Page 22 of When Cardinals Appear

“Are you still with that guy from school?” Trudy asked as she turned the key in the ignition. Her hooded brown eyes met mine in the rearview.

“Yes, I’m still with James. We’re getting a place together in LA,” I said, smoothing my hair. In the meantime, James was crashing with some friends. He’d promised to wait until after I returned from Cedar Haven to look for a place.

“He was at your mom’s funeral, wasn’t he?” Kristin asked.

I nodded, swallowing around the sudden lump in my throat. With a shake of my head, I dispelled the memory. Not tonight. My friends had rallied to take me out and show me a good time, and I refused to let sad thoughts intrude on our fun.

“We’ll just have to make the most of the time we have with you.” Toccara’s wide smile was warm, but it didn’t quite touch her eyes. Guilt needled in my belly, knowing how terrible I had been at keeping in touch with my friends. They’d stopped by when I was home caring for Mom, usually with groceries or takeout. I’d lost count of how many casseroles Trudy had made. But I couldn’t bring myself to answer their calls while at school. Compartmentalizing was the only way I’d been able to cope.

“I’m sorry I’ve been MIA this last year,” I said. “But I’m sure I’ll be back to visit.”

“She’ll be here for the wedding,” Rose insisted, her small dark eyes sparkling as her cheeks brightened.

The car filled with oohs and aahs as we traveled along the dark highway out of town. I squinted out the window, searching for any hint of where we were going. Giving up, I refocused on the conversation occurring around me.

“When’s the big day?” Trudy asked.

“September. It’s usually a slower time for me at the clinic, and we’ll be back from our honeymoon right before flu season.” Rose’s contagious laugh filled the car, prompting everyone else to join in.

Trudy slowed the car and turned onto a side road, causing me to peer curiously out the window. I still didn’t recognize what little I could see of the scenery in the darkness.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked, trying to keep the apprehension from my voice.

The girls all exchanged conspiratorial glances. When no one volunteered any information, I racked my brain, trying to think of long-forgotten places I’d heard of in the surrounding area. Suddenly, the dark road gave way to the brilliant lights of a city, and I recognized where we were.

“We’re going to the National Harbor?” I asked. Of all the possibilities, that wasn’t one I’d considered. It was like a mini DC but without the long drive and expensive parking.

“They have quite a few nightclubs,” Leslie explained with another conspiratorial look around the car. “We thought you should understand what you’ll be leaving behind once you move out west.”

“They’ve really built it up since I was last here,” I murmured. The city seemed entirely out of place, caught between the river and the quiet suburbs, like the Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road.

Trudy pulled into a parking garage, and we all filed out of her minivan. Toccara and Leslie linked arms with me, pulling me toward the sidewalk, as the rest of the girls filled in behind us. I was grateful for the pressure on my arms, as it allowed me to take everything in without worrying about tripping on a dip in the sidewalk.

I’d been there once or twice before when it was first built. The Gaylord Hotel had an ice show every year around Christmastime, and my parents had taken Steven and me before they split up. We had also gone ice skating and spent some time shopping around the town.

The group headed in the direction of Bobby McKey’s, a dueling-piano bar, and I relaxed for the first time that evening. Seattle had a similar piano bar my friends and I enjoyed visiting. I smiled as the promise of an evening filled with laughter, drinks, and music lifted my spirits.

When we entered the bar, I blinked upon seeing they’d reserved a table. How long had they been planning this evening? I took a seat between Toccara and Rose. Leslie sat across from me at the round table with Kristen and Trudy beside her. I looked around, taking in each of my friends and the changes I had missed. Leslie’s mousy-brown hair was shorter than I remembered, cut just past her chin. Kristen appeared to have lost weight, and her arms had more definition, like she had been hitting the gym. Trudy’s features had softened from her recent pregnancy; the angles of her face were rounded. An air of wealth surrounded Toccara, from her perfectly manicured nails to her designer handbag. Her new business must be booming.

“Thank you all,” I said. “Rose was right. I needed this.”

Their faces lit up around the table, filling the void I had struggled with for so long. The moment was interrupted when the waitress came over to get our orders. While the show hadn’t started yet, the air filled with anticipation as more people filtered into the club.

“Tell us more about your boyfriend,” Trudy said. “I met him briefly at the funeral, but we didn’t get a chance to talk.”

“James has been amazing this last year,” I said. Not wanting to worry anyone, I rushed on, forcing excitement I didn’t feel into my voice. “He flew here right after graduation and stayed with me until Mom passed. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

“So you guys are moving in together?” Rose asked. “Does that mean he already has a job lined up?”

“He got a position at a marketing firm based in LA right after he graduated and started at the end of last summer,” I confirmed. “They have a branch in Seattle, and he worked there while I finished my last semester.”

Our drinks arrived, and I took a long sip of the fruity cocktail. If the conversation continued to focus on my relationship, I would need the fortification.

“Will we hear wedding bells in your near future?” Toccara teased, stirring her frozen concoction with a straw.

An image of Nate flashed before my eyes when Toccara said “wedding,” but it disappeared the moment I blinked. What was that? Everyone stared at me, and my cheeks flushed scarlet as I tried to articulate a response.

“Oooh, she’s blushing!” Kristen exclaimed. “That means yes!”

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