That accounted for the pride and the happiness from finally feeling like she had a place in this community. The melancholy...well. Her gaze sought out Gabe, who stood on the other side of the room talking to Cam Arlinghaus and Ryan Sorensen, who was Emma’s brother and Meredith’s fiancé.

Gabe smiled at something Ryan said, although even from this distance Angi could see it didn’t reach his eyes. He ran a hand through his thick hair, and she wondered if she was the only one who saw the lines of tension bracketing his mouth or the faint shadows under his eyes.

Who would look after him when he left Magnolia? Would he easily find another woman to make him smile and to push him so he didn’t revert to his loner habits?

She forced herself to look away. What Gabe did when he left town was none of her business. Christmas was drawing nearer, and after that they would stage a fake breakup and go their separate ways.

The thought made her chest burn.

“Why does this scene remind me of all of our high school dances?”

Angi suppressed a groan as Sara and her bestie, Abigail Johnson, the mom of Johnny Rotten, approached wearing twin sneers. From what she’d heard from Andrew, Johnny had left him and the other kids alone since the scout activity. Maybe the boy had learned something from his father leaving, and although Angi wouldn’t wish sadness on a child, she was relieved to have her son not being a target.

“Watered-down punch and the smell of sweat?” she asked conversationally, in no mood to take a trip down memory lane with these two former friends.

“Ew,” Sara muttered, pursing her glossy lips. “It’s familiar because you’re standing alone with no one to ask you to dance.” Sara gave a snide little giggle as she patted Abigail on the arm. “Remember how we let the cannoli princess tag along with our group because her parents always gave us free dinner beforehand?”

Angi drew in a deep breath. She remembered how it had felt to know that the people she considered her best friends were using her for their gain. She’d always been aware—even when she couldn’t admit it out loud—that the popular group kept her around because she was useful. Even after she’d lost the weight and grown into her looks, they’d still seen her as a means to an end.

At that point, it had seemed worth it. Oh, if she could go back and make a different choice—to be able to give the knowledge and experience of the person she was now to the girl she’d been.

“God, I loved your dad’s meatballs,” Abigail said, the words suffusing Angi with another layer of bitterness. Her parents had been so generous with her group of friends, thrilled to see their often awkward daughter fitting in. Too bad it had all been fake.

“I hope you both are having a good time tonight,” she said, deciding not to rise to Sara’s bait. The woman had always been as mean as a snake, and a master at hiding her cruelty behind soft words and a few well-chosen bless-your-hearts. “Abigail, I was sorry to hear about your divorce.”