“Cider.” Sadie shrugged. “They should be able to seat us, even without a rezzi. There’s only six of us, seven if—hey, Rachel, you wanna join us?”

One of the quieter fifth-grade teachers blushed and nodded shyly, stepping over to join the group. “I wasn’t sure if I was invited, but it sounds fun.”

Via couldn’t help but admire Sadie. Always shouting out her thoughts and inviting people to do things. She wore bright, mismatched clothes, and chewed gum the second the kids were out the door. She just always looked like she was having fun. Via thought back to their lunch together, the ease with which Sadie had talked about the holidays and coming out to her family. Via would have bet a lot of money that Sadie’s aura wasn’t lonely, boring blue.

A few moments later, Sebastian came striding back over, a bright smile on his face. Via looked up for just a second, but her eyes skated away before she could stop them. He slung his bag over his shoulder. “Where are we going?”

THE WALK OVER to the bar, just a few blocks, was boisterous and loose. Honestly, the yoga had relaxed the teachers way more than the Friday night happy hours ever did. Via walked in the front of the group with Grace and Shelly. She oohed and aahed over the grandkid pictures that Shelly was showing.

She liked the two of them. Shelly was sweet and a little shy. Grace was much more outgoing and could be crass. They had a good friendship going and Via liked being around them.

None of them had changed out of their workout clothes, despite the early October chill, and the bartender did a double take when the group filed in to the bar. It wasn’t too busy for a Brooklyn bar on a Monday night, but they had to squeeze to fit into the last table.

A bolt of inspiration hit Via. Something she’d never done before but always wanted to. “First round’s on me,” she told the group.

A series of little cheers and hoots greeted her as each person told her their order. Mostly beers and wine; Grace requested sherry.

Via leaned against the bar, trying to get the bartender’s attention and smiling to herself. She’d never had expendable money before. Not that she really did right now either, but she had enough in her fun fund to drop a hundred bucks at the bar for her friends. It filled her up to be able to do it. She wished, as she so often did, that she could take a snapshot of this moment and message it back through time to the twelve-year-old foster kid who she’d been. She just wanted to tell little Via that she was headed for good things. Adulthood. Stability. The ability to throw a little money around every once in a while.

Via’s phone chirped in her pocket, and she opened up the text from Evan. Her smile instantly dimmed. He was irritated that she’d made other plans. And his job interview this morning had not gone well. The bubbling happiness that had been rising through Via just a second before was hardening, forming into a dull lump in her chest.