“Home,” I say one word. “Go back to the gang and call me later,” I say, hanging up before she has a chance to answer. I lean back in my chair and look out the window at the darkness outside. I don’t know how long I sit here staring off into the distance. Getting up, I finally walk to the living room and pick up the leftover pizza sitting in the open box. The two plates both with the uneaten pieces of pizza just sitting there. I shut the box when I hear a knock on the door. My eyes fly up, and my heart speeds up. I stand here, wondering if I should answer it when the knock comes again. This time a bit harder and then harder right after. My feet take off before my brain, and I swing the door open, holding my breath and expecting to see a tall guy with my brown eyes and black hair. Except it’s not. She has blond hair and tears in her eyes almost like she’s afraid.

“Oh my God,” Karrie says, running in to take me in her arms. “I got so scared.” She wraps me into her arms, and the first tear slips out. She moves out of my arms and puts her hands on my arms and looks at me. “What happened?”

“What are you doing here?” I ask her as another tear slips out, and I swing my hand so fast it flies off my face before it even falls.

“You called me, and I knew something was wrong,” she says, coming in and closing the door. Walking to the living room, she sees the box of pizza there. “Where’s Mark?”

“Gone,” I tell her, standing here. Not sure what to do, I wring my hands together, and she doesn’t ask anything else because her phone rings.

“Hello,” she says, answering it and putting it in front of her face.

“Hey, did you get there?” Matthew says. “Is she okay?”

Her eyes fly to mine, and I stand here wide-eyed as I look at her. “Yeah, she’s okay. She just has the ball stuck.” I look at her confused.

“How does a ball get stuck in your vagina, Vivi?” Matthew says, and my mouth goes wide.

“Matthew, I told you that in secret, and it’s for Kegels so the vagina stays tighter,” she tells him, and I put my hand to my mouth.

“You need to get a magnet and put it in there, and it’ll just zap it down,” he says, and in the middle of all this, I laugh. “I’ll see you tomorrow night at the game,” he says.

“Thank you for being the best husband,” Karrie says, looking at him and then hanging up.

“A ball stuck in my vagina?” I shriek, and she lifts her hands.

“What the fuck was I supposed to tell him?” she shouts.