha kicks off her shoes and curls one leg beneath herself on the sofa.

"I love how cozy this place is."