Page 21 of Devlin

Ritah’s eyes immediately widened, and Karen’s sharp gasp filled the room.

Mia laughed, shaking her head. “If that shocks you, I’m not sure you’re ready for the rest of this story.”

“You’re right,” Elizabeth said, her grin wry. “Good thing you’ve got more wine. Keep going—I have a feeling this is just the beginning.”

She paused, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. “I was with the environmental club outside the school, protesting about the cafeteria’s wasteful practices. When the principal brushed me off, I decided to stage a protest. So I marched down to the football field during practice, pulled out a chain, and locked myself to the goalpost.”

Elizabeth burst into laughter, nearly spilling her wine. “Oh my God! I cansosee you doing that!”

“What a little rebel you were!” Doreen added, her shy grin emerging.

Mia couldn’t help but chuckle at their reactions. “The football team was livid, the coach was apoplectic, and the principal came storming down the hill with two police officers in tow. I stayed polite but firm, even when one of the officers didn’t appreciate being made a fool of. He started to grab at me, and before I could even react, one of the football players stepped between us.”

She leaned forward, her voice softening as she replayed the moment. “He was fully suited up in his uniform and pads, towering over everyone. He told the officer that they could talk to me, but no one was laying a hand on me.”

The room went still as her friends absorbed the moment. Karen’s eyes shimmered with awe. “That is so sweet,” she whispered.

Mia’s smile faltered, the memory tugging at her chest. “I didn’t want him to get in trouble, so I unchained myself. The police left, and the principal begrudgingly agreed to hear the environmental club’s requests. When I turned around, I finally looked at my protector—really looked at him. And there he was. Jim Devlin. Those piercing blue eyes... I couldn’t believe it.”

Elizabeth let out a dramatic sigh. “Please tell me this is like a Hallmark movie, and you two started dating right away.”

“What’s a Hallmark movie?” Ritah asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Elizabeth gasped. “Oh, girl, it’s like reading a romance novel—only you’re watching it instead. Handsome guy, beautiful girl, and no matter how crazy things get in the middle, you know they’ll end up together.”

“That sounds amazing,” Prossy said, her shy smile brightening.

The laughter that followed filled the room, a lightness Mia hadn’t realized she needed. But even as her friends’ mirth bubbled around her, she felt the familiar weight pressing against her chest. The more she spoke, the harder it became to contain the ache swelling inside her.

She took another sip of wine, her smile bittersweet. “The truth is, it was a lot messier than a Hallmark movie. But at the time, I thought maybe we were that kind of love story.”

Her voice trailed off, and her friends exchanged glances, their expressions softening. They didn’t press her, seeming to sense there was more to the story and knowing she would share it when she was ready.

For now, Mia held on to the comfort of their company, grateful for the distraction as her heart wrestled with the ghosts of the past.

“We started dating, and we didn’t stop for almost ten years,” Mia said, her voice soft but steady.

The women gasped again, but none of them spoke, their silence urging her to continue.

“We never broke up during that time,” she said, her gaze dropping to the empty cup of wine in her hands. “Sure, we had our arguments, like any couple, but we grew up together. He graduated a year ahead of me, but we kept dating. When it came time to choose a college, I picked the same one. Not just because of him but because they had the program I wanted.

“I worked hard, taking extra classes while he studied and played football, so we graduated at the same time. Then I went straight into a master’s program, and he joined the military. He wanted to become a SEAL, and I wanted to save the world. For me, that meant getting my master’s in public health. We were both chasing dreams, but we were also making plans. Marriage, kids, growing old together... we had it all mapped out.”

Her voice cracked slightly, and she stopped, staring into her cup.

“What happened?” Prossy’s whispered question was almost drowned out by the stillness of the room.

Mia drew in a long breath, letting the memories wash over her. They came like flashes—fragments of a life she’d once believed was unshakable. Shared smiles. Sweet kisses. Fierce hugs. Nights tangled together in the dark. Lying in bed, his arm heavy and protective around her waist. Dancing under the stars and laughing until their sides ached.

She shook her head slowly. “We were in love… until we weren’t.”

The weight of her words settled over the room, and no one dared to speak. The silence felt both comforting and suffocating, but she pushed forward, the words tumbling out even as they tore at her.

“Something changed after one of his missions,” she said quietly. “When he came back, he seemed… lost. He couldn’t—or wouldn’t—talk about it. He was distant. I didn’t know how to reach him. By then, I was almost finished with my master’s and looking at job opportunities. We knew we’d face challenges with our chosen careers, but other families managed, so why couldn’t we?”

She gave a small, bitter laugh, the sound devoid of humor. “But he started saying things like, ‘You should take whatever job you want. Don’t stay back for me.’ When I asked about his missions, he’d just grimace and say he couldn’t talk about it. I thought it was a phase. I thought our love could conquer anything, everything. But looking back, I can see now that he was pulling away.

“It became a dance. He’d step back, and I’d step forward, trying to fill the space between us. But then one day, he stepped back, and instead of me following, I was shoved so far away I couldn’t close the gap.”

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