Epilogue 5 - Tea for Two

Madison Granger used to think she was meant for more. Maybe "more" wasn't the right word. She wasn't sure what the right word was, in fact. But if not more, certainly different.

Back in high school, she'd imagined herself climbing through the world — sharp heels, sharp mind, sharper tongue. She'd been valedictorian, the girl who never missed a deadline, the one who planned everything down to the hour. Her sights were set on college, on internships, on that perfect career that would make everyone else take her seriously.

Funny how small those dreams seemed now.

Who cared about being taken seriously? Her life wasn't about collecting accolades or building a reputation. She'd already found the best possible thing for her, and his name was Joey Granger.

The nursery door clicked softly shut behind her, and she finally felt safe to sigh. In her old life, with her old ambitions, she would have mocked women like her, women who chose their man, their family, over their own selfish ambitions. She could see that now, that she had been selfish. She was lucky to have found Joey, someone smarter, wiser than she was, someone who could explain the world to her, someone who had patience enough to wait for her when she was being too dumb.

She just loved him so much she could hardly handle it.

"Do you think they'll sleep long?" Aynsley asked, leaning against the wall opposite her, looking fetching in her pigtails and Daisy Dukes. Just because they had become mothers didn't mean they had to stop looking good for their man. Madison, too, was in the same outfit: short denim shorts, tight t-shirt, pigtails, barefoot. It was always that way those days. Madison would pick out an outfit, Aynsley would pick out the same outfit. They'd had to buy two of everything once they moved in with Joey, but he took care of all of that. He didn't mind the extra expense. He'd started calling the pair of them his twins. Madison couldn't be happier.

"Long enough, I hope," Madison answered, feeling the cool plastic of the baby monitor in her hand. "Want a cup of tea?"

"Yes, please!" Aynsley answered eagerly.

Madison knew that the standard wisdom was to sleep when the baby sleeps, but her relationship with Aynsley was special, and if there was time to connect without a babe in arms, then she wanted to take it.

Afternoon light spilled through the hallway windows as they made their way to the kitchen. They walked close to each other, the sound of their bare feet on the marble floors just loud enough to be heard over the sound of the pair of infants softly breathing in their cribs. One baby each, born within days of each other. While Madison and Aynsley had been close in high school, they were much closer now. Bonded through their love of Joey, and in their experience as new mothers.

The kitchen was large, like everything in the Granger home. Large, modern appliances, acres of marble countertops, and a spacious breakfast island where Aynsley immediately began setting out what they would need for tea: cups, saucers, milk, sugar, and spoons. Madison set the monitor down and turned on the kettle.

"I heard from Stacy Ackman that Candace Dillon broke up with Ivan Rakowski. Said he was holding her back," Aynsley started gossiping right away, calling back names from their old lives. It felt comfortable to talk about their old friends, even though most of them had moved on with their lives.

"That girl needs to find a good man and settle down," Madison said, putting two tea bags in the teapot.

"Of course," Aynsley agreed. She always agreed. "What she needs is a man who can show her how valuable she is. Like Joey does with us, how he makes us better just by being with us."

"That's right. If she's not careful, she'll miss out on her opportunity and have to settle. The best strategy is to find the right man early then commit as soon as you find him. That way you don't get confused about what you want in life. Careers and degrees are fine, but if they get in the way of true love, then they have to go."

There was a sound on the monitor, no more than a rustle, but the women got quiet and listened. After a moment, with no more sounds, they breathed again.

The kettle popped and Madison filled the teapot. The two mothers sat, drank, and gossiped, enjoying each other's comfortable company. Not a day went by that Madison didn't wonder at how she had gotten so lucky to end up as Joey Granger's girlfriend, but she was equally amazed at how she was doubly blessed to have Aynsley by her side to share the experience. Not that she would have been lonely without Aynsley. If Joey himself wasn't enough to keep her company, the house was filled with women who loved him, and Madison felt supported by each and every one of them.

But her connection to Aynsley was special. They'd known each other since childhood, grown up together, and now had become mothers together. That wasn't nothing. That was a meaningful connection, something to be cherished.

She glanced over at Aynsley who was filling both of their cups with the tea which had now steeped. She was glowing. A smile adorned her face, eyes filled with light. In high school, Aynsley had carried herself with a sense of entitlement, approaching problems with aggression. But since she joined Madison in loving Joey, she had changed. She was happy. Truly happy.

And so was Madison.

"Look at us," Madison said, giggling, "How did we end up in this life? Moms at nineteen, no jobs, no education, dressed up like a couple of skanks hoping their man will glance their way."

"I know, right?" Aynsley said, also laughing. "Isn't it great?"

Madison sat down on a padded stool and looked at her best friend and realized that it was. It was truly great.