p style="text-align: center;" data-p-id="fa1ccc235d73cddb476ccf858bf0f747"em-/embr /emKat's POV /embr /em-/em/p
p data-p-id="73c5bf98958043746d7dea328a0d3fa8"I was finishing curling my hair when I heard three knocks on the hotel door. As I currently was holding a very hot curler next to my head, I didn't exactly jump up to go get it./p
p data-p-id="2cf3196808955231a4bcc13ac1404f96""Shawn-"/p
p data-p-id="f54867711aba76545db245af05eb734d""Got it!" he called back. I heard him open the door and stop in his tracks. "Please say you aren't here for me."/p
p data-p-id="aec80dce030be2e7a536ee2eba4199d4"I put the curler down and unplugged it, finally finished with the last curl. I left the bathroom to see who had arrived, since Shawn was never speechless. I squealed when I saw my old friend waiting there for me./p
p data-p-id="0115cec0c31ad46743ef0128c42a88a5""Sarah!" I exclaimed, rushing over to give her a welcoming hug. Her brown locks were curled just like mine, and she was wearing a really cute top. Her eyes sparkled like I remembered./p
p data-p-id="8c194a5b70a880bd09e04cfb9af31373""You called, I came," she said as we parted. Her smile must have been as wide as mine. Sarah always smiled from her eyes./p
p data-p-id="e16c1d3ad060dc36be19148ce1a2fc98"Shawn was leaning against the open door, understandably confused. He just looked at me, expecting some sort of explanation./p
p data-p-id="efafef3f80882d89a0a384c09f6acd38""Come in," I told Sarah. She followed me into the room, and Shawn shut the door behind her. "This is my boyfriend Shawn, and that over there is Paul. Guys, this is my old friend, Sarah McKinnon," I introduced./p
p data-p-id="bb892e94fdb88681846f523b4a4fbe99""So... you're both Sarah," Shawn commented./p
p data-p-id="1bbdb278daad95f76b282a711d783e79"We both giggled. "Actually, Sarah is part of the reason I started going by Katherine," I explained. "We've known each other since... what, fourth grade?"/p
p data-p-id="0c71d8673b0fb0f6c1f104bf7d5f289a""Third," Sarah helped. "When I moved into the school district. I'd never even been to Connecticut, but you invited me to come sit with you."/p
p data-p-id="79d8d7fe2c1e0aa0e9b310ddece0ce7e"I grinned, remembering that time. "Thank you. I couldn't think of what year it was. I've been trying to think of it all day. Third grade. That's what, eleven years now? That's crazy!"/p
p data-p-id="111f14305614bd561524acf2437c0bad"Sarah nodded, laughing along with me. We were so giddy seeing each other again after so long. We hadn't met up since I was still in college. But when I saw we were in town, I thought I'd give her a call and we could go out and about. We used to be inseparable./p
p data-p-id="c04d62114a5779989d734a1ce5424e71"Shawn and Paul both came over and shook Sarah's hand, saying it was nice to meet her./p
p data-p-id="d31fe5a8c4a56ea54a747ac3a0641b90""Steph will be here any minute, and then we can head out," I told her, grabbing my purse. "We'll be back sometime this afternoon," I added, talking more to Paul and Shawn this time./p
p data-p-id="cbd60ac4050f70818c1801ec221949fe"A couple knocks on the door sounded, announcing Steph's arrival. Shawn opened the door and let her in since he was closest. Steph and Sarah greeted each other happily. I was so excited to hang out as the three of us again, like we used to in high school./p
p data-p-id="84992e02483a5ea57221d0f603713e26"Steph and Sarah walked out into the hall. I was going to follow them after saying goodbye to Shawn./p
p data-p-id="8d8a1b3d6e47a5a882e1214de764c4c6""Have fun," Shawn told us. "We'll be here staring at the wall for the next few hours."/p
p data-p-id="996cea86255a3b79c2f3cde8046bb24c""You're just bitter because you're not invited," I replied, giving him a short kiss./p
p data-p-id="648df4128b2a373df8271cdab4713a59""And why is that again?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist to prevent me from walking away. I knew this game: he didn't want me to leave./p
p data-p-id="4ff70cf6a909d0cbd77cedbe1d20ee9e""Because you are not a girl," I told him. He drew his face closer to mine and lingered against my lips. I wanted to stay there forever, but I had to go./p
p data-p-id="a4932c6617adc425222740a814d6dc47""The girls are waiting," I breathed./p
p data-p-id="c16979f1b86755df5e308c3dd3d6ba67""So let them wait," he said. "I love you more."/p
