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“When?” Tessa pulls out the other stool and takes a seat. She coils her long blonde hair over one shoulder.
“The day she died.”
“The woman was dying. She said everything she thought we wanted to hear so that we wouldn’t be sad, including that you and Zak should get married.”
Brooke sighs. “Meg, if she were here now, she’d tell you to forget about him.”
I refuse to believe that about my mother. She wouldn’t say I should marry someone unless she really meant it. I lean forward, pressing my forehead against the countertop. “I can’t just forget about him.” My lips smudge against the cold granite as I speak. “He was my ticket to happily ever after. What if I never get married? I’m twenty-eight-years old.” I turn my head so my cheek lays flat against the counter and peer up at my sisters.“What if I’m alone for the rest of my life like some crazy cat lady?”
“You’ve already got the right playlist to support that kind of lifestyle,” Tessa says.
“You’re just lacking the cats,” Brooke adds. “But those are easy to come by.”
I lift my head to glare at my sisters.
“What?” Tessa shrugs. “We’re not going to sugarcoat it. Pull yourself together. Suck it up. You got dumped. It’s not the end of the world. Your behavior is so cliché. You’re a strong, successful, beautiful woman. You deserve someone better than a guy likeZak.”
“I agree,” Brooke chimes in. “He’s been stringing you along for years.”
“No, he hasn’t. He’s been putting his ducks in a row, climbing the corporate ladder.” I look at Tessa, because I know she can appreciate trying to move up in your career. “He was getting everything ready so we could build a life together.”
“More like getting everything ready so he could build a life with the girl from CrossFit,” Tessa mutters.
I give each of my sisters a long, hard stare. “I told you guys he wasn’t cheating on me.”
Tessa flips her fingers out in front of her to examine her perfectly manicured nails. “Eh, I don’t believe it.”
My shoulders slump. “Whether you believe it or not, I’m still in love with him. I can’t just snap my fingers and forget about three years of feelings. And what about Mom?”
“What about her?”
“She’s probably so disappointed right now. When she died, she thought a wedding was on the horizon.”
“The only reason Mom would be disappointed right now is that you’re acting pathetic. You need to move on.”
Brooke’s words don’t make sense to me. I’m not pathetic, I’m heartbroken. And I don’twantto move on from Zak.
I look at the clock. 5:51 on Monday, Labor Day. Did Zak work today, or did he take the holiday off?
“Maybe I should call him, just to see if he really meant to break up over a holiday weekend.”
I reach for my phone, but Tessa slaps my hand away.
“Oh my gosh! Would you listen to yourself? You need to forget about him.” She leans forward, and a flash of purpose flits across her face. “Let’s get dressed up and go out tonight. My friend invited me to a party on a yacht.”
Who has a yacht party on the Monday night of Labor Day weekend? Isn’t this day reserved for obligatory family barbecues and mediocre discount deals? Besides, we live in a suburb outside of Tampa. Traffic is going to be impossible on a holiday weekend.
“I don’t feel like going out,” I say.
“I’m sure there will be a ton of hot guys there. We’ll find you someone new.”
Tessa makes meeting men sound so easy. And it probably is for her. All she has to do is wear something tight, flip her blonde hair behind her shoulder, and smile, and suddenly a flock of men comes rushing to her side.
But that’s not how it works for me. I’m not the party girl. I was the roommate in college that made a chore chart. I cooked all the meals, cleaned the apartment, and picked up my friends from parties late at night when they’d had too much to drink. I’m the responsible one—themomof every friend group.
“I don’t care about finding someone new.” I wipe my leaking nose with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Too bad.” Tessa spins around and hops off the stool. She heads to my bedroom, calling behind her, “Let’s find you something sexy to wear.”
