“Is that how it feels with Micah?” Dani puts her mug down in her lap. “I don’t mean to pry, but I noticed you’ve been together a lot.”

“Since I walked in on you kissing this morning, I suppose it’s fair. Sorry about that, by the way. I should’ve knocked.”

She waves me off, skin pink. “Technically, this is your house, Meg. I should be the one apologizing.”

“But you’re not,” I notice.

She shakes her head. “Unless I offended you, I won’t apologize for kissing someone I love.”

I chew on that a minute and let it soak into my brain for later. “I’m not offended in the least.”

“Good. We women apologize too much.”

“How it feels with Micah,” I say, backing up, “is a little like we are helping each other become who we are meant to be. Not fixing each other, but pushing each other. He gets me, and I get him. It’s like our garbage perfectly matches up.”

“Is he your first boyfriend? You’re pretty young.”

I pull in both legs to a butterfly sit and bounce my knees. Dani means well, so I don’t allow myself to be irritated. She knows, more than anyone, what can happen if you fall for someone too early and too young. “He is. And we are pretty young. And I definitely never thought this would happen when I got to Marquette. Or even when I imagined going on this whole gap year. I set out to find myself, and I found him.”

Dani presses her lips together, and I know what she’s about to say.

“But,” I say, cutting off her good intentions, “he’s shown me parts of myself I didn’t know existed. Parts that I don’t know I would’ve found without him there to stir them up. If that makes sense?”

“Perfect sense, actually. And don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t mean to imply what you are feeling isn’t real. I just meant that you have lots of time for more garbage, as you say.” Her face flickers in amusement.

I groan. “Please, Jesus, spare us. We’ve had enough garbage already for one lifetime.”

Dani laughs out loud. “Amen, sister. At least you have each other.”

“Twice the garbage,” I mutter.

“Twice the strength, though, too.”

Surprisingly, Micah agrees to come to the bonfire. Even more shocking, so does Duke. It may or may not have something to do with the spiced applesauce muffins I made this afternoon and bribed them with.

I’ll never tell.

But Duke has eaten four.