Page 60 of After the Red Carpet
Ella smiled half-heartedly. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, you’ve skipped philosophy club for the last three weeks, so I figured I’d come over and we’d have a private meeting. I brought snacks,” Marni explained, placing a bottle of wine, water, a baguette, cheese, and salami on the tea table. “Here, I even brought paper plates and cups,” she said, removing them from the bag. “Impressed?”
“Very,” Ella replied. “You know I’m pregnant, right? I can’t drink.”
“The wine is for me.”
“It’s not even noon.”
“It’s rosé,” Marni said with a shrug. “So, how are you feeling?” she asked, preparing them each a plate of food.
“Fine. Georgia kicks a lot,” Ella said, touching her tummy.
“How’s the book coming? Have you been writing?”
“Marni, what are you really doing here?”
Marni sighed. “Finn called me, asked me to pop by.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s worried about you, dummy. He said you’ve been really depressed for the last few weeks since you saw your deadbeat dad.”
“It was not his place to call you.”
“Babe, the guy loves you. Like gaga, over-the-moon kind of love, and you know me—I’m not even a believer in that horseshit.” Ella smiled faintly and Marni continued, “He said you seem sad all the time. You don’t laugh. You’re not working. You take care of Betty, but . . .”
“What?” she asked defensively.
“Just that you don’t seem joyful, even with her. It’s so unlike you, Ella.”
“I’m doing my best. Being criticized doesn’t help.”
“No one is criticizing you in the least. He only wants you to be happy.”
“No one’s happy all the time.”
“You’re telling me!” Marni said. “Well, maybe those real housewife zombie plastic things.”
Ella smiled.
“Ah, a real smile. We’re making progress!” Marni said.
Ella looked down. She took a moment and said, “I feel so lost.”
“Talk to me.”
“Five years ago, if my father had called, I would have told him to fuck off without a moment’s hesitation. There’s no way I would have given him the time of day. But now, I don’t know, it was like my mind was instantly made up togive him a chance. Finn knew the score. He tried to warn me, but it just hurt my feelings.”
“Who are you upset with, your father or Finn?”
“Neither. It’s not about them. It’s about me. Marni, I have no clue who I am anymore. Who is this stupid girl that gets a call from her deadbeat dad and goes running off, hoping for some kind of made-for-television movie reunion? As if he’d been writing me letters my whole life and I’d just never gotten them.”
“Someone kind and generous, that’s who,” Marni replied. “Just because you’re way too good for that son of a bitch doesn’t mean you aren’t exactly who you’re supposed to be.”
Ella sat quietly for a moment. “Do you remember when I first moved to LA and you told me not to let love change me?”
Marni nodded.
