“It’s just . . . adolescent, okay? You should be more aware.”

She gave him a pointed look. “I’m gonna give you a pass because I think you’re really sad today, but in my heart, I’m saying fuck off. I miss her, too, you know.”

“I know. Best friends from third grade.” Sarah had used that as an introduction every goddamn time she’d come to an appointment with them. Her way of saying, Hi! I’m important!

“Second grade, actually.”

“If you were best friends, why were you always so . . . pissy with her?” he asked. “You think no one noticed? Even at our wedding, you looked like you bit a lemon.”

“Josh! I did not! I was happy for her.”

“Yeah. And jealous.”

“Yes! And jealous! They can exist at the same time, you know.”

“It was more than jealousy. You resented her. Long before we got married. You always felt like you came in second, and you blamed her for it. She felt it, you know. You only became a great friend when she was sick. When it was easy because you finally had something on her. Health.”

She burst into tears. “Jesus, Josh! That’s so unfair.”

It was. But he didn’t say anything else. Just shrugged, like an asshole.

“How dare you!” she shouted, jumping to her feet. “How fucking dare you, Joshua? I loved her like a sister. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not the only one who lost someone. You’re not the first, you’re not the last, and you’re not unique. This poor-widower-who-can-barely-feed-himself act is getting a little tired, don’t you think?”

“I think you should leave,” he said, looking at the wall over her head.

“Oh, believe me, I’m already leaving. You’re welcome for the help, by the way. Asshole.”

She breezed past him and Pebbles, who was wagging her tail, hoping for a pet. A second later, the door slammed.

“Good,” he said.

But it wasn’t. He’d been a dick, and he felt himself flush with guilt and shame.

“Hello, Joshua! Can I come in?” Radley.

Josh went into the living room. “Hey. Yeah, of course.”

“Hey, I passed a woman on the stairs. She was angry and crying?”

Shame heated his face. “Yeah. Lauren’s friend.”

“Uh-oh. Want to talk about it?”

“No. Let’s get this couch downstairs, and then the bed, okay?”

“You’re the boss.”

Josh and Radley removed the cushions and throw pillows from the couch. Lauren had bought them from her beloved Target, and when, goddamnit, when would he stop thinking of her every second of the day?

“Heave ho,” Radley said as Pebbles sniffed and wagged and licked Radley’s jeans. They wrestled the couch out the door and onto the elevator, came back for the cushions and pillows, went down and loaded everything into the truck, then repeated the process with the bed.

That one was harder, emotionally speaking.