For a moment, I wonder if she’s told them. Their sympathetic looks echo with understanding, but I suppose it could come from any of her losses and doubt she’d reveal something so personal to these… numpties. Still, I feel like I’ve skipped an entire season of a show I created, and everyone’s undergone cathartic changes except for me. Maybe I’m the numpty here.

Roy hands Christie the babydoll negligee. “You want that, Christie?”

“Course, Roy. Gem colors bring out my eyes,” he answers. “Right, Marnie?”

“It’s because you’re a gem,” she smirks, and everything suddenly feels lighter.

“May I suggest a cleansing ceremony?” Wren emerges from behind the counter like a gothic princess, timing her intervention. I hadn’t seen her there, as if her black garb made her blend into the background. “To release our negative energies?”

Marina bounces on her sneakers, bringing my eyes to her tight, worn jeans and green tank top. A broken belt loop dangles as she moves, making me want to tug it and pull her into me, especially after Roy’s remark about me not wanting her. What does he know?

“I love, love, love that idea!” she claps. “What if we each wrote down the things we need to let go of, and then… I don’t know—something symbolic of letting go?”

“We’ll make them into paper boats,” she says, “and we’ll set them free on the swamp.”

“Perfect! Look at you, so creative!” Marina beams. “What do you think, fellas?”

They exchange sheepish looks as if worried about what the others will say if they agree to it first. It’s not exactly normal operating procedure for them. They don’t even appear to be drinking today.

Wade speaks first. “I, um, well, there are a few things I could write down.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Roy agrees.

Christie gives his friends a proud grin. “It’s a beautiful idea. Let’s do it.”

Marina grabs a spiral notebook from a nearby shelf and tears out pages, handing one to everyone, including me. I ball up the rumpled manila envelope I’m still holding, ready to throw it away.

She grabs it instead. “I’ll hang on to that, thank you very much. Hey, Roy, is Bobby cute?”

“Oh, quite the looker,” he nods. “Still has all his own teeth. Not everyone loves the face and neck tatts, but his soulful brown eyes cover a multitude of sins. Know what I mean?”

“Hmm,” she smiles dreamily.

I snatch the envelope away. “You will not.”

Her brow cocks like she might call him just to spite me. Still, she doesn’t retrieve it from the trash can I toss it in. She hands everyone a pen from the case tucked into her green notebook and then brushes by me.

“Let’s meet at the pier in an hour,” she tells the group. The door chimes as she exits.