I wanted to punch Brett in his smug handsome face for making her feel bad about herself. It was inconceivable to me. This was Sylvia, the leader of the pack, the beautiful one, the pageant queen. The one who did everything right. The one we all aspired to be. How had life beaten her down this way?

“Hey.” Getting to my feet, I went over and sat on the bed again. Took her hands in mine. “You know what we’re going to do today?”

“What?” She sniffed.

“We’re going to go to the spa and get facials and massages to relax us. We’re going to drink champagne and tell dirty jokes and fun stories. We’re going to hit up the salon and get gorgeous. And then we’re going to go out on the town, just us—the Sawyer Sisters on tour.”

She laughed. “Sounds like fun, but I have kids, remember?”

“Mom and Dad can watch them.”

“Mom will probably want to come,” she pointed out.

“So the kids can stay here with Dad and veg out on the couch and eat junk food and watch movies with him.”

“They’d love that.” She sighed. “I don’t allow them to eat junk food at home.”

“Of course you don’t. I need to remember to ship them each a case of Twinkies every Christmas.”

She looked horrified. “Oh God, are you still eating those things? Meg, they have a shelf life of like two hundred years!”

“I know.” I smiled. “But they are delicious, and during the zombie apocalypse, I’ll be all set. I’ll be able to wait it out in my pantry.”

“You’re insane.” But her smile matched mine. “But you’re having great sex and you seem really happy, so maybe I should stop with all the non-GMO, gluten-free, organic bullshit and start eating Twinkies.”

I patted her knee. “Now you’re talking.”

On our way to the spa, I convinced my mother to pull into the grocery store parking lot. “I’ll be right back,” I told her, jumping out of the back seat.

In the passenger seat, Sylvia laughed. “Why do I have a feeling I know what you’re running in there to buy?”

“Hush,” I told her before shutting the door and hurrying into the store. Ten minutes later I came out carrying bags full of champagne bottles and boxes of Twinkies.

“Oh, Meg, for heaven’s sake.” My mother looked at the bags and shook her head. “You’re not ten years old anymore.”

“I know, Mom. That’s why I got the champagne.”

She clucked her tongue and frowned at me. “Good grief. And what’s that mark on your face? Is it dirt?” For a second, I thought she might lick her finger and try to wipe it off like she used to do when we were kids.

“It’s nothing, Mom.”

“I hit her this morning,” Sylvia said, cracking up. “We got into a fight.”

My mother backed out of her parking spot, muttering, “This place is going to think we’re crazy.”

“They’re going to think we’re having fun,” I corrected her.

And we did have fun.

April, Chloe, and Frannie met us at the spa, which was connected to the salon that Noah’s sister Nina owned and ran. We spent the morning getting facials and massages and waxes, had a light spa lunch that was entirely Sylvia-approved, and then sipped champagne and ate Twinkies while we got pedicures. I gave up trying to hide the bruise on my face and told them all I walked into a door in the dark at Noah’s house.

My mother might have believed me if my two sisters in the know hadn’t started in.

“Was it a big door?” Chloe asked.

“A big, thick door?” echoed Sylvia.

“A big, thick, hard door that goes bang bang bang?” Chloe’s eyes were alight with mischief, and Sylvia was laughing so hard she nearly choked on her Twinkie.

“What is going on that I don’t know about?” April looked from me to Chloe to Sylvia and back at me. “Why don’t I get the joke?”

“I don’t get it either,” Frannie said.

“Well, we know I don’t get it.” My mother rolled her eyes and took another sip of her champagne. “Can someone please clue your old mother in?”

“Okay, fine.” The champagne had me tipsy enough to tell the truth. “I was with Noah last night, and things got a little rough.”

“Rough?” My mother looked confused, which sent Sylvia and Chloe into hysterics.

“Yes, Mom. We were messing around, and things got rough.” I tried to give her a meaningful look. “And that’s all I want to say about it.”

Suddenly it clicked. “Oh. Ohhhhhhh. Oh, goodness.” Then she laughed, her cheeks coloring. “Forget I asked. I don’t want to know!”

“I do. You and Noah? After all this time?” April grabbed the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket next to her chair, leaned over and poured me some more. “Let’s get her drunk so she keeps talking.”

“Yes!” Frannie shouted.

“No!” I shook my head. “Not while Mom is here.”

“Thank you, Meg.” My mother sighed. “I know you girls are all grown up and have sex lives by now, and I hope they’re wonderful, but I can’t bring myself to think about it. You can talk about it after I go home.”

“Aren’t you going to come out with us tonight?” Frannie asked. “You’re invited, Mom.”

“I know, and I appreciate the invitation, but you girls go ahead. You need some time together, and I need some time with my grandchildren. I don’t see them enough.” She looked concerned. “But how will you get around? None of you should drive.”

“We’ll get rides, Mom. Don’t worry,” April assured her. “So what are we all going to do with our hair today?”

I sent her a thankful smile for changing the subject, and we all discussed what we might do with color or cut. When our manis and pedis were done, we moved over to the salon side, bringing our champagne and Twinkies with us.

“Hey, you!” Nina came over to me right away and gave me a hug. “I heard you were in town.”

“And I heard you were having a baby any day now.” Laughing, I gestured toward her round belly. “Guess it was the truth.”

“Oh God, I hope so. This baby needs to come out.” She knocked on her stomach like it was a door. “Do you hear that? Get out already! I want my body back.”

I laughed. “You look great, Nina. You’re glowing.”

“That’s probably because I’m so damn hot all the time,” she said grumpily. “I’m like one giant halogen lamp. I could heat this entire building. Maybe give you guys all tans.” She waved a hand in the air. “But enough about me. I hear you were at the house the other day.”

“I was,” I said. “Noah and I have been hanging out quite a bit. It’s been really fun.”

“That’s awesome. He needs some fun.” Then she laughed. “And Lord knows that boy has always been hung up on you.”

Flustered, I flapped a hand in front of my face. “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

“Friends. Right. God, you’re as bad as he is.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “So what are we doing today? You’re with me.”