Page 222 of Naughty Nelle

“Jane, I’m going home tomorrow! Shrink and Grimm think I’m ready to start my post-rehab apprenticeship.”

My heart sinks like a cannonball. I should feel happy for her. But I don’t. And, it’s not jealousy. It’s sadness. An awful eat-your-heart-up-alive sadness. First Elz. Now, Winnie. I’m losing another friend.

“That’s wonderful!” Finding my voice, I give her a perfunctory hug. “What will you be doing?”

“Shrink won’t tell me until the very last minute.”

My eyes grow watery. “I’m going to miss you, Winnie.”

“The same,” says Winnie, wiping away my tears. “You’ll be released soon too.”

The tears keep coming. I haven’t cried so much in one day since the loss of my child.

“Will you come to my birthday party after dinner?”

Birthday party?That’s odd. She’s never mentioned an upcoming birthday.

“It’s not really a birthday party,” she continues. “It’s more of a going away party, but there’s a birthday cake because you’re starting your life anew.”

“Of course, I’ll be there.” I force a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

After dinner, we all gather around a mammoth, candle-lit chocolate cake the Badass Fairies have baked in honor of Winnie and sing “Happy Birthday.” A big smile spreads across every face in the banquet hall, except Sasperilla’s.

“I should be getting out here, not her!” she snivels.

The day she gets out of Faraway is the day I’m checking myself back in. That is, assuming I make it out of here.

“Make a wish, Winnie, and blow out the candles,” says Fanta.

With a smile, Winnie closes her eyes for a few seconds. When she re-opens them, she inhales deeply and then extinguishes the candles with one big breath.

Cheers and applause. She’s radiant. I bet she wished for something good for her kids.

Fairweather cuts the cake and then hands out a slice to everyone.

“No thank you,” says Winnie with all the will power she can muster.

I notice how baggy her dress is. She’s lost a ton of weight since her husband’s visit.

“Winnie, you’ve got to try it!” I insist. “Have a bite of mine.”

She caves in. “Okay, just one teeny weeny bite.”

I feed her a forkful of my cake. Then I take a bite. The two of us moan in ecstasy. I’m reminded of the night she, Elz, and I devoured her secret stash of chocolate. The memory makes me smile wistfully.

Sasperilla loiters over to us. “Winifred, I have a going away present for you.” Smirking, she thrusts her plate of cake at Winnie.

“And I have one for you,” says Winnie.

Before I can blink an eye, she smooshes the cake plate into the hollows of skinny bitch’s smirking face.

Sasperilla shrieks, unable to get her chocolate-covered jaw to close.

“I’ve always wanted to do that!” grins Winnie.

God, I’m going to miss her.

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