Page 57 of Meant for Mayhem

Wow, okay. Somebody googled this far more than me. Now I feel like a bad friend.

Shannon

We’re not friends

Stevie

cuz we’re BEST friends

Tate

What time do you start?

Shannon

I need to head out in an hour. Trying to decide if I look okay.

I held the phone away from me and snapped a picture, looking more confident than I felt. My black scrubs hit above the tops of my Doc Marten boots, a black sheer long-sleeve shirt covering my tattoos on my arms. I’d layered several gold necklaces over it to feel more me, but I felt stuffy.

Daisy

I like it. Medical goth. Spooky professional.

Tate

Seconded.

Stevie

And look at that BLING. He did such a good job with your ring.

Emmy

I know, I love it. It’s so you.

I looked down at my hand and the wedding ring shining back at me. We hadn’t left the house over the weekend, Mikko and I settling into a routine that consisted of planning our entire lives around an energetic toddler and avoiding each other as much as possible.

That wasn’t part of the original plan, but after his whole if my wife has needs, comment, it felt more important than ever to keep my distance. But now that I was headed out, I felt like I needed to wear my ring again. Needed to sell this narrative that yes, I was a wife and step-mom. Even if both titles sounded absurd.

Stevie

I need a style besides, ‘I don’t care if my kid wipes their snotty nose on this shirt.’

Emmy

That’s a fun project. Maybe we need to take a girl’s trip down to Denver and go shopping?

Daisy

I’m in.

Stevie

Omg that sounds so fun. Can we come see you, Shan? I miss you.

Shannon

It’s been like, five days.