p data-p-id="366e5dd6b6399926d08907609f7532ed"I wiggled out of his grip. "I love you too. But we could play this game all day, and I have to go." I sent him one more smile before shutting the door behind me./p
p data-p-id="e3aa99f0a6e346d0235b3d93d433ea65"The girls were waiting for me in the elevator. I knew as soon as I saw Steph's face that I was in for some teasing./p
p data-p-id="8a7ab20ec0ab3262ce329c7dcb399a4e"***/p
p data-p-id="2ca09a9cf51cb0ae7ce1cf8d0ae8b1cb"We went to the nail salon: Sarah's idea. She assured us that she was a regular there, and they always treated her well. She even joked that she could probably get us a discount./p
p data-p-id="7d8e3c0b0988e60d917e7702cc5b84a5"It was right in the middle of town, nestled between a pizza shop and movie rental place. I couldn't believe we hadn't noticed it on the way into town the previous night. But then again, it had been late when we'd gotten into town. I didn't even remember it, to be honest./p
p data-p-id="9253e8996946d658ce767baeb0ba30bc""Nails Galore" had these huge windows out front that had different things written on them in stickers, signs, window paint, and posters. One window had the hours of business, the cost of a few different things, a sign about the remodeling happening in a month, and a giant decal of a woman's hand. The other had various posters, some about the salon, others about different events happening in town. I noticed there was a poster for the WWF live events that week. I smiled when I saw that poster; Shawn and I were the picture up top. It was of us posing before his match, and underneath the photo was the card for the shows./p
p data-p-id="b6e4c702f7267e307ec82e3db4ae559b"Steph nudged me as Sarah opened the door for us. She pointed at the picture, not realizing I'd already seen it. I grinned back at her, showing my excitement. She gave me a small squeeze, knowing how much just that simple poster meant to me./p
p data-p-id="897b34219659aeb0dc3ab8b8dea9aeff"We filed in and took our seats, telling the ladies what we wanted. Sarah did most of the talking. I even trusted her to pick out my nail style. Sarah gave me that little smile of hers before rattling off the exact thing I was thinking of. The oval nails with scarlet polish. There were times I swear she could read my mind./p
p data-p-id="715eacc238ba8128fafe7d813841fa68"The three of us and the three girls doing our nails were the only ones in the salon, and they told us no other appointments were scheduled for the day, so we could stay as long as we wanted. Sarah knew them all by name. Cheryl, the one waiting on her, was a middle-aged woman, maybe ten years older than the two of us, with hair that looked like it came from the previous decade. She popped her bubblegum as she talked to us, obviously from the south. Abby was the younger girl who did my nails, with fiery hair and a small voice. Steph was left with Joyce, the sixty-something year old who was mostly quiet but knew a lot about sweaters, the "good old days", and suprisingly, wrestling./p
p data-p-id="aa8dcc91ab7d5dc70b33229437eca07e"Joyce knew who I was as soon as she saw my face. "Well I'll be darned," she exclaimed. "You're Katherine McMahon."/p
p data-p-id="350167f8e749fe1b1ed0bf233ba35fad"I smiled politely, even though my insides were raging with excited energy. I hadn't met any fans yet who knew me for anything other than "Shawn's girl"./p
p data-p-id="bc2404120f05f259b6e32736a3b7be09""Yes ma'am," I replied./p
p data-p-id="1049c522550167a8e0c67ce3d2a18a93""I watch you on the TV with my grandson. He's almost in college now. And he has a very big crush on a certain someone." She gave me what I assumed was to be a teasing wink./p
p data-p-id="01c1732905a0daada702f8595ccaaaf9"I had to laugh. "I'm sorry to say that I am taken," I answered./p
p data-p-id="3244c42d45bdd5d934e511bbd162e3ed""I don't blame you. That man is a hunk," she commented. She pointed out at the window. "Took me forever to convince Abby to hang up that paper."/p
p data-p-id="061c1bfeb4dfa0148e5f95dfd42afe13""I'm glad you did," I told her sincerely./p
p data-p-id="4ba8893012363adaaa9f136920361e5b"The ladies who did our nails were all very sweet and kind to us. I reminded myself to thank Sarah later for bringing us there. The six of us all sat and chatted, well after our nails had probably already dried./p
p data-p-id="87151c7048fb95c1b41196df09440fb0""How old is Ellie now?" I asked Sarah. Ellie was her daughter. They lived near where we were with Sarah's husband and his elderly mother./p
