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Authors: Erin Duffy
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the exact life Jane had spent the last twenty years trying to avoid. She had barely pressed the doorbell before the door opened and Cara stood in front of her, slack jawed and bewildered.
âHey,â Jane said with a weak wave. It had been years. She had no idea where to start, but hello seemed as good a place as any.
ââHeyâ?â Cara repeated, staring at her like she was an alien and not someone who used to borrow her bathing suits. âThatâs what you have to say to me?â She peered at Jane again, and Jane knew immediately what she was thinking. Cara had been one of the prettiest girls in school (though she either truly didnât know it or truly didnât care), with hazel eyes that flecked gold or green or auburn depending on what color shirt she wore, bouncy hair that didnât require a straightening iron, and skin that never needed makeup. She was the quintessential all-American, natural girl who never needed any help enhancing what she was born with, whereas Jane now had so many fillers in her face she basically looked like a wax figure. She was sure Cara was horrified by the implants and wondered how long it would take her to ask about them. In fact, she was surprised it had already taken this long.
âI always found it to be a good ice breaker,â Jane joked. There had been a time when Cara had loved Janeâs ability to laugh at any situation. She realized that that was probably no longer the case, but falling back into her old role made her feel less uncomfortable about seeking refuge in a friend she hadnât seen in years.
âWhat are you doing here? You havenât been here since before you eloped. Eight years ago.â
âI know. It hasnât changed a bit. Neither have you,â Jane said. She meant it, but she was afraid she came off as insincere.
âI wish I could say the same,â Cara answered. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. Jane didnât expect to be welcomed with a bottle of champagne, but the icy insult caught her off guard.
âHow have you been?â Jane asked. She couldnât believe hownervous she feltâhow this woman had become a stranger. For a second she wondered if maybe she was wrong to assume that her old friend would want to help. Maybe too much had happened between them. Janeâs heart ached as she tried to prepare herself for the possibility that Cara, like everyone else in her life, might turn her back on her.
âSpare me the pleasantries, Jane. Why are you here? What , did your elitist friends in the city ditch you when they discovered that your husband is a white-collar criminal?â
âBasically.â It seemed silly to lie, especially since sheâd just paid seventy dollars she didnât have on cab fare to get here. Still, it wasnât easy to announce how pathetic sheâd become, especially not to Cara. The last thing Jane needed was to give Cara yet another reason to say her four favorite words: I told you so.
âGee, couldnât have seen that one coming.â
âYou donât have to look like youâre enjoying watching my life implode on the news, Cara. Iâve paid plenty for my husbandâs sins. I donât have any money. I donât have any friends. And Iâm about to be evicted from my apartment. Iâve begged the feds to give me access to something so that I can get out of there and start over, but they werenât interested in helping me. I feel like Iâm drowning and I donât know what to do.â Jane choked on her words. Asking for help wasnât easy, and having her oldest friend look at her like she didnât recognize her wasnât making anything easier. If someone had told her this would happen to their relationship, she never wouldâve believed it. Not ever. Not for anything.
âYou asked the feds for a favor and were denied? I wish I couldâve seen the temper tantrum
âHey,â Jane said with a weak wave. It had been years. She had no idea where to start, but hello seemed as good a place as any.
ââHeyâ?â Cara repeated, staring at her like she was an alien and not someone who used to borrow her bathing suits. âThatâs what you have to say to me?â She peered at Jane again, and Jane knew immediately what she was thinking. Cara had been one of the prettiest girls in school (though she either truly didnât know it or truly didnât care), with hazel eyes that flecked gold or green or auburn depending on what color shirt she wore, bouncy hair that didnât require a straightening iron, and skin that never needed makeup. She was the quintessential all-American, natural girl who never needed any help enhancing what she was born with, whereas Jane now had so many fillers in her face she basically looked like a wax figure. She was sure Cara was horrified by the implants and wondered how long it would take her to ask about them. In fact, she was surprised it had already taken this long.
âI always found it to be a good ice breaker,â Jane joked. There had been a time when Cara had loved Janeâs ability to laugh at any situation. She realized that that was probably no longer the case, but falling back into her old role made her feel less uncomfortable about seeking refuge in a friend she hadnât seen in years.
âWhat are you doing here? You havenât been here since before you eloped. Eight years ago.â
âI know. It hasnât changed a bit. Neither have you,â Jane said. She meant it, but she was afraid she came off as insincere.
âI wish I could say the same,â Cara answered. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. Jane didnât expect to be welcomed with a bottle of champagne, but the icy insult caught her off guard.
âHow have you been?â Jane asked. She couldnât believe hownervous she feltâhow this woman had become a stranger. For a second she wondered if maybe she was wrong to assume that her old friend would want to help. Maybe too much had happened between them. Janeâs heart ached as she tried to prepare herself for the possibility that Cara, like everyone else in her life, might turn her back on her.
âSpare me the pleasantries, Jane. Why are you here? What , did your elitist friends in the city ditch you when they discovered that your husband is a white-collar criminal?â
âBasically.â It seemed silly to lie, especially since sheâd just paid seventy dollars she didnât have on cab fare to get here. Still, it wasnât easy to announce how pathetic sheâd become, especially not to Cara. The last thing Jane needed was to give Cara yet another reason to say her four favorite words: I told you so.
âGee, couldnât have seen that one coming.â
âYou donât have to look like youâre enjoying watching my life implode on the news, Cara. Iâve paid plenty for my husbandâs sins. I donât have any money. I donât have any friends. And Iâm about to be evicted from my apartment. Iâve begged the feds to give me access to something so that I can get out of there and start over, but they werenât interested in helping me. I feel like Iâm drowning and I donât know what to do.â Jane choked on her words. Asking for help wasnât easy, and having her oldest friend look at her like she didnât recognize her wasnât making anything easier. If someone had told her this would happen to their relationship, she never wouldâve believed it. Not ever. Not for anything.
âYou asked the feds for a favor and were denied? I wish I couldâve seen the temper tantrum
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