She slammed the door and leaned against it. She’d forgotten she’d told Erma about the attorney meeting, and obviouslyErma had then said something to the Bosom Buddies. Her friends were the last people she wanted to deal with right now.
“We can stand out here all night, Madge.” Erma’s strong voice sounded from the opposite side of the door.
“Yep,” Myrtle added. “All night.”
“So you might as well open up,” Peg said.
“Because we’re not leaving until you do.” Gwen’s tone brooked zero argument.
“Please, Madge,” Viola said. “It’s chilly out here.”
“I brought pie!” Bea piped up.
To her shock, Madge almost laughed. Of course Bea had brought pie. The woman was never without food, especially during stressful times. Until now Madge had never understood why.
Knowing that all the women would keep their word—and they wouldn’t starve outside, thanks to Bea—she reluctantly opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Being a friend.” Erma plowed past her. “You can thank us later.”
One by one the BBs walked through the door. “I hope you like chocolate cream,” Bea said as she bustled by, carrying a clear Tupperware pie holder.
Madge’s stomach churned as the ice cream she’d inhaled started rebelling. She closed the door and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what Erma told you,” she said. “But I’m fine.”
Erma spun around. “Oh, we can all see that you’re perfectly peachy,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And for your information, I didn’t say nothin’ to no one.”
“We’ve missed you.” Viola put her hand on Madge’s forearm. “You haven’t been to Knots and Tangles in forever.”
“Or church,” Peg said, her brow furrowed with concern. “You used to never miss.”
“We had to check on you ourselves,” Gwen said. “I know it’s late, but we wanted to make sure you were home.”
“So I couldn’t escape?” Madge said half-heartedly.
“Exactly,” they all said in unison.
She froze, some of the icy loneliness thawing at the edges of her heart. She looked at these friends, women who had taken her into their circle and kept her there, even though she hadn’t always fit in. Even though she had spent so much time pushing them away. They were faithful. Loyal. Two things she desperately needed in her life. “I don’t deserve friends like you,” she said, her voice thickening.
“Yes, you do.” Erma walked over to her and put her arm around her shoulders. “Now let us help you through”—she smushed her lips together—“uh, whatever you’re going through.”
While she appreciated her friend’s discretion, it was time to be honest with everyone. “It’s okay, Erma. You don’t have to keep my secret anymore.” She looked at each woman in the room. The only person missing was Rosa, and Madge was grateful for that. Rosa Castillo was a decent sort, but she didn’t know her well enough to talk about something so personal. “Don and I are getting a divorce,” she said, not bothering to put on a brave front. She waited for everyone’s shocked reactions.
“Oh,” Gwen said.
“Hmm,” Peg added.
“That’s a shame,” Viola said.
“Um, yeah. What she said.” Myrtle looked at the white porcelain bowl on the small credenza in the foyer. “This is nice. Where did you get it?”
“You’re not surprised?” Madge asked, bewildered by their reactions.
“A little,” Bea said, setting the pie on the dining-room table in the open concept kitchen. She frowned. “Then again, no.”
Erma nodded. “We’ve suspected there was a problem for a while now. But we didn’t want to pry.”
Madge crossed her arms. “But my marriage was a topic of conversation between all of you, wasn’t it?”
“Only because we didn’t know what to do.” Peg held out her hands. “What good are friends if you can’t rely on them when you need to?”
