Sixty-Seven

Sitting in Casey’s dorm room in front of his laptop, Riley recounted the previous night’s St. Patrick’s drunken debacle to her best friends. It was 4 P.M. on the west coast, so Piper had slipped out of Monday afternoon puppet production to grab some gum and join the chat. She leaned against a palm tree in the glorious Los Angeles sunshine. “London, Rye—LONDON! You’ll be there in TWO DAYS! I’m so freakin’ jealous!”

“Don’t even start on the London envy,” said Casey, sipping from a Starbucks cup that held an unusually simple venti white mocha with almond milk. “At least I’ll live vicariously through this one.” He playfully elbowed Riley, who sat to his left with an untouched Insomnia peanut butter cookie in front of her.

“How’s Maggie holding up?” asked Piper. “I bet she’d stow away in your luggage if she could.”

“She’s way more excited than I am,” said Riley. “I wish she could come, but it’ll be a while before we can afford any travel.”

“Flight paid for, a shared flat arranged for you near the studio…your rent is gonna be in POUNDS, Rye!” Casey dreamily looked into space and tsked. “I should’ve gone into production instead of documentaries.”

Riley gave him a bittersweet grin.

“You should be doing cartwheels over all this!” Piper snapped her Juicy Fruit. “I wish I could jump through the internet and give Ben’s head a good shake.”

“Yeah, what’s he playing at? He should know he can’t drink like he used to.” Casey broke apart his Snickerdoodle cookie, the three friends maintaining their Monday afternoon ritual one last time, even if it meant Piper was forced to drool from afar. A second box of cookies sat in reserve on Casey’s bed. “Thank God Alex texted last night. At least you know his phone was broken and he’s not lying in a dumpster somewhere.”

“I’m glad he barfed his brains out,” said Piper. “That’ll teach him, hopefully. It’s also karma for making you so upset.”

Riley winced. “I stayed awake last night, waiting for him to call. Ben doesn’t do silent, especially when he’s drunk.” Appetite AWOL, she nudged the peanut butter cookie away. “He was a total wreck. He looked depressed—then he said something about Mom never forgiving him.”

“Fuck…” Swallowing hard, Piper’s shoulders tensed as she glared at a motorcycle thundering past. “He mentioned Maggie? That makes me think he…”

Is Pip thinking what I’ve been thinking? “Mom would only be furious if…” The lump growing in Riley’s throat made her voice raspy. “If he did something that would hurt me.”

“Bastard better not have!” Casey curled his lip.

“I just wish I knew what that something was before I get on the plane tomorrow night.” Riley sniffed. “If we’re breaking up—”

“Rye, don’t even think of not going.”

“Casey’s right,” added Piper. “You can’t bail on that job.”

“No, I want to go, it’s just…the timing’s the worst. What if I end up alone and brokenhearted in London—”

“What broken heart? You’re jumping the gun,” said Casey. “And as for timing—fuck timing. If we waited to do stuff until everything was perfect, we’d never budge. You told me that!”

“I know, but it’s easier to give advice than take it.”

“True enough.” His phone buzzed and he glanced down, a smile warming his face.

Piper swatted away a wasp. “Rye, you’ve spent these last few years living your life for your mom.” Riley opened her mouth to interject, but Piper doubled down. “I know—it was the right thing to do, and you did it out of love—but she’s well now and it’s time for you to ‘fly, my pretty’. I know it’s not Cali, but it’s the next best thing, trust me. England’s awesome.”

“The swimming’s not,” Casey mused. “Pebbly beaches.”

“Really?” Riley scrunched her nose.

“But that’s no reason not to go! You love him, right?” asked Casey.

“Yeah.”

“Then you should be with him.” Casey sighed. “Look, I have no idea what his drunken speech was about—probably nothing, and if it’s something, you’ll sort it out.”

Piper giggled. “Since when are you offering love advice, Oprah?”

“Uh, since Ben proved he wasn’t a liar—” Casey caught himself. “I mean, since he proved he knew Mark Keegan and he stepped up to save Maggie.” He turned to Riley. “Ben’s crazy about you. You just have to talk to him and be honest with one another.”

“I’m trying to! I can only leave Alex so many messages asking for him to call me.”

“You should talk face to face. Tech is great, but there’s nothing like an in-person conversation.” Casey waved a cookie at his laptop’s camera. “Amiright, Pip Pip Hooray?”

“Argh! Our Monday cookie ritual sucks as a spectator.”

Casey’s phone buzzed a second time and Riley caught a name on the screen.

“Uh, Case…who’s Sophie?”

“Sophie?” asked Piper. “We don’t know a Sophie.”

“Ah, we don’t, but I do.” Casey’s cheeks began to flush.

“Ohmygawd!” Piper screeched. “You had SEX!”

