You'll never guess

            I’m in shock right now, and unsure of what to feel or think. 

            I’ve been keeping in touch with Hannah and Lucy. Hannah more so than Lucy, partly because Lucy’s been busy with therapy, and partly because when Lucy and Fred make their relationship public and official, I’d rather hear the news from Hannah than Lucy herself.

            So the past month I’ve been hearing about how wonderful Hayden is, and Hannah’s new show, and Lucy’s therapy, and that Ben moved down to be near Fred so they can work on their new business together. All this time I’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting, for news about Lucy and Fred. Lately I’ve been getting so frustrated because I just want to hear it so I can let that little, stupid, hopeful part of me die.

            Well, yesterday I was on Skype with Hannah. She was telling me in about the costumes in her new show when Lucy walked in. She still moved slowly, but with more energy than I’d seen during previous Skype sessions when she popped in to say hi. 

She asked me to “guess what!” with a big smile on her face and stars in her eyes. I knew it was coming then. I had such dread and anticipation for relief at the same time. She was going to tell me. She was going to say those words “I’m dating Fred” and I would be crushed and finally free at the same time.

            Those words were close to what she actually said, with one major difference. Rather than Fred, Lucy said, “I’m dating Ben.”

            I thought I heard wrong. She had to repeat it. And even then, I had to confirm a few times she meant Ben. Fred’s business partner? The one we met in Aspen? Lucy smiled, but didn’t laugh like she would have before. She said yes, yes, yes, that Ben.

            Lucy then let me know she hasn’t had feelings for Fred since her accident. Ever since she came out of her coma, she’s found herself more and more drawn to Ben, who spent hours by her bedside, finding music for her to listen to and talking to her. When she came back home, he followed because he missed her so much. There hadn’t been much alone time with first the hospital and now Lucy’s nurse, but recently they finally had a moment together to confirm their feelings to each other and decide to date exclusively.

            I congratulated her and Ben, and wished them the best.

            Although the clubbing Lucy didn’t seem the right fit for the grieving Ben, she does seem changed since her accident, and she talks about him with such admiration and fondness. I might be confused, but they’re happy. And that’s what matters.

            And as for Fred, well, I know what you might be thinking. Fred is single. He’s not going to date Lucy like I’d thought. Well, yes, but he’s still in love with Lucy, and we’re hundreds of miles away, and he doesn’t care for me like that anymore. I know better than to get my hopes up about this. He’s moved past me. There’s no point in going backward to me when he’s miles and miles away from what we had. He’ll go on and find someone completely different. And I will, too. This plot twist really doesn’t change anything in my story.