“It can’t be time to go already,” I mumbled against Alex’s shoulder, trying to ignore the alarm I’d set for two thirty. It was pitch black and raining outside. I groaned as I threw myself to the side and slapped at my phone. We’d been up until midnight, visiting with Alex’s family and playing dice around the kitchen table. Even the two little girls had stayed up late, finally falling asleep in family members’ laps. I felt like I hadn’t slept at all.

“They’ll be here in thirty, babe,” Alex replied, his voice hoarse from sleep and full of amusement.

“I know.” I slid my feet to the floor and stood up before I could convince myself to sleep for just a few more minutes.

I grabbed my toiletry bag and headed to the bathroom across the hall as quietly as I could. The house wasn’t very big, and I’d noticed that sound traveled through the house like a big tunnel. That had probably helped when Liz and Dan had children living with them, but it made things a little hard when you were trying to move around without waking anyone up.

It took me only about fifteen minutes to do my makeup and hair, and by the time I’d finished, I was wide awake. I was actually kind of excited to go shopping. I liked other women. I liked spending time with them and talking about clothes and shopping for deals and making big dinners. Once, when I was young, and I came home from school angry at another girl for some reason that I couldn’t even remember now, I’d said something nasty about her to my mother, and instead of giving me the affirmation I’d wanted, she’d looked at me in disappointment. No, she’d said softly. Do not do that. Women are the only people on this earth who will ever fully understand your joys and pains, your disappointments and triumphs. No man can ever understand a woman’s heart; only other women can do that. When you try to diminish a woman’s worth to make yourself feel worthy, you’re not only hurting her, you’re hurting yourself. Do you understand? I hadn’t understood her words then; they’d just been another thing for me to be angry about. Later, though, as I’d grown and dealt with my own heartbreaks, her meaning had become clear.

“I made coffee,” Liz said softly, smiling at me as I came out of the bathroom. “I didn’t want to startle you, so I didn’t knock.”

“Thanks,” I said in relief. “I’m exhausted.”

“We all are,” she snickered. “But the excitement of the deals will perk you right up, just wait.”

She tiptoed quietly down the hall as I let myself back inside the bedroom.