She and Devlin finally reunited and they were in a very happy honeymoon period. Her cheeks glowed perpetually with joy. I was only a tiny bit jealous. Only because I had tasted joy like that once and now life seemed bland.
“Yeah, but I’m not the same. I think we’ve both changed,” I said.
“You’re still Roxy. And if he loved you, then that didn’t change.”
Let’s hope, I thought. Instead, I said, “Can we eat fried food until I bust out of this ridiculous girdle? Thank God girdles died.”
“Cheers to that,” the girls said in unison.
We clinked our plastic cups of cherry soda.
After I swallowed, I said, “Damn, y’all. We seriously look good. Check out all the looks we’re getting.”
Kim blushed and Suzie blew a kiss at a passing teenage boy who then tripped over the flat ground.
“Everyone else here barely made an effort,” Gretchen said.
“Everyone else here is wearing cheesy costumes from those Halloween superstores,” Kim said. “We look like we stepped out of a black-and-white film.”
“Seriously, Gretchen. You should dress people for a living,” I said.
She shrugged. “I just popped around some vintage shops. No big deal.”
Gretch was weirdly modest about her multitude of talents. But we did all look fantastic. We all had outfits that perfectly accentuated our different figures and most importantly we all felt beautiful.
“You could open a shop from your closet alone,” Kim said.
She took a long sip of her soda. “When are the fellas coming?” she asked, effectively shifting the focus off herself.
“Ford is on his way.” Suzie examined the crowd.
“Devlin too,” Kim said.
“Oh, did you ask him about an autograph—” I asked.
“No,” Kim said. “We just got back together. I’m not about to scare him off with your intensity.”
“Fine,” I said. “I can wait a couple days.”
I was so happy for her. And Suzie. I knew their relationships wouldn’t always be so easy but I figured since they had survived a rocky start to their relationships, together they’d be able to handle whatever came next. I couldn’t wait to watch.
I blinked at the setting sun, feeling a new sort of hope.
“Are you thinking about him?” Gretchen asked softly at my side.
“Yeah,” I answered honestly.
She put her arm around me. “He’ll be here soon.”
I rubbed my palms on the thick fabric of my pants. “What if he doesn’t come? What if I’ve pushed him away too many times?” I asked.
“Then you’ll be okay. Time makes it better.” Something about the way she said it made me believe she herself had experienced the pain. I’d known Gretchen her whole life but she had so many secrets. “But also don’t forget who you’re dealing with here. He’ll be here.” She winked at me. Lord knows what strings she pulled.
“Okay,” I said and rested my head on her shoulder. I was so glad to have my SWS back. No ex left behind. It was okay to miss the connection with these amazing women. It didn’t make me weak.
A rumble in the distance made all of us turn our heads. All the SWS girls had a bit of instinctual reaction when we heard the growl of a bike engine, for good or bad.
“Oh, there’s Devlin,” Kim said. “Wait. That’s his bike but that’s not …” She trailed off.
