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“I probably won’t be able to hang out with you anymore, seeing that she hates me.”
“She doesn’t…” Lenna started, and then sighed. Would Rhiannon want to talk to Lenna at all? She still hadn’t replied to a single text.
Having Rhiannon in the office again might be beyond awkward. And knowing what she now knew about Rhiannon’s sneakiness with Frederick and possibly keeping Lenna from writing…
She spoke all this aloud to Gillian as they walked. “Maybe I should just resign. I mean, if you could give me some more freelance pieces and I found writing work elsewhere, maybe I would be okay, financially.”
Gillian’s expression hardened. “Sheshould be the one who shouldn’t come back to the office. Why should you have to rearrange your life?”
“Yeah, I can’t make her quit.”
“Maybe not.” Gillian’s eyes were suddenly gleaming. She pointed at Lenna, raising an eyebrow. “But maybe there’s another option.”
It took Lenna a moment to realize what Gillian meant. But then she did. Maybe there was something she could do.
Instagram post from @GillianAnxietyBabe
July 2
[Image description: A young woman with wavy brown hair and bright pink lipstick holds a sunflower in one hand and a sign in the other hand that reads, “Whole new me.”]
Guys. So much has changed. Well, I mean, I’m still me. I still have two cavities on my right molars that I’m too afraid to get filled, and I still have nice-looking eyebrows and—duh-duh-duh-DUH!—debilitating social anxiety. But recently, a window opened. An opportunity. And instead of receding back into the shadows like I always do, I climbed through.
And now, without further ado, a soft launch. Can you do that, with a friendship? Welp, I’ve just coined a thing. I am soft launching my new friend. Her name is L. She’s one half of the girls I was talking about before—and we’re soulmates. Total sisters. And also, I think I saved her just as much as she saved me. Her other friend, the other woman I wanted to talk to first? Total dud. A flake, but also kind of a bitch, and totally untrustworthy. I didn’t even want to say anything to L, but before the other woman took some sort of “break” fromLA or whatever, she came up to me and flat-out said that I was “weird.” Weird! Hello, does she even realize how OFFENSIVE that is?
So L is much better off without her. And she’s had these amazing revelations now that she isn’t around her old friend anymore—isn’t it amazing how new friendships can do that? It’s like getting out of a shitty relationship and suddenly realizing, wait, it doesn’t have to BE like that. It’s just like how things fell apart between me and S. I’m so glad I finally have someone in my life who gets it. (Speaking of S, her passive-aggressiveness is just getting worse and worse. I swear she’s going to blow her top one of these days, and she’s going to take it out on me. I’m not sure she should be practicing medicine, TBH.)
But most of my day, I’m on cloud nine. Me and L, we’re going to be togetha foreva. I got her back, and she has mine. And everyone else is in our rearview. See ya!
TOP COMMENTS:
@anxious_jackieggg:So excited to hear this news! You’re a beacon of hope for the rest of us!
@allibgbgbp9:You and L seem really well suited. So glad you’ve put yourself out there.
@cort44xx8:Can you tell us the name S uses professionally? I want to make sure she isn’t my doctor! (Who I’m not sure should be practicing medicine, either!)
@lonely_girlRZ4540:You rock.
11
Lenna
October
Present day
When Lenna wakes the next morning, she shoots up in bed, startled. The horrible dreams at the canyon—she didn’t have them. She slept the whole night through. She stares at her palms, her legs underneath the sheet. That hasn’t happened in two years. Since…before.
She props herself up on her elbows and glances at the baby through the slats in the crib. Heneversleeps this long, either. And the wine—she doesn’t even feel hungover.
Memories of the previous day flood back. She swore she’d heard Rhiannon talking to someone.She’s here.And then Rhiannon saying they’d talk about everything soon…not that they’d talked aboutanythingso far.
She breathes out and rummages under the sheets for her phone. She wants to report her night’s sleep to Daniel, anyway—it feels like a win. There are no new texts from him. Maybe he’s listening to her, pulling back.
Sadness floods her. She misses him, suddenly. His silliness, hisvoice ringing through the house, his routines. She wants to go home. She will talk to Rhiannon today and get some actual answers. She makes the promise to herself.
Jacob wakes gently and spends a few minutes just looking around. Lenna holds her breath, waiting for him to erupt into sobs, but aside from a few whimpers, he’s tranquil. “Look at you,” she coos softly. “Maybe you could be like this all the time?”