p data-p-id="76abe87a1aba83d7a7be7501e688ac63""Almost a year now. Can you believe it? One minute she's not even a day old, sleeping in my arms. Then I blink and she's already 10 months and getting into everything," she giggled./p
p data-p-id="9dce5494490cf228dc2d760494bdd3e6""Is she crawling yet?" I asked. I hadn't seen Ellie since the day she was born. Sarah and I didn't get together as often as we would have liked./p
p data-p-id="b5b5cb019991df9019d4a66a23e2d9d8""She's nearly there. She is a pro crawler, that's for sure. I have to be careful when I set her down, because if I look away for more than a second, she's gone." She pulled out a recent picture from her purse. It was Ellie in a tiny Minnie Mouse dress and ears smiling in her stroller, with Sarah and her husband Kyle standing behind, with a big castle in the background. "We took her to Disney last month. She met Minnie Mouse and Snow White. She smiled for Minnie but she would not stop crying when we gave her to the princess." Sarah laughed as she remembered the moment./p
p data-p-id="a69a74823bb7cc7ad8b4674e15fe228b"I grinned as I listened to Sarah go on about her family. It reminded me of when I was younger and went on family trips with my family. We went to DisneyWorld once when I was very young. I didn't remember it at all except for pictures./p
p data-p-id="6cac80efe3c77a50c0a291ce5eef0f47"All the talk about how happy Sarah was made me want a family of my own. Maybe one day Shawn and I would have a little girl and we could take her Disney and watch her grow up and all of that. I could see it in my mind, but in reality... I wasn't so sure. Shawn didn't seem like that guy. Like a family man. He was on the edge, always looking for the next thrill. I couldn't see him and I settling down, as much as I wished for it./p
p data-p-id="17c4ba64109ace367a33d7482f97453e"A question from Sarah shook me from my trance. "How's college?"/p
p data-p-id="48b868851fff2a2cbd589a693fa074dc"For a second I forgot. How was college? College was over. Sarah had just finished and was beginning to work as a lawyer. I had dropped out and discarded Dad's dream of me being a lawyer. Talk about irony./p
p data-p-id="ad4388ad5c1f42d70fe35ed66d621c19""Um, I dropped out. During winter break," I confessed. I don't know why I never remembered to tell Sarah. I guess it was just me being me, wanting to avoid my problems. Sarah had everything: a degree, a job, a family... Me? I was a college dropout, working in a job that she probably still thought was ridiculous but would never tell me to my face. As for a family... I didn't know what to think in that department./p
p data-p-id="0042c8e6bad86c085bf3c710c6a92e78""Oh, really?" was all she asked. She seemed disinterested, but that was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me. "How come?"/p
p data-p-id="8d746c13a682b6ae5bf9f629f5c9dc8d""My heart wasn't in it," I admitted./p
p data-p-id="fbd5100ede867cc35768fccb5ceabc7b"She gave me a look that let me knew she didn't understand, but she didn't push it. Why would someone like Sarah understand? Everything came so easy to her. It was like the world parted for her at times./p
p data-p-id="ccd752dbab7e5bafdfaaf2ce5c889398"Don't get me wrong, Sarah and I were best friends since childhood, but I had always been a bit envious of how quickly the Earth seemed thrilled to bend to her will./p
p data-p-id="70de7b057aad04c1f1abdb2bc7d86dcd"All these thoughts about family, and Joyce, and Sarah's perfect world swirled around in my head as I drove us back to the hotel. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake them./p
p style="text-align: center;" data-p-id="59e76c0feb6e1581b375d6b4e8fb65cc"***br /em-/embr /emShawn's POV /embr /em-/em/p
p data-p-id="89a1a10298cfbb026fda32e309db3c65"Paul and I went to the store first thing after Kat and the girls left and bought us a couple of beers. With nothing to do and no where to be, we just chilled out all day, shooting the shit and drinking and laughing our asses of like always./p
p data-p-id="4187c81c9a3db57268618ca2b89ff4ce"At some point when we'd both gotten some liquor in us, Paul started digging at me about Kat. "So..." he raised his eyebrows at me. "You and Kat... haven't done it."/p
p data-p-id="9add7234006a9cf61ce72499e0bf139b"I shrugged him off, taking a sip. "So what?"/p
