Honestly, it would be Caroline’s pleasure. She’s only leaving for a few days, but it feels like it’s going to be forever without seeing Hannah or Abbie at all. Her dad is driving her to catch her flight and he parks on the street, giving Caroline a quick smile before he says, “Bring me back a coffee? And tell Hannah I said hi.”

Caroline salutes him.

She steps into the café and is immediately thrown back to almost exactly a year ago. The lights and garlands are all tacked up. There’s a menorah in the window, next to a little Christmas tree that’s decorated with coffee-themed ornaments. The cups on display have those little stupid cartoon lights, and the specials board has little intricate snowflakes drawn on it, but she now knows those were deftly drawn by Hannah.

Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town is playing over the speaker and this year, she can’t feel muster up her typical ire.

She’s barely halfway to the register, though, when Hannah’s eyes land on her. And it’s most definitely the most angry look she’s ever received from her.

Immediately, her stomach drops to her feet and she shakes her head. Somehow, she feels like she walked into a trap, as Hannah turns to look at Jo. “I need to take my break.”

Her manager just nods, and Hannah tilts her head, indicating that Caroline should follow her. She does, feeling like she’s about to be sick to her stomach with every step they take into the back storage room.

“What did you say to Michael?” Hannah demands to know, her tone low, tense and pissed.

Caroline shakes her head, immediately thrown back into the morning, guilt swamping her stomach. “Did Abbie hear anything? I had her go inside –”

She thinks there’s a subtle softening of Hannah’s eyes at that, but then she closes them tightly, hissing out a breath between clenched teeth. “No, I haven’t heard anything from Abbie. Do you know how many texts I’ve had from Michael in the last few hours? And a phone call. About keeping my girlfriend and my sex life away from Abbie.”

“Why would you say anything to him?” Hannah demands. “Why wouldn’t you just turn around and walk away?”

The same regret she’d felt this morning wells up again and she shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I am. And I wanted to walk away; I know I should have.” She shakes her head, biting her lip. “It’s something I’m going to have to work on.” But when she thinks about what Michael had said, she can still feel the residual anger inside of her. “I’m always going to have a hard time hearing someone say terrible things about you or about us, and not saying anything back.”

It’s just the truth. She shouldn’t have engaged with Michael, but –