Page 1 of Breakaway

Chapter One

“It’s a classic case of empty nest syndrome.”

Remi frowned at her best friend. “How can it be empty nest syndrome when I’m not even a parent?”

Delise waved a hand. “It’s the same thing. You’ve been raising those two kids for the last five years. No, actually you’ve been raising those kids since they were born. Your parents were hardly ever around. So it totally makes sense that you would feel depressed now that they’ve moved out.”

“I’m not depressed.” Remi slumped lower into the soft cushions of her couch.

Delise laughed and patted Remi’s knee. “Yes, you are. And you’re making the rest of us miserable too. Emily told us you stopped by her place to make sure she was okay the other day and interrupted her and Caleb…”

Remi pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. “She was sick.”

“That was a week ago.”

“I was worried about her.”

“She’s an adult.”

Remi regarded her friend glumly. “I know.”

“You just want someone to take care of. I know, hon. And you can’t keep dropping in on Jasmine and Ethan.”

Remi’s stomach tightened. “I’ve only visited them a few times.”

“She just moved out a couple of weeks ago.”

“You know I’m worried about her. I think she’s making a big mistake moving in with Ethan.”

“She’s a big girl. She has to make her own mistakes.”

“I know, but—”

“I know what you think of her jerk-off boyfriend, but she loves him. If they want to live together, fine. She’s twenty-one years old.”

Remi nodded “But—”

“You’re just such a mother hen, you can’t help but worry about them.” Delise patted Remi’s knee again and Remi scowled. Was she being that much of a pain in the butt to her friends?

Sure, she’d been a little at loose ends since her brother and sister had moved out. Kyle had started college this year and Jasmine had just moved in with her boyfriend. She just had to adjust to things. Then she sighed. The truth was, she did feel lost and alone. Her whole life had been looking after her younger siblings and without them there always needing something, she almost felt like she didn’t really exist anymore. But she’d been trying to keep busy with work and after school projects and…pestering her friends. She gave Delise a crooked smile. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize! We love you. We just hate seeing you so blue. Some day you’re going to be a great mother.”

Yeah, right. With no man in her life, motherhood seemed a sadly far-off dream.

“But right now,” Delise continued, “You’re young and single and now totally free. You should be out having fun!”

“Sure.”

Delise grinned and stood. “Which is why we’re all going out tonight. You, me, Emily and Sarah.”

“We are?”

“We are. And I brought over something to get us started.” She walked out of the living room and Remi rose too and trailed herfriend into the kitchen. Delise opened the refrigerator with easy familiarity and pulled out a bottle of champagne.

Remi’s eyes widened. “Where did that come from?”

Delise grinned, eyes dancing behind her funky eyeglasses. “I snuck it in.” She peeled away foil and untwisted the wire cage, then pointed the bottle away from Remi as she eased the cork out. A satisfying pop and a whisp of smoke and the champagne fizzed out. “It’s time to celebrate, girl! You can finally have a life of your own! Glasses?”

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