She might not be happy with the way her marriage is going, but she still loves the man she married. Even though she’s crying on what I can only assume is Brynn’s childhood bed on Thanksgiving, a part of me is still hoping there’s a chance this won’t end in total heartbreak.

“He told me I was being ridiculous and that if I didn’t like it, I could leave. Then he grabbed his car keys and drove to his mom’s house without even saying bye to the boys.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? What an asshole!” I know it’s not what I’m supposed to say, but my filter has up and left me. My heart is broken for her and my anger is off the charts. How could he not realize that he had the best of the best?

“I can’t believe he did that.” Poppy leans back on her elbows, her sweet baby bump sticking out for all to see. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“I don’t even know if it is him anymore.” Vonnie swipes at the tears on her face, leaving angry red marks in her wake. “He’s so different now. I don’t know if this is just the man he’s grown into or if it’s some brain thing. But what? Do I stick around and wait? If it is CTE, he’s sick, right? So I should stay, like I promised in my marriage vows. But there’s nothing to do to treat it, and you’ve seen what the women who have lived through CTE have said. Do I take that abuse and let my kids see it? Or do I protect myself and my boys? I don’t think there’s any way I can win in this situation.”

“Alright.” Brynn walks in and slams the door behind her. “The Lamar boys are in the basement with Ace playing that dance game on the Xbox, which is hilarious by the way; TK has Posie; and Mrs. Rafter is being entertained by Maxwell. Should we FaceTime Charli and Aviana? I feel like we should. I hate this whole trading, different teams thing. None of my friends should be allowed to move. Can I make that a rule?”

“Oh my god!” Vonnie shouts, effectively cutting off Brynn’s rambling. We all turn to look at her and when we do, she’s not only no longer crying, but she is staring at me in a way that, frankly, terrifies me. “Q gave you that D!”

I feel the blush rise from my neck as my mouth sputters like a dying fish, but nothing comes out. How could she know?

“What?” I finally manage to spit out, but it’s not the denial I was going for.

“She has a gift.” Brynn pats me on the shoulder. “Don’t fight it. She did it to me too.”