Marsha texted Judith, telling her where she was and that she too would head to Pittsfield and meet Cindy and Bree there, but she wanted to surprise them.

  Judith wrote back and asked if that was a good idea?

  “Yes, it is,” Marsha replied.

  In response, Judith just texted a row of hearts, showing support and keeping her opinions to herself. Marsha understood the question, even though she had pretended not to.

  Although she had moved away from Spring Falls and the pact too, Bree’s leaving and then refusing to be found had broken her heart, too. Not that she would say that out loud, but, of course, Judith knew. Judith was worried that their meeting would not be the heartwarming meeting that perhaps Marsha imagined.

  Or maybe she didn’t imagine that at all. Perhaps she was thinking of a confrontation between the two of them. Because, being truthful with herself, she knew she was still angry and bitter about being on her own.

  It didn’t matter that she had chosen that path for herself. She had picked it with very little fear because she thought Bree would always be near and would support her and encourage her to go forward. She would come to New York to see her in a show, and they would celebrate together.

  None of that happened. Her best friend abandoned her. Yes, she abandoned the entire pact, too, but that didn’t mean it hurt less. Marsha knew that buried in her head was the thought that perhaps she would have succeeded after all if Bree had been in her life, to remind her of what she wanted and pick her up when she fell.

  Yes, she knew it wasn’t fair to make her failure to reach her dream of stardom partially Bree’s fault. But it turned out that Bree had been just like her mother. No, not a drunk. But someone who was there one minute and gone the next. Because it had been her life, that fear had kept her from having any lasting relationship. She would break off all relations before they left her, which, of course, is what they would do given enough time.

  After Bree’s disappearance, it was what she had done with the pact too. She had broken it off, so they couldn’t abandon her first. And now she wanted back in. Marsha understood that Judith and Cindy had never seen her outside the pact. Instead, they had just patiently waited for her to circle back around to them. But Bree and April had lived separate lives, and Marsha didn’t believe she had been included in their thoughts at all.

  So yes, there was a danger that instead of hugging and making up when she saw Bree, she would explode in frustration and pent-up anger. But she couldn’t keep putting off the meeting, and in this way, it would be on her terms. Besides, if she were going to explode, perhaps it would be best to do it far from home. And strangers could be witnesses to what happens when people keep secrets and leave their best friends behind.

  In the distance, Marsha could see the concrete head watching over the parkway. The voice on her GPS told her to take the next exit just a few miles ahead. Now that she had a destination, Marsha realized how much she had missed the process of setting out to someplace new, not knowing what would happen. She used to have courage. It was time to return to herself, and that giant Gaia head would be the first stop on that journey.

  Twenty-Two

  April stood beside her kitchen sink, surveying the mess on the floor, so stunned she couldn’t move. But then, as the adrenaline that had surged began to fade, she started to shake and slid to the floor, hugging her knees to make herself as small as possible.

  The sharp smell of the relish that had spilled out of its broken jar, mixed with the tang of mustard and hot sauce, made her feel slightly nauseous. April thought the green, red, and brown looked like a painting as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at.

  The oat milk container had popped its lid and was slowly spreading into the mix of ingredients that used to be in her refrigerator and now lay on the floor.

  It was the oat milk that had stopped the throwing. It was probably because instead of a satisfying crash and shatter, it just thunked, lay there, and then began leaking.

  A part of April’s brain saw the whole thing as a metaphor. Her life had been in cold storage in the refrigerator, and Ron had done her a favor and thrown it all at her, revealing something she had not known before. Now it was leaking, and there was no way to put it back.

  For an hour, April sat on the floor, reliving what had happened and not understanding why it had. All she knew was she needed to clean up this mess, both the mess of the floor and the mess in her life. The one April didn’t know she had until at 7:01 a.m. when she had casually told Ron she was going to visit Judith, and the pact was going to all be there. Did he want to come with her?

  She had her back turned to Ron as she said it, buttering his toast for breakfast, not thinking anything about it. Sure, he hadn’t seemed very happy about the letter from Paul, even though it had said nothing other than asking them all to help Bree when the time came. But he must have known she had kept in touch with Judith all this time.

  Or did he, she asked herself now as the oak milk slowly edged towards her feet. Had she not told him? And if she hadn’t, why not? Had she always known he wouldn’t be happy about it and had kept that part of her life separate? Why would she have done that?

  After all, he had been Paul’s best man. They had all known each other back then. And it wasn’t Ron’s fault that Paul and Bree had moved away and never spoke to them again. Was this why he had reacted how he had?

  April shuddered, remembering Ron’s response when she told him her plans. First, it was a quiet “no.”

  Still not understanding, she turned with the toast in her hands and casually asked, “No? Why not?”

  Ron had looked up at her, his brown eyes so dark they looked almost black, his usually handsome face now hard, his lips thinned, and April had stepped back, still holding the plate of toast.

