Before anything else can slip out, Hannah is stepping closer and pressing her body flush against Caroline’s, zero space between them. Her arms wrap tightly around Caroline’s shoulders as Caroline’s automatically wrap around Hannah’s waist.

God, but she smells so good. Her eyes close of their own volition as she breathes her in, the butterflies in her stomach making their appearance at their closeness.

Hannah doesn’t let go quickly, either. She holds and Caroline can feel the slow but strong beat of her heart. She hopes Hannah can’t feel how quickly hers is hammering, but she can’t dwell on it when Hannah whispers.

“Thank you, Caroline. I… I would be lost without you, in these last few months. Just, thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” she whispers back, meaning every word. She doesn’t need any sort of thanks for just trying to do what’s right.

“I do.” Hannah’s voice is strong and sure. “I really do.”

***

Everything feels like it has slotted perfectly back into place, the world turning just the way it should be, the following Monday.

She and Abbie build a giant pillow fort to make up for the fort they hadn’t been able to build on Saturday because of her fight with Hannah. Inside of the fort, she slides a little basket, identical to the ones she’d made for her nieces and nephews the day before, in front of Abbie.

Who regards it with excitement. “For me?”

“I didn’t know I was going to see you yesterday, but of course I made you one.” She pauses, eyes widening. “Er… the Easter Bunny –”

Abbie giggles as she picks out a mini Snickers. “I don’t believe in the Easter Bunny anymore. It’s for babies. I told Erin she’s real, though,” she informs Caroline, her tone grave. “She’s little, still.”

God, she loves this kid.

When Hannah stops over to pick up Abbie, she brings in three frozen trays of food for future meals and pauses in the doorway, staring at the fort and the candy wrappers on Caroline’s floor.

She follows her gaze, hoping that the peace they’d established isn’t going to be fractured after last week as she coughs. “Um… I didn’t let her eat all of the candy.”

“Yeah, ’cuz she ate it herself!” Abbie shouts as she is retrieving her backpack from the kitchen.

Hannah shakes her head in exasperation, but the look on her face is sheer warmth.

vi

vi

It doesn’t occur to her that she’s never spent significant time just hanging out with Hannah without Abbie’s presence since they’ve been friends until the week after Mother’s Day.

She gets a text from Hannah on a Friday night, asking what she’s doing.

Which gives Caroline pause as she leaves the office, eyebrows furrowing as she answers. Nothing, why?

Hannah – 6:43PM
Can you come over?