p data-p-id="f6808e4dcefb801315cda2f1e543440e""So that's not you. emHello?/em Is the great Shawn Hickenbottom actually emafraid/em to jump someone's bones? It's like I'm looking at a new man," he exaggerated, trying to get an answer out of me./p
p data-p-id="3dd25790fcaa72bce593a5af5ccb6de6""I'm not scared," I defended. "But with Kat I want it to be a little more than just 'jumping her bones', y'know?" I set the empty bottle down on the table. Rather than look into Paul's prying eyes, I stared at the random scratches and stains on the hotel table. The thing was probably older than me./p
p data-p-id="e7b93350f1c5b35e75e2389604c5c91e""She really means something to you, doesn't she?"/p
p data-p-id="b0fa81249d26e270ff467bc28de8c6f0"I breathed in deeply. "She does. She means everything to me."/p
p data-p-id="0fb1647582342929235bde8831d12254"I think Paul could sense how uncomfortable I was with the topic of conversation, because he switched it quickly. It was back to the same old same old: the business, talking shit about Bret, and whatever funny thing that happened three years ago that came to mind. We talked about how we missed the boys, Kev, Scott, and Kid. We discussed what we'd changed if we ran the company. We revisited how shit it was that Paul's push got scrapped. Just usual best friend jabbering. But somehow I had a feeling my "best friend jabbering" was vastly different than what the girls were talking about. That's just the way it is, I guess./p
p data-p-id="8768803b9e30e11dcb86095124ed4f4f"Kat came home in the early evening. Paul and I were shuffling the deck of cards. We'd combined poker and truth or dare into some sort of awful franken-game. Which I was badly losing, by the way. I don't even know how someone can lose at truth or dare, but it was happening./p
p data-p-id="ab7411058aa186abbc2d3c67f471688d""I dare you to..." Paul's face lit up as he saw Kat walk in, prompting an idea. "...convince Kat you're drunk," he whispered./p
p data-p-id="f528fe10fcb34d23e18f07bcb77b5e7d""Fuck you, man," I replied, chucking my cards at him. "I emam/em drunk." I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't necessarily right. We were lightly buzzed./p
p data-p-id="3ac6c4292b0fd35a7fc83a687ed96ba3"I stood up, forfeiting the game. I met Kat at the door with a kiss. "How was your girls day?" I asked, genuinely curious./p
p data-p-id="1cd700a66e1ddeb85992814e2d9c5df6"She shrugged, sitting down at the table, where Paul was still cleaning up cards. I followed her and sat back in my spot. She looked distracted, and maybe a little exhausted./p
p data-p-id="a45d3e79b00f272d4f7f2713f6e5c998""Babe?" I prodded. I was worried now. Kat was not acting her typical bubbly self./p
p data-p-id="f59cc865b692c8d7f49c690eaf394a9d""I'm okay. Just tired." She gave me a sleepy smile. "It was fun, really. Here, look." She held her hands out to show us her newly painted nails./p
p data-p-id="7173dfd44bd5064f639d52f5d6106a35"We both acknowledged that they looked great. I commented that they accented the hearts on her gear. She grinned for a moment, and then sighed./p
p data-p-id="41d65bddeebc789128c347988004ef0c""So, what does your twin," I started, refering to Sarah, "...do for a living?" I was just trying to start conversation./p
p data-p-id="4edf1f81e9f92deeb96cd0c9f360c8db"Kat giggled dryly. "You won't believe it. She's a lawyer."/p
p data-p-id="5b6c61095f0a2ff4fa5887265b15996d""Oh wow." Kat had almost been a lawyer. That's what Vince had wanted her to do. "Do you ever think... what if?"/p
p data-p-id="1e22f1608d81b121b2a7cb61fa5211b7"She sighed deeply. "All the time," she whispered. She moved a piece of her hair out of her face. "All the time, I think... what if I would have finished college? My life could have been so different. I could be a lawyer right now. And Sarah has a husband, and a little girl. And sometimes I think... that could be me." She stopped for a minute. I could almost physically see the wheels turning in her head. "But then I think... I wouldn't have met you," she smiled at me, "or Paul," she grinned at him as well, "or the rest of the boys. My picture wouldn't be hanging in local shop windows. I wouldn't be doing what I love, with the people I love. And so then I think... I wouldn't trade this for the world." She looked back at us with tears in her eyes./p
p data-p-id="dd1e6d49c37f949d8fafab305d7a1520"As I swiped them away and pulled her into my arms, I realized I wouldn't trade any of it either./p
