he have for contacting her?
WMLake3: Yeah, I understand what you mean.
SGuidry4: Are you still painting?
WMLake3: More than ever, actually. I’m hoping to maybe get a spot in a local gallery here.
SGuidry4: Really? That’s amazing. I knew you would; you’ve always been crazy talented.
WMLake3: Thank you.
SGuidry4: So . . . this wedding, huh?
WMLake3: Apparently, it’s really happening.
She picked up the engagement announcement from her bedside table. It was bright pink with gold polka dots, and in bright white letters, it read, “We’re Engaged!” On the back, there was the photo captured by the hidden photographer. Coming Spring 2015.
SGuidry4: And you’re the—
WMLake3: Maid of honor, it would seem. Best man?
SGuidry4: Good guess.
WMLake3: Are there words for this kind of thing? Insanity? Dumb luck?
SGuidry4: I think I’ll go with irony.
WMLake3: That’ll work.
She sighed, biting the inside of her cheek. Only she and Simon fully knew how weird this was. How hard it could be. Up until now, talking to him had been off limits; but now, she was curious.
WMLake3: So, uhh, how do you feel about it? Or is that too much to ask?
SGuidry4: You can ask me anything. I’m an open book. I think we’re just going to have to make the best of this. I mean, we have a history, but we can be friendly, right?
WMLake3: Right.
Yeah, totally.
They dove right into each other again, talking back and forth about their jobs and their lives.
How was his family? How was hers?
Did you see that Covington got a new movie theater?
Things like this could keep them occupied for hours.
WMLake3: This is weird. It’s weird, right?
She didn’t mean the talking. That was a routine. It was the feelings part of this talking. It was like she was talking to someone who wasn’t there anymore. Not a ghost, but more like a memory of a person.
And he had changed.
Not wholly, but partially.
And Wendy wondered, what if she didn’t know him anymore? She’d never not known him. She didn’t even know what that was like.
For too many reasons, that made her a little sad.
SGuidry4: What do you mean?
WMLake3: All of it. Owen and Viv. You. Here. Talking to me.
SGuidry4: I can be a fairly reasonable person sometimes.
It was her turn to ask what he meant.
SGuidry4: I mean, I can’t hate you forever. Not that I don’t hate you. I do, mostly. But I’m not blind enough to believe that what happened with us was all your fault.
WMLake3: Uhh . . . thanks? I guess?
She was used to Simon hating her. If he wasn’t hating her, he was loving her. And one was a hell of a lot easier than the other.
SGuidry4: I’m just saying. What happened with us was a mutual effort. I pushed, and you lashed out. We’re even.
WMLake3: Yeah, I guess.
SGuidry4: Do you ever wonder—
WMLake3: Wonder what?
SGuidry4: I don’t know. I just think about it sometimes. If I’d never asked you that question.
WMLake3: Yeah?
SGuidry4: Do you think we’d still be together?
Wendy had thought about this a lot. The yelling. The crash of his fist through the bedroom wall. The instant regret she felt, knowing that she was making the wrong move, but making it anyway.
Would they be together?
Now?
WMLake3: Honestly? I do.
SGuidry4: Yeah. Me too.
Wendy searched her feelings.
Was she sad? Slightly.
Was she relieved? Yes.
Was she confused? Always.
WMLake3: Are you happy?
SGuidry4: Happy? That’s a complicated question.
WMLake3: I’ve got time.
Chapter 24
Then
Time pass ed quickly .
Three months felt pretty special. It was a huge accomplishment to a high school freshman, and it left Wendy feeling like hey, we’re actually doing this . He wanted to celebrate. And she wasn’t going to argue.
Things had been . . . trying lately. Trying. That was a good word for it. They were trying to be okay. They were trying to stop fighting, once and for all. They were trying to be happy, not just sometimes, but all the time.
And for the most part, it was
WMLake3: Yeah, I understand what you mean.
SGuidry4: Are you still painting?
WMLake3: More than ever, actually. I’m hoping to maybe get a spot in a local gallery here.
SGuidry4: Really? That’s amazing. I knew you would; you’ve always been crazy talented.
WMLake3: Thank you.
SGuidry4: So . . . this wedding, huh?
WMLake3: Apparently, it’s really happening.
She picked up the engagement announcement from her bedside table. It was bright pink with gold polka dots, and in bright white letters, it read, “We’re Engaged!” On the back, there was the photo captured by the hidden photographer. Coming Spring 2015.
SGuidry4: And you’re the—
WMLake3: Maid of honor, it would seem. Best man?
SGuidry4: Good guess.
WMLake3: Are there words for this kind of thing? Insanity? Dumb luck?
SGuidry4: I think I’ll go with irony.
WMLake3: That’ll work.
She sighed, biting the inside of her cheek. Only she and Simon fully knew how weird this was. How hard it could be. Up until now, talking to him had been off limits; but now, she was curious.
WMLake3: So, uhh, how do you feel about it? Or is that too much to ask?
SGuidry4: You can ask me anything. I’m an open book. I think we’re just going to have to make the best of this. I mean, we have a history, but we can be friendly, right?
WMLake3: Right.
Yeah, totally.
They dove right into each other again, talking back and forth about their jobs and their lives.
How was his family? How was hers?
Did you see that Covington got a new movie theater?
Things like this could keep them occupied for hours.
WMLake3: This is weird. It’s weird, right?
She didn’t mean the talking. That was a routine. It was the feelings part of this talking. It was like she was talking to someone who wasn’t there anymore. Not a ghost, but more like a memory of a person.
And he had changed.
Not wholly, but partially.
And Wendy wondered, what if she didn’t know him anymore? She’d never not known him. She didn’t even know what that was like.
For too many reasons, that made her a little sad.
SGuidry4: What do you mean?
WMLake3: All of it. Owen and Viv. You. Here. Talking to me.
SGuidry4: I can be a fairly reasonable person sometimes.
It was her turn to ask what he meant.
SGuidry4: I mean, I can’t hate you forever. Not that I don’t hate you. I do, mostly. But I’m not blind enough to believe that what happened with us was all your fault.
WMLake3: Uhh . . . thanks? I guess?
She was used to Simon hating her. If he wasn’t hating her, he was loving her. And one was a hell of a lot easier than the other.
SGuidry4: I’m just saying. What happened with us was a mutual effort. I pushed, and you lashed out. We’re even.
WMLake3: Yeah, I guess.
SGuidry4: Do you ever wonder—
WMLake3: Wonder what?
SGuidry4: I don’t know. I just think about it sometimes. If I’d never asked you that question.
WMLake3: Yeah?
SGuidry4: Do you think we’d still be together?
Wendy had thought about this a lot. The yelling. The crash of his fist through the bedroom wall. The instant regret she felt, knowing that she was making the wrong move, but making it anyway.
Would they be together?
Now?
WMLake3: Honestly? I do.
SGuidry4: Yeah. Me too.
Wendy searched her feelings.
Was she sad? Slightly.
Was she relieved? Yes.
Was she confused? Always.
WMLake3: Are you happy?
SGuidry4: Happy? That’s a complicated question.
WMLake3: I’ve got time.
Chapter 24
Then
Time pass ed quickly .
Three months felt pretty special. It was a huge accomplishment to a high school freshman, and it left Wendy feeling like hey, we’re actually doing this . He wanted to celebrate. And she wasn’t going to argue.
Things had been . . . trying lately. Trying. That was a good word for it. They were trying to be okay. They were trying to stop fighting, once and for all. They were trying to be happy, not just sometimes, but all the time.
And for the most part, it was
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