Marley, her cousins, and Shayne continued talking while eating. Reena told them about how her newest YouTube video was outperforming the others, and she couldn’t figure out why. Shayne told them about a fashion shoot he’d done for an up-and-coming designer who wasn’t even twenty yet. And Ruby steered the conversation toward her favorite topic: her longtime dream of moving to England.
Marley hadn’t loved the idea of a party to celebrate losing body parts, but this was nice. She didn’t have a ton of friends—in fact, these three were her only true friends left in the city. And it suited Marley perfectly. These people knew her… She could relax and be herself with them.
After dinner, they sat in the living room.
“Okay, before cake, we have presents!” Shayne said. They each handed Marley a gift—it looked like Ruby had wrapped them all in Reid’s wrapping paper.
Marley opened Ruby’s first. It was two soft rayon knit shirts in pale pastel colors with snaps down the front.
“They’re specifically made for post-mastectomy,” Ruby said. “There are hidden pockets for your drain bulbs inside. I wish I’d had ones like these after my surgery. I kept my drain bulbs in a Home Depot tool belt.”
She smiled at Ruby. “Thank you so much. They’re lovely.”
Reena’s gift ended up being some hi-tech microwave cookware and an IOU for homecooked meals after surgery—also very thoughtful. Shayne’s gift, on the other hand, was a set of bird-pun coasters. Some saidBoobieson them and had the names and pictures of several species of booby birds. There were also coasters that saidTitsandHooters.
Marley raised a brow. “Seriously, Shayne?”
“I ordered somecockones, too, but those are for me. Anyway, your real gift is coming tomorrow. I found a secondhand recliner for you to use while you’re recovering. It’shideous. We’ll burn it after you’re recovered.”
Marley chuckled. Shayne then took about a million pictures of the cake and of Marley holding it. He wanted a picture of her cutting the cake, but Marley refused. She looked away while Reena cut and served it. It was delicious, at least.
“I made your favorite lemon curd cake so you’d talk,” Reena said.
Marley frowned. “What am I supposed to talk about?”
“Your pre-op appointment,” Reena said. “How did it go?”
“It was fine.”
Shayne exhaled dramatically. “Marley, please say somethingother thanfine. Don’t make me bring out myHammer into Marleyfree pass.”
Marley rolled her eyes. “Shayne, I don’t thinkHammer into Marleymeans what you think it means.”
Everyone was quiet, while Shayne hopefully reconsidered his choice of phrasing.
Reena finally gave Marley a pointed look. “Marley, you need totalkabout what’s happening to you.”
“I’m talking now, aren’t I?”
“Has Jacqueline approved your time off yet?” Ruby asked.
Marley shook her head. “No, but I just emailed the request today. I have a doctor’s note, so she doesn’t really have a choice.”
Shayne snorted. “Oh, believe me—Jacqueline will find a way to make this harder for you.”
“Look at everything coming up roses for y’all, though,” Reena said, changing the subject because she clearly sensed Marley’s discomfort. “Ruby has plans for her future, Marley’s finally having surgery and hobnobbing with the personal shopper, and Shayne’s career is exploding. Maybe you guys will break your love curses, too.”
Since getting married, Reena had been irritatingly preoccupied with everyone being as in love as she was. Marley didn’t think it was possible to achieve relationshipperfectionas epic as Reena and Nadim’s.
“Reena, there is no love curse!” Shayne said emphatically.
“Then why have none of you had a date this year?” Reena asked smugly.
Ruby frowned. “I had a date two months ago.”
Shayne rolled his eyes. “You told me about him, Ruby. He wasliterallya clown. Like, he works at the circus.”
Ruby nodded. “He was remarkably dull. That’s the lasttime I swipe right on someone just because they were born in Liverpool. He sounded like John Lennon and looked like Ronald McDonald.”
