Her tone is resolute and Caroline doesn’t argue, not even to say that she never watches Abbie because she has to, but because she wants to.

Everything inside of her feels jumbled up and she watches Hannah knock on her parents’ door from the car before she presses her forehead against the steering wheel.

Her job brought Hannah into her life and the ultimate irony is that doing her job to the best of her ability might be what also ruins everything between them, too.

***

She’s pretty shocked when she sees Hannah and Abbie on Easter.

She hasn’t seen or heard from them for a few days and she feels their absence viscerally. Like a constant, low ache inside of her that refuses to be soothed.

In all honesty, it feels worse than any breakup she’s ever been through. She doesn’t allow herself to think too hard about that. She builds a cage around it in her mind and leaves it alone.

The last few months have just happened so easily for them that she didn’t think about how lonely it feels without them. Even just a quick message to check in. Or going to grab a drink at The Bean Dream on her lunch break on Friday, as she’s done for weeks.

When Hannah would see her come in and her face would soften into a smile and she would take her ten minute break at the same time.

She’s trying to not let herself think about it when she goes inside, only to be immediately reminded.

“Where’s your friend?” Her mom asks her as soon as she walks through the door. More like demands from her.

“Huh?” She gestures to the six small Easter baskets filled with candy and a large Tupperware bowl of pasta salad balanced in her hands. “Usually you let me put my stuff down before any interrogation.”

“Hannah, your polite friend. I invited her and Abbie to the Easter egg hunt this afternoon. She’s a sweet girl, huh?” Her mom smiles, clearly charmed by Abbie – who wouldn’t be? Before she lightly swats at Melissa as she bumps into them and then continues onward without saying a word as she’s texting.

Immediately, she can feel her heart twist in her chest.

“Oh. Um. I don’t think she’s coming.” She can hear the glumness in her own tone.

She’s been pretty fucking glum for a few days, though. The fact that Hannah thought she would use Abbie as a bargaining chip weighs on her, along with wondering if does trust her, really

It means far more to her than she wants to admit.

Her parents and brothers call her out on her moroseness throughout the morning, which she has had enough of by noon.