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It’s so good to see you,” I said into her hair as I continued to hug her.
    She pulled her head away and looked into my eyes. “It’s good to see you too, Shawn,” she said genuinely.
    I smiled from ear to ear and placed her safely back on her feet.
    Zena shuffl ed behind us and then cleared her throat. I glanced back at her with a grin. “Oh, hi, Zena,” I said sheepishly, feeling bad about the way I blatantly ignored her.
    Zena rolled her eyes, picking up on the less than enthusiastic greeting. “Hi , Shawn.”
    I leaned over and gave her an apologetic peck on the cheek, then immediately turned my attention back to Nicole. I grabbed her hand to lead her over to the VIP section that was rented out for the occasion. I paused when our hands touched; this was the first time we had ever held hands. It was a simple gesture that my body craved, but I never felt comfortable doing before because I respected her marriage. Like I had always suspected, Nicole’s hands were soft, small, and sweet. Just like her.
    Nicole grinned hard when she noticed the cake and congratulatory balloons waiting for her on the center table. Zena, however, seemed preoccupied with her cell phone. Nicole and I grabbed seats on the leather sectional, but Zena opted to continue standing and typed agitatedly on her phone.
    “ What’s going on with her?” I asked when I noticed Zena’s semi-funk.
    Nicole rolled her eyes and then replied, “She’s looking for her boyfriend . He said he would be here waiting for us but obviously he’s not.”
    I noticed Nicole’s indifferent demeanor. “You don’t seem too surprised by that,” I pointed out.
    “I’m not. I hardly ever believe the words that come out of his mouth ,” Nicole said bitterly. Deciding not to spend the night focused on Zena and her obviously crappy boyfriend, I decided to get things started.
    “How does a Malibu and pineapple juice sound?” I asked, pleased with myself for remembering her favorite drink.
    Nicole beamed and her eyes lit up . “Yes, please.”
    I gazed at her just a second longer than I needed to, admiring her beautiful face and plump, heart-shaped lips. Her cheeks turned red under my gaze. I winked at her then slipped out of my seat, and walked to the bar.
    As I made my way back, I called out to Zena, who still looked unhappy. “Hey, Zena, why don’t you come sit with us?” I suggested.
    “I will in a moment . I’m just looking for Mason.”
    “Zena, stop worrying. He’s a big boy. I’m sure he will find us when he gets here,” I said quietly. I handed her a drink to calm her nerves, then gently urged her back over to Nicole.
    Nicole was talking to the other people who arrived , so I slipped the drink into her hand and took a seat. I watched Nicole with silent admiration as she smiled and talked to everyone. Even though I could tell she was fighting the urge to cry every time her son was brought up, she held it together. This woman was amazing in so many ways: her beauty, her strength, her poise. I struggled not to stare.
    When Nicole was finished her meet-and-greet with her guests, she slid back onto the seat next to me. “Shawn, thank you again for coming, it’s been forever . How the hell are you?” she asked, the slight slur in her tone told me that the alcohol had taken effect on her.
    “I’m actually doing pretty well . How about you?”
