Hannah
Kristen
Is today the day?
Me
Yes, but please don’t make it a thing.
Kristen
I promise I won’t. I’m just proud of you.
Me
You’re already doing it.
Kristen
Fine. No more proud bestie talk. Got it.
I’ll see you tonight?
Me
…
My phone ringsthe second my ellipses goes on read.
I bypass a peppy greeting and cut to the chase. “I’m not saying I won’t bethere, I’m just?—”
“Making your discontent clear. Yeah, I know,” she says monotone.
“Exactly,” I snap. She laughs a little. “Remind me why I have to go to this thing again?”
“Because it’s New Year’s Eve, Hannah. Tell your boy toy he can goonenight without draining his phone battery so you can ring in the new year with your best friend. I’m not letting you wallow alone at home or Rowan’s cabin tonight.”
My eyes roll to the sky as I slow my stride. I crane my neck to inspect the address above the door then check the time. Since I’m a few minutes early I circle back on the sidewalk, pacing in front of the entrance.
“First of all, I don’t wallow. Secondly, I was already banished from the cabin two days ago?—”
“Damn rodents,” she interjects.
A shiver runs through me at the thought. I surge ahead. “And thirdly, shouldn’t you be celebrating New Year’s with your husband?”
“Oh, John’s coming. But I got tickets for your VFW guys too. There’ll be plenty of familiar faces there.”
“How you got those guys to agree to an invite-only party at some bar on New Year’s Eve is beyond me.”
She preens over the line. “I have my ways.”
I hum my amusement, halting my steps to lean against the front window of the office, worrying my lip between my teeth. After a stretch of silence, she senses the shift.
“Therapy’s nothing to be afraid of, Han.”
My wool coat jostles in the wind and I pull it tighter across my chest. “I know,” I say, though I wish there was more conviction in my voice.
When I got word from Officer Montgomery that Daniel would be detained for upwards of a year, I was struck with both reliefanddisappointment. Conflicting feelings I haven’t determined the source of quite yet. There’s a peace in knowing I won’t run into him around town, but there was a part of me—a very naive part—that hoped justice being served meant all my sensitivities and mental hang-ups would finally be behind me. That I’d be able to sleep alone in my house without the hall light and television on.