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“I love it in hindsight.”

“What would you do differently now?” Danica asked, shoving penne into her mouth.

Maggie considered, frowning. “I would have eloped.”

Danica laughed. “That bad?”

“No, I’m mostly kidding. It was just expensive and stressful and I didn’t even get to spend much of the day with the people I love, you know? I was just running around the room like a chicken with my head cut off making sure it was perfect and that everyone was happy instead of slowing down to enjoy it all,” Maggie said, pausing to dip a fry in ketchup.

Danica nodded, empathizing. “Worth it, though, to marry the love of your life?”

Maggie’s smile was genuine as she nodded, her eyes brightening at the mention of her wife. “Worth it.”

The look of genuine love on Maggie’s face made Danica feel a pang of envy, wondering if she’d ever find someone who made her feel that way.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. “Is everything okay with you and Eddie? You don’t really bring him up. Or like,evertalk about him at all.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Danica said, studying a limp fry.

“Sure, as in, ‘yeah, I like vanilla ice cream,’ or sure as in... you’re sure everything’s okay?” Maggie asked.

Danica forced a smile onto her face. “Everything’s good. And there’s nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream.”

“Some people love vanilla things.” Maggie feigned seriousness with a slow nod of her head.

Danica rolled her eyes, throwing a fry across the table at Maggie, who laughed and dodged out of the way.

“I mean, he is a dentist. I bet he makes a really high contribution to his 401k and he’s never let his car go one mile past the number for a recommended oil change,” Maggie said, making Danica laugh. She wasn’t wrong.

“Can you not?” Danica said, though she wasn’t upset. She just didn’t want to have to defend Eddie against the very truthful allegations and jokes.

Maggie grinned, sipping the last of her soda. “It’s not a bad thing. I think that kind of personality suits you.”

To quiet the unsettling feeling that statement caused and keep from saying Maggie was wrong immediately, Danica stuffed one last fry in her mouth. Is that what her friends really thought of her? That she wantedboring?

CHAPTER 8

PETE

Pete watched Maggie and Danica,two grown women, lie down on the ground and whine like toddlers. It was an incredible sight. They’d both slipped and stumbled their way up a lift, then unloaded in one of the least graceful displays Pete had ever personally witnessed. At one point, Maggie crawled on her hands and knees, her snowboard dragging behind her.

“I’m going to die,” Danica proclaimed as the three of them sprawled at the top corner of Double Cabin, a wide open green perfect for their first time on a real run with their snowboards. They were out of the way enough to not disturb other skiers and boarders, so Pete let them lay and wallow for a moment longer than necessary.

It was an absolutely gorgeous bluebird day, cold but clear, the blue sky stretching wide without a cloud in sight.

“You’re both going to do great. We’re going to take this nice and slow. You spent the entire morning practicing, so now you get to actually enjoy yourselves.”

“I miss the magic carpet,” Maggie said, looking over her shoulder where the lift took braver snowboarders up through a beginner terrain park.

“I miss being able to separate my legs,” Danica said, and Pete snorted immediately, trying to cover up the sound of her laugh with a sniffle.

Danica scowled.

“Okay, what’s the first rule of snowboarding?” Pete asked.

“Don’t fall,” Maggie said.

“Don’t fall on your wrists,” Danica amended.