After graduation, Lora and Celeste went their separate ways to college—Celeste back to Kentucky and Lora to a university in Missouri. They promised to call and email every day, but deep down, both knew that things would never be the same. Celeste planned on joining her mother and grandmother’s old sorority. She would have tons of new “sisters” and best friends to take up her time.
After saying goodbye to Celeste on their last Saturday together, Lora’s mother found her crying in her bedroom.
“Honey, it’s okay. You and Celeste will still be friends.””But she’s my best friend. My only best friend.””I know, but you’ll have other friends, even other best ones.””I never thought I’d have one, though. What if I can’t get another one?””You will, I promise you will. You and Celeste started out as friends and eventually became best friends. It will happen again.” She kissed her daughter on the head and quietly left the room. After a few minutes, Lora went to her desk and opened up the photo album that she and Celeste had made the previous year. Flipping through, she tried to remember how she and Celeste had become best friends. What had made their relationship different? Toward the middle of the book, Lora paused on a picture of Celeste and her father. Though she had sworn she was done with him, he managed to persuade her to visit each Christmas. Celeste had sent the picture as proof of her misery. Though her father was smiling—one arm around his daughter, the other around his new wife—Celeste looked only moments away from recreating the Lizzie Borden crime scene.
That’s it, Lora thought, that’s when she told me I was her best friend. It was after her dad left. I was there for her when she was sad. I helped her get through the divorce.
Lora closed the album and sat down at her desk. For the first time in weeks, she felt hopeful.
I can have another best friend. I just need to find someone who needs one.
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