Chapter 24
Chapter twenty-four
Ruth
Itoss the last of Maisy’s toy planes into a woven basket, slide it into the square shelf opening in the bottom of the TV console table, and sit back on my heels with a sigh.
Amie has just emerged after putting Maisy to bed—an event that involves a quick FaceTime call with Cam to read a bedtime story, and tonight, a near-miss with a tantrum from a little girl who misses her daddy.
“You guys didn’t have to tidy everything,” Amie starts. Paloma washed Maisy’s dinner plate whilst I tidied away the toys, and she’s now sat with her back against the sofa, long legs straight out in front of her, bending forwards to wrap her hands around the soles of her feet.
“We don’t mind,” she says, her voice muffled against her shins. “You’d do it for us.”
“Maybe,” Amie says cheekily, tongue between her teeth. “But thank you, anyway. I love her so much, but I do miss the days when I had a tidy house.”
“Can we order food now? I’m starving.” Paloma sits up suddenly, rotating her ankles in circles one way, and then the other. The glittery polish on her toenails shines in the golden hour light coming through the window.
I pull my phone from the back pocket of my jeans.
“My turn. What are we ordering?”
“I could murder a Thai curry,” Amie muses. “Or a pizza.”
“Those are two very different options,” I say, opening the food delivery app. It immediately delivers four different offers, none of which are even remotely related to anything I’ve ever ordered before. I cancel all of them.
“I vote pizza,” Paloma decides. “Roo? Pizza?”
“I could do pizza,” I agree. I type in Amie’s postcode and select her local pizza place. It’s one of our favourites, and I immediately navigate to my order history. “Same as usual? Something different?”
“Depends what the usual is,” Amie says with a crinkle of her nose.
The crinkle-nosed smile is an expression Maisy has inherited, and it makes me smile to think of the sweet little girl upstairs.
Of how lucky I am to be her godmother, to play my part in raising her.
Of how lucky I am, that even though I’ll never have my own children, I still have Maisy.
“One pizza with sausage, olives, and mushrooms, and one pepperoni with barbecue sauce.”
“There are only three of us tonight, and I can live without the pepperoni to be honest.”
“Yeah, just get some wings or garlic bread or something instead.”
“Aye, captain,” I say, swiping at my phone. “Getting both.”
“Don’t forget the garlic dip!” Amie demands. I add it to the basket.
“Anything else?” I raise my phone in the air. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Amie and Paloma are both silent, so I tap the order button with a flourish.
“Thanks, Ruthy.” Paloma tips her head to mine as I shuffle to sit beside her.
“I got you,” I say, bumping my shoulder into hers. “Next time, pizza’s on Katy.”
“Yeah, what was her excuse, anyway?”
“She’s been in class all morning and then shadowing at the clinic all afternoon,” Amie explains. “She has an essay due on Thursday, and she’s got a shift at Flaggs tomorrow afternoon.”
Paloma lets out a low whistle with her teeth together.
“Yeah,” Amie continues, “I’ve barely seen or spoken to her for a week. I feel like I’ve lost an arm. Or maybe a boob.”
“A boob?”
“Listen.” She leans forward, an almost menacing twinkle in her eye. “That girl has been the other half of my soul for twenty-one years. She’s been part of me longer than my boobs have.”
“Fair,” Paloma concedes. “Has anyone ever told you you’re fucking weird?”
I can’t help the snort that escapes, and judging from the way Amie’s brows almost meet her hairline, I don’t think she has much control over the bark of laughter that escapes her, either.
“Wow,” she says, gasping for breath between howls. “Paloma just called me a weirdo.”
“You must be really fucking weird if Lo is calling you a weirdo,” I point out.
“Fuck you, Bevan.” Amie flips me off with a grin as Paloma blows me a kiss. We’re still tossing around playful insults a few minutes later when a knock at the door signals the arrival of our pizza.
I gather plates and tissues, and glasses for the large bottle of Diet Coke I added to the order, whilst Paloma rushes to the bathroom and Amie collects the food from the delivery woman at the door.
We reconvene at the sofa moments later, and I plop down in the middle, with my best friends on either side of me.
I breathe deeply, inhaling the delicious scent of cheese and garlic.
“Fucking hate mushrooms,” Paloma grumbles, laying a tissue on her lap and holding a pizza slice aloft as she picks off the mushroom pieces.
“Could’ve ordered something without,” Amie points out. She tips her head back and drops the pointed end of a pizza slice into her open mouth. “Mmm, yum. Mushroomy.”
I can’t help but smile as I dunk my pizza crust into the garlic dip.
These girls are everything to me—the sisters I never had, the best friends I always wanted.
I know in my soul, without a single shred of doubt, that I’d lay down and die for each one of them—Amie, Paloma, and Katy.
As I navigate this new chapter of my life—the one starring Everett, front and centre—I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have by my side.
“So, um, about Phoenix,” I begin. We’ve been making plans to visit Cam’s hometown to celebrate his fortieth birthday for the last few months.
We’re all going. Me, Lo, Katy. We’ve booked out an Airbnb house with plenty of bedrooms, a pool, and a huge back porch with an outdoor grilling station.
Despite knowing I’ll have to fly further than I ever have before, I’m looking forward to it.
Amie hurriedly chews and swallows a mouthful of pizza.
“Yeah? You’re still coming, aren’t you? Roo, please don’t back out. I know you hate flying, but I promise I’ll look after you. I’ll even hold your hand, if you want.”
“Of course I’m still coming, dummy,” I say, knocking my foot into hers. “Can’t wait to watch Cam celebrate getting old.”
Amie snickers.
“I was just thinking, that’s all,” I say slowly.
“Uh oh,” Paloma says with a snicker of her own. I kick her shin lightly.
“What’s up, Roo?”
“Can I invite Everett? Is that okay?”
“Of course! We need to meet this cowboy boo of yours!” Amie leans forward to snatch her phone from the coffee table as Paloma begins to cackle.
“Cowboy Daddy,” my redheaded best friend laughs with a tiny snort. Amie smirks, a small laugh bubbling up from her throat as she holds out a fist to Paloma, who bumps it with her own.
“I’ll ask Cam to hook him up with a ticket.
Austin, right?” Amie is already tapping at her phone, freshly manicured nails clacking away at the screen.
The dark plum colour looks black until the glossy finish catches the light, and then the purple shines.
It’s exactly the kind of colour I’d have chosen for Amie.
I realise belatedly that Amie asked me a question, and I nod in response.
I want my best friends to meet Everett, but at the same time, I’m not entirely sure if I’m ready for that step.
I love my best friends, and we share everything.
We always have, and I hope to God we always will.
But Everett? He’s something that’s mine, something I haven’t shared with anyone else.
Jay is coming too. Katy invited him to join us. It’s a genius idea, really. He and Cam have become good friends, and having him in Phoenix with us means he won’t be sitting at home moping, or doing whatever it is that he does.
And if Amie will be there with Cam, and Katy is bringing Jay, then I want to be there with Everett. Regardless of who else is there, and who I’ll be sharing him with, I want to be there with him. And that realisation… it’s sobering. Terrifying. Liberating.