Chapter 28
Martha’s Vineyard is on the other side of the country, so we have to fly.
Farrah offers to pay for me to fly first class, while Errol, Callahan and Charlie refuse to pay that much, so we end up separating.
Rowan also won’t take the upgrade, so she is back there with them.
Sahara, who I invited, is with her husband, who is also coming up front with us.
I would love to see how the other group is fairing.
Meeting Sahara’s husband, Michael, at the airport was interesting. He clicked with Errol right away but was standoffish to the girls. I didn’t chalk it up to much until he opted to sleep the whole flight instead of talking to us.
It was good to get to know Sahara a little bit and what she does.
Owning a company that goes into other companies and audits their diversity is badass.
Writing a book about going from being homeless with her mom and sister to being a CEO is even more impressive.
Finding out that her husband is an accountant for a small business adds a little context to their marriage.
Most men can’t stand to not be the breadwinner.
“So, no kids?” Farrah asks, having no couth.
“We tried, but it didn’t work out. I want to do a surrogate,” she says.
“But he doesn’t?” Farrah callously asks.
I pinch her arm, but she doesn’t look at me, clearly not caring about the social rules of being with someone you barely know.
“Nope.” The word must taste bitter coming out because Sahara takes a big sip of her champagne after.
“I might do that,” Farrah says, at least making the confessions equal. “It seems selfish, though, to pay someone to have my baby because I’m too busy.”
Sahara nods, and I wonder if that’s her opinion.
“I think you should do what’s right for you. Maybe we can do it all at the same time since I can’t have kids anyway,” I say.
Sahara’s eyes water, which she tries to mask by taking another sip.
“Me too,” she says, prompting me to reach across the aisle and grab her hand.
I want to know more, but unlike Farrah, I won’t push, so we let the conversation change to something else. They start talking about designers, so I tune them out, my mind wondering how things are between Callahan and Charlie.
Charlie is petty and won’t take to losing me well, and Callahan is a fire starter with his humor. Poor Errol has to handle it all, because I know Rowan’s not helping.
I make sure to ask Callahan while we wait for our bags.
“It was fine, love, we mostly talked sports.”
“So he didn’t say anything?”
He shrugs. “A few things here and there, but nothing worth responding to.”
He snatches up my suitcase, and then Rowan’s, taking on the job of carting our stuff around. He doesn’t say anything else on the drive to the house.
Once we get there, Errol shows us all where we are going to be staying. Since he is the single guy, Charlie has to take the pullout couch in the basement. He looks at me and Callahan, probably blaming us for that fact.
He is still looking at us a little sideways when we meet for dinner.
“So, Sahara told us you have been married for eighteen years,” Farrah says. Errol looks impressed, while Callahan and I just look at Rowan. She takes a deep sip of her beer and looks down.
“Yeah, it’s kind of wild when you think about it, especially since we don’t have much to show for it,” Michael says.
Farrah outright gasps, and Errol and I have to put a hand on her arm to stop her from saying anything further. We can’t do anything before Callahan starts speaking.
“Well, maybe you should have done more, then.”
“Yup,” Rowan says, raising her glass.
I look at Sahara, and she is just looking down. All of us are opinionated, but I don’t think anyone knows what to say that’s not going to erupt in a fight, so the table just goes quiet.
Eventually, Michael clears his throat and asks how we all know each other. No one is super enthusiastic in their storytelling; all of our moods are dampened by that one sentence.
“Well, at least now she finally has friends,” he says, really trying to piss us all off.
“It’s easy being her friend. She is amazing. Smart, beautiful, thoughtful, and talented.” Rowan stares at him straight on as she speaks, daring him to contradict her.
He just clears his throat again.
“Hear, hear,” I say.
“Cheers to that,” Farrah adds on.
We all raise our glasses, and by the time we are done drinking, Sahara is smiling.
After that, we finish eating and start to go our own separate ways. I see Farrah pull Sahara to the side as I grab Rowan.
“Do you know what that is about?” I ask, bringing her into the kitchen.
She starts rinsing the dishes off and putting them into the dishwasher. The quick scrub is so rough, I’m scared she is going to break them.
“That’s about him resenting his wife because she didn’t give him a baby,” Rowan says.
“She said she can’t.” I help her, if only to have something to do with my hands.
“You’re right, and she has had three miscarriages trying to do it.”
I drop a plate and she picks it up, not stopping.
“Rowan, are you serious?”
She throws the sponge into the sink then turns towards me.
“Yes, and he acts like it’s her fault. He fucking blames her.” She rubs her hands up and down her face, and then throws her head back.
I can see she is fighting tears.
“Oh hell no. Why is he here?”
“Because she won’t leave him, even when there is a better option.” She slides down to the floor.
I sit next to her, watching her breathe heavily and letting a few tears go.