p data-p-id="73c5bf98958043746d7dea328a0d3fa8"I was finishing curling my hair when I heard three knocks on the hotel door. As I currently was holding a very hot curler next to my head, I didn't exactly jump up to go get it./p
p data-p-id="2cf3196808955231a4bcc13ac1404f96""Shawn-"/p
p data-p-id="f54867711aba76545db245af05eb734d""Got it!" he called back. I heard him open the door and stop in his tracks. "Please say you aren't here for me."/p
p data-p-id="aec80dce030be2e7a536ee2eba4199d4"I put the curler down and unplugged it, finally finished with the last curl. I left the bathroom to see who had arrived, since Shawn was never speechless. I squealed when I saw my old friend waiting there for me./p
p data-p-id="0115cec0c31ad46743ef0128c42a88a5""Sarah!" I exclaimed, rushing over to give her a welcoming hug. Her brown locks were curled just like mine, and she was wearing a really cute top. Her eyes sparkled like I remembered./p
p data-p-id="8c194a5b70a880bd09e04cfb9af31373""You called, I came," she said as we parted. Her smile must have been as wide as mine. Sarah always smiled from her eyes./p
p data-p-id="e16c1d3ad060dc36be19148ce1a2fc98"Shawn was leaning against the open door, understandably confused. He just looked at me, expecting some sort of explanation./p
p data-p-id="efafef3f80882d89a0a384c09f6acd38""Come in," I told Sarah. She followed me into the room, and Shawn shut the door behind her. "This is my boyfriend Shawn, and that over there is Paul. Guys, this is my old friend, Sarah McKinnon," I introduced./p
p data-p-id="bb892e94fdb88681846f523b4a4fbe99""So... you're both Sarah," Shawn commented./p
p data-p-id="1bbdb278daad95f76b282a711d783e79"We both giggled. "Actually, Sarah is part of the reason I started going by Katherine," I explained. "We've known each other since... what, fourth grade?"/p
p data-p-id="0c71d8673b0fb0f6c1f104bf7d5f289a""Third," Sarah helped. "When I moved into the school district. I'd never even been to Connecticut, but you invited me to come sit with you."/p
p data-p-id="79d8d7fe2c1e0aa0e9b310ddece0ce7e"I grinned, remembering that time. "Thank you. I couldn't think of what year it was. I've been trying to think of it all day. Third grade. That's what, eleven years now? That's crazy!"/p
p data-p-id="111f14305614bd561524acf2437c0bad"Sarah nodded, laughing along with me. We were so giddy seeing each other again after so long. We hadn't met up since I was still in college. But when I saw we were in town, I thought I'd give her a call and we could go out and about. We used to be inseparable./p
p data-p-id="c04d62114a5779989d734a1ce5424e71"Shawn and Paul both came over and shook Sarah's hand, saying it was nice to meet her./p
p data-p-id="d31fe5a8c4a56ea54a747ac3a0641b90""Steph will be here any minute, and then we can head out," I told her, grabbing my purse. "We'll be back sometime this afternoon," I added, talking more to Paul and Shawn this time./p
p data-p-id="cbd60ac4050f70818c1801ec221949fe"A couple knocks on the door sounded, announcing Steph's arrival. Shawn opened the door and let her in since he was closest. Steph and Sarah greeted each other happily. I was so excited to hang out as the three of us again, like we used to in high school./p
p data-p-id="84992e02483a5ea57221d0f603713e26"Steph and Sarah walked out into the hall. I was going to follow them after saying goodbye to Shawn./p
p data-p-id="8d8a1b3d6e47a5a882e1214de764c4c6""Have fun," Shawn told us. "We'll be here staring at the wall for the next few hours."/p
p data-p-id="996cea86255a3b79c2f3cde8046bb24c""You're just bitter because you're not invited," I replied, giving him a short kiss./p
p data-p-id="648df4128b2a373df8271cdab4713a59""And why is that again?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist to prevent me from walking away. I knew this game: he didn't want me to leave./p
p data-p-id="4ff70cf6a909d0cbd77cedbe1d20ee9e""Because you are not a girl," I told him. He drew his face closer to mine and lingered against my lips. I wanted to stay there forever, but I had to go./p
p data-p-id="a4932c6617adc425222740a814d6dc47""The girls are waiting," I breathed./p
p data-p-id="c16979f1b86755df5e308c3dd3d6ba67""So let them wait," he said. "I love you more."/p
p data-p-id="366e5dd6b6399926d08907609f7532ed"I wiggled out of his grip. "I love you too. But we could play this game all day, and I have to go." I sent him one more smile before shutting the door behind me./p
