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It struck uncomfortably close to home.
Watching Glenn confess his infidelity to Robbie, along with his plans to continue doing so, her thoughts drifted to her painful past with Chad. An icy chill ran through her as memories of the dreadful day she had discovered his betrayal resurfaced. For a moment, the boundaries between the movie and her own reality seemed to blur.
The rustle of snack bags signaled Kara’s return. “Sorry Em, I forgot about this part. Let’s find a different movie. What do you think?”
Emma nodded, wrestling to keep her emotions in check. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“No problem.” Kara reached for the remote. “Do you like action movies?”
Emma raised a brow. “Do you?”
“Well, possibly, if it has a good storyline.” Kara stopped flipping through the endless Netflix suggestions. “Here we go. How about this one?”
Emma looked up, relieved to see a spy thriller devoid of romance. “Sure, that’ll be fine.”
“Great. I’ve wanted to watch this one, but Charlotte isn’t interested. Lately, she’s more into texting boys than movie nights with her mom.”
“You know how we were at her age. Can you blame her?” Emma smirked before stuffing an Oreo in her mouth. “We’re not cool anymore.”
“Speak for yourself. I’ll always be cool.”
With a shared laugh, they settled into the movie. As the plot unfolded, Emma’s mind wandered, and she found herself grateful for Kara’s friendship that had blossomed after she adopted Riley from her rescue. Since then, they had bonded over their shared passion for animals, spending countless hours together helping strays in the community.
As the credits rolled after the movie, Kara stretched her arms over her head, letting out a yawn. “It’s getting late. We should do it again soon.”
“This was a lot of fun...I didn’t know how much I needed it.”
Kara threw her arms around Emma, pulling her into a hug. “I’m here for you anytime. You know that, right?”
“I know. You never let me forget.”
Kara let go of her and stood up. “I’m leaving the rest of the goodies for you.”
Emma walked her over to the door, opening it for her. “Next time we’ll do it at your place, and I’ll bring the snacks.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Goodnight, Kara. Get home safe.”
As Kara waved and climbed into her car, Emma stepped onto the porch to watch her drive off. In the stillness, her gaze drifted upward to the moon and the shimmering stars, the humidity of a South Georgia summer night tingling on her skin, while the distant chorus of cicadas serenaded the twilight.
Things are gonna work out.
Once back inside, Emma started clearing the mess they had made on the table and took out the trash. After tidying up, she noticed the time, surprised at how quickly the hours had slipped by. As she prepared to turn in for the night, she glanced over at the dog bed, finding it empty.
“Riley?”
Emma searched the cottage’s living area before heading to the bedroom. As she moved from corner to corner, her search grew increasingly frantic. A faint whimper drew her attention to the bed.
When she knelt to look underneath, her shoulders relaxed and her lips curved into a soft smile. “There you are. Come on boy, it’s night-night time.”
As she changed into her pajamas, Riley hopped onto the bed, finding his favorite spot near the pillows. She turned off the lights, and the two of them lay down together, with the sound of gentle waves outside her bedroom window lulling her to sleep.
The next morning, Emma woke to Riley’s wet tongue sliding across her cheek. She giggled and reached up to scratch behind his ears. “Well, good morning to you too!”
He let out a whine and wagged his tail.
“Alright, alright. I’m up,” she said, stretching.
