Page 93 of Capri

I’m perched on the bathroom counter, wearing my pajamas while Collie gets ready for her date tonight.

I barged into her apartment to vent and freak out about going back to work. She quickly talked me off a ledge, poured me a glass of wine, and now, here we are.

“You two serious then?” I ask her.

“Not a single bit.” Collie scoffs. “You know better than that.”

“You know it wouldn’t be the worst idea.” I hand her the hairspray, leaning back as she coats her short blonde hair with some texture.

“Oh, really? And why is that?”

I shrug. “Why does there have to be a reason? You deserve to be happy, Cols.”

Her arms cross at her chest and she stops her movements. “You sure are one to talk, Mrs. I need to focus on myself.”

“Oh, no. Don’t make this about me.” I shake my head.

“If the shoe fits.” She huffs and makes no move to budge. “You know I’m right.”

“It’s not a matter of being right, Collie. I was married, he cheated, and now I’m single. I should be focusing on myself. You, on the other hand,onlyfocus on yourself and never giveanyman a fair shot.”

“Eh.” She ignores me. “I’ll be fine. Let’s talk about you.”

My face hides nothing. “This conversation is far from over.”

Collie smiles, working on her makeup now. I feel the lecture brewing. “You need to move on.”

Predictable. “I have moved on.”

“No. You’ve met someone worth moving onfor,but you haven’t actually moved on. There’s a difference.”

“You mean Jones?” I ask.

Collie nods. “You’re different with him. A good kind of different.”

It takes everything in me to hold back my smile. “He’s a good guy,” I agree, trying to dim my excitement at the mention of his name.

“So, then what’s the problem? The man is almost forty and fucking obsessed with you. I’m sure he’s met a lot of beautiful women.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Yes, I’m sure he has,” I admit. “It all just feels like too much. I don’t know if I’m ready. Not even considering the fact that he doesn’t live here.”

“There’s no equation to it, babe.”

“Don’t you think it’s too soon to have met someone worth being with? I mean, Drew and I haven’t even been split a year yet.”

Collie stops what she’s doing and stands directly in front of me before taking a long sip of my wine. “Needed the courage,” she says.

I’m silent, waiting for her to speak.

“I think before you and Drew split, you were already becoming the woman you were supposed to be. I just don’t think you see it yet. While he was fucking around on you, you learned to be independent and advocate for yourself. You didn’t just teach yourself that. You need to give yourself more credit. Look at everything you’ve been through. Not only with Drew but losing Stevie. Fuck, babe. The fact that you’re still standing says enough. You’re the bravest woman I know.”

“Cols,” I say, feeling emotional. “That was the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

The sincerity in her voice is there. She means every word. “Don’t expect it all the time.” She laughs. “I love you, Capri. And as your sister, I need you to stop going by the book for everything and just live. Love without thinking. Put it all on the line for someone worth it. Honor Stevie with your happiness.”

Honor Stevie with my happiness.

That’s all I could ever want. To be happy and make my son proud. I know that somewhere, he’s watching over me, guiding me throughout my life.

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