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Soon after, they were sat by the hostess in a large booth for six, and Sophie was grateful they’d chosen a restaurant outside the city because it allowed them to sit and enjoy their meal instead of feeling pressured to eat quickly with groups of tourists standing around, staring at them while they waited for a table.

“So, how is it going?” Monica asked.

“It’s good,” she replied with a smile. “Oh! Jill, Bryce told me to tell you thank you. I’m supposed to hug you, too, but maybe we can do that later.”

Jill laughed and said, “Sure. Tell her anytime, I guess.”

Sophie looked down at her phone on the table and resisted picking it up because it would be rude.

“Oh, just do it,” Jill added. “You know you want to.”

“You waited a year to talk to her again. Text her,” Bridgette encouraged her as well.

Sophie wasn’t going to wait for someone to disagree, so she sent Bryce a quick message about Jill saying, ‘Anytime,’ and added a winky face emoji at the end. Then, she looked back up at her friends, but before she could say anything, she had a response. Monica laughed. Melinda shook her head and smiled at her.

“Sorry,” she said. “I just still can’t believe it’s her.”

“It’s okay. We’re happy for you,” Kyle offered back.

Bryce Wilburn: Can I maybe call you?

“She wants to call me,” Sophie shared.

“Now?” Melinda asked.

“She knows I’m at dinner, so she probably means later tonight.”

“Well, tell her yes,” Jill stated the obvious.

Sophie sent Bryce a quick message before she looked up and said, “I’m nervous. What do I say?”

“I would say start with, ‘Hello,’ and see howthatgoes,” Bridgette suggested.

“You’re not helpful,” Melinda told Bridgette.

Sophie looked down, watching the three dots turn into a message.

Bryce Wilburn: Text me when you’re home? I just want to hear your voice, Soph. I’m so tired that I won’t be able to stay up late, but I need to hear you.

“She wants to hear my voice,” she said with a smile.

“That’s cute,” Melinda noted.

“Adorable,” Monica added.

Sophie texted Bryce her reply and heard someone else’s phone ding. Looking over, she saw Monica pick up her phone.

“Babe, why are you texting me?” she asked Bridgette. Then, Monica smiled and turned to her girlfriend. “Really?”

Bridgette winked at her.

“Sexy pic?” Melinda asked.

“No, she said she wanted to hear my voice, too.” Monica smiled, and Sophie thought she saw a blush creep up on her friend’s cheeks.

“Bryce has some good lines,” Bridgette pointed out as she shrugged. “I think I want to meet her.”

“How aboutImeet her first?” Sophie offered.