‘Sarah, wait. Let me say this.’ I sighed again, but I shut my mouth. ‘We’ve only known each other a short time, but you are dear to me and I have watched the two of you together over this past week.

‘Sarah, that man loves you.’

‘What?’ Love? Who said anything about love? I mean, sex, yes. Friendship? That too. But love? I mean … fuck. What?

‘You don’t believe me.’ It wasn’t a question. She stated it like a fact, and she was right. But still, she was my friend and in this scenario, kind of like my big sister. I should at least hear her out, right?

Suddenly, my head hurt. I rubbed at the spot between my eyebrows. Yep – a crease the size of the Grand Canyon. Confusion was not only bad for wrinkles, it also caused tension headaches.

‘Look, Gary would say that this is none of my business.’ My look must have told her I agreed with Gary. ‘But, you’re my friend, and I can’t not say something. I see something special developing between the two of you. From the outside, it looks like what I have with Gary.

‘And you know I just love that man. God, he makes me laugh. Being with him fills me up. And he’s sexy and fun, and he takes care of me – even when I’m being a grumpy cow.’ She laughed then. ‘You’re looking at me like I’m a little crazy.’ I was? ‘I am grumpy sometimes. I know you haven’t seen that, but it’s true. And he’s there for me. He can handle me like that,’ she added.

‘What I see with you and Josh is that intense friendship and passion all rolled together. And, again, I know this is totally not my business …’ I was starting to think that it should be her business – I mean an actual business. Like, she should be a counsellor or something. ‘But I thought you should know that being on the outside and seeing you two together, well, it’s lovely.’

Lovely? Josh and I are lovely? Holy fuck.

‘And all of that led to me asking when you’re going to Chicago. I’m sorry – I’m so nosy. I just—’

It was my turn to cut her off, finally finding my voice. ‘Marie, you’re right.’ She immediately misunderstood where I was going, and her face lit up into the smile of a matchmaker who’d made the perfect match. ‘No, not about that. I mean about us – you and me – we are friends – dear friends – and I am totally fine with you being nosy. It’s sweet and you have given me a lot to think about. But until this conversation, I hadn’t even thought beyond tomorrow. I mean, I have, but every time I do, it’s that Josh and I say goodbye and it’s sad, and I never see him again.’