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“I think o? Two years? I know it’s final though, because she’s already engaged again”

“Good for her,” Iup my coffee for a sip

“Anyway, it was nice toscary”

A few custoht behind theet back to work” Myin, sweetie”

Ellie waved to my mom and joined me at the table As soon as she sat down, she took an elastic froathered her reddish-brown hair into a ponytail “Hey Sorry I’m late Mia cornered s I have to cover for today I don’t knohy she thinks I have no brain We went over the schedule yesterday She’s so fucking type A, I don’t kno my dad deals with it”

“No worries” I took another sip of coffee

“What’s wrong?” Her light brown eyes scrutinized my face

“Nothing”

“Nice try” She tightened the ponytail and picked up her coffee “If you don’t spill the tea, I’ll keep co about my mother Is that what you want?”

I laughed a little “I was just talking to my mom about Dex”

“Does she know he saw you naked?” Her eyes gleamed wickedly over the rim of her cup

“No Apparently he and the girls were in here thisfor me”

“Oh?” She tilted her head “That’s interesting”

“And she told me that Noaets an earful about what a shitty husband he was”

“That’s not cool”

“No, but I suppose it could be true I don’t really know him”

“I guess not”

“Buthe seems nice” I played with the handle on ht and sat on the back patio for a bit”

Ellie’s mouth fell open “And?”

“And we talked”

“And?”

“And I got to know hiive her the entire truth right up front “He’s actually kind of funny and sweet beneath his grumpy exterior”

One of her eyebrows peaked

“And he loves those girls soaway so much when they were babies He missed a lot of milestones” I took another sip of coffee “I think he wants to make up for that”

“Sounds like a good guy so far,” she said “How long did he stay?”

“Maybe half an hour? Just long enough to have a beer and share a cupcake”

“You two shared a cupcake?” Her eyes twinkled again “How romantic”

“Not like that—IWe justeach ate half And then he said goodnight and went home”