Hannah gathers her composure far better and faster than she can, reaching out to rest her hands on Abbie’s shoulders. “The cupcakes are all done and someone has to get to bed so that she can wake up early and help decorate for her party.”

Abbie fights through a yawn, looking around Hannah at her. “But Caroline –”

“Is leaving, because it’s very, very late.” Hannah swiftly cuts in, her tone no longer frazzled and is instead firm and steady. She doesn’t look at Caroline again and that feels like a whole other hurt that adds heavily to this buildup in her chest. “So, say goodnight again.”

Abbie’s bottom lip pokes out in a pout, but she acquiesces. “’Night, Caroline. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” she manages to get out even though she sounds just as dazed as she still feels.

Hannah keeps her hands on Abbie’s shoulders, not looking back at Caroline at all as she guides Abbie out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom.

Caroline reaches out to shut off the oven, fighting with the knob as she accidentally tries to turn it the wrong way before finally managing to switch it off. Caroline is leaving because it’s very, very late sounds very much like Hannah doesn’t want to see her when she’s done with Abbie.

x

x

Caroline hasn’t had so many nerves about attending a birthday party since she’d been ten. But she can’t let Abbie down.

It’s what she’s repeating to herself as she walks into the small park down the street from Hannah and Abbie’s apartment, where the party is taking place.

The thing is – she hasn’t really gotten any sleep. Every time she’d closed her eyes, she replayed the last ten minutes of her time with Hannah. By the time she’d gotten home, her stupor had faded into a mix of emotions.

Mostly culminating into the stinging hurt of rejection, coupled with a fear that Hannah now feels like Caroline violated the trust they’ve formed.

Stomach in knots, she forces a smile on her face as soon as she gets close enough for Abbie to see her. And when she does see her, the grin that flashes over her face is enough to make Caroline’s more genuine. “Caroline! You’re finally here!”

Abbie runs to her, abandoning her post by picnic tables, and Caroline puts down her giftbag just in time to not drop it when Abbie throws her arms around her waist.

“Finally? According to my calculations, your party hasn’t even started yet.” For once, she’s early. She’d wanted to give herself enough time to talk to Hannah first.

She retrieves the large giftbag from the ground and takes a moment of comfort as she puts her arm around Abbie’s shoulder as she leads her back to the picnic tables.