JUST LIKE HER (ANDY BARBER)

19. YOU CHASE DOWN THE NEWEST THING

August, a Year and Nine Months Later

You never got over the mourning period. Sometimes, you still felt like you had your baby bump. Still felt the barely there kicks as she moved around inside of you. Most days, it took everything in you not to just cry and cry and cry. And for a while, you did. After you had been realized from the hospital, you holed yourself up in your apartment, surviving off of stale crackers and Chinese takeout, cringing at the sunlight, praying that it could all just be over with.

But the world moved on, and so did you.

Eventually, you got back out there. You got a job at a bookstore. It paid well. It was enough to cover your expenses. And it was a quiet job. You didn't have to do much, at least compared to waitressing anyways. It was almost peaceful, actually, save for the months when someone would come in and need help. Though, you almost wondered how peaceful it was versus how numb you had become. Because, if you were being honest, it was almost like you couldn't feel anything anymore.

In the months following your loss, you decided to reapply to the law school. With your money dwindling and no family support, you opted for the part-time evening program. That way, you could have a lighter course-load while you worked during the day. You could make your money, get your education, make something of yourself.

After all, while your father had so strongly influenced your path, it was still a path you wanted to take. And it was a path you hated to stray from.

You were readmitted and, come August, you were back on campus.

Being in the building, though, knowing that Andy was somewhere inside, made you feel sick. When you arrived, you made a beeline for the classroom, praying that you wouldn't run into anyone along the way. And, for once, luck was on your side.

You were the first one in the classroom. You took the time to pull out your materials, reviewing them, trying to quell your nerves. Or, at least, to feel a different type of nervousness. It had been two years since you'd been in the classroom. You feared you were out of practice, that you would soon be humiliated when it came time to be cold-called.

"Is this seat taken?"

You looked up, seeing a tall woman with beautiful curls and a kind smile. "Uh, no, feel free."

She sat down and began to take her materials from her backpack. "I'm Donella. I don't think I've met you before, and I made a point to befriend everyone in the evening program."

You felt your face grow warm. It felt shameful to admit what you were about to. "Uh, I was a full-time student a couple years back. Had to drop out because...uh..."

She looked at you, her eyes wide. "Oh, no! Don't feel like you have to explain anything to me. I totally get it. Shit comes up, life gets complicated, plans change. But, hey, I'm glad you made it back."

"You don't even know me to be glad," you laughed.

"Maybe so, but I know a real friend when I see one," she said, smiling at you.

And that made you want to cry. "I haven't had a friend in a long time," you said before you could stop yourself.

"Well, then consider me your best friend," Donella said. "Because, trust me, you ain't going to be getting rid of me any time soon."

"I'll hold you to that," you said.

And even though you didn't know Donella very well, but you knew you could trust her. Just like she said, you know a real friend when you see one. And something told you that she would be around for years to come.