AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She had a long week and was exhausted. Plus she wanted to be home to help her grandmother with dinner. Speaking of, are you coming?”
“No, it’s the first time you’re hanging out with her family.” She smirked and pointed at me with a sausage. “I don’t want my awesomeness to overshadow you.”
“You’re so funny. Not.”
“But in all seriousness, I really like Keera. You guys are cute together.”
She and Zoe never really hit it off, and I can’t blame my sister for that. Zoe took one look at Shannon and labeled her amean girl. No matter what Shannon said or did, Zoe took it the wrong way. It made get-togethers less than pleasant.
“Thanks. Things are going well.”
“That’s great. You deserve it.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better lead-in to the conversation I want to have with Shannon. I’d planned on talking to her last night, but she was in bed when I got home.
“Is everything okay, Shan?”
She stabbed the last piece of French toast and dragged it through the puddle of syrup before popping it into her mouth. I continued eating. History has taught me that Shannon will answer when she’s good and ready.
“No,” she said, what seemed like an eternity later.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know exactly.” She shrugged. “I’ve been trying to figure it out, but keep coming up blank.”
“What’s happening?”
“I’m living this dream life in the city, but lately…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I feel like I’m just going through the motions.”
“Did something happen? Bad breakup?”
“Not really.” She shrugged. “Not one big event anyway. I think it’s just a bunch of little things piled together.”
She picked up our dishes then walked over to the sink and washed them by hand. I got up, grabbed a towel, and dried, then put them into the cupboard. There are a lot of questions running through my head, but I kept them to myself. Now that I’ve broached the subject, Shannon will continue the conversation eventually. At least I hope she will.
We walked into the living room and settled onto opposite ends of the sectional sofa. Shannon picked up a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, but she finally spoke.
“You know that when I was offered that internship in Manhattan, I moved there and never looked back. I loved the city and every job I’ve had there. But now I just find it all exhausting and pointless.”
She looked down at the pillow and traced the pattern with her index finger.
“I went to a counselor, thinking I might be depressed.” She looked up at me and shrugged. “Other than not enjoying things I used to, I feel fine. But something is going on.”
“What did he say?”
“Shesaid she doesn’t think I’m depressed. She thinks I’m just ready for a change. That just because working in the beauty industry in Manhattan was my dream at twenty, doesn’t mean it’ll be what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Shannon shifted and stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankles. “For six months, she had me keep a journal, detailing everything I did and how I felt before, during, and after each thing. That was really eye-opening because it was all there in black in white to read later. There was no mentally whitewashing my thoughts and feelings after the fact.”
“So now that you know, what are you planning to do?”
She looked up at the ceiling and shook her head, then met my gaze again.
“I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but I think I want to move back here.”
That’s the last thing I expected her to say.
“Really?”
“I know, I know. All I ever wanted to do was leave,” she said. “But the past eighteen months or so, when I’m here, I feel like it’s where I belong.”
