Maggie slams her drink down onto the table. “Come on, Kara! Everyone knows that pancakes are the international breakfast food of love. You guys are absolutely getting back together, so I don’t want to hear any more complaints. You’re losing your mind and you’re taking me with you.”

“It’s not that simple,” I try to explain.

“Ugh, fine. So you guys have a tortured, soap opera past. So what?”

“It’s not just that. How can I be with Ryan when he and I were the reason for what happened with my dad?”

“What are you talking about?” Maggie’s voice is peppered with confusion. “You and Ryan didn’t cause anything with your dad. That was just bad timing.”

I shake my head. I shouldn’t have brought that part up. That’s just for me.

“Never mind that bit. I just don’t think Ryan sees me that way.”

“Yes, he does see you that way, and I know for a fact that you can get him back with minimal effort. People will wait in line at the DMV for a substantially longer time than it will take for you to rekindle this romance.”

I take a big sip of my coffee, tulip or no tulip.

“Straight men want women, Kara. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter if it’s their wife, a girlfriend, an ex-girlfriend or the friendly but eccentric band geek from their senior year music composition class.”

“That last description feels very specific to you.”

“It was. Kurt Wyatt and I went on to have many a tryst in the instrument storage closet. I still think about those days fondly.” She gazes off into the distance for a bit until I clear my throat and she focuses on our conversation. “So yes, all I’m saying is that if a guy sees a woman and he’s attracted to her, then he wants her. And if he’s single, he’ll go after her if she even slightly alludes to the fact that she wants him, too.”

“But I don’t want Ryan just to want me.”

“Then what do you want?”

I take a second to think about it. “I don’t know. I want more than that.”

“You want more, meaning you want him to love you again.”

I don’t correct her. I don’t tell her no. I should. I need to.

“You do,” she affirms. “You want him to love you again.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You don’t have to. What is it about him that’s so special anyways? I’ve never seen you this wound up over a guy before.”