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Harper laughs and is the first to try the food.
“Don’t listen to her, Liam. It’s been months since I’ve had this much fun outside of work. The ragù is spectacular.”
When she looks up, Harper meets Victoria’s gaze and is tempted to give her a genuine smile.
“Here’s to that,” Ben interrupts, raising his glass. “To mature divorces, ex-wives who don’t throw things at each other, and new opportunities.”
“Ben, for God’s sake…” Rachel stops him by giving him a sharp kick with her heel under the table.
“What?” the stylist defends himself. “I’m celebrating emotional maturity. It’s very New York.”
“You could just celebrate the wine and spare us the rest,” Harper suggests before clearing her throat.
Oh my God. If only they knew.
“To the wine, then,” Julian says gracefully, raising his glass. “And to the devious plans that work out.”
Everyone clinks glasses amid laughter. Harper glances at Victoria over the rim of her glass. Victoria is smiling. And that’s more than enough for her.
The evening unfolds amid inevitably shared memories.
“Do you remember that weekend in Montauk?” Rachel asks, helping herself to more bread.
Victoria lets out a dramatic groan.
“Please, I’ve paid for years of therapy to erase that trip from my memory.”
Harper bursts out laughing before the lawyer can finish her sentence.
“Victoria left the keys inside the beach apartment,” Harper recalls. “And we were all locked out in ten-below weather while Ben tried to climb in through the patio window.”
Everyone bursts out laughing, and Harper realizes just how much she’d missed the sound of Victoria’s laughter.
Once they’ve finished the chocolate cake with edible gold leaf that Solange brought, the music gets louder and the group disperses throughout the loft. Julian and Ben get into a debate over the stereo, while Rachel helps Liam clear the table despite his protests.
Harper steps out onto the small balcony to breathe in the fresh night air. Brooklyn spreads out below with its swarm of lights, and the Manhattan skyline across the river looks like a glittering model.
“You two look great,” says a voice behind her.
Solange leans on the railing beside her, holding a glass of wine.
“Who?”
“You and Victoria. It’s as if you’ve picked up where you left off… with each other.”
Harper stares at the bottom of her glass.
“What can I tell you that you don’t already know?” Harper replies, turning to look around the room.
In the kitchen, Victoria is laughing with her brother as she tries to pry a dish towel out of his hands. The warm light illuminates her profile, accentuating the perfect line of her jaw.
“Something strange is happening to me,” Harper confesses. “Being here. Looking at her and not feeling like bursting into tears. It seems… normal. And I don’t know whether I should be afraid of that or not.”
Solange places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Maybe you should let yourself feel it. Just like you should let yourself feel the good things this is bringing you.”
At that moment, Victoria turns around from the kitchen. Her eyes meet Harper’s through the glass. A second later, she gives her a small, intimate, and absolutely exclusive smile that she doesn’t share with anyone else.
