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“Do you want me to turn it off?”
“No. Really, I’m fine.”
“In that case, you’re going to need something stronger than tea.” Shelley stalked into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She poured herself a few ounces before filling Bronte’s glass almost to the top.
As the show officially started, Tommy plodded down the steps. “What’s going on down here?”
“The Oscars are on,” Shelley said, her gaze never leaving the television.
Tommy took his son from Bronte and patted her shoulder. “Bean, you look like you’re being tortured.”
“You’d look like that too if you hadn’t seen your boyfriend in a while, and he was appearing on national TV and looking really, really great.”
“Thanks, Shell,” Bronte mumbled into her wineglass.
Tommy went back upstairs to give Mason a bottle and put him to bed, leaving the girls to their own devices. And as if they knew, Bronte’s best friends assembled.
The FaceTime alert popped up, and there were Laney, Sam, and Gem.
“You guys planned this?”
“We’re worried about you,” Laney said.
Sam lifted a spoonful of yogurt to her mouth. “We didn’t want you to watch alone.”
“I’m not alone. I’m at my sister’s house.” Bronte swiveled her phone screen so Shelley could wave. “And there’s nothing to watch. He’s only presenting an award. He’s going to talk for, like, a minute.”
“But we know how hard it’s been for you,” Laney said, her chin in her hand. “Him there and you home.”
Home. There was that word again.
“When are you seeing him?” Sam asked. “In person, I mean.”
Bronte shook her head. With him on set all day, they barely got to speak more than a few words to each other, let alone plan when they could see each other. And according to his calendar, he never had more than two days off a week. Not enough time to make any real visit by him or her worthwhile.
“You did a lot of waiting around for Hunter,” Gem noted in that way she could, always cutting straight to the core. “I know you said you love CJ…or, Chris, whatever, but just because he’s rich and famous doesn’t mean you need to wait around for him. He’s still a regular dude.”
Sam nodded. “Regular dude with a weird job.”
“Regular dude with a weird job who you said isn’t even good at doing his own laundry,” Gem added. “Is he worth it? Is all this—” she gestured to the screen “—worth it?”
Shelley stole Bronte’s cell phone to chime in. “I wish you guys could’ve seen him while he was here. From my vantage point, he really does love her.”
“Can you not talk about me like I’m not here?” Bronte snipped, snatching her phone back to find her three friends all with thoughtful faces.
“Do you think you could have a future with him?” Laney asked.
“Bronte,” Sam said seriously, “you’ve wanted marriage and babies and the whole lot since I’ve known you. You think you’re going to get that with him?”
Bronte rubbed at her forehead, suddenly hating her best friends. “Is this some kind of intervention?”
Shelley grumbled next to her. “She doesn’t need an intervention. She needs to take a chance!”
Gem laughed. “I knew your sister and I were kindred spirits. When are we hanging out, Shell?”
Bronte spun her cell phone so Gem could see Shelley, who raised her wineglass. “Whenever you want. Kids can have a playdate, and moms can drink.”
Gem whooped, but Sam interrupted, “Can we get back to the intervention?”