p data-p-id="e3aa99f0a6e346d0235b3d93d433ea65"The girls were waiting for me in the elevator. I knew as soon as I saw Steph's face that I was in for some teasing./p
p data-p-id="8a7ab20ec0ab3262ce329c7dcb399a4e"***/p
p data-p-id="2ca09a9cf51cb0ae7ce1cf8d0ae8b1cb"We went to the nail salon: Sarah's idea. She assured us that she was a regular there, and they always treated her well. She even joked that she could probably get us a discount./p
p data-p-id="7d8e3c0b0988e60d917e7702cc5b84a5"It was right in the middle of town, nestled between a pizza shop and movie rental place. I couldn't believe we hadn't noticed it on the way into town the previous night. But then again, it had been late when we'd gotten into town. I didn't even remember it, to be honest./p
p data-p-id="9253e8996946d658ce767baeb0ba30bc""Nails Galore" had these huge windows out front that had different things written on them in stickers, signs, window paint, and posters. One window had the hours of business, the cost of a few different things, a sign about the remodeling happening in a month, and a giant decal of a woman's hand. The other had various posters, some about the salon, others about different events happening in town. I noticed there was a poster for the WWF live events that week. I smiled when I saw that poster; Shawn and I were the picture up top. It was of us posing before his match, and underneath the photo was the card for the shows./p
p data-p-id="b6e4c702f7267e307ec82e3db4ae559b"Steph nudged me as Sarah opened the door for us. She pointed at the picture, not realizing I'd already seen it. I grinned back at her, showing my excitement. She gave me a small squeeze, knowing how much just that simple poster meant to me./p
p data-p-id="897b34219659aeb0dc3ab8b8dea9aeff"We filed in and took our seats, telling the ladies what we wanted. Sarah did most of the talking. I even trusted her to pick out my nail style. Sarah gave me that little smile of hers before rattling off the exact thing I was thinking of. The oval nails with scarlet polish. There were times I swear she could read my mind./p
p data-p-id="715eacc238ba8128fafe7d813841fa68"The three of us and the three girls doing our nails were the only ones in the salon, and they told us no other appointments were scheduled for the day, so we could stay as long as we wanted. Sarah knew them all by name. Cheryl, the one waiting on her, was a middle-aged woman, maybe ten years older than the two of us, with hair that looked like it came from the previous decade. She popped her bubblegum as she talked to us, obviously from the south. Abby was the younger girl who did my nails, with fiery hair and a small voice. Steph was left with Joyce, the sixty-something year old who was mostly quiet but knew a lot about sweaters, the "good old days", and suprisingly, wrestling./p
p data-p-id="aa8dcc91ab7d5dc70b33229437eca07e"Joyce knew who I was as soon as she saw my face. "Well I'll be darned," she exclaimed. "You're Katherine McMahon."/p
p data-p-id="350167f8e749fe1b1ed0bf233ba35fad"I smiled politely, even though my insides were raging with excited energy. I hadn't met any fans yet who knew me for anything other than "Shawn's girl"./p
p data-p-id="bc2404120f05f259b6e32736a3b7be09""Yes ma'am," I replied./p
p data-p-id="1049c522550167a8e0c67ce3d2a18a93""I watch you on the TV with my grandson. He's almost in college now. And he has a very big crush on a certain someone." She gave me what I assumed was to be a teasing wink./p
p data-p-id="01c1732905a0daada702f8595ccaaaf9"I had to laugh. "I'm sorry to say that I am taken," I answered./p
p data-p-id="3244c42d45bdd5d934e511bbd162e3ed""I don't blame you. That man is a hunk," she commented. She pointed out at the window. "Took me forever to convince Abby to hang up that paper."/p
p data-p-id="061c1bfeb4dfa0148e5f95dfd42afe13""I'm glad you did," I told her sincerely./p
p data-p-id="4ba8893012363adaaa9f136920361e5b"The ladies who did our nails were all very sweet and kind to us. I reminded myself to thank Sarah later for bringing us there. The six of us all sat and chatted, well after our nails had probably already dried./p
p data-p-id="87151c7048fb95c1b41196df09440fb0""How old is Ellie now?" I asked Sarah. Ellie was her daughter. They lived near where we were with Sarah's husband and his elderly mother./p
