Free The Truth About Ever After by Rachel Schurig Page A

my best friend Kara hadn’t moved to New York. When she
left, my social life had suffered immensely.
    The
knock on the door distracted me from my melancholy and I tried to boost my
spirits. You have these friends here,
right now. Nothing to be sad about!
    “Hi!”
I said, throwing the door open to see Jen and Matt standing in the hall. “I’m
so glad you guys are here!”
    I
hugged them both in turn, and then stepped aside so they could enter the condo.
I peered into the hallway for the others, but they seemed to be alone. Behind
me, I heard Eric greeting his brother and sister-in-law.
    “It
smells great in here,” Matt said.
    “Thanks;
I made lasagna.”
    Matt
gave me a look of mock horror. “ You made it?”
    “Shut
up, I’m a good cook,” I said, pushing him. I looked at Eric and raised my
eyebrow, clearly indicating he should be backing me up.
    “Uh,
yeah. She’s a great cook,” he said, somewhat unconvincingly, and we all
laughed.
      There was another knock on the door
behind me. Eric opened it this time, revealing Annie, Nate, Ginny, and
Josh—who, I noticed immediately, did not have their children.
    “Hi!”
I said, trying to hide my disappointment. “Welcome!”
    After
hugging everyone, I turned to Ginny, doing my best to sound casual. “I thought
you were bringing Danny and Maggie.”
    “Oh,
God no,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I know what a nice condo you have.” She
gestured around the room. “Danny would destroy something within minutes, and
Maggie would end up crying through dinner. No thanks.”
    “Plus,
we found a sitter,” Josh chimed in. “If you ever have kids, you will find that
when you can get a sitter, you take it, no questions asked.”
    I
laughed politely along with everyone else, but inside I was trying to tamp down
my irritation. Yeah, if I ever have kids, I thought. I was actually looking to you
guys for some help in that department!
    As
we herded the group in toward the living room, I caught Eric’s eye. He was
looking right at me, a very amused and knowing look on his face. I tried to
ignore it. With or without the kids, I was the hostess tonight and I now had a
living room full of people.
    “So,”
I said, putting on my brightest voice. “Who wants some wine?”
    ***
    “That
was a fun night,” Eric said later, as we got ready for bed. “We should do stuff
like that more often.”
    “You’re
right,” I said, smiling at him as I rubbed my hand lotion in. “I love those
girls. Jen is so lucky to have such good friends.”
    Eric
came around to my side of the bed and wrapped me up in a hug. “You missing
Kara?”
    “Yeah,”
I said, hugging him back. “A lot lately, for some reason.”
    Kara
and I had been friends since junior high, attending high school and college
together—she had even been my sorority sister in college, and one of the
few people I still kept in touch with. Even the other two girls in my wedding party
were rarely in touch anymore, both married now and way too busy to hang out
with girlfriends. Kara, though, had stuck with me, one of the few people in the
world I could always count on. I hated that she lived so far away now.
    “You
still got me, you know,” Eric said, kissing the top of my head. “I know I’m not
as fun with the girly stuff, but I’ll be your stand-in best friend.”
    “You are my best friend.” I looked up at
him and met his eyes, wanting him to know I was serious. “You always were,
always will be.”
    He
lowered his head and kissed me, lightly. “I love you, Kiks .”
    I
chose that moment to yawn loudly. Eric smiled. “Bed?”
    I
nodded. Eric kissed me once more then released me, heading out to the living room to check that all the lights were off and
everything was locked up, his nightly ritual. I climbed into bed and pulled up
the covers, feeling suddenly very tired.
    Eric
was right: it had been a fun night. Once I got over the fact that I would not
be showing Eric the joy children could bring to our home, I