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“You can say that again,” Lucca says—to which Maggie elbows him.

But his outburst only makes Rosalie snuff out a laugh. “I asked you all here because I think it’s time I learned a little more about my life. I’m not sure it’s ever going to come back to me. And while I find it quite uncomfortable when others know me or things about me— things that I do not know—I think it’s time to start.” Her gaze falls on me again. She nibbles on her lip. “So, if it’s okay with you all, I’d like to ask some questions.”

There’s a chorus of nods and “yes” from our small group.

Rosalie exhales a breath and then she turns to Callum. “Guess I’ll start with you.” She smiles, and though it’s a little forced, it’s still sincere. “When did Fran introduce us?”

“I actually came to your classroom as a guest. Franny didn’t introduce us.”

She scoffs. “And when did my best friend start allowing you to call her Franny?”

Lucca lifts one finger. “I gave her that nickname. She was our lucky charm a few years ago.”

“And how did we meet?” Rosalie asks Lucca.

She asks every person how they met and about their specific relationship.

Callum says she’s like a sister-in-law to him. Lucca calls her a best friend and tells her she always came to him for advice—not accurate. Stella talks about teaching Grammy pottery and Rosalie being a friend to her when she really needed one. Roman agrees heartily that she was a friend who didn’t judge and welcomed others. Maggie tells how Rosalie accepted her into our friend group despite the fact that she is a referee and had, at times, given more than one Red Tail a red card. Lucca smirks at the comment.

She’s holding up well. She listens and nods and asks question after question. “Wow,” she says. “I should have asked all this long ago. You guys are making me feel pretty good about myself right now.”

There’s a hum of quiet laughter with her comment. And then she turns to Fran, skipping right over me. By the glances I’m getting, I’m not the only one who noticed.

“Fran, do you feel like this is all accurate?” She looks at our friends. “I’m not saying that any of you are lying. I just know that Fran would know my feelings on these specific situations.”

“Except for the part where you’re Lucca’s best friend and always go to him for advice⁠—”

“Hey, now.” Lucca sits up straighter. “Rosalie and I are tight.”

“Yes. It’s all very accurate.” Fran nods toward Lucca. “And we do love Lucca. He’s the best.”

“Now that is accurate,” Lucca says.

Maggie rolls her eyes next to him, but she’s smiling, Lucca’s hand snug in her own.

Rosalie breathes out a laugh. She’s still nervous—I see it. But she’s not giving up. She’s not panicking. She clamps down on her bottom lip and, without looking at me once, says, “And how would you all describe my relationship with Zev?”

The guys look at me.

But Fran just sighs with her answer. “Storybook.”

“You”—Rosalie finally turns to me—“said that it took me a long time to go out with you the first time around. If it was so storybook…” She’s back to looking at our friends—she’s asking them this question, not me. “Why did it take so long?”

“Robert,” Fran says, plain and simple. “It was bad, Rose. I realize you aren’t able to completely understand it, but he made you question everything.”

She nods. “Callum?” She’s getting everyone’s perspective. Will she ever want mine?

My friend clears his throat and sits a little straighter. “I think you wanted to be sure. You wanted to be smart. You were cautious.”

“Yes,” Stella says. Ivy fusses and Roman claims her, letting his wife talk. “I wasn’t there when you met Zev. When we became friends, I could see how much you cared for him, and he for you. But your guard was up.”

Rosalie nods, understanding, and continues down the row. She’s looking at Maggie. But Maggie just shakes her head. “When we met, you were over the moon for him. Like crazy in love. I wasn’t there for your… caution. I just saw two people who couldn’t get enough of one another. You fit.” Maggie smiles, thinking. “Like two halves from the same whole.”

My eyes prick with unshed tears.

“Well, I was there,” Lucca says. “I got to hear over and over again how bad Zev had it for you. Watching you make him wait was fun.” He winks at her, and it makes me want to laugh, too.

“I was there, too,” Roman says, bouncing little Ivy on his thigh. Her eyes have drifted and she’s leaning her sleepy head on his stomach. “I’ve never seen someone so committed and as sure as Zev was about you.” It’s short and simple, but it’s a shove in the right direction and I appreciate my friend.