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Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Abbi Waxman and her novels
  3. Berkley Titles by Abbi Waxman
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Summer
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. Fall
  45. THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. THIRTY-NINE
  47. FORTY
  48. FORTY-ONE
  49. FORTY-TWO
  50. FORTY-THREE
  51. FORTY-FOUR
  52. FORTY-FIVE
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Readers Guide
  56. Questions for Discussion
  57. About the Author
  58. What’s next onyour reading list?

Maggie stood up and swayed a little, putting her hand down on the table to steady herself. “Sarah once said I became a therapist to prove I was a nice person, to cover up the fact that I’m not a nice person at all. She said I talked a good game, but when it came down to it, I did nothing to support her at all.” Maggie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “And she’s right, and even though I feel differently now and I’m not the same person, she won’t let me close enough to show her.”

“So don’t wait for her to come to you,” urged Laura. “Go see her. Go take the biggest, dumbest toy you can find, and throw yourself down in apology.” She hurried to add. “Not literally, don’t break a bone.” She hugged Maggie, and thought of something else. “You know what else? Once she has the baby, she’s going to need your help, and you’ll be able to take action every day to help her, and show her how much you care. Plus,” she added, “she’ll see how hard it is to be a mom, which might help her cut you a little slack.”

Maggie smiled at her. “You’re very encouraging, you know that? You make difficult things seem eminently possible.”

Laura was surprised. “Really?”

Maggie nodded. “And not because you say it, but because you do it, too. I said it when we first met and I’ll say it again, you’re kind of a legend.” She headed for the stairs but paused. “Laura?”

Laura was clearing the table, and looked up. “Yes, Maggie?”

“Thanks.”

Laura shrugged and tipped her head to one side, not sure what Maggie was thanking her for. Then she finished cleaning the kitchen and went to her room.

FORTY-THREE

Because life rolls on regardless of whether you want it to or not, Laura didn’t have much time to think about Bob over the next few days. Polly and Nina were very focused on an upcoming store event, and when Liz announced she was going away for the weekend with her boyfriend, Nina called Laura in a panic.

She’d obviously had a lot of coffee and should have been cut off cups and cups earlier. “The creator of SnaggleBuggle is coming to the store for a special daytime event, and it’s going to be a total shit show. We need all hands on deck, but Liz is taking her hands and running for the hills. She says it’s for love, but I think it’s because she doesn’t like the publisher of SnaggleBuggle and is objecting the only way she knows how.” Nina’s voice got higher. “But who’s really paying for her industrial action, eh? Me! Me!”