What happens in Vegans Definitely didn't stay there

Chapter 4: Mermaids

The annulment is confirmed, Sylvie learns more about who she replaced, and she arranges a date.

Moving in with Gabby was a relief for Sylvie, and having her own bed felt like a luxury after two weeks on Casey and Kelly's couch. She'd convinced Kelly to let Cruz bring her cases to the house, eager to stop any awkwardness between the two people she'd become closest to in the city.

Their friendship had been formed in the ambo, but kept going even with Gabby on the truck now. Sylvie could see how much her friend was hurting and tried to keep it together for the two of them. Their nights in with beers and takeout were becoming the night before shift regular programming and it made them both smile.

There was a rapid knocking on the door, so she went to open it to get their Thai food from the PostMates driver. Instead Kelly was standing at the door, and he grabbed her and twirled her around.

"It arrived! We're officially annulled and never were married, Syl," he crowed, putting her down and handing her annulment certificate form over.

"Oh thank God!" She said quickly while reading the certificate. Everything was in order, it was all perfect and they were officially no longer married and never had been as far as the law was concerned.

"C'mon, let's go to Mollys to celebrate. Shay's sister is coming into town tomorrow so I want to have a night out before seeing Megan." He went to reach for her coat, but Sylvie put a hand on his arm.

"I can't. Gabby and I have a pre shift routine that involves beers, Flip or Flop and takeout. I thought you were the PostMates guy with our Thai food. I'll see you on shift tomorrow, Kelly." She kissed his cheek goodbye as he opened the door to leave. Kelly walked out as the food arrived, so she handed over a tip and brought the two bags into the living room where Gabby sat on the couch. She was peeling the label off her beer bottle and smiled as Sylvie handed over her beef green curry.

"Kelly says hi, he came to drop some stuff off for me." Sylvie said, putting Flip or Flop on and opening her Pad Thai, inhaling the spicy sweet scent.

"Yeah? What did he want?" Gabby replied, trying and failing to make herself sound like she liked her ex's best friend.

"Our annulment came through, it arrived today. I'm officially a single woman at last. Now I just need to sell the rings and it'll be like it never happened."

"How do you feel about it all?"

"I have no idea. I'm glad it's annulled, I'm glad it's done with. But if we hadn't gotten super drunk and gone to Vegas, I wouldn't be friends with him. So it wasn't a nice thing, but I'm glad of the results if that makes sense?" She speared a prawn with her fork, popping it into her mouth with gusto.

"Yeah, it does. I'm glad Matt and I were together, I'm so glad we dated and got engaged and he was there for me. But I wish it could have ended differently." Gabby tried hiding her sob with shoving rice in her mouth, but it didn't work. She could feel her roommate's eyes staring at her until she looked up.

"You're forgetting one thing, Gabriela Dawson, and that's if there's anyone you know in Chicago who has gone through this, it's me. I know what it's like to think someone's the love of your life and realise that it's not right. And it sucks and it's awful, but bottling it all up isn't going to help matters for it either. You need to let yourself feel about it before it eats you whole." Sylvie put her food on the coffee table, turning to give Gabby her full attention.

"Tonight's a judgment free zone, just you and me. What's going on with you? How're you feeling about everything? Just talk about it, it'll help."

Gabby talked and talked and talked for over an hour, telling Sylvie the full story of her and Matt. How she'd nearly made a move when he and Hallie split up, how they got back together then split then together then split and it drove her insane to watch until Hallie was gone and Matt was a mess, and she helped him get picked up. By the end of it Gabby was crying and Sylvie had wrapped an arm around the older woman's shoulders, holding her tight to let her get through it.