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Jared shook his head. “No, she’s excited to have you. I can skip it, if me being there makes you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all. I’m fine.”
Exactly how he felt. F.I.N.E.
Fucked up. Insecure. Neurotic. Emotional.
I should have just gone home.
Six
Anna Beth followed Olive out of Foam Capped Java ten minutes later, a peppermint mocha in one hand the other arm linked through Olives. They headed down Main Street, Olive's black, puffy coat rasping against Anna Beth's wool blend peacoat. The noise was different, but familiar, as they’d traveled arm in arm since the day they met. For the first time since her return, she felt completely at ease and all the tension drained from her body.
“I am so happy you’re back! I’ve missed your face.”
Anna Beth squeezed her arm. “I’ve missed you, too. A year is too long between visits.”
“I know. I’m a terrible friend,” Olive said.
“No, you aren’t. We’ve both been preoccupied. Will your boss be upset that you took off like that?”
“Nah, Sierra came in, so we should be good. I was just filling in today, anyway. I only work Mondays and Wednesdays to help out, but Sierra had car trouble. Every other day is spent taking pictures of adorable newborns and families.”
“And your pictures are beautiful.” While Anna Beth headed to California to major in screenwriting, Olive stayed closer to home to study photography. She’d always had an amazing eye, even with a cell phone camera.
“Thanks, doll. It’s hard to make a living with so many people doing it as a hobby. The good news is, I have over sixty-thousand followers on Instagram and I’ve been selling my pictures on various stock photo sites. Every little bit helps us starving artists.”
Anna Beth chuckled. “I’ve hardly posted on the Gram at all this year. Nothing good to post.”
“I don’t blame you. You’ve had a lot going on.” Olive hugged her close, squishing their faces together. Olive was only an inch taller than Anna Beth with dark hair and blue eyes. Anna Beth adored Olive since she’d sat beside her on the bus her first day at Snowy Springs Intermediate. Despite the distance between them as adults, when they were together, they never missed a beat.
“How are you doing, by the way?” Olive asked.
“Me? I’m fine. Just plugging along.”
“I mean, really. I know you miss him.”
A lump formed in Anna Beth’s throat. “Every minute of every day.”
Olive took her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. We had a nice celebration of life the year before he passed. Ian insisted on attending his own funeral, so to speak. A bunch of his friends flew in and they roasted him pretty good.” Anna Beth signed. “I miss his laugh. The way he could get me out of a bad mood with one corny joke.” She blinked rapidly, keeping the tears at bay. “Let’s change the subject.”
“Sure. How is the writing going?”
“You know, slow. Who knew writing what you love could be so hard?”
Olive took her arm once more as they rounded the corner onto 2nd Avenue. “Shakespeare? Dickens? Austen? I’m pretty sure they all wanted to throw in the towel at one time or another. Just remember that you are one badass writer and you're gonna hit the big time sooner or later.”
“See, I should record you saying that and replay it when I need a boost.”
“Record away, boo. Now, what about Ian’s lists? Is that why you're back? Tell me everything.”
“Not much has changed since we talked a few weeks ago. I’m only here because of Ian and I’m down to the last thirteen items on my list. Nope,” she said, realizing that her meeting with Olive took another off the list. “Make that twelve.”
“Okay then. Let’s get real, here. What is it like seeing Jared again?”
Anna Beth laughed weakly. “In a word? Rough.”
