Page 102 of Between the Lines

“Really?” she asks.

I nod, my sudden tears overwhelming. I fan my hands in front of my face. Lucy and Penelope immediately jump up, hugging me tightly.

“This will be so good for you, Claire,” Penelope says.

“You’re alreadysogood at getting kids to sort out their trauma,” Lucy nods.

“Are you sure you won’t get burnt out?” Penelope asks. “You know—your parents essentially used you for years as a pseudo parent, and now you’re signing up to work with kids for the rest of your life. I just don’t want you to feel trapped.”

I nod. She has a point, but…

“Ilikekids. My parents were right—I have ‘the gift.’ I just don’t want toraisethem. I want to help kids like me, who didn’t have an outlet, who couldn’t unlock their trauma and make sense of it. I had to do that for myself. If I can be that person for another kid, then it will have been worth it.”

“Good for you, Claire Bear,” Penelope says.

Juliet returns, and we cheers our drinks to my decision.

“Do you think you’ll work at River Valley?” Juliet asks. “We wouldloveto keep you.”

“We don’t have a social worker position,” Penelope says, frowning.

“Meadow Ridge does,” Lucy interjects. “I think they wrote a grant. Juls, you’re good at that. Maybe we could…”

As the three of them start plotting to get me as a permanent fixture at River Valley, dread fills my gut. If I work therefull-time, I can’t have Nathan. But if I work somewhere else, I won’t have the support system of these women.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I still have a long road ahead of me before I’m actually in a school,” I say, needing an end to this discussion before my worry starts showing on my sleeve.

They nod. Juliet slides her phone from her pocket, and Lucy does the same.

“Ugh. I thought we said no men!” Penelope protests, chucking a pillow at Juliet.

“He was just checking in on us,” she counters, then locks her phone and puts it on the table. “It sounds like they’re having fun.”

“Yeah, Aaron said he’s bringing home an entire bag of stuff, and I quote,Like Michael Scott and his swag bag. I don’t haveroomfor more stuff.”

“How is living together?” I ask.

“It’s an adjustment,” she starts, picking at the lint on her sock. “But now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. I love having him there all the time. He’s my rock.”

Her cheeks flush beneath her glasses, and my heart aches.

Nathan isn’t myrock, damnit.

But I do miss him.

And admitting that opens a whole new can of worms.

I’m about to start a conversation about the newest PJ Layne romance, but when I glance up, Lucy is texting again. And this time, her cheeks are fire engine red.

It seems like everyone else is preoccupied on their phones for the moment, so I slide mine out too. What the heck?

Claire

What are you guys up to?

Nathan

We are out to dinner.

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