Caroline’s gaze immediately seeks Hannah out, where she’s listening to a story Jess is telling. “It’s pretty impossible not to.” Even she can hear the tone of her voice. The dreamy one she gets with Hannah and only Hannah.

Kris doesn’t even know just how far gone she is on Hannah, she doesn’t think. She knows more than anyone just how much Caroline feels for her, but she doesn’t discuss it actively with her. Mostly because she knows Kris is always just going to tell her she’s making a mistake but there’s just nothing she can do about it now.

“Babe… you’ve got it so bad.” Is all she actually says, wrapping her arm around Caroline’s shoulders.

Hannah ends the night securing an invite to their annual Hangout Weekend in October, which Caroline is thrilled by. She ends the night with Kris offering to set her up on a date, which is… less thrilling.

***

She finally makes good on her promise to take Abbie on a duck boat the week after.

They all end up squeezed into one short row, with Hannah insisting she take the window because she’d arranged it all. Which actually results in Abbie sitting on her lap so she can lean over the edge and stare out at the city she lives in like she’s seeing it all brand new.

“Why are there so many Starbucks?” Abbie asks, turning enough where she’s half sitting on Caroline’s lap and half leaning over the side to be able to look at her. “Why do you like coffee so much?”

“Because I’m not allowed to eat candy all day to feed my sugar addiction, so I need something.” Caroline tells her, arching a challenging eyebrow. “Besides, there are more Dunkin Donuts than Starbucks.”

“No way!” Abbie gesticulates to another Starbucks as they pass, giving Caroline a look so dubious she has to laugh.

“Yes, way!” She purposefully screws up her face at Abbie to match her expression. “Wanna bet? We have to keep count of how many we see, so someone has to have her eyes on the prize.” She pokes Abbie in the ribs.

“What are we betting?”

“If there are more Starbucks, I will buy us cannoli’s later. If there are more Dunks, you have to admit such a humiliating defeat, you’ll probably never recover from it. And be on dish duty after dinner both Monday and Wednesday.” She maneuvers enough to offer her hand despite her arm being squished against the side of the duck boat.

Abbie clasps it in hers and gives her a firm shake, her face the picture of determination as she stares out at the streets as they pass by.