“I know, I just wish you were here with me,” she said, sounding a little upset with herself.

“I wish I was there with you too, baby. But we’ve been over this with each other and at therapy. We both have jobs that require us to travel. That’s just how it is. And I know you told me why you’re afraid, but I promise it won’t happen that way. We’re not gonna let it. So just relax and try to enjoy your trip,” I tried to comfort her.

And although it was true, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. I’d talked to Shane and my therapists and the rest of my friends about how clingy Alice was getting. Granted, it was nothing compared to the what it had been the first time, and it was under completely different circumstances, but it still bothered me. It was like she was afraid to let me out of her sight. And although I understood why, it still bothered me to think of her that way.

It had been Jenny that had finally made me understand what was going on. I could know the reasons behind Alice’s issues all I wanted, but it didn’t make a bit difference because I hadn’t understood them. Not until Jenny had sat me down in the living room after Shane and I had come in from fixing up Alice’s office. She’d asked me how things were going, and I gave her a superficial response at first.

Jenny had taken in my answer and looked up at Shane, who had immediately sat down beside her and pulled her close when we’d come inside. Jenny cuddled into her so naturally that I started to think about what Alice had said, about the two of them being in love with each other. My mind drifted a little, thinking about how funny that would actually be, until Jenny had started to talk.

“I don’t mean in general. I mean with everything.”

It took me a second to figure out what she meant, and then I remembered that Alice had been the one to get Jenny to go into the hospital. I never knew what they’d talked about before Jenny agreed, but I’m sure Alice had told her some things. I don’t know why I was so surprised to finally figure that out.