31

31

Two months later, on the other side of the new year, Carla and Amy laughed together from Sidney’s freshly-shampooed couch, perched atop her freshly shampooed carpet. Sidney sat in the chair beside them, clutching her wine glass, trying not to see the ghosts of Oliver and herself beside them. Her brain cells were not nearly as clean as the floor and furniture in front of her.

Carla leaned forward, swirling the remaining crimson liquid in the bell of her glass. The red in her glass matched the red on her lips matched the red of her snug and low-cut top. Her giggles lingered in a smile on her lips. She looked to Amy then across to Sidney before raising her glass.

“Last drink of the night, ladies,” she said, the wine curling at the end of her words. “And it’s to Kendra.”

Tears rushed to Sidney’s eyes at hearing Kendra’s name, at seeing three glasses converge when it should have been four, but she smiled through it as she brought her hand forward.

“To Kendra,” Sidney echoed.

“And