p data-p-id="76abe87a1aba83d7a7be7501e688ac63""Almost a year now. Can you believe it? One minute she's not even a day old, sleeping in my arms. Then I blink and she's already 10 months and getting into everything," she giggled./p
p data-p-id="9dce5494490cf228dc2d760494bdd3e6""Is she crawling yet?" I asked. I hadn't seen Ellie since the day she was born. Sarah and I didn't get together as often as we would have liked./p
p data-p-id="b5b5cb019991df9019d4a66a23e2d9d8""She's nearly there. She is a pro crawler, that's for sure. I have to be careful when I set her down, because if I look away for more than a second, she's gone." She pulled out a recent picture from her purse. It was Ellie in a tiny Minnie Mouse dress and ears smiling in her stroller, with Sarah and her husband Kyle standing behind, with a big castle in the background. "We took her to Disney last month. She met Minnie Mouse and Snow White. She smiled for Minnie but she would not stop crying when we gave her to the princess." Sarah laughed as she remembered the moment./p
p data-p-id="a69a74823bb7cc7ad8b4674e15fe228b"I grinned as I listened to Sarah go on about her family. It reminded me of when I was younger and went on family trips with my family. We went to DisneyWorld once when I was very young. I didn't remember it at all except for pictures./p
p data-p-id="6cac80efe3c77a50c0a291ce5eef0f47"All the talk about how happy Sarah was made me want a family of my own. Maybe one day Shawn and I would have a little girl and we could take her Disney and watch her grow up and all of that. I could see it in my mind, but in reality... I wasn't so sure. Shawn didn't seem like that guy. Like a family man. He was on the edge, always looking for the next thrill. I couldn't see him and I settling down, as much as I wished for it./p
p data-p-id="17c4ba64109ace367a33d7482f97453e"A question from Sarah shook me from my trance. "How's college?"/p
p data-p-id="48b868851fff2a2cbd589a693fa074dc"For a second I forgot. How was college? College was over. Sarah had just finished and was beginning to work as a lawyer. I had dropped out and discarded Dad's dream of me being a lawyer. Talk about irony./p
p data-p-id="ad4388ad5c1f42d70fe35ed66d621c19""Um, I dropped out. During winter break," I confessed. I don't know why I never remembered to tell Sarah. I guess it was just me being me, wanting to avoid my problems. Sarah had everything: a degree, a job, a family... Me? I was a college dropout, working in a job that she probably still thought was ridiculous but would never tell me to my face. As for a family... I didn't know what to think in that department./p
p data-p-id="0042c8e6bad86c085bf3c710c6a92e78""Oh, really?" was all she asked. She seemed disinterested, but that was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me. "How come?"/p
p data-p-id="8d746c13a682b6ae5bf9f629f5c9dc8d""My heart wasn't in it," I admitted./p
p data-p-id="fbd5100ede867cc35768fccb5ceabc7b"She gave me a look that let me knew she didn't understand, but she didn't push it. Why would someone like Sarah understand? Everything came so easy to her. It was like the world parted for her at times./p
p data-p-id="ccd752dbab7e5bafdfaaf2ce5c889398"Don't get me wrong, Sarah and I were best friends since childhood, but I had always been a bit envious of how quickly the Earth seemed thrilled to bend to her will./p
p data-p-id="70de7b057aad04c1f1abdb2bc7d86dcd"All these thoughts about family, and Joyce, and Sarah's perfect world swirled around in my head as I drove us back to the hotel. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake them./p
p style="text-align: center;" data-p-id="59e76c0feb6e1581b375d6b4e8fb65cc"***br /em-/embr /emShawn's POV /embr /em-/em/p
p data-p-id="89a1a10298cfbb026fda32e309db3c65"Paul and I went to the store first thing after Kat and the girls left and bought us a couple of beers. With nothing to do and no where to be, we just chilled out all day, shooting the shit and drinking and laughing our asses of like always./p
p data-p-id="4187c81c9a3db57268618ca2b89ff4ce"At some point when we'd both gotten some liquor in us, Paul started digging at me about Kat. "So..." he raised his eyebrows at me. "You and Kat... haven't done it."/p
p data-p-id="9add7234006a9cf61ce72499e0bf139b"I shrugged him off, taking a sip. "So what?"/p
