TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 14

“What will you do now?”

Bailey stared at her. It was a simple question but still wrapped her in a blanket of love. She could have asked, “What do you think you should do?” or as Nicole might have asked, “Why did you do that?” — on the surface, the questions were the same. But deep down, where it counted, only Gran’s held no hint of accusation or blame or disappointment or even disapproval. After all, she’d just admitted to befriending a boy she’d met online.

Bailey smiled through her tears and squeezed Gran’s hand. “I know I have to apologize for ditching her, but that’s all, Gran. I’m not sorry I’m friends with Ryder and I’m not sorry I want to find someone to love even if Meg won’t. I shouldn’t have to apologize for that.”

Gran angled her head, tucked her stylish blond hair behind an ear. “Why do you think you have to?”

“Um.” Bailey wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I always get this feeling that Meg expects me to stay single for the rest of my life so she won’t be alone. But that’s not me! I want to get married and have kids someday. Don’t get me wrong — that’s not all I want. But Meg has no room for that in her plan. She doesn’t get that I have my own plan.”

“Do you?”

She lifted her shoulders. “Sort of. I know I want an exciting career — but I don’t know what that is yet. I know I want a family who loves me — husband and kids someday — a lot of them. I don’t know who he is yet. I’m not going to skip any opportunity for finding him and I shouldn’t have to, right?”

Gran held up her hands, palms up. “This is your life we’re talking about, not mine. It’s not my job to tell you if you’re right or wrong here — that’s up to you to discover and decide.”

Bailey smiled. “See? This is why I called you. Mom would have lectured me on what’s right. And Meg would have lectured me on what’s right for her. Nobody seems to get that I have my own ideas. Except you. Thank you.” Bailey leaped up and kissed Gran on her nose.

“Um, well, thank you.” Gran wrinkled her nose and laughed. She angled her head with a sparkle in her eye and grabbed a menu from the holder on the edge of the table. “Now. How about we split a really big and fattening dessert before we head home?”

“Deal.” Bailey wiped her eyes and pointed to the triple scoop chocolate sundae with a sparkle of her own. They ordered, dug in, and in minutes, the large dessert had been reduced to nothing but a dirty dish.

Gran sat back on her side of the booth and patted her belly. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure feel better.”

Bailey laughed. “I do, too. Thanks, Gran.”

“Anytime, sweet girl. Have you figured out what to do?”

“Yeah. I have a few ideas. But first, I’ll apologize.” Bailey uncrossed her legs, recrossed them, and finally tucked them both under her butt. “I made her sad, Gran. She upsets me and annoys me and maybe she doesn’t always understand me but I made her sad. I hate that part the most. So that’s the part I’ll fix first.”

Gran stood up, put some cash on the table, and put both hands on Bailey’s shoulders. “That’s exactly what a good friend would do.”

A good friend. Bailey shook her head. Sure messed that up, hadn’t she? But she reached out and hugged her grandmother when an idea for fixing things struck. Thirty minutes later, after making a few phone calls and begging people for various favors, Bailey opened her blog and started a new post.

You know what totally sucks? Admitting to yourself that you messed up big time, that you hurt someone you really love. No, not a boy. A different kind of love. Best friend love.

She smiled at the thought even though guilt was burning a hole in her heart. Meg would forgive her. She knew that without a doubt.

Best friends are honest and loyal and I forgot that for a moment but now I remember. Best friends know where all the bodies are buried, you know? And yet, love you anyway. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t need to impress anybody the way you do when you’re trying to get a new guy to notice you. My best friend knows what I look like without makeup and doesn’t care if I didn’t wash my hair or get out of my pajamas. She sticks with me no matter what happens — even when I’m a jerk.

I was a jerk.

That was still hard to admit even after the triple chocolate sundae she’d shared with Gran. But it was true. She’d kept Ryder a secret from the person who meant the most to her. It was selfish.

I hate that about me — hate that I not only can make my best friend cry but that I did. I am so sorry and hope she’ll forgive me. To make it up to her, I’m buying her the biggest bag of M&Ms I can find. They’re her favorite.

That was an understatement — M&Ms were like Meg catnip. Bailey smiled and hit the Publish button that sent her latest post public. Sometimes, it was easier to blog about the mushy stuff than it was to say it out loud. But she had to. She owed Meg that. She unlocked her phone and held her breath until Meg answered.

“Hey, it’s me.”