Carly shakes her head. “No, Theo. I don’t.”
“I thought you were happy with our arrangement.”
“Not anymore.”
Theo drops his head. He says in a low voice, “Did you know, I was terrified when you agreed to be my wife. I knew someday money wouldn’t be enough. But I wanted you so much, I took the risk that you’d stay. I know I’m not a good bargain. I’m not what you deserve. But if there’s anything I can do to convince you not to go, tell me. Please tell me. I’ll give you the world.”
“Holy shit,” whispers Brook. “Ask for a Learjet. No, wait…an island. Ask for an island.”
I kick her in the shin.
Luckily, neither Carly nor Theo heard her.
Theo reaches up and grasps Carly’s hands, like they’re a lifeline. I can see her fingers shaking in his.
She’s scared.
I know she’s scared, because I’ve felt exactly the same way. Wait, I still do. It’s terrifying telling someone you love them.
She looks across the room and meets my eyes.
I nod at her, “Love is the best gift I’ve ever had the privilege to give,” I say in a quiet voice.
And I mean it.
I realize that I mean it.
I thought if I stopped loving then I’d no longer hurt. But I had it wrong. In life, there will be times that you hurt no matter what, whether you love or not.
I press my hand to my abdomen. I’m glad to have loved.
I think of Josh, cradling me in his arms. I’m glad to have loved.
I think of my mom and sister, my brother and dad. I’m glad to have loved.
I think of Jeremy, of my broken heart, and I’m glad to have loved.
I look around the room, at my friends, and I am glad to have loved.
Carly takes a deep, steadying breath and gives me a small smile.
Then she leans forward and puts her mouth to her husband’s ear. As she whispers to him, his shoulders straighten and his head tilts up. He looks at her with something like awe.
“You love me?” he asks in a stunned voice. “You love me.”
Suddenly, he shakes himself off, stands, grabs Carly under her legs and pulls her into his arms like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold.
“I’m taking you home,” he growls. Then he whispers something to Carly. Her face flames bright red and she looks over her husband’s shoulder and smiles at us.
“Wow,” Brook says.
Hannah stares at them with wide eyes.
“Ladies. Have a good night,” says Theo. Then he swiftly carries Carly out of our pink uterus room. She waves at us from over his shoulder.
We stare after them in stunned silence. When the cellar door clatters shut, Brook shakes herself and says, “She really should’ve asked for an island.”
Hannah starts to laugh and then after she wipes her eyes, she asks, “Was there any more pie?”
I grin at her. “There sure is.”
We scoot in our chairs and eat out of the box, our forks scraping the bottom of the pan. While we eat I tell them about the baby not sticking, about Josh’s dad, and the truth that I’ve not been able to face. That I’ve been misjudging people I care about, hiding behind quotes, and hiding from love.
“I knew you had a thing for the FF,” Brook says.
I give her a skeptical look. “No you didn’t. You thought there was blackmail involved or a fetish.”
She holds back a laugh and shrugs. “Well, I never said I was always right.”
“What are you going to do?” asks Hannah.
I look at my two friends, and I know that whatever I decide to do, they’ll support me. Or they’ll tell me they think I’m being an idiot. Either way, they’ll be here for me.
“Well, his dad just died and he’s mourning, that’s not the best time to start a relationship,” I begin.
“That’s rough,” Brook says.
“And he’s headed to Europe for a tour.”
Hannah nods.
“And for the past seven years, I’ve worked for the man that stole his ideas and pretended they were his own. And I continuously quoted that man to him and…I’ve really messed up. You know?”
Brook pops a bit of apple into her mouth and nods. “You have,” she says around her mouthful.
But then I think about Carly and how she was brave enough to tell the truth.
“I’m going to tell him,” I say. “I’m going to tell him the truth.”
“I think you should read his comic,” Hannah says.
I stare at her and shake my head. “What?”