Jeanine leaned in with a smile. “I think I know where you’re going with this, and I’ll be honest, it had occurred to me.”

Carly grinned. “Just a thought. Totally up to you.”

Later that night, alone her hotel room in the theater district, Carly sent Lauren one of her routine texts. She rarely heard back but that wasn’t the point of them. It’s me, game show queen, saying hello.

This time, she got a response. Hey, there, GSQ. How are you?

She fell back against the pillow in delight. Every part of her went warm. She sat up again, invigorated. Lay back again and sat back up, ready to type. Good. I feel like I hit a reset button on some big items in my life. I moved. She hit send, feeling nervous and energetic about the fact that she was conversing with Lauren, who she missed so very much. To her amazement, the phone in her hand buzzed, signaling not just a text, but an incoming call from Lauren.

She didn’t hesitate and slid onto the call. “Hi.”

“Hey, you.” God, that voice. “Tell me about these changes.”

Carly did. She told Lauren about the new home, the unexpected fun she was having on the celebrity game show circuit, and how she saw a new path for herself that surprisingly made her much happier than the old one. “I would never have guessed that I’d be happier once I focused less on status, but I am. I’m choosing things for myself that make me smile.”

“What’s one of them?”

God, it felt good to talk about daily life things with Lauren again, like the most cleansing of breaths. “There’s an adorable café near my new house that I’d love to take you to one day. I eat lunch there twice a week and either take a book or a play to read, or just people watch.”

Lauren was quiet for a minute. “That makes me really happy. All of it. You have no idea.” There was a wistful quality in the way she said it that had Carly unnerved.

“What about you?”

“The play is over and I’m taking a little time for myself. Sleeping in. Taking Rocky for long walks.”

“Enjoying it?”

Lauren hesitated. “It’s been an interesting time. My crossroads, I guess.”

“I miss you.” The words were so automatic. That’s how Carly knew how deeply she meant them.

Lauren’s voice was quiet. “I miss you, too.”

“Good night, Lauren.”

“Sweet dreams, Carly.”

They hadn’t spoken about their romance or a possible future, but Carly knew without a doubt that their connection remained very much intact. She smiled and slid beneath her sheets. She just had to stay the course. Patience was a virtue, right?

* * *