  Ron stood, his chair falling over as he did so, and she dropped the plate in shock, the toast landing butter side down on their newly installed cork floor, and she idly wondered if the butter would stain the floor.

  Now looking at the relish, the mustard, hot sauce, and oak milk spreading out before her, April laughed hysterically. She had been worried about butter on the floor—now look.

  When the plate landed on the floor, Ron had started towards her, fist raised, and she had stared at him as if she had never seen him before. Never in all their years together had she seen this Ron. It was as if a switch had gone off in him. But instead of hitting her, he had turned to the refrigerator and started throwing things.

  Until the oak milk thunked, and that had stopped him.

  “No. I forbid it,” Ron said and walked out of the room, the front door slamming behind him, leaving her with a mess to clean up.

  When the milk reached her bare feet, April realized she needed to move. Away from this mess. And she needed help.

  She stood and edged her way over to her mobile phone that was charging at the end of the counter and face-timed the only friend she had she could trust. And it was that realization that took her over the edge. She didn’t have friends. Not the kind you could trust. Just Judith, and maybe the pact. Shaking so hard she could barely talk, she said the only word that could come out.

  “Help.”

  Seeing April’s white face, Judith felt both terror and anger rising in her as she asked, “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  April turned her phone to the mess on the floor, and Judith gasped.

  “What happened?”

  “Ron.”

  “What do you mean, Ron?” Judith asked while a part of her brain registered all the years that April and Ron had never visited and how secretive April had been about calling her.

  April always called when Ron wasn’t around. Judith had seen possessive husbands before, and she accepted that April had married someone like that. But April had seemed contented and happy. Today she was terrified.

  “I told him I was coming to Spring Falls to see the pact, and he said no. When I asked why, this was his response.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Work?” April responded, realizing she didn’t know. Ron had been a good husband and father. Her life had been satisfying, and she had been happy, she thought. What had she missed?

  “April, listen to me. Pack a bag, get in your car, and come here now.”

  April glanced at the mess on the floor.

  “I know you, April. You’re going to want to clean up that mess. Just throw some towels over it if you must, but get out. The floor can be replaced, but you can’t.”

  “But, Ron…” April stuttered, realizing that her life as she knew it might be over.

  “But, Ron, nothing! He can come here and explain to all of us why he did that. And if he can’t, well, you have children to go to, and you have us.”

  When April hadn’t moved, Judith lowered her voice and said, “Listen, I’m going to tell you what to bring. I’ll stay on the phone until you are in the car and heading this way. Okay?”

  April nodded.

  “Okay, take that charger, bring your phone. Let’s go to your bedroom so you can get a few clothes.”

  When April still hadn’t moved, Judith said, “Now April! Follow my voice. You can do it.”

  Gathering all her strength, April pulled the charger out of the wall, walked out of the kitchen away from the mess, and headed into the bedroom. She didn’t look at anything other than what Judith told her to look at.

  April gathered clothes, makeup, and toiletries from the bathroom. She put them all into Ron’s suitcase, realizing for the first time that she didn’t have one of her own, bumped it down the steps, heaved it into the car, and drove out of town, Judith still on the phone, encouraging and promising that everything would be okay.

  April doubted that, but she had to believe in something, and old friends seemed like the best place to begin.

  Twenty-Three

  Judith hung up, finally sure that April was safe and on her way and would not turn around and go back. She was exhausted from dealing with the attorney, Bruce, and now April and Ron acting crazy.

  No, she corrected herself. It was first the letter, then Marsha, then her best friend, Cindy, off on the adventure with Bree. All of them left her here to deal with it all.

  What you need is a good meal, Judith said to herself. At your favorite restaurant, she added.

  She knew which one that was. The restaurant where she took her clients when she wanted to give them a treat. Today she would give herself a treat.

  Judith decided to walk to the restaurant instead of driving. It would give her a chance to think through what was happening. Before Paul’s letter arrived, she and Cindy had settled into a nice routine.

  After the pact dispersed, the only two left in town, they did their best to keep it going. She and April would talk every few weeks, and they both had followed Marsha on social media, so they knew what she was doing, but it wasn’t reciprocal. And, of course, Bree had disappeared.

  She and Cindy kept her memory alive as best they could, celebrating her birthday every year, but without her. Actually, except for the two of them, they celebrated everyone’s birthday that way, without the birthday girl.

  Judith thought about texting Cindy what was happening with April but then decided not to. She would have enough to deal with when Marsha surprised her in Pittsfield. She still wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but sometimes it was best to let things work themselves out.

  Not in April’s case, Judith thought to herself. Not when someone throws things and tries to own people. No. Not on her watch. She did not know what was going on with Ron, but she’d find out and do whatever she needed to do to fix it.

  Judith didn’t realize it—she was so busy with her thoughts—but as she walked, she talked to herself.

  Everyone knew Judith, and as they watched her stride down the sidewalk, they shook their heads. That was Judith. Something was up that bothered her, and she was going to fix it.

