Page 152 of Fire and Icing

I think if I've learned anything about friendship,

it's to hang in, stay connected,

fight for them, and let them fight for you.

~ Jon Katz

My phone ringsfor at least the hundredth time since I got home. Syd.

I went back to the shop this morning after eggmageddon. I left those bags of breakfast on the floor of the bakery kitchen and ran out in my state of shock and disbelief. I made it as far as my car, turned the key, and sat there, shaking.

Syd didn’t tell me.

She hid a whole relationship from me.

And not only that, she’s with Evan, a man who rejected me for years—Drew’s brother, of all the people in the eight billion on this planet.

I’ve experienced betrayals in my life, but this might be the deepest.

The tears fell so hard I was gasping for breath.

I hit my breaking point.

Everything swelled and poured out in the driver’s seat of my car.

Dustin. How much he means to me.

Him leaving for Nashville and what that might mean for our future.

The way I love him.

And Syd.

All the years we’ve been friends.

I pictured us on the playground, at sleepovers, softball camp, graduation, dreaming about opening the bakery.

She’s the baker from another mother. Literally closer than a sister.

I waited for my tears to dry, pulling take-out napkins from my dashboard to dab my face. I splashed cold water from my bottle onto my eyes.

And then I texted her one short sentence:Is he gone?

Syd knows me well enough, and she knows what she did.

She texted back one word:Yes.

So, I pulled myself together because the bakery had to open and customers needed to be served.

I texted her:I’m coming in, and I’m not ready to talk, so please don’t try.

She texted back:Okay. Let me know when you’re ready. I have a lot to say.

I nearly texted,You always do,and then I almost texted,You sure didn’t have a lot to say when you were running around with Evan and not telling me.

But I knew that was my hurt talking, so I simply texted:I’ll let you know.

We worked together in silence, only communicating in sound bites about the business, saying things like, “Can you put out more creamer? We’re running low.”

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