Page 9 of Thanks for the Friendship
“Aunt Diane wants everyone to find their lobster,” Sara chimes in. “She’s a hopeless romantic.”
“Lobster?” I ask. “You mean like inFriends?”
“Friendsis the best show ever made,” Diane insists.
I guess I can’t argue with that.
Sara and I chat for a few minutes and learn we actually have a few mutual acquaintances in common including my boss Elizabeth.
“I guess Miami is a smaller town than I thought,” she says.
“It really is.”
“My boyfriend grew up in the area, so he knows a lot of people,” she tells me.
“So did I.”
“Where did you go to school?” Sara asks.
“Have you eaten yet?” Diane interrupts. “Come with me. And I have to give you a tour; we’re mostly settled in.”
She links her arms in ours and pulls us toward the screened-in lanai before I have a chance to respond.
“It’s just easier to go along with Aunt Diane,” Sara whispers.
“Yes, I’ve learned that.”
“She means well, and she has the biggest heart.”
“I can tell.”
Diane continues making introductions. She tells everyone that I’m her hero and the reason they have the house. I let her because—well, it’s kind of true.
After a few minutes I manage to escape Diane’s praise to freshen up, and as soon as I come out of the bathroom the front door opens. All of a sudden my knees go weak and I feel light-headed.
I’ve come face to face with my past.
Chapter Four
I’ve thought about this day for years. What I would say. How it would feel. Would familiar sparks return? And the answer to all of these questions is—I don’t know.
“Lila?”
Say something, anything.
I’ve momentarily lost all ability to speak, which never happens to me. Lila Barlow always has something to say.
“Uh—hi, Cal.”
“Wow, this is a surprise. It’s good to see you,” he says, a smile spreading across his face.
Cal Sims hasn’t aged at all. I’ve seen pictures of him on Facebook, but it’s been a few years since I’ve seen him in person, and that was from a distance.
As soon as I look into his familiar blue eyes, I feel like I’ve been transported back in time. Back to those days of my youth, a time when I didn’t know what the hell life was all about. Ugh. I sound like my mother.
“It’s good to see you too. How do you know the Hillards?” I ask, trying to act like I’m not phased a bit by being in his presence after all this time.
And I am wondering why he’s here. Diane and Dave just moved to Miami, so I’m curious about how Cal ended up at their housewarming party.
