Page 9 of Since the Day We Wished

“Perfect. This room gets a flood of light during the day.” Emma placed it by the window next to the door before giving Kara a hug. “Thanks for coming. I’ve been looking forward to this night ever since you called.”

“I brought the ice cream and a few other vegan goodies.” Kara set the bags on the coffee table. “Now, get some spoons and we’ll find something good to watch.”

“Well, I only got a few more receipts to reconcile. It won’t take too long.”

Kara waved her hand dismissively. “You deserve a break, Emma. It’s time to relax!”

Emma chuckled. “Alright. I guess it can wait until morning. Let me grab those spoons.”

Once she returned, she plopped onto the couch and picked up the remote. Below her, Rileylounged at her feet, eying the ice cream on the table.

“You know what’s crazy? I haven’t watched anything since I moved in. I guess I’ve been too busy with unpacking. I haven’t had much time to just sit and take some time to myself.”

Kara grabbed a spoon from the table and moved the ice cream tub between them. “Well, keeping busy is good. It can be a distraction from other things.”

“Yeah, it can be. So, what are we gonna watch?”

After scrolling through a couple dozen movies, they finally settled onThe Wedding Singer. Emma had forgotten how funny the movie was, and soon she and Kara were roaring in laughter. As they tore into the ice cream, Emma savored each bite, feeling its creaminess and the crunchiness of the peanut butter chips mingling in her mouth. The sweetness of the chocolate and the saltiness of the chips were perfectly balanced, making it impossible to stop eating. When Riley realized he wouldn’t get any, he got up and skulked over to his dog bed, giving each of them a pleading look.

Emma reached for another spoonful and heard it hit the bottom with a clink. “We really ate that whole thing, didn’t we?” She looked down at the empty tub.

“It was so good! I’ll throw this away so we can start on the other snacks.”

“Do you want me to pause it?”

“No, no, that’s okay. I’ll just be a minute.”

As the conversation faded, Emma’s eyes turned back to the screen, where a scene unfolded that struck uncomfortably close to home. Watching Glenn confess his infidelity to Robbie along with his plans to continue doing so, her thoughts involuntarily drifted to her painful past with Chad. An icy chill ran through her as memories of the dreadful day she had discovered his betrayal resurfaced. The scene on the screen awakened a deep and lingering wound, and for a moment, the boundaries between the movie and her own reality seemed to blur.

Kara walked back into the room, snacks in hand. The tension in Emma’s posture was unmistakable. “Sorry Em, I forgot about this part. Let’s find a different movie. What do you think?”

Emma nodded, wrestling to keep her emotions in check. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“No problem.”Kara reached for the remote. “Do you like action movies?”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“Well, possibly, if it has a good story line.” Kara stopped flipping through the endless Netflix suggestions. “Here we go. How about this one?”

Emma looked up at the screen, relieved to see a spy thriller movie without a hint of romance.

“Sure, that’ll be fine.”

“Great. I’ve been wanting to see this one for a while now, but Charlotte never wants to watch them with me. She’s more into texting boys than hanging out with her mom these days.”

“You know how we were when we were her age. Can you blame her?” Emma smirked before stuffing an Oreo in her mouth. “We’re not cool anymore.”

“Speak for yourself. I’ll always be cool.”

With a shared laugh, they settled into the movie. As the plot unfolded, Emma’s mind wandered, and she found herself feeling grateful for Kara’s friendship that had blossomed after she adopted Riley from her rescue. Since then, they had bonded over their shared passion for animals, spending countless hours together helping strays in the community.

After the movie was over, and as the credits rolled, Kara stretched her arms over her head, letting out a yawn. “It’s getting late. We should do it again soon.”

“This was a lot of fun...I didn’t know how much I needed it.”

Kara threw her arms around Emma, pulling her into a hug. “I’m here for you anytime. You know that, right?”

“I know. You never let me forget.”

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