Page 24

Not long after that, Megan and Sophia returned with three hot chocolates. Megan got Sophia settled on the couch to watch The Princess Switch, where she was soon joined by Nocturne in a familiar cat and kid cuddle puddle. Meanwhile, Megan motioned Tasha over to the table and they sat down.

“I’m sorry, Tasha. It’s been a weird morning for me.”

“It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s… I… Maria and I talked last night. I didn’t know that she was a divorce lawyer.”

“Did she advise you to…”

“Oh, no! Nothing like that. Actually, she said that I could talk with her if I wanted. We talked about other things, too. She said that I was good for you.”

“What does that mean?”

“Um, it was a lot. Last night. She saw how much we loved each other. Not like that, I mean. As good friends and how you were so supportive and amazing.”

As Megan’s compliments rolled in, Tasha felt strangely depressed. “Of course I love you! We were roommates for four years. I was your maid of honor. We’ve been through a lot together and I’ve always got your back.”

“I know, and I’ve always got yours, too. I’m just out of sorts because I know that I have to really think about what I’m going to do—what I feel, and what’s best for Sophia.”

Tasha nodded, waiting for her friend to go on.

“I’m so angry with Brad, but am I angry because I still love him or because I feel like a fool? He’s Sophia’s father, so I’m always bound to him by that, but I don’t know that I can take him back. I don’t know if I can divorce him, either. What will that do to Sophia? What about custody? Oh, god… what if he gets custody of Sophia? I don’t…”

Tasha reached over and took Megan’s hands in hers. She squeezed softly and said, “Just breathe. I’m here for you now, and I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Yes, I can. No. Matter. What. I will always be there. You are my ride-or-die.”

“Thank you, Tasha. Thank you.”

“Of course, sweetie. Anything for you. If you need to talk, then we’ll talk. If you need a hug, then you’ll get a hug. If you need to bury Brad’s body somewhere in the mountains or deep under the Pacific where no one will ever find him, then I’ve got a butcher knife and a tarp.”

“That last one is oddly specific.”

“Definitely not something that I’ve spent the last six nights thinking about.”

“Again, oddly specific.” At least Megan was smiling again.

Tasha squeezed Megan’s hands again. “I can’t tell you what to do, but it might help to break your decisions into smaller chunks. Maybe start with how you feel about Brad?”

“Thanks, Tasha. That’s usually how I go about things. I just got overwhelmed.”

“I get that.”

“Can I talk with you about love?”

“Of course.”

“I mean, it's a hard question. What is love?”

“Oh, now you’re gonna get that song stuck in my head.”

Megan laughed. “Now I’ll have it stuck in my head, too! But really, though, is it supposed to be a hard question? I feel like it’s so easy in the movies or books.”

“I dunno, I think it depends on the book.”

“That’s probably true. I mean, I love you. You’re my best friend, but I let you slip away before, and does that mean that it wasn’t real? I feel awful, you know. You were going through some really hard challenges in your life, and I wasn’t there for you. But then, when my life goes to shit, you drop everything for me, and…”