Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
EMILY
Lucia and I walked on the pavement that encircled Dyker Beach Golf Course, hands stuffed in coat pockets, breath white against the cold morning air. After spending yesterday sitting in Dana’s truck, followed by sitting around a table eating, it felt good to be outside stretching our legs.
“Why didn’t you go to Ryan’s parents’ for Thanksgiving this year?” I asked, leaping over a slush puddle. The snow was melting already, mixing with the dirt, and was no longer pristine white. “Is everything okay?”
Lucia sighed, watching a flock of starlings fly above the bare trees that lined the pavement. “No, actually. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but it all came to a head just as you started filming, and I didn’t want it to distract you. We’re breaking up.”
I stopped walking. “What? What happened?”
I’d never bonded with Ryan—his outgoing personality always felt a little forced—but Lucia had loved him. What had gone wrong?
“We’ve been drifting apart for a while, both just caught up with work and the gym, stuck on our phones, and not spending much quality time together.
It got worse last year when Ryan was told he was on track to be made partner but needed to increase his billable hours.
Since then, he’s been working later and later nights and most weekends as well,” Lucia said as we started walking again.
“The hours those law firms expect is ridiculous. That really sucks.”
“I know.” Lucia kicked a piece of dirty snow with her boot.
“I did try to do something about it. A few months ago, I suggested that we do at least one thing together every weekend, like a hike or a date night, and Ryan was really good at making time for that, which I appreciated. But spending that one-on-one time with him made me realize we didn’t have a lot in common anymore.
He’s so focused on work, getting promoted, buying a fancy car.
Meanwhile, I want to spend time doing the things I love outside work.
I’m hoping to take a couple of weeks’ vacation next year to travel around South America and drop down to four days a week so that I can spend more time on music. ”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry things didn’t work out with Ryan, Luce. But carving out more time for music sounds amazing! I always thought you could make a career out of it.” Lucia had an incredible voice.
“If I want to have a chance at that, I need to focus on it sooner rather than later. I don’t want to wake up when I’m eighty and have massive regrets about never trying. You’ve always been an inspiration to me—not many people have the courage to pursue a career in the arts.”
I snorted. “I’m not sure it was a smart decision. So did you break up with Ryan?”
Lucia bent down to pet a passing Labrador before turning back to me. “Yeah. Initially he was devastated and said he didn’t think we were over. But a few weeks later, he grudgingly agreed I was right.”
“That must have been hard. How are you feeling about the whole thing?”
Lucia bit her lip and looked over the empty golf course, green grass covered by white patches of melting snow.
“Sad. I’m going to miss him. I still care about him a lot.
But I know it’s the right thing to do, that we’re better off breaking up now than letting it drag out.
And if I’m being honest with myself, I’m also feeling the most excited I have been in years.
I’d really gotten stuck in a rut. I don’t want my life to revolve around work and money.
What’s the point if you have no time to pursue the things you love? ”
It filled my heart hearing the enthusiasm in her voice.
“What are you going to do about the apartment?” I asked.
“Ryan’s going to buy me out.” Lucia smiled. “And I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear, I’ve decided to move back here.”
“What!? Oh my gosh, that’s amazing!” In my excitement, I forgot to pay attention to where I was walking, and my foot slipped on some ice, almost toppling me over.
Lucia grabbed my arm and grinned. “I know. I miss you guys, and work is happy to transfer me.”
I flung my arms around Lucia. “It will be so nice having you back.”
No more video calls. Just Lucia, here in person, ready to go for walks around the golf course or share a cheesecake from the local bakery. I could be a willing ear for her musical creations, and we could run lines together again—assuming I got another gig...
“I haven’t told Mom and Dad yet. I figured I’d do it this weekend. I’ll stay with them initially while I look for an apartment.”
When I moved back in with my parents after Clique, I’d only intended to stay a few weeks until I’d pulled myself back together. I’d never left. It was probably time for me to start thinking about moving out too.
We kept walking, passing by the Veterans Hospital and the sporting fields and then turning toward home. It still had a certain charm, even with most of the trees bare.
I should bring Dana here. I shook myself. She was leaving today, once she woke from her sleep. There’d be no time for walks.
I glanced at my watch. Almost eight. I picked up my pace.
