She wondered, in the moments where she felt capable of thought, how she would feel if Morgan showed up and announced that she’d gone into business with Hannah. Shitty, probably. But shitty enough to call things off? No, she decided. She would not have done that. Not without an explanation. Or perhaps Morgan was still in love with Kate. She couldn’t even blame her after meeting the woman, but then what had this summer meant to Morgan? A fling? Something to be tossed aside the moment the season changed? The anger warmed her, and she clung to it until it dissipated and left her once again empty and floating in the void.

The knock on her door roused her out of one of her naps. Nell perked her ears and slid off the bed. Emilia contemplated getting up and then thought better of it. Whoever it was would go away.

The person knocked again. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

Beside her, her phone buzzed. She peered at the screen.

LL: I know you’re home. Open up?

Lillian? She sat up. Why was Lillian here? Nell trotted downstairs while Emilia weighed her options. She could lie here like a broken toy, proving to herself and everyone around her that she was still too fragile to function or she could answer the goddamn door.

Lillian and Stormy waited on the doorstep. Stormy hefted a growler of a pale beer, and Lillian scratched the backside Nell presented her.

“Um, hi,” she said, belatedly realizing her hair was a tangled mess and she’d been wearing the same pair of sweats and one of her father’s old T-shirts for three days straight.

“Morgan’s an idiot,” Lillian said by way of greeting, “but you’re not getting rid of us unless you want to.”

“And even then we’ll put up a fight,” said Stormy. “You got some glasses for this?”

Emilia stared at the two of them with her mouth open in shock. None of her old friends—Hannah’s friends—had come forward like this after their breakup. Sure, one or two of them texted her to say they were sorry about her dad before they drifted out of her life, but not one had physically shown up for her. Their eyes met hers, full of compassion, and she burst into tears. She’d been doing that a lot lately.

Five minutes later, sniffling on her front step with two pairs of arms around her, she managed a smile.

“Thank you.”

“Did you really think we’d let you disappear on us?” said Stormy.

“I would have come by sooner, but it took me six days to dig the truth out of Dickhead.” Lillian rubbed soothing circles on Emilia’s back. “I love her, but sometimes she’s impossible.”