“You love her, don’t you?”
She just nods, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“Rowan, you have to figure out how to take a step back.”
“I can’t, it’s too late.”
Before I can say anything else, Farrah walks into the kitchen with Sahara. They look at us, and we look at them, seeing that the last twenty minutes were intense for all of us.
“I’m going to unpack,” Rowan says, standing up.
Sahara watches her, taking one step forward, like she is going to go after her, before spinning around and walking out to the backyard.
“Girl,” I say, turning to Farrah.
“I know,” she says, leaning against the counter.
“We have to do something,” I say.
“She asked me not to say anything, but you’re my best friend.” She comes closer and whispers. “Apparently, that dinner’s not a one-off, and she is tired of being embarrassed. She is thinking about leaving him.”
“Thank God,” I say.
“I know. I hope she does it.”
“Rowan loves her.”
“Obviously, and I think Sahara loves her, too.”
We both sigh, shaking our heads. Farrah gives me one last look before we each go to put our own stuff away.
After we all settle in, we meet in the backyard near the fire pit. Everyone is there, but Michael, which I don’t think anyone is mad about.
Callahan put himself in charge of s’mores, making them for anyone who asks while the rest of us are wrapped in blankets.
“Let’s play Never Have I Ever,” Farrah says once they are all a little tipsy.
“I’ll go first.” Rowan sits up, her mischievous smile taking over her face.
“Never have I ever had sex outside,” she says.
Farrah and Errol sip and then share a look. Callahan takes a big gulp and then shakes his head. Charlie, surprisingly, doesn’t drink.
“Not a good memory?” I ask Callahan.
“She was so scared of getting caught, she would stop us every ten seconds. But every time I said we didn’t have to, she would keep going. Just as I was about to finish, we did get caught anyway, by a teacher.” He laughs and we all join in.
“It’s on my to-do list,” Sahara says.
“Same,” I say.
This gets Callahan to wink at me. I do it back, then smile against my cup of hot chocolate.
“I think it’s kind of basic,” Charlie says, earning a sigh from me. Happy for any kind of attention, he smiles.
“Okay, it’s my turn,” I say, looking right at him. “Never have I ever been broken up with.”
He glares but takes a sip. Everyone else but me and Rowan drink and we cheers each other for being two for two.
“Who has the worst story?” I ask.
“That would be me again,” Callahan says. “I got broken up with on the same day I got sentenced to go to jail.”
Everyone’s smiles fade, and Errol gasps.
Charlie looks between me and Callahan, prompting me to grab my boyfriend’s hand in solidarity.
I’m surprised he is telling them so honestly about his past, and I don’t want him to feel alone.
It gets silent for a moment before Rowan laughs like the sibling she is, breaking the ice.
“Oh yeah,” she says.
“I mean, was she supposed to wait for you?” Farrah asks, leaning into the change.
“Yes,” Callahan and Errol say at the same time.
That gets Sahara to mumble “Typical,” and shake her head.
I can’t share in the laughter, because my heart goes out to him. That year must have been the worst of his life.
I guess I’m not the only one who feels bad because we let him go next. He targets some people and says that he has never been married, which gets Errol to empty his cup. Opting to bring the bottle out when he goes to get more, he continues to have to fill it as we go on throughout the game.
“Dang, is there anything you haven’t done?” Farrah asks him, crossing her arms.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” He chuckles, making her look more upset.
“Well, never have I ever had a threesome,” she says while looking at him.
He drinks again, and she shoots up off his lap.
“I’m going to bed,” she says.
Errol laughs harder and follows behind her.
“Seems like I’m not the problematic one in this group,” Charlie says, looking between where Errol went and where Callahan is sitting.
“You’re right, Charlie, you’re perfect,” Callahan says, and then blows him a kiss.
This just causes Charlie’s face to twist up even more than it has the whole night, but the rest of us laugh.
Rowan says she needs more wine, and I decide I just need Callahan’s arms. So I throw myself into them after a long shower.
“Having fun?” he asks.
I think over the night and conclude that I am, but one part is still worrying me.
“You should talk to your sister about Sahara.”
“I know, but I think it’s too late.”
When I look up at him, he pecks my nose. He looks just as troubled as she did, and I know it’s because of how much he cares about his siblings.
“I’m shocked you told them about your jailtime.”
“I’m not proud, but I’m also not ashamed. And if these are going to be my friends, they need to know.”
I tuck my head under his chin.
“Well, I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, love.”
Yawning, I burrow even more into him. He turns off the light and pulls the covers higher over us.
Just as my eyes start to close, he asks, “Are we okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, unsure if it’s true. At least right now we are.
“Okay.” He kisses me once more, pulling me tighter.
I fall asleep in his arms, mostly sure about that answer.