I’d felt slightly guilty leaving Dana, but when I’d peered in on her an hour ago she’d been sleeping soundly, and I really wanted to catch up with Lucia.
Would Dana be awake when we got home? I’d left a note and a pile of clean clothes next to the door.
“What are your plans now that filming is done?” Lucia asked.
I shrugged. “Back to the usual. Keep auditioning, working at the restaurant and doing the corporate voice-over work.” I grimaced.
“I’m really hoping that The Christmas Tree Farm will help move the needle a bit.
Even if no one actually watches it, at least it will fill the long gap on my resume.
I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing voice-overs. ”
“Why do you keep doing it if you hate it so much?”
“It’s agonizingly boring, but it does pay well—better than working at the restaurant.
” I pulled a face. “Did I tell you about the software demo I had to record earlier this year for a customer relationship system, where the whole thing was just ‘Click the dropdown menu to access the customer profiles’ for forty minutes. And it took me a couple of hours to record the entire thing. I wanted to cry.”
“That sounds hideous,” Lucia said.
The only voice-over I’d really felt passionately about was the sexual harassment training video I’d recorded, and they’d made me redo some of the lines because they wanted me to sound more neutral.
Sexual harassment. Now that Thanksgiving was over I also had to make a decision about Phillip.
Just like Lucia and Ryan, I couldn’t keep dragging it out.
That wasn’t fair to me, Cat or Rebecca. I chewed my lip.
Should I talk to Lucia about it? No. She was going through a lot with the breakup and the move. I didn’t want to burden her.
“When are you moving back?” I asked.
“Just before Christmas,” Lucia said. “I’ve decided to make a trip out of it. I’m going to hire a moving truck and drive back here.”
“What? How long will that take you?”
“The whole trip is about forty hours, and I figured I’d do it over a week, so I have time for sightseeing.”
I stared at Lucia. Was driving across the entire country by herself in winter safe?
“It’ll be fun. I like driving, and I’ll get to crank up the music and sing my way across the country, seeing some more of it as I go.
I’ll go via the southern route to reduce the risk of snowstorms. I’ve never been to Arizona, Texas, or Tennessee.
I’ll be fine, even if I don’t have a Dana to drive me home.
” Lucia grinned, raising an eyebrow. “I really like Dana, by the way.”
“I like her too,” I said, ignoring her not-so-subtle insinuations.
“Are you two dating?” Lucia asked, dropping any attempt at subtlety.
“No,” I said as a runner flashed past us, breathing heavily.
“I feel like there’s a but...”
I let out a deep breath. Why was I so reluctant to talk to Lucia about it? She knew I was pan. “Well, we did hook up—"
“Emily! Lucia!” an elderly man with a shock of white hair said, coming around from behind us.
My face drained as I recognized him.
“Morning, Father Santoro,” Lucia called out, completely unfazed.
“I hope to see you both in church on Sunday.”
His blue eyes fixed on mine. Oh god. Did Father Santoro just overhear me confessing that I’d slept with Dana?
I’d stopped attending regular church services in my late teens.
I still went to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and on Easter Sunday with my family, but that was it.
Given what happened on Wednesday night and the number of ‘sinful’ thoughts I’d had about Dana lately, attending church was definitely not advisable.
Nor was talking loudly about sleeping with women. I should have been more careful.
—-
When we returned to the house, a pile of boxes full of Christmas decorations sat on the lawn. I smiled. Almost decoration time. Could I convince Dana to stay and help? Knowing her feelings toward Christmas, probably not. My smile wavered. I didn’t want her to leave.
Upstairs, the pile of clothes and note I’d left outside the spare bedroom had disappeared and the shower was running.
I jogged back downstairs and put on the coffee. Dana would need it. I looked in the cupboard and pulled out a few breakfast options.
I’d just clicked the coffee pot off when a loud grunting caught my attention. I walked into the hallway to find Dad struggling up the last few steps from the basement with a large box of decorative bows.
“Here, let me help you.” I grabbed one end of the box to lighten his load.
We’d only taken a few steps when Dana appeared in the hallway.
I grinned. My jeans were a little short, my green cashmere sweater strained slightly over her shoulders and biceps, but she still looked good. The bags under her eyes had disappeared and her face had some of its usual color back.
“Hi Dana,” Dad said. “Sleep well?”