Page 115 of Now That It's You
They’d loved each other once. It wasn’t the kind of deep, all-consuming love meant to last forever, but it was love just the same.
When she opened her eyes again, Sylvia was watching her.
“Thank you,” Meg said. “Thank you for letting me love your son.”
Then she turned to go.
Meg arrived five minutes early for her lunch date with her mom and Kendall. She took a few minutes to study the spotless decor, the creative menu, the cheerful patrons lined up at the door waiting to get a table at Portland’s hottest new restaurant.
“Sorry I’m late,” Kendall said, sliding in beside Meg and dropping her giant purse on the floor beside her. She unfolded her napkin in her lap and looked around. “This place is nice. Very hip.”
“One of Matt’s ex-girlfriends owns it,” Meg said. “Brittney Fox.”
Kendall frowned and picked up her water glass. “Was this a girlfriend he had before, after, or during your relationship?”
“Before. Or maybe after. I don’t remember.”
“Oh-kay,” Kendall said. “You sure you’re doing all right?”
“Positive.” Meg waved to her mother across the restaurant. Her mom spotted her and hustled over.
“Good Lord, parking is atrocious out there. Sorry I’m late, baby.” Patti stooped and kissed her on the cheek before moving on and giving Kendall a hug. “It’s good to see you, girls.”
“You, too, Patti,” Kendall said. “How are things?”
“Good. Better.” Meg’s mom smiled. “I had my lawyer draft divorce documents and I’m looking them over tomorrow. Things are moving fast.”
“Wow.” Kendall looked at her. “I’m not sure whether to offer congratulations, or condolences.”
“I’ll take both,” Patti said. “But thank you.”
Both women picked up their menus and began to skim. Meg had already made up her mind to order the halibut cheeks with beurre blanc and a side of creamed fennel, but she studied her menu anyway, thinking about how much thought and care and planning had gone into it. She set the menu aside and folded her hands on the table.
She looked up to see her mom and Kendall studying her. Her mother spoke first. “You’re really doing okay, Meg?”
Meg nodded, and the two women exchanged a glance. Kendall set her menu down and reached for Meg’s hand. “Have you heard from Kyle?”
“No.” She shook her head and trailed a finger through the condensation on her water glass. “He called once the day after he told me everything, but since then—” She shrugged, looking down at her glass. “It’s probably for the best. I spent two years having zero contact with him. I can just go back to the way things were.”
“Bullshit.”
Meg looked up, surprised to realize the word had come from her mother, not Kendall. “I beg your pardon?”
“Honey, no offense, but you can never go back to the way things were before.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I’d never seen you the way you were during those weeks you and Kyle were spending time together,” her mother said. “You were all lit up inside.”
“It’s like the bra,” Kendall added. “Now that you know what a properly-fitted bra is supposed to feel like, you can’t go back to wearing something two cup sizes too small with pokey underwire and straps that dig into your shoulders.”
“I can find another bra,” Meg argued as a waiter walked past and gave her a startled glance. “There are plenty of them out there. Lacy bras and silk bras and bras with gel inserts and comfort straps and crazy colors.”
Kendall shook her head and glanced at Patti before turning back to Meg again. “Not one that cups your boobs exactly the right way.”
Meg rolled her eyes, annoyed to be having this conversation with her best friend and her mother. She was spared from having more of it when the server came over. “Would you ladies like to hear about our chef’s specials?”
“Please,” Meg said, turning her attention to the eternal comfort of food.
