Page 106 of Breadwinner

EPILOGUE

SARAH

Sarah 7:45 PM

Hey. Are you free to grab breakfast tomorrow morning, 8:30?

Beth 7:52 PM

Absolutely. That place in town you love?

Sarah 7:59 PM

Perfect. See you there.

Sarah approached a tiny café in the heart of town, tucked away between the array of shops that made up the main street. She pushed through the door, the familiar chime jingling above her head. She spotted Beth immediately, her blonde hair piled into a messy topknot that somehow always managed to look effortless and intentional. Beth met her eyes, smiling as she waved her over.

She slid into the chair opposite Beth, and almost immediately, a ceramic mug was placed in front of her, and a woman named Bev filled it with fresh coffee from a pot she was carrying around.

“Thank you,” she said to the woman, who smiled, saying she’d be back in a moment to take their orders.

The sound of silverware clinking against plates carried through the small café. August morning light streamed in through the windows, and the smell of buttered toast and strong coffee wrapped around her.

She had no idea how she was expecting this discussion with Beth to go. It had been four and a half months since that conversation in her rental car, since she had set a very firm boundary around communication. The subsequent months of silence had given her the time she so desperately needed to breathe. She had been hesitant to send that text last night, hesitant to bridge the canyon between them created by silence and distance, but it had felt like it was time.

Sarah had prepared herself for awkwardness she was sure would be there today, but surprisingly, there wasn’t any. Being across from Beth, sharing a meal, was the most familiar thing in the world to her at this point. After all, they had been doing it for the better part of twenty years. Being near Beth was like finding a sweater she’d sworn she had outgrown, only to be surprised that it still somehow fit perfectly. It was unsettling to see how Beth still managed to carry such a deep sense of home.

Beth stirred her coffee with care, her eyes watching the swirls of cream moving around the dark liquid. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” she said, their eyes meeting over the bowl of individual creamers between them.

Sincerity lived in those deep pools of blue looking back at her, and she knew Beth truly did mean it.

“I’m sorry for what happened back in March and for how our conversation went in April, for dragging you into my mess. I was completely out of line.”

Sarah let the words settle between them as she fought the old version of herself that immediately wanted to jump in andsoothe, to insist that it was fine and do anything to lessen Beth’s guilt. But Nell had been an excellent teacher in the power of silence, in letting the truth speak for itself.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Beth’s shoulders sagged, and she exhaled visible relief as Bev, their waitress, approached the table to take their order.

Before the last few months of space, Sarah would have wanted to rehash all the details of what had happened between the two of them, dissecting each moment of their entire relationship, unable to let anything go until she felt like she understood every angle of what had gotten them to this place. Then she would have tried to manage the hell out of it to make sure she didn’t come out the other side as the “bad guy.”

But sitting here now, she had a new clarity. She realized she didn’t need to know those details her old self would have endlessly pursued. She’s not responsible for managing Beth’s relationship with Jamie, or her feelings, or her happiness. The only thing Sarah was responsible for was herself and her boundaries.

“Let’s put it behind us. Okay?” She looked at Beth. This was the first time she had really seen her in months. “We have one year left before Lily goes to college. I don’t want to waste time being upset with you. I want to enjoy it as a family. So, if you can put it behind us, I can, too.”

Beth nodded. “Yes, absolutely. Consider it in the past.”

“Done. Now that that’s over with, catch me up on life. What’s been going on with you? Working on anything exciting these days?” She saw the slight surprise in Beth’s look.

As they ate, they fell easily into conversation. Talking to Beth had always felt like the most natural thing in the world to her. She listened as Beth told her about a new collection she was working on. She had become really focused on the color yellow over the last few months and was working on a collectionwith it at its forefront. Her hands moved animatedly as Beth described a new technique she was experimenting with, and it made her heart happy to see the excitement in Beth’s eyes. She remembered this version of Beth— the one who always came alive when she talked about her art.

When Beth asked about the firm, Sarah didn’t flinch. “I stepped away from Braxton, Pryce, and Gallagher. Clint and I are still hashing out the details of what to do about the name, but for now, I’m on sabbatical and not taking on any new cases. I’ve actually been working with Nell at StanCorp for the past few months.”

Beth’s brows lifted at the mention of Nell, and Sarah could feel the question she wanted to ask.

“She’s important to me, Beth. If we are going to find a way back to friendship, you need to know that Nell comes with that. No exceptions.”

The faintest smile curved on Beth’s lips, wistful and accepting. “Does she know you’re here with me?”