Friends With Benefits

7

At the end of the day Miranda sat in her car for a moment, feeling the weight of the day slowly catch up to her. As she stared at her phone, Callie's text about pizza and Ben's message with his address stared back at her, both pulling her in different directions. She took a deep breath, trying to sort through her tangled thoughts. Pizza with Callie and Arizona first, she decided. Sofia would be excited to see her again, and maybe some laughter with them would help shake off the unease that had clung to her all day. Then she would go over to Ben's.

Just as she was about to put her phone down, she saw it—the message from Terry. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the notification. Part of her wanted to ignore it entirely. He had already dredged up enough old feelings at lunch, and she wasn't sure she had the energy to deal with him tonight. But curiosity—and the unresolved tension between them—made her swipe to open it.

"I know you're busy, but I really need to talk to you again before I leave."

She groaned, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the seat. This was all too much. Terry, with his confessions from college, stirring up everything she'd buried about Tucker. It felt like she was spinning plates, trying to keep everything from crashing down.

After a moment, she decided. She typed a quick response to Callie first.

"I'll be there for pizza. Might be a little late."

Then she pulled up Ben's text, staring at it a little longer before typing back.

"I'll come by after dinner. Might need a drink."

She let out a slow breath, satisfied with her plan. Callie's place first, a chance to relax with friends, and then Ben's, where she could finally unload everything swirling in her head.

As for Terry, she left his message unread. She wasn't ready to deal with him again—at least not tonight. She slipped her phone into the cup holder, turned the key in the ignition, and drove off.

When she got to Callie and Arizona's she barely had time to turn off the engine before Sofia burst out of the house, sprinting toward her with all the excitement only a child could muster. As she stepped out of the car, Sofia threw her arms around Miranda's waist, squeezing tight.

"Tía Bailey. You're here"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss pizza night with my favorite girl."

Sofia grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the house. "Come on, come on. We're making our own pizzas"

"I thought we were ordering?"

"This way is better, trust me."

Miranda laughed as Sofia led her inside, the warmth of the house instantly welcoming. She could hear Callie and Arizona in the kitchen, their voices blending with the sounds of the oven preheating and pizza toppings being set out.

"Look who I found" Sofia announced, dragging Miranda into the kitchen like she'd just returned from a great adventure.

Callie looked up from chopping vegetables and grinned. "Right on time. Grab an apron, we're going full chef mode tonight."

Arizona popped her head out from behind the fridge door. "Hope you're ready for some competition. Sofia thinks she can out-pizza us all."

Miranda chuckled, the tension from earlier in the day easing as she took in the scene. It was exactly what she needed—family, laughter, and food. She grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. "I was under the impression we were ordering Pizza for this pizza night."

"Nope we're doing making personal pizzas." Arizona beamed

For the next hour, they worked side by side, chopping, spreading sauce, and debating the best pizza toppings. Sofia was determined that her creation, a chaotic mix of pepperoni, green peppers, and extra cheese, was going to win the "best pizza" contest.