Robin joined us, peeling off her wrist guards. Eleanor followed a second later, settling carefully with a knowing glance.
I inhaled.
“Okay,” I said. “I need to tell you something.”
They all went quiet in that way that only women who love you can.
“So you know I’ve been living with Raphael.”
Mel’s eyebrows shot up. “We know.
“And disapprove,” Robin said carefully.
“Not all of us,” Eleanor said.
I swallowed.
“Well, things have been progressing with Raphael.”
Silence.
“As in Beast,” Eleanor said slowly.
“Yes.”
Mel leaned back slightly. “Okay. Explain.”
So I did.
I told them about the marriage. The insurance. The knee. The library. The bookstore. The cooking arrangement. The basement inventory. The way he insisted on paying me so I could catch up on Dad’s care.
I didn’t tell them about the library shelf. That still felt sacred.
When I finished, there was a long pause.
Robin was the first to speak.
“Do you still feel safe?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
Mel studied me closely. “Do you feel obligated?”
“No.”
Another beat.
Eleanor tilted her head slightly. “Do you like him?”
That one landed differently. I looked down at my hands.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly. “Maybe more than like, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
A breath moved through the group.
Robin nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Mel leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
