Page 45 of Love, Take Two

"Dance with me?" he asks when the band starts playing something slow.

Dancing with him feels as natural as everything else this week. We move together easily, and I catch myself thinking how nice it is to have a partner who knows how to lead without being pushy about it.

"Thank you," I say as the song continues.

"For what?"

"For making today easy. For being here with me without making it complicated."

"Vada," Emory says, spinning me gently, "the only thing anyone's watching is how happy you look. And that makes me happy too."

The simplicity of his response settles something in my chest that I didn't realize was tense. Sometimes I forget that not everything has to be analyzed or worried about. Sometimes things can just be good.

When Jared and Erika make their rounds thanking guests, they're both glowing despite hours of celebrating.

"Thank you so much for being here," Jared says, pulling me into a warm hug. "Having you here made everything even better."

"It was beautiful, Jared," I tell him honestly. "I'm so happy for you both."

As the evening winds down, I realize something has shifted. Not just between Emory and me—that's been shifting all week—but in how I see myself. I'm not the anxious woman who overthinks every interaction anymore. I'm someone who can be genuinely happy for her ex-boyfriend, who can attend formal events without spiraling, who can trust that good things don't always need to be complicated.

"Best wedding ever," I say to Emory as we sway together during the last dance.

"Best week ever," he corrects, and I know he's thinking the same thing I am—that this whole experience has been about more than just reconnecting. It's been about discovering who we are now, separately and together.

And I really like what we've discovered.

17

EMORY

Standing at the edge of the dance floor, watching Erika and Jared have their first dance as husband and wife, I can't stop thinking about how surreal this whole week has been. Seven days ago, I flew here stressed about money and uncertain about my future. Now I'm holding hands with the woman Stella always said I never really got over, watching my ex-girlfriend marry Vada's ex-boyfriend.

Life's got a twisted sense of humor.

"They look perfect together," Vada says beside me, genuine happiness in her voice. It's one of the things I've always loved about her—how she can be truly happy for other people, even in complicated situations.

Derek bounds over with his usual enthusiasm. "You two better get out there soon. Can't let the happy couple have all the fun."

As he wanders off toward the bar, I turn to Vada. "Should we be worried about whatever public speaking he's planning later?"

"Probably," she says with a laugh. "But honestly, after this week, I think I can handle whatever Derek wants to say about us."

There's something different about her tonight. All week she's had these moments of overthinking—nothing major, just the occasional spiral I remember from college. But tonight she seems completely comfortable with whatever we are, wherever this is going.

"Want to dance?" I ask, because I've been wanting to hold her all evening.

"Thought you'd never ask," she says.

When I pull her close, everything else fades into background noise. This is maybe the fourth time we've danced this week, and it's gotten more natural every time.

"This feels familiar," she says, settling into my arms.

"Good familiar or weird familiar?"

"The best kind of familiar," she says, looking up at me. "Like coming home."

"That's exactly what it feels like," I admit. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to remind me why this didn't work before."

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