Strong (Stage Dive 4.50)

Silence descended. Thick, heavy, and embarrassing as all hell. I could feel all of the curious glances and awkward side-eyes. The women were just as bad as the fucking men. Honest to God, Lizzy’s outfit was going to be the ugliest thing in creation for making me sit through this.

“Let’s deal with that then because I don’t get out often enough for tonight to be all shitty and awkward.” Lena sat up, picking the knife off the cheese platter and hitting her glass with it. “This is the first break I’ve had from potty-training and picking up toys in ages and I’d say Martha and Lizzy are in a similar situation.”

“Adult time is precious,” agreed Liz. “Though I’m loving being back at college.”

“Yes, I want to hear about that,” said Ev, all enthusiasm. “I swear, my brain just gets stuck in barista mode if I don’t open a book often enough.”

“How’s the second coffee shop you bought going?”

“Really well.” Ev beamed. “But first we need to deal with this. You’re right, Lena.”

Oh no.

With a deep breath, Ev faced me head on. “Martha, the past is the past and I’d rather all of that crap got left back there forgotten, if you know what I mean? Like, life is too short. I vote for letting it go, okay?”

My jaw hung low. “Um. Okay?”

“Great.” She nodded. “What next?”

“That easily?” I asked, needing to be sure.

She shrugged. “Why should it be hard? David and I are happy. You’ve apparently moved on with Sam. I assume you have no nefarious plans to mess with my relationship or anything?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “None.”

“Exactly. You’re past that. And it all happened years ago, anyway.”

I looked to Sam and he nodded encouragingly.

“Great.”

“You don’t want me to apologize or something?” I asked, cocking my head.

“I don’t know.” She wrinkled her lips. “Would you mean it?”

The question required serious consideration. Deep down inside, I harbored no real hate for the woman. If anything, a lingering sense of embarrassment coated those memories. Years ago, I’d tried to break her and her new husband up. That he’d once been my long-time boyfriend didn’t really matter. Not really. Without a doubt, it’d been a heinous thing to do. Yet here she was allowing me into her home.

Highly doubtful if the situations were reversed I’d ever be that nice.

“We weren’t friends at the time and I didn’t owe you anything,” I said, choosing my words with care. “But I do regret trying to upset your and David’s happiness, if that counts?”

“Okay. I can live with that.”

“Yay,” said Liz quietly.

Except then I thought about it some more. This was my chance to get rid of this situation entirely. Over in the corner, I could feel how Sam had tensed. How he watched me carefully. While I wasn’t going to prostate myself to make him happy, it seemed stupid not to swallow my pride just a little and admit to past mistakes. I’d come back in search of family. Some sense of belonging. Maybe this might be part of it here.

Decision made. “No, look…it was a shit thing to do. I highly doubt we’re ever going to be best buddies or anything. But I was out of line and I’m sorry.”

Ev paused, surprised. “Thank you, Martha. I forgive you.”

Done. I took a sip of wine.

“This is so beautiful.” Lena wiped a fake tear from her eye with much drama. “You two are consciously coupling and I feel like there should be violins or something. Rose petals drifting down from the ceiling.”

Ev threw a cushion at her and the woman’s wine sloshed over the rim of her glass. I couldn’t help but smile. It was a good hit. And across from me, even I could admit that Lizzy’s self-satisfied expression was probably well earned. So I didn’t throw anything at her. I might not even give her the wardrobe equivalent of cow dung for Christmas. Maybe. Perhaps having female friends that were more than just casual acquaintances wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

“So you two are friends now?” asked Anne, sounding slightly astounded.