Julia and Cora left the small apartment they’d rented on an online site. It was a tiny one room studio over a garage in an Austin neighborhood known as Hyde Park. The price had been right for two teachers on a budget, and they hadn’t minded sharing the single queen bed for two nights while they shopped.

It wasn’t July fourth weekend. They’d decided to move their shopping trip up a bit and Cora was glad they had. She’d gotten her hair cut the day before, opting for a cut that brought the length up to her shoulders and added layers framing her face. She loved it.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said, digging into her purse after they’d settled into Julia’s car. “Justin got us a gift card for a restaurant so we can splurge on dinner tonight.” She pulled out the printed gift card he’d sent to her email as a surprise.

Julia looked over and made an appreciative oohing sound. “I love that man.”

“Hands off,” Cora said with a mock scowl, drawing a laugh from her friend.

“Okay,” Julia said. “I want to check out that boutique Ashley told us about and then maybe we can go get makeup?”

Cora nodded and bit her lip. “Um, can we uh also...”

Julia laughed. “Did you have something to say, Cora?”

Cora flushed. She didn’t want to say it.

Julia put on a prim affect. “Why yes, Cora. We can go to a dirty lingerie store so you can get some naughty panties for your boyfriend.”

Her cheeks heated further and she mumbled a response that might have included threats against Julia’s favorite pair of shoes.

Julia only laughed harder, but she did help Cora choose three nighties with lace and frilly see through spots and all kinds of things that Cora couldn’t wait to wear for Justin someday. She also picked three new sets of lace bras and panties. One was a demi bra that cut low and showed off her breasts in a way she hoped would make Justin lose control.

They’d been seeing each other for a month now and she though she was ready to move past the “taking things slow” stage.

She had a feeling he was, too. Things had been heating up lately and walking away at the end of a night of making out seemed to be as hard for him as it was for her.

“Makeup?” Julia asked, as they left the lingerie section after ringing up their purchases. Cora nodded. She’d spent her savings on a few cute skirts and dresses at the boutique and put the lingerie purchases on her credit card. She’d budgeted for fifty dollars in new makeup. She couldn’t get much with that nowadays, but she wanted to get a new blush and some new eye shadows.

“So, I take it you’ve taken yourself off all the online dating sites?” Julia asked as they took the escalator down to the cosmetics department.

“Of course.” Cora looked over at her friend. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Julia shrugged. “I just know you didn’t do that when you were dating Ethan. It’s different with Justin?”

Cora pressed her lips together and nodded. “It really is.” She looked down as they stepped off the escalator and then glanced away from her friend. “It is for me, at least.”

Julia put a hand on Cora’s arm, pulling her to the side. “Hey, what’s that face for? Do you think it’s not as big of a deal for him?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I think it is, but I guess I worry sometimes that maybe it’s not? I mean, what if he decides this isn’t doing it for him or he changes his mind or...”

Julia struck that Mama Bear pose she sometimes took with the kids. “Hey, listen to me, Cora.”

Cora’s eyes met Julia’s.

“Listen good, okay? I get that sometimes you have leftover—” Julia waved her hands around— “shit from your mom walking away from you like that. I know it affects you sometimes, and all, but I also know you’re smart. So, I need you to use your head to check yourself when things start to creep in and worry you.”

Cora didn’t answer, but her focus was fully on Julia now.

“You guys have been together about a month now, right?”

One month and six days. Cora had been counting. She nodded.

“You’ve been making out but haven’t had sex.”

Cora raised her brows. “You know the answer to that.”

They’d talked about it.

Julia made an exasperated face. “Listen, chickie, if he was planning to leave, he’d either leave or he’d screw you and then leave.”

Cora took a slow breath. She knew Julia was right. Still, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t leave someday. That this wouldn’t someday end.

Julia started the mind reading thing again. “And yes, he might leave someday. Maybe you guys will find out that this isn’t the right thing for you down the road, but you can’t live life that way. You can’t live life wondering if things are going to end. If you do that, you miss the good stuff. You miss the now.”

Julia leveled Cora with a look. “You know I’m right, right?”

Cora laughed. “You’re right.”

And she was. They moved on to makeup, and Cora focused on letting herself enjoy the now. Julia was right. She wouldn’t let her mother’s actions govern her life. She wouldn’t let her mom and her failures take over. She’d gone after what she wanted with Justin. She wanted it to work out, and she’d do all she could to make sure it did work out. She would work for her future with him, but she wouldn’t let herself fall into the trap of worrying about what ifs anymore. She would enjoy the now.