“I don’t know what to say to that or how to react.” Lou felt numb, like the part of her brain responsible for telegraphing emotions had been turned off.

“You don’t have to say anything. But you asked, so I told you. This is what I told Micky, who was surprisingly understanding.”

“What did she say?”

“I, er, I don’t feel comfortable repeating her words.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. Just tell me.” Lou was surprised by the vehemence in her own voice. “First Micky doesn’t want to tell me what you said, now you don’t want to tell me what she said. That’s all well and good, if only I wasn’t caught dead in the middle of it all.” She shook her head.

“Okay.” Mia nodded. “She said I was just a kid back then. A troubled kid who made a mistake. It happened fifteen years ago and despite the severity of bullying, I, er, I guess I should forgive myself. Something like that. I’m paraphrasing.”

“And have you forgiven yourself?” Lou asked, hearing echoes of Amber’s words about how forgiveness is the only way forward. “And do you expect me to forgive you as well?”

“I will never forgive myself. But I have allowed myself to move on. To live a life I can be proud of, be someone I can be proud of. And no, I would never ask for your forgiveness. I would never ask you for anything.”

Lou glanced at Mia. All the things she had thought about her before, about how confident and charismatic she was, had been stripped away. This was yet another version of Mia. The one who looked as decimated as Lou had felt fifteen years ago.

“I’m glad you told me,” she said.

“Thanks for asking.” Mia appeared so distraught, Lou had to suppress to urge to sit next to her and throw a comforting arm around her shoulder. The thought dawned on her that, perhaps, she had started forgiving Mia already. Maybe she had started after seeing Mia’s tears at Glow that night, the obvious anguish on her face at being confronted with her former self. Or when she’d walked away from her at the Pink Bean after Lou had invited her to come to yoga. Or when she’d been pleading her case to Annie and Jane, so alive and in her element. Or simply when she’d been looking at her while Mia was at work in the Pink Bean, like she had done so earlier. The Mia who didn’t know Lou was watching. The unencumbered, free person Lou had taken such offense to and who was the polar opposite of the person sitting across from her right now.