Once they were seated on the top step, cushions under their backsides and the scent of warm grass tickling their nostrils, Kelly turned to Nicole.

“Last night, I saw Paula through your eyes and I didn’t like what I saw. I’m going to break it off with her.” Before falling asleep, Kelly had thought long and hard about her relationship and when her heart didn’t ache she knew she’d made the right decision.

Care and concern radiated in Nicole’s eyes.

Taking a guess as to why, Kelly added, “The only part you played in our breakup was sitting back and letting me make my own mistakes, so don’t for a minute think any of this was your fault.”

Nicole placed a hand on Kelly’s forearm. “It’s been a rough week for you, Kel, and as much as I don’t think Paula’s going to take the news lying down, I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it.”

She puffed out her chest. “If she goes all Rambo on you, I’ve got your back.” She deflated. “Not really, I’m a lover not a fighter.”

The words were so lame they both burst out laughing.

“Thanks, girlfriend.” Kelly bumped shoulders with Nicole. “So, tell me, my little sleuth, in amongst all the chaos, did your panty sniffing radar go off?”

With a clunk, Nicole set her coffee mug down on the concrete step. Her eyes lit up. “I wondered when you’d ask.”

In awe of her friend, Kelly swallowed a slice of humble pie. Nicole was practically bursting at the seams, yet she hadn’t said a word until she was sure Kelly was ready to hear it.

As much as she was dying to know what Nicole had to say, Kelly took the time to ask Nicole if she was okay. “How are you doing? You know you can tell me if you’re upset about the way Colette or Paula spoke to you.”

An airplane flew overhead. They both glanced up, watching it soar through the clear blue sky until it was little more than a white spot in the distance.

Nicole turned to Kelly. “Hell no, I’m not upset. When she made fun of what our parents do for a living, I wanted to stab her eyes out, with my fork.”

Nicole softened her voice and pointed back and forth between them. “You and me, we didn’t come from money or brains.”

“Hey speak for yourself.” Kelly grinned. “I’ve got plenty of brains, I just didn’t want to wear them out at university.”

Truth was, Kelly had never dreamed of being a lawyer, or an accountant or anything else that required a degree. She earned half as much money as people in power, but suspected she was twice as happy. She’d never been surrounded by riches, but she’d always been surrounded by love.