  They all loved her for it, but were also somewhat afraid. What if she had discovered something they had done that didn’t sit well with Judith? You never knew. She was always looking for what didn’t work or didn’t feel right.

  So they stepped out of her way and felt a sense of relief that she wasn’t heading towards them. And also gratitude that Judith was out to right some kind of wrong somewhere, as long as it wasn’t with them.

  By the time Judith reached ParaTi’s, she had worn herself out thinking, so when she opened the door, she was grateful that she had arrived. She didn’t have to ask for her favorite table. The hostess took her straight back to the table in the corner where she could observe the room, but not be observed herself.

  Like most of the businesses in town, ParaTi’s finances were in her capable hands, and they were grateful for it and treated her with respect and kindness, with a small amount of fear that somehow they had done something wrong.

  Many of the young people in town called the restaurant Party, and Judith knew the owner didn’t mind. When they first met, the owner had told Judith that the name meant ‘for you’ in Spanish, so whatever people wanted to call it was alright with her, as long as they came by to eat.

  “Beautiful day,” the hostess said as she handed her the menu, and Judith smiled up at her in response, just in time to see her favorite waitress heading her way.

  Mary Patterson had arrived in town the year before with her fiance, Seth Patterson, and immediately found a job at ParaTi. She and Judith had hit it off right away. Judith, ever curious, always inquired about how things were with the new waitress, and eventually, Mary had told her most of her life story. When Mary and Seth married six months ago, both Cindy and Judith had attended her wedding.

  The last time Judith was at the restaurant, Mary had confided to her she was pregnant and both delighted and worried. She worried because they struggled now to make ends meet. How would they do it with a baby? But delighted because being a mother was something she had yearned for since she was a young girl.

  After learning about Mary’s pregnancy, Judith and Cindy discussed how they could help Mary. They already left generous tips, which Mary had first tried to turn away, but had finally yielded and now graciously accepted them.

  Although Judith usually only saw Mary at the restaurant, Judith treasured the friendship. It was another reason she loved this small town and why she stayed. She also had to admit she enjoyed being a big fish in a small pond. Plus, everyone thought they knew her already, which suited her perfectly.

  “Your usual, Judith?” Mary asked.

  “Yes, please. How are you feeling? Do you have a due date yet?”

  “Much better. Those first two months were rough. October 13th is the estimated time of arrival!”

  “May Cindy and I give you a baby shower once it gets closer?”

  Judith watched Mary’s eyes fill with tears, and Mary looked away for a moment before nodding yes. Judith knew Mary didn’t have parents who could do that for her. Or at least, not parents that Mary knew about.

  Mary had confided to Judith that she was adopted. It wasn’t something she had known her whole life, although she had suspected. Her mother had told her just before she passed away unexpectedly, apologizing for not telling her before, but she waited too long and didn’t want to ruin their relationship.

  All Mary could do was forgive her mom and thank her for raising her. She didn’t want to spoil what they had or make her mother feel bad. Mary understood that her mother had done something out of love. So she didn’t force her to tell her who her parents were. She asked just once, and her mom had said it was best not to know.

  Mary said it was a mystery she wasn’t interested in solving when Judith offered to help her find out. Judith had immediately disagreed, but she stayed silent out of respect for Mary’s love for her adopted mother. But not knowing things always made a mess in the end, at least in Judith’s opinion. However, she told herself to stay out of it. It was Mary’s life, and she could choose.

  By the time Judith had finished her pasta primavera and drunk two glasses of iced tea, she felt much better. She had made a list on her phone of things she needed to do to help the other members of the pact and a few ideas about what they could do to help Mary with the new baby.

  But first, she had clients to attend to, and then she could deal with what Bruce had told her, or more accurately, not told her. She chose to stuff away the memory of what happened when she first saw him. She couldn’t deal with whatever that was right now. There were bigger issues to take care of, and her feelings was not one of them.

  Twenty-Four

  Grace knew that patience was a virtue, but she wasn’t sure she had much of that. It had been a few weeks since she had received Paul’s letter, and every day she was on high alert, waiting for his lawyer to tell her when she was supposed to leave.

  She would return to a town she never thought she would see again. She had almost forgotten what had happened there. Almost.

  Grace was well aware of the connections and strings that pulled people together. Most of those connections were invisible to almost everyone, even to her, but she trusted that was how the universe works, and she knew something, and it was time to tell it.

  And now, because Paul’s lawyer had her contact information, and she had her replacements in place at her coffee shop, she didn’t have to stay and wait for the message. She could take herself off on a personal adventure.

  She’d have to assure her friends she was fully capable of traveling on her own, and Grace knew a few of them might use their “magical” gifts of remote viewing to make sure she was okay, but the point was, she didn’t have to wait.

  Grace had always wanted to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, and it wasn’t that far from where she lived. She’d start there. Then, if Paul’s lawyer hadn’t contacted her yet, she’d find something else to see. She’d stay close, so she would always be just a day’s drive away from where she had to go and could head there once she got the message that it was time.