Page 69 of Notes About Vodka

Sam never cared like this… It’s all so new, and weird. Even though I like the attention.

Rhea squeezes my hand, and I look up at her, blinking backtears. "He’s right, you know," she says gently. "You’ve got to figure this out, Laura. You can’t keep running away from it."

I nod, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "I know," I say, my voice shaky. "I know he needs to know. I'm just...scared of what might happen if I do. Not now. Not yet."

Rhea nods, understanding. "Okay. But soon, okay? You can’t keep holding onto all of this by yourself. It’s not healthy."

I nod again, knowing she’s right. Knowing I have to face this sooner or later. But for now, I just want a moment to breathe, to think, to figure out what the hell I’m going to do next.

Rhea gets up, moving to the counter to pour another cup of coffee. The rich aroma fills the kitchen, the soft sound of the coffee trickling into the mug adding a sense of calm to the room.

I take the moment to send Dante a quick text.

Me: Hey, Dante, my apologies to reach out via text, but I need to take tonight off as well. If needed, I can get you a doctor’s excuse or something.

Immediately to my surprise, I get a reply.

Dante: It’s all good, Laura. Val mentioned that you were under the weather. Feel better.

Me: Will do and thanks. I’ll make sure to pick up some extra shifts later this week.

Dante: Please do. Tony is having a heart attack trying to get someone in to cover your shift.

Me: My apologies

Dante: It’s all good, just take care of yourself

Thank goodness Dante is a great boss. And Tony can get over himself. There are always extra staff showing up every night to help out or cover a song to make some extra money.

Rhea comes back over with a cup of coffee. She hands it to me, and I take it gratefully, wrapping my hands around the warm mug.

"You know," she says, her tone lighter now, "you don’t have to have all the answers right this second. But you do need to start somewhere. Val cares about you, and I know you care about him too. He deserves to know where he stands. Stop keeping secrets woman."

I sigh, nodding. "I know. I just… I’m scared, Rhea. Everything is such a mess. My mom, Sam, the divorce, and then Val… it’s all just too much sometimes."

Rhea sits back down beside me, her eyes softening. "It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to not have everything figured out. But you’ve got people who love you, who want to help. You don’t have to do it all on your own."

Her words make me realize just how much I’ve been trying to shoulder everything alone, and it hits me how comforting it is to hear that I don’t have to. I feel a mixture of vulnerability and relief at the thought that I can let others help, that I don’t need to have all the answers right now.

I take a sip of the coffee, the warmth spreading through me, and I let out a shaky breath. "You’re right. I just… I don’t want to be a burden. I don’t want to drag Val into all of this."

"Laura," Rhea says, her voice gentle but firm, "Val wants to be in your life. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t. You’re not a burden. You’re someone he cares about, deeply. Let him in. Let us all in. You’re stronger than you think, but you don’t have to be strong alone."

I feel the tears welling up again, and I blink them back, nodding. "Okay. I’ll try. I promise, I’ll try."

Rhea smiles, leaning over to press a kiss to my temple. "That’s all anyone can ask for. One step at a time, okay?"

I smile through my tears, a small but genuine smile, "One step at a time."

We sit there in the kitchen, the warmth of the coffee and Rhea’s presence making everything feel a little less overwhelming.I can face chaos, I can let people in, and I can figure out what I want with Val.It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to happen overnight, but I’m willing to try.

Rhea stands up, stretching her arms above her head. "Alright, enough heavy stuff for now. How about we put on some terrible reality TV and forget about everything for a little while?"

I laugh, the sound surprising me with its lightness. "That sounds perfect."

We move to the living room, settling on the couch, and Rhea grabs the remote, flipping through the channels until she finds something suitably ridiculous. I lean back, letting myself relax, letting myself forget for a little while. The weight of everything isn’t gone, but it doesn’t mean I stop moving, going forward with life.

Chapter Twenty-One

---