“So,” she continued, “if this doesn’t work, it doesn’t. If you have a spell where you go to your nursing home and decorate your house and go to movies by yourself, you do. If you find another guy, you try. But it would suck if we let those assholes beat us. It would suck if we let normal shit a lot of women endure and then bounce back from take us down for the count. So we shouldn’t. You should ride this out. Be smart. But see where it will take you. And hopefully at the very least it will take you to out of the zone of self-induced orgasms and into a new zone that feels a whole lot nicer.”

Her words were wise.

I just wondered if she heard them as she said them.

“Robin—” I started.

“Lawr isn’t the only one waking up while watching you go through the tough stuff,” she said quietly.

My heart settled.

Wouldn’t it be great if my brother and best friend were happy?

Wouldn’t it be even better if they found happy together?

It was too good to believe.

But I hoped for it all the same.

“Anyway, my ex-ass’s wife is a lesbian and he’s soon going to be paying double alimony, so if that’s not a shot in the pants, nothing is,” she added.

I burst out laughing.

She laughed with me.

My doorbell rang at the same time there came a pounding.

I twisted to it, heart starting to hammer, thinking I’d see Mickey in the frame and that was definitely early indication he was angry about something.

But I didn’t see Mickey.

I saw two bodies, both appeared female.

I had a feeling the afternoon nursing home entertainment had made the rounds.

“I think my friends Josie and Alyssa are here,” I said as the pounding kept coming and I folded out of my couch.

“Old folks talking,” she muttered.

“My guess…yes,” I confirmed.

“I’ll let you go, but sweetie?”

“Yeah?” I asked, ascending the living room steps.

“Go for it. Don’t let him shit on you. But take a chance on being happy.”

I smiled at my phone as I lifted my hand to the lock. “Thanks, sweets.”

“Later, darling.”

“’Bye, honey.”

We disconnected and I opened the door.

The instant I did, Alyssa sniped, “Seriously? Mickey? And you didn’t say anything?”

She pushed in and did it carrying what appeared to be a chilled bottle of vodka.

I turned to Josie to see her waving toward the driveway. I looked beyond her to see Jake pulling out of my drive in his truck.

“Apparently, we’re getting drunk,” Josie said under her breath when she turned to me. “Jake’s designated driver but he’s not staying for the inebriation part.”