life.”
“Matt?” It takes every atom of self-control I have to not spurt that there are sleazy orange chones under my bed. I want to believe her version of Matt, but he gives me the heebie-jeebies. How does one help that?
“You’re too judgmental, Ashley. I take joy in nurturing others through hospitality. It’s my gift and I don’t think people have to be perfect to have dinner here. You have impossible standards.”
“It is your gift,” I agree. “It gives me hives, but I wish you’d at least hear my side of things. You’re mad at me because you think I judge Matt, is that it?”
“You do judge Matt. He wants to get married,” she blurts. “I’m not the girly type. I have no idea how to arrange a wedding and I want your help, but I don’t want—”
“My opinion. Are we talking about Matt Callaway?” Oh heavens. Now I’ve got to tell her. I find a chair and lower myself into it. “I thought he was just doing work for you around the house. That you were good friends, as you put it.”
“I lied,” Kay says.
“You lied? Kay, when have you ever lied?”
“You’re wrong about him, Ashley, and I didn’t want your lecture. Yes, he’s not a believer. We’ll be unequally yoked, but it’s my life. Seth and Arin are both Christians. Look how well that is working out for them. Then, you’ve got Brea and John, two fantastic Christians who try to do the right thing, and look what happens to them. They lose their house.”
I take a step back. “What?” I struggle to comprehend her words. “Brea and John lost their house?”
She covers her mouth with her fingertips and gasps. “Oh Ashley, I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”
“That’s why I’m staying here? They lost their house? My best friend lost her house and she didn’t tell me? I noticed it looked different on Skype, but I assumed she just moved her desktop.”
“Not from anything they did, but yeah. They’re living at her mom’s house.”
“With the boys?”
Kay nods.
I feel sick to my tummy. I may as well be in Timbuktu for how much people share with me over Facebook and Skype. It’s like I cease to exist and people seem to like it that way. Maybe I am too judgmental . “I thought I was a good friend. I guess I’m mistaken about that.”
“Brea didn’t want you to worry, Ashley. She knows you, and she swore you’d try to do something about it. She feels adamantly that this trial is from God and they’ll get through it. She says their marriage is stronger than ever.”
See, that’s just it. Brea feels something, and I had no idea.
“But I couldn’t do anything about it if I wanted to,” I explain. “I’m not working. Kevin barely makes enough to pay for expenses, so that can’t be the reason she didn’t tell me. I’m a terrible friend. That’s why no one has told me a thing since I’ve been gone.”
“Sometimes, people have their reasons for keeping secrets.”
“From their best friends? You and Brea probably know me better than anyone and completely kept me out of the loop. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Kay plants her hands on her hips. “Were you going to tell me that Seth made a pass at you, telling you he wanted out of his marriage?” she asks me, and she may as well have knocked me over with the backside of that cookie sheet. My heart begins to pound, as I hadn’t planned on telling anyone what Seth said to me.
“Seth’s just angry. He didn’t mean a word of that and it wasn’t really a pass. Seth couldn’t make a pass when he was single and you expect me to believe he’s capable of it now and risking Arin? You give him far too much credit.”
“I heard him. It was inappropriate. The vent goes right to where you were standing. You may as well have had a baby monitor at your face. I had to keep Arin out of the kitchen so she didn’t hear her husband acting like a complete dirtbag.”
“Seth is delusional,” I tell her. “We never had any such torrid love
“Matt?” It takes every atom of self-control I have to not spurt that there are sleazy orange chones under my bed. I want to believe her version of Matt, but he gives me the heebie-jeebies. How does one help that?
“You’re too judgmental, Ashley. I take joy in nurturing others through hospitality. It’s my gift and I don’t think people have to be perfect to have dinner here. You have impossible standards.”
“It is your gift,” I agree. “It gives me hives, but I wish you’d at least hear my side of things. You’re mad at me because you think I judge Matt, is that it?”
“You do judge Matt. He wants to get married,” she blurts. “I’m not the girly type. I have no idea how to arrange a wedding and I want your help, but I don’t want—”
“My opinion. Are we talking about Matt Callaway?” Oh heavens. Now I’ve got to tell her. I find a chair and lower myself into it. “I thought he was just doing work for you around the house. That you were good friends, as you put it.”
“I lied,” Kay says.
“You lied? Kay, when have you ever lied?”
“You’re wrong about him, Ashley, and I didn’t want your lecture. Yes, he’s not a believer. We’ll be unequally yoked, but it’s my life. Seth and Arin are both Christians. Look how well that is working out for them. Then, you’ve got Brea and John, two fantastic Christians who try to do the right thing, and look what happens to them. They lose their house.”
I take a step back. “What?” I struggle to comprehend her words. “Brea and John lost their house?”
She covers her mouth with her fingertips and gasps. “Oh Ashley, I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”
“That’s why I’m staying here? They lost their house? My best friend lost her house and she didn’t tell me? I noticed it looked different on Skype, but I assumed she just moved her desktop.”
“Not from anything they did, but yeah. They’re living at her mom’s house.”
“With the boys?”
Kay nods.
I feel sick to my tummy. I may as well be in Timbuktu for how much people share with me over Facebook and Skype. It’s like I cease to exist and people seem to like it that way. Maybe I am too judgmental . “I thought I was a good friend. I guess I’m mistaken about that.”
“Brea didn’t want you to worry, Ashley. She knows you, and she swore you’d try to do something about it. She feels adamantly that this trial is from God and they’ll get through it. She says their marriage is stronger than ever.”
See, that’s just it. Brea feels something, and I had no idea.
“But I couldn’t do anything about it if I wanted to,” I explain. “I’m not working. Kevin barely makes enough to pay for expenses, so that can’t be the reason she didn’t tell me. I’m a terrible friend. That’s why no one has told me a thing since I’ve been gone.”
“Sometimes, people have their reasons for keeping secrets.”
“From their best friends? You and Brea probably know me better than anyone and completely kept me out of the loop. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Kay plants her hands on her hips. “Were you going to tell me that Seth made a pass at you, telling you he wanted out of his marriage?” she asks me, and she may as well have knocked me over with the backside of that cookie sheet. My heart begins to pound, as I hadn’t planned on telling anyone what Seth said to me.
“Seth’s just angry. He didn’t mean a word of that and it wasn’t really a pass. Seth couldn’t make a pass when he was single and you expect me to believe he’s capable of it now and risking Arin? You give him far too much credit.”
“I heard him. It was inappropriate. The vent goes right to where you were standing. You may as well have had a baby monitor at your face. I had to keep Arin out of the kitchen so she didn’t hear her husband acting like a complete dirtbag.”
“Seth is delusional,” I tell her. “We never had any such torrid love
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