“But I think with the right person, marriage isn’t as bad as we thought.”
“How would you know?” I asked. He was engaged, but not married.
“We’re close enough,” Parker argued.
“That’s the whole point, though,” Cole said. “Our parents thought it was a good idea too. Until they didn’t.”
It was true. None of our parents had good track records. But that didn’t mean a happy marriage was an impossible standard.
“Mason’s parents were happy,” I said quietly, not sure if I should go there. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to mind.
“I think about that a lot,” Mason said. “And get my dad more now than ever. If something ever happened to Pia, I can’t imagine ever marrying again. But he wasn’t as miserable after my mother passed away as I’d thought. He just missed her, a lot. There’s a difference.”
“To Papa Bennett.” Parker raised his bottle, and we all followed suit.
“Look at Mae’s parents,” I ventured. “And Emilio and his wife. And Maggie. And?—”
“Okay,” Cole said, annoyed. “I get it.”
“Why are you home?” Parker asked. “Mason said you had some big romantic date at the bar.”
“Pfft,” Cole scoffed. “A romantic date at O’Malley’s.”
My buddies backed me up by each giving our friend a death stare to which he frowned but said nothing.
“It’s complicated.”
As much as I hadn’t wanted to leave her, and Mae had asked me over to her place, I knew without a doubt it was the right thing to do. I told her I was giving her space, and so I needed to follow through to show I was serious. As much as it killed me, I even broached the idea of hiring another person. Mae working there was temporary, and without her mother, who said she’d be happy to do the books until I got someone, I’d need some permanent help.
We agreed if the bar re-opened tomorrow she didn’t have to come in. That would be two days not seeing her, since we were closed Monday. I was already miserable at the thought of it.
“Always is,” Mason said. “Spill.”
Where to even start?
“Bottom line is that Mae isn’t sure about her future, including me, and doesn’t want to ruin our friendship in the meantime. At first my plan was to go all in, Beck style, but then I realized, with some help,” I admitted, “that’s not going to win her over. Growing the fuck up, and doing it for the right reasons, is my only chance. In the meantime, I’m giving her space. Not because I want to, but she needs to be sure. Which is smart, I guess. I can’t imagine getting involved and then Mae decides small-town living isn’t for her.”
“Isn’t that why she moved to France in the first place?” Parker asked.
“That and getting into pastry school. But yeah, Mae always talked about moving to a bigger city, with restaurants that could appreciate the kind of thing she enjoys creating.”
Mason shook his head. “I know a little something about the kind of decisions she’s making. It’s brutal. You’re right to give her some space to figure it out.”
“Mmm.” Parker made a face, like he didn’t agree.
“What?” I asked him.
“I get what you guys are saying, but neither of you know how good it can be unless you give it a go.”
“Oh, it can be very good. I’m sure of it.”
The guys laughed.
Cole was quiet, so despite myself, knowing his history, knowing very well he disagreed with the idea of marriage, I asked him what he thought.
“You’re the big city guy now. Any chance she’ll stay?”
I wanted him to say, “Sure,” and that the city wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. That there was a lot to do, but having the people that meant the most around you was more important.
