Free Coming Home by Priscilla Glenn

thinking about him. Maybe she was just trying to figure him out.
    She could tell he was a good guy—the way he took care of Catherine, the way he was protective of her, proved that. And at lunch, they had gotten along so well. They were comfortable. They made each other laugh. He seemed to enjoy spending the afternoon with her.
    And then he left without even the tiniest indication that he wanted to see or talk to her again.
    Maybe he has a girlfriend , Leah thought. But then why would he have asked her to lunch in the first place? Unless he really was just trying to be a nice guy.
    But then there was that weird, angry phone call.
    Leah sighed, reaching to take Holly’s drink out of her hand before taking a sip. This was exactly the kind of thing she didn’t want to deal with. She didn’t want to be vulnerable, especially with someone who was so hard to read.
    She decided she should just celebrate her partial victory; she had allowed herself to have some interest in a guy. That was more than she had been capable of for a long time. It was a small step, but the girls were right: it was a step in the right direction. She didn’t have to pursue it for it to be significant. And she wasn’t going to pursue Danny.
    With that revelation she suddenly felt ten pounds lighter, smiling over at Holly, who was still staring at her with a shocked expression.
    “Do you like him?” she asked, and Leah waved her off.
    “It’s not like that. I’m just happy that I’m not completely broken. It makes me think that maybe one day I can have what you guys have,” she said, gesturing to her friends.
    Holly’s face contorted with sadness. “ Of course you will, Leah. Of course you will.” She stood up and wrapped her arm around Leah’s shoulder, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Now give me back my drink, you bitch.”
    Leah laughed just as Robyn’s sister yelled, “Another round of shots, ladies!”
    Stupidly, she agreed.

    A few hours later, Leah and Holly were helping put Robyn into her fiancé’s car.
    “Here. The bartender thought this would be a good idea,” Holly said, handing Rich one of the plastic fishbowls the bar used to serve specialty drinks in.
    “Gee, thanks,” he said, leaning into the passenger seat and handing Robyn the empty bowl. She grinned up at him and slurred something unintelligible.
    “Absolutely, babe,” Rich said as he buckled her seat belt.
    “What did she say?” Leah asked.
    Rich closed the passenger door and turned toward them. “I have no fucking idea.”
    Leah and Holly burst out laughing as Rich pulled up the zipper of his jacket. “How are you girls getting home? Do you need a ride?”
    “No, Evan is coming to get us,” Holly said.
    “Alright, Happy New Year, ladies,” he said, giving them warning glances before he leaned over and kissed both their cheeks. “Be good.”
    Leah and Holly watched them pull away, blowing dramatic kisses until the taillights of Rich’s car were no longer visible.
    A few minutes later, Holly’s boyfriend pulled up to the curb, immediately rolling down the window. “Are you guys insane? Where the hell are your jackets?”
    The girls leaned into each other and broke into hysterics as if that were the funniest thing they’d ever heard.
    “Fantastic.” Evan sighed, getting out of the car and ushering them toward it. “Alright, let’s go.”
    Leah crawled into the back seat, and she and Holly spent the entire ride having disjointed conversations and laughing uncontrollably at anything and everything.
    “God, I need to go home,” Leah said when she had caught her breath, dropping her head back onto the seat and covering her face.
    “We’re almost there, Lee,” Evan said, glancing in the rearview. “You’re not gonna puke, are you?”
    “No, I’m not gonna puke, but I might pass out,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.
    “That’s okay,” Holly said. “Pass out. We’ll carry you.”
    Evan snorted. “You’re not carrying anyone.