Page 5 of Broken Vows

“Rough? Yeah, I get it. But hey, you’re here, you’re dressed?—”

“Barely,” I interject, gesturing to my hastily thrown-on jeans and oversized t-shirt.

“—and you’re out of the house,” she continues, undeterred. “I’d call that a win.”

Before I can respond, a waiter appears at our table, his pen poised over his notepad. “What can I get for you ladies today?”

“I’ll have a caramel latte and a blueberry muffin,”

“Um, just a black coffee for me, thanks,” I mutter, not meeting the waiter’s eyes.

As he walks away, Lilly kicks me gently under the table. “Seriously? Just coffee? You need to eat something.”

I shrug, feeling defensive. “I’m not hungry.”

“When was the last time you had a proper meal?”

I wrack my brain, trying to remember. “I… I had a taco recently?”

Her eyes widen. “That’s it. I’m ordering you a sandwich. And don’t even think about arguing.”

As if on cue, the waiter returns with our drinks. Before I can protest, she adds a turkey sandwich to our order. The waiter nods and disappears again, leaving me to stare accusingly at my best friend.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I grumble, wrapping my hands around the warm mug of coffee.

“Yes, I did,” she says firmly. “Now, tell me about this drawing you sent me. It was good.” I feel a flutter of pride at her words, quickly followed by a wave of uncertainty. “It was just a quick sketch. Nothing special.”

“Bullshit,” she declares, loud enough to earn us a few curious glances from nearby tables. “You’ve got talent. You always have. Why aren’t you doing more with it?”

I take a sip of my coffee, buying time before I have to answer. I don’t know why I stopped drawing. It just seemed to fade away, like so many other things in my life lately.

“I don’t know,” I admit finally. “It’s been so long. I’m not even sure I remember how to really draw anymore.”

Her face softens. “Oh, honey. That’s not how it works. It’s like riding a bike. You just need to get back on and start pedaling.” As she speaks, the waiter returns with her muffin and my sandwich. The sight and smell of the food make my stomach growl embarrassingly loud, reminding me just how long it’s been since I’ve eaten a proper meal.

“See? Your body knows what it needs. Now eat.”

I take a bite of the sandwich, and it’s like my taste buds have suddenly woken up. Before I know it, I’ve devoured half of it.

“So,” she says, delicately wiping muffin crumbs from her lips, “what’s stopping you from drawing more? And don’t say Jeremy.”

I nearly choke on my sandwich. “I wasn’t going to say Jeremy,” I lie, even though that’s exactly where my mind went.

She furrows her brows. “Sure. Look, Lex, I know things have been tough with him lately, but you can’t let that stop you from doing what you love.”

“It’s not just him, it’s… everything. I feel stuck. Like I’m just going through the motions every day, waiting for something to change.”

“And what if you’re the change?” she asks, leaning forward. “What if picking up that pencil again is the first step to getting unstuck?”

I open my mouth to argue, but no words come out.

“Maybe it’s time I start really drawing again.”

Her smile widens. “That’s my girl. Now, finish your sandwich. We’ve got an art supply store to visit.”

The bellabove the art store’s door chimes as Lilly drags me inside, her enthusiasm radiating off her in waves. The scent of fresh paper and paint hits me.

“Okay, where do we start?”

---