She paused, took a breath. “It took me seeing the situation I helped create hurt someone else to realize that it had to stop. And I’m sorry for that.”

Yes, she had planned to leave Glenn. But Gloria wasn’t sure she would have had the guts to press charges, to turn over all those humiliating photos to the police, if the man she’d once loved hadn’t hurt someone else. That made her even more disappointed in herself.

Harper shrugged off the apology. “It was worth it if it helps you build a life you want. How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Gloria said, pushing the pickle spear around her plate. “I’m staying with my mother for now. And I pressed charges.” Feeling an unexpected lightness in saying the words, Gloria picked up her sandwich and took another bite.

There was so much silence in shame. Maybe getting the words out would ease a small bit of her burden?

“That’s very brave of you,” Harper said.

Gloria shook her head. “It would have been braver had I done it years ago.”

Harper patted her hand lightly. “Life moves pretty fast. There’s not a lot of room for coulda, shoulda, woulda.”

“Sometimes that’s all I can think about. How different my life would be if I had gone to college or never started dating him.” Whoa, Nelly. First, she couldn’t form a coherent sentence and now she was spilling her guts?

Harper’s big gray eyes widened with understanding. “Maybe now you have that chance? See what your life would be without him in it.”

Gloria didn’t know why she was blurting out her secret shame to a complete stranger. It must have been the roast beef. But she couldn’t stop the flood of words. “It’s hard. I don’t really have any friends left. I guess it’s not easy to be friends with someone who keeps making the wrong decision over and over again. Eventually, everyone has to decide whether or not it’s worth it to keep trying.”

And the old Gloria Parker hadn’t been worth it.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Harper asked as Gloria contemplated sinking into the downward spiral that beckoned.

She sat straighter. “I’m going to get a job, find a place to live, and be worth it.” Gloria felt the words vibrate inside her. This was her life. Her choice.

Harper nodded her approval and bit enthusiastically into her pickle spear. “Sounds like a good plan to me. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Wanna be friends?” Gloria offered. “I’ll understand if your answer’s no. Considering I got you punched in the face.” A joke. A very small, not very funny joke. Maybe she really was going to be okay.