Page 49 of Mr. Principal

“Oh, to my dad’s… he doesn’t live far from here. He never liked Tom anyway.”

“Okay. This is awkward, saying this to my husband’s soon to be ex who technically replaced me, but if you need anything we’re here for you.”

She embraced me tightly in another big hug. “Thank you sooo much. That means so much to me.”

I pried myself from her embrace and murmured an excuse about needing to pick up some additional things.

My mind was running everywhere. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. I wanted to immediately tell Piper but I didn’t even know where she was.

I got in the car to pick up the remaining things. Becca offered to come with me, so we went together.

I got to know her pretty well in the thirty minutes that we were in the car together and I felt bad that I hadn’t made an effort to get to know her sooner. But she was married to my ex-husband, so I didn’t beat myself up too badly about it.

“So where were you raised, Becca?”

“I’m from here. Born and raised. I haven’t ever lived anywhere else, but my mom and my other siblings live in Oregon. I’m the oldest. I stayed with my dad after they got divorced.”

“I was raised here too, well about forty minutes from here.”

“Oh? Do you have family still here?”

“My mom and Dad.”

She looked surprised. “Oh, Meredith never mentions her grandparents.”

I instantly felt bad. “Yeah, my parents are pretty hands-off. They’re not very involved in Meredith’s life, unfortunately. They send birthday cards when they remember.”

“Are they coming to Becca’s party?”

I shrugged. “Who knows?”

Becca frowned. “I hate to judge, but what kind of people can’t make the time to come to their own granddaughter’s birthday party? I know they’re your parents but that’s kind of harsh.”

I nodded because she was right. “My parents are in a league of their own, that’s for sure.”

We talked about her dreams and aspirations and I realized that Becca was really smart and motivated. I liked her.

“So how are things going with you and Carter?”

I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to tell her.

“Things are going really well.” I paused and then said, “I always had a crush on him. We were best friends. We met in college—”

“What? But didn’t you marry Tom right after college?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Carter was your one true love?”

I laughed, and I was about to brush off her comment when it hit me. “Yeah,” I said to her, “I think that’s exactly it.”

“That’s so romantic,” she said. “That’s what I want. I want to love someone who will love me more than a year. Like forever would be nice.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s the goal. I wish I’d figured that out a long time ago. If I had I wouldn’t be the product of a messy divorce.”

Becca grew silent. “Do you think our divorce will be messy?”

I’d already forgotten that Becca was about to be former wife number two.