Chapter 5: The Blue Anchor

I almost didn't go.

I sat in my car in the Blue Anchor's lot for twenty minutes on Saturday night, watching people walk in.

Girls from my program. Two of my old professors. The librarian I worked nights with.

Ryan's gym friends, in a pack, loud.

Kendall had booked the back room in February.

She'd made the invitations herself, pale blue with a little graduation cap.

"Congratulations, Linds! Dayton's smartest girl is staying home!"

I'd thought it was sweet.

I'd thought she was proud of me.

I got out of the car because of the ring.

If Ryan had it, he'd bring it.

He liked to have his props with him.

The back room was strung with blue and white balloons.

There was a sheet cake on a folding table with my face printed on it in frosting, from my graduation photo.

There was a banner.

"WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE STAYING!"

Somebody saw me in the doorway and the room did that thing rooms do.

Half the people smiled and waved.

Half of them looked at their phones, then at me, then at each other.

The video had eighty thousand views by then.

My friend from the library came over and hugged me hard.

"I didn't believe it," she said into my hair. "For the record."

"Thank you."

"He's here. He's been here since six. He's been telling people you two are working it out."

"Are we?"

She pulled back and looked at me.

"Honey, I don't know. Are you?"

Across the room, Ryan stood by the cake with a beer.

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