Delighted to have the perfect opportunity to talk Nicole out of going, Kelly didn’t hold back. “I hear those type of social gatherings can be dangerous.” She plastered on a smile. “And as a responsible adult I must advise against you attending.”

Once again, the pillow flew across the room, smacking Kelly in the chest.

“You are such a dork.” Nicole grinned. “And, according to Madam, it’s you who needs to grow up.”

Although said in jest, the words knocked the wind out of Kelly’s sails. “You’re right. Look at us acting like a couple of little kids playing pillow frisbee instead of twenty-five-year-old women.”

An angry scowl creased Nicole’s forehead. “Oh, no you don’t! Don’t you dare go there.” She stabbed the air with her finger. “You’re perfect just the way you are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Feeling chastised and a little defensive, Kelly asked the question she should’ve asked months ago. “Is that why you don’t like Paula?

The few seconds it took for Nicole to reply felt like forever. Kelly wanted an honest answer, but dreaded it at the same time.

“Oh, Kel. I don’t know her well enough to say I don’t like her, but she comes across as someone who thinks she’s better than everyone else. And that pisses me off.”

Amused, Kelly quirked a brow. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”

And just like that they were back to playing pillow Frisbee, giggling like school girls. It felt good.

Kelly’s mind flashed back to a day at the beach not long after she’d turned twelve. Her dad had picked her mum up and tossed her into the surf after she’d complained one too many times the water was too cold. She had surfaced wiping water out of her eyes and looking like a drowned rat.

After a beat, her mum had climbed to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. Rather than go ape-shit at their father, like Kelly and her sister had expected, their mum had sidled up to their dad and deposited a handful of sand down the back of his shorts.

The girls had burst into fits of laughter, watching their dad waddle toward the water as if he had a giant turd in his pants. Score to Mum!

The event had been retold at many family gatherings, including her father’s funeral, and was always met with raucous laughter.

On the drive home from the beach, Kelly’s mum had looked at their father with love in her eyes, and turned to her daughters safely buckled in the backseat. “Life’s too short to stop having fun, girls. No matter how old you get, never forget that.”