Page 36 of Between Here and There

“Hey, I think I need some help here. Emily just called from Bon’s bridal shower. Looks like it got a little out of hand.”

There’s a beat, then I hear a laugh in his voice. “Any situation with Bon gets out of hand.”

“Exactly,” I say. “Could you drive her car back?”

“On it. Meet you out in five,” he says.

We make our way to the place of chaos. It brings me back to my teenage years, where I’m tasked to babysit these girls. I used to always find it annoying, but now, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it.

The drive is quiet, and the city’s lights reflect off the wet streets from the earlier rain. It’s a peaceful night, the kind of night that makes you want to curl up in bed and fall asleep. But no, instead, I’m speeding across town to retrieve a drunken Emily and the rest of the bridal shower crew. Funny how just moments ago, I told myself that I won’t get wrapped up in other people’s chaos again. But here I am, in the middle of the night, doing exactly that. Voluntarily. Happily.

By the time we pull up outside the bar, I’m half-worried that Emily reallyisdancing on a table, but thankfully, I spot her near the entrance, leaning against the wall. Her hair is a mess, her makeup smudged, and she’s got this drunken, goofy smile plastered on her face.

“Ah, there you are!” she says, stumbling toward me. “My knight in shining armor!” I catch her arm before she tumbles face down onto the sidewalk. “Hello, Ryan!” she says too happily. “Come here, I’ll show you something.” She leads us to the private KTV room they rented, and says, “Shhhhh, they’re sleeping.”

And true enough, Bon, Kate, and Haley are all sleeping on the couch. I let out a low whistle and look at Ryan, silently asking him if he’s up for the task.

“Where’s everyone else?” I ask, looking at Emily, hoping she’s sensible enough to answer me.

“Everyone left safely, with sober people to take care of them,” she says, like a guard reporting for duty. Even drunk, she made sure everyone went home safely. This woman is incredible.

We walk over to Bon, Kate, and Haley, and Ryan chuckles. “My beautiful bride-to-be,” he says sarcastically, motioning to my sister, who’s sleeping but somehow keeps one eye open. “I’ll transport the sleeping girls, you take care of that unexpected toddler.” Ryan points to Emily, who’s now hugging Kate.

Fortunately, the zombies are able to walk, even when they’re half asleep. I help bring the girls to Bon’s car, while keeping one hand on Emily to make sure she doesn’t wander off.

“You got this?” I ask as Ryan secures a seatbelt on Bon and plants a soft kiss on her cheek.

“They’re all asleep. It’s you I gotta ask,” he says. Emily is clinging to my arm like a koala. Drunk Emily is dangerously touchy. I look down at her and chuckle.

“Yeah, no big deal,” I say.

We part ways, Ryan driving off with the girls as I’m left with Emily, still hanging onto me like I’m the only thing keeping her upright. Who am I kidding? Iamthe only thing keeping her upright. She looks up at me with those glassy, unfocused eyes, grinning like she’s having the best time of her life.

It starts drizzling, and I pry Emily off me so I can unzip my hoodie and put it on her. She’s compliant, putting her arms through the holes of the jacket and not saying a word as I put the hood over her head. As soon as she’s swallowed by the hoodie, she smiles.

“You’re the best, Josh,” she slurs, her voice soft.

“Of course I am,” I say with a wink.

We walk toward my car, and I help Emily settle into the passenger seat. I strap her in, my hands lingering for a moment as I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I slide into the driver’s seat and drive off. She’s unusually quiet, just staring out the window and fumbling with the edges of the hoodie.

Emily looks at me. Her eyes are red, obviously from too much alcohol, but I can still see her in there. “Yeah, just… thinking,”

“What could you possibly be thinking about when you’re intoxicated like this?” I ask, trying to keep the tone light.

For a moment, she doesn’t respond, just stares ahead as if weighing whether to answer. Finally, she shrugs, the motion sluggish, like the weight of her thoughts is pulling her down.

“The irony,” she mutters, her words slightly slurred but still carrying an edge of bitterness. “I’m the one who plans her whole life. Down to the last detail. Every goal, every decision, mapped out like a perfect little timeline.” She spreads her arms out, as if to show me how perfect her timeline is. She lets out a humorless laugh, shaking her head as if mocking herself. “And yet, here I am. Jobless, almost homeless, relationship-less... lying through my teeth in front of my best friends just to keep it together.”

Her confession feels raw, unfiltered, and maybe even involuntary. I know she wouldn’t let me see this side of her if she weren’t drunk. And it stings—not because I pity her, but because I don’t feel like I’ve earned the right to witness this vulnerability. It’s like I’ve stumbled into a room I was never meant to enter.

“That’s not true,” I say softly, breaking the silence as carefully as I can. “You’re not—”

“Oh, come on, Joshua.” She cuts me off, her voice sharper now, though it wavers slightly. “I’m the girl who couldn’t keep her dream job, couldn’t keep her apartment, couldn’t even keep her boyfriend. What does that say about me?” She rubs at her eyes, frustrated, and I notice her hands trembling slightly.

I take a deep breath, considering my next words carefully. I take her trembling hand in mine. “It says that life threw you some punches. That’s all. It doesn’t say anything about who you are. You’re still you—smart, resourceful, stubborn as hell. And you’re still standing.”

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