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“Well, I’d hope so. He hasn’t seen his only child for years,” she retorts.

Maggie and I met when I was nine and she was ten. My grandma moved into the house next door to her parents. I’d visit for weeks at a time in the summer and every other month on weekends when school was in session. I’d spend more time with Maggie than my grandma when I’d visit. We didn’t go to the same schools or see each other as much as we’d have liked to, but we always stayed connected, even with forty miles bet-ween us. Talking on the phone is something we’re going to have to get used to again.

“I think I’m going to stay. For the long haul.”

“Oh,” she says solemnly. “Staying, huh?”

The sadness behind her rhetorical question sends a stomach ache straight through me. I think she took my return home as an experiment. Something that wouldn’t last. Frankly, so did I.

“I missed so much time with my dad, you know? Eloise is gone, so now we can try to heal.”

She exhales into my ear again. “I get it. But, if you decide it doesn’t feel right at all, you’re welcome to stay with us. I’m selfish and I’d prefer it. New York is your home.”

When we left together, I never thought I’d be the one to move first. Given I was the one who dragged her there in the first place. Her art degree was my excuse for her to come with me.

“There is such a big art scene in New York City. You can make it big!” I’d tell her over and over. After about five months of groveling, she finally agreed to go with me.

“I’m just not sure I can go back. Not after Graham,” I explain.

There was a moment of what if, but now that everything is official, and I’m back home—I feel so much relief. This is where I was supposed to end up.

“The city is so big, you’d never see him,” she whines.

“It’s the principle of the place. Every street I walk, I see him. Lakewood is clean.”

“You promised you’d come back for my birthday weekend. Don’t forget that,” she scolds. “By the way, Mabel has been asking about you.”

“Why?”

When you divorce someone, you aren’t just leaving them, but their parents too. Mabel, Graham’s mother and I became relatively close. After the divorce, I sort of just cut her out of my life. I feel bad sometimes, but what am I supposed to do? It’s Graham’s mom.

“She said she was trying to get a hold of you but couldn’t get through. She just wants to see how you’re doing, Billie.”

“Please tell me you didn’t give her my new number?” I grunt, but I already know the answer.

“Well…” she mumbles.

She’s cowering behind the phone, I know it.

“Maggie! She couldn’t get ahold of me for a reason!” I yell. Of course she would tell her. Maggie can’t say no to people, especially someone as sweet as Mabel.

“I’m sorry!” she stammers. “You guys were just so close. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. It’s hard to avoid her.”

Maggie works at Mabel’s real estate office. She basically runs it for her. It would be hard not to see her and it’s inevitable that I would come up in conversation. The awkwardness of that phone call is another thing to look forward to in this mess.

After a few more minutes, Maggie and I hang up the phone. I said I had a busy day, but honestly, I just didn’t want to talk about our old life anymore.

I stare out the window for a tad longer before finally getting out of bed and heading into the kitchen for some coffee. I can’t start the day without it.

My dad is sitting in his recliner, scrolling on his phone. I see that hasn’t changed.

When he glances up at me, he does a double take and instantly flashes me a smile.

“You’re up early,” he states, amazed.

“I don’t sleep until noon anymore,” I lie. The only reason I’m up this early is because of Maggie.

“What are you up to today?” he asks, looking back at his phone, casually scratching his chest.