“No, I didn’t!”

“But you want to!” said Piper.

“It’s not like that! Well…maybe.” His cheeks tinged bright pink. “I don’t know!”

“Wait a minu—is that extra box of cookies for her?” Riley sat up. “Do you have a date tonight?”

He scratched his nose. “Yeah…our second.”

“Aw, Case.” Riley gave him a hug.

“When did this start?” asked Piper.

Casey let go of Riley. “I met her in Duane Reade…buying hand sanitizer.”

“Really?” Riley squeezed his arm. “She’s a germophobe, too?”

“Hardly. Sophie’s doing an infectious disease fellowship at the Langone Medical Center.”

“Noooooo!” Piper doubled over with laughter, swallowing her gum in the process.

“She hates Harry Styles, too…”

Piper fought through a coughing fit. “Oh, fuck! Stop! I c-can’t—ahh, you’re really taking a risk with this one, Case.”

“I think she might be worth it. I think it’s time, you know? Watching you guys move away and try new things…I’ve realized I should, too. Being hurt in the past isn’t a good enough reason not to try again.”

“Well, I’m not going to monopolize you if Sophie’s waiting,” said Riley. “I’ll pop to the washroom and then head to Mom’s. I’ve still got packing to do. Back in a sec, Pip!” She stood and left the room.

“Case…” Piper leaned in. “Is she gone?”

“Yeah.”

“So, Sophie—she’s real?”

“Yep, she’s real.” He chuckled.

“And does this mean…?”

“It does.” Casey exhaled heavily. “It’s been four years—three with Josh, nearly a year with Ben. Riley’s never going to see me in that way. Seeing her so happy with a nice guy like Ben…it’s helped me make peace with it. I’m over the whole unrequited love thing, but please, Pip, keep your promise and don’t say anything.”

Piper winked. “You’re good, sweetie. I swore on Kermit’s life, remember?”

“Yeah. I think you’d like Sophie. She’s fun, loves British TV, and dogs.”

“Case, this is great. You’ll make an awesome boyfriend—I just know it.”

“Thanks.” He smiled. “I really want things to work out for Ben and Riley. I’m gonna miss her a lot…but I want to see my friend happy.”

Riley returned to the room, catching his last few words. “What friend’s that, then?”

“You, you silly moo.” Casey laughed and playfully punched her arm.

• • •

Riley sat back on her heels, her large suitcase stuffed to the brim with clothes, favorite novels, and two photo books of memories: the one Ben gave her at Christmas, and a going-away present from Maggie. Her smaller pink case, the one Ben had taken by mistake a year ago, was flipped open with just enough room remaining for Puffin. I’ll have to sit on both these beasts to get them zipped up.

Maggie hovered nearby, too restless to sit. “Is there anything else you need, sweetheart? I can make you sandwiches in the morning? Airplane food is always hit or miss, right?”

Riley unzipped her backpack, checking its contents again. “Hmm, not sure, Mom. My stomach keeps flipping. I’m so nervous.”

“That’s just butterflies! You know what, I’ll make you some anyway. You don’t have to eat them.” Maggie ran a hand through her auburn pixie cut. The short style suited her so beautifully, she had decided not to grow her hair back to shoulder length. “When you get to London—” She stopped herself. “Listen to me, ‘When you get to London’…oh, Riley! Your first transatlantic flight—to a job in England—at the BBC! Proud mom alert!”

I couldn’t be more homesick, and I haven’t even left yet. “Thanks, Mom.” Riley took a deep breath. We’ve never been apart. You’ve always been a ferry ride, a bus trip, a local phone call away. “California always felt like a big leap, but this…being on my own…” Her eyes began to sting. I knew I was gonna crack sometime. “What if you get sick again? I’ll be so far away.”

“Oh, honey.” Maggie swooped down, giving Riley a hug. “I haven’t felt this good in seven years! And London won’t feel so far with FaceTime and texting. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” She kissed her daughter’s temple. “It’s your time, Riley. It’s time to put yourself first.”

“But I’ll miss you so much…”

“I’ll miss you, too, but I’m more excited than sad. You’ll see everything you’ve dreamed of and more. The world is finally getting to meet Riley Hope, and it’s going to love her.” She brushed her daughter’s hair from her eyes. “You won’t feel homesick for long—not in London, not with Ben! You’re going to have the time of your life!”

Riley hadn’t told her mom about Ben’s St. Paddy’s meltdown or his drunken claim that Maggie would ‘never forgive him’. If she didn’t know what Ben was talking about herself, there was no point worrying her mom about it.

“I hope so.”

“I know so!” Maggie sniffed away her own tears and smiled, giving Riley a squeeze. “Now, c’mon—let’s check you in online and find space for Puffin.”