p data-p-id="f6808e4dcefb801315cda2f1e543440e""So that's not you. emHello?/em Is the great Shawn Hickenbottom actually emafraid/em to jump someone's bones? It's like I'm looking at a new man," he exaggerated, trying to get an answer out of me./p
p data-p-id="3dd25790fcaa72bce593a5af5ccb6de6""I'm not scared," I defended. "But with Kat I want it to be a little more than just 'jumping her bones', y'know?" I set the empty bottle down on the table. Rather than look into Paul's prying eyes, I stared at the random scratches and stains on the hotel table. The thing was probably older than me./p
p data-p-id="e7b93350f1c5b35e75e2389604c5c91e""She really means something to you, doesn't she?"/p
p data-p-id="b0fa81249d26e270ff467bc28de8c6f0"I breathed in deeply. "She does. She means everything to me."/p
p data-p-id="0fb1647582342929235bde8831d12254"I think Paul could sense how uncomfortable I was with the topic of conversation, because he switched it quickly. It was back to the same old same old: the business, talking shit about Bret, and whatever funny thing that happened three years ago that came to mind. We talked about how we missed the boys, Kev, Scott, and Kid. We discussed what we'd changed if we ran the company. We revisited how shit it was that Paul's push got scrapped. Just usual best friend jabbering. But somehow I had a feeling my "best friend jabbering" was vastly different than what the girls were talking about. That's just the way it is, I guess./p
p data-p-id="8768803b9e30e11dcb86095124ed4f4f"Kat came home in the early evening. Paul and I were shuffling the deck of cards. We'd combined poker and truth or dare into some sort of awful franken-game. Which I was badly losing, by the way. I don't even know how someone can lose at truth or dare, but it was happening./p
p data-p-id="ab7411058aa186abbc2d3c67f471688d""I dare you to..." Paul's face lit up as he saw Kat walk in, prompting an idea. "...convince Kat you're drunk," he whispered./p
p data-p-id="f528fe10fcb34d23e18f07bcb77b5e7d""Fuck you, man," I replied, chucking my cards at him. "I emam/em drunk." I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't necessarily right. We were lightly buzzed./p
p data-p-id="3ac6c4292b0fd35a7fc83a687ed96ba3"I stood up, forfeiting the game. I met Kat at the door with a kiss. "How was your girls day?" I asked, genuinely curious./p
p data-p-id="1cd700a66e1ddeb85992814e2d9c5df6"She shrugged, sitting down at the table, where Paul was still cleaning up cards. I followed her and sat back in my spot. She looked distracted, and maybe a little exhausted./p
p data-p-id="a45d3e79b00f272d4f7f2713f6e5c998""Babe?" I prodded. I was worried now. Kat was not acting her typical bubbly self./p
p data-p-id="f59cc865b692c8d7f49c690eaf394a9d""I'm okay. Just tired." She gave me a sleepy smile. "It was fun, really. Here, look." She held her hands out to show us her newly painted nails./p
p data-p-id="7173dfd44bd5064f639d52f5d6106a35"We both acknowledged that they looked great. I commented that they accented the hearts on her gear. She grinned for a moment, and then sighed./p
p data-p-id="41d65bddeebc789128c347988004ef0c""So, what does your twin," I started, refering to Sarah, "...do for a living?" I was just trying to start conversation./p
p data-p-id="4edf1f81e9f92deeb96cd0c9f360c8db"Kat giggled dryly. "You won't believe it. She's a lawyer."/p
p data-p-id="5b6c61095f0a2ff4fa5887265b15996d""Oh wow." Kat had almost been a lawyer. That's what Vince had wanted her to do. "Do you ever think... what if?"/p
p data-p-id="1e22f1608d81b121b2a7cb61fa5211b7"She sighed deeply. "All the time," she whispered. She moved a piece of her hair out of her face. "All the time, I think... what if I would have finished college? My life could have been so different. I could be a lawyer right now. And Sarah has a husband, and a little girl. And sometimes I think... that could be me." She stopped for a minute. I could almost physically see the wheels turning in her head. "But then I think... I wouldn't have met you," she smiled at me, "or Paul," she grinned at him as well, "or the rest of the boys. My picture wouldn't be hanging in local shop windows. I wouldn't be doing what I love, with the people I love. And so then I think... I wouldn't trade this for the world." She looked back at us with tears in her eyes./p
p data-p-id="dd1e6d49c37f949d8fafab305d7a1520"As I swiped them away and pulled her into my arms, I realized I wouldn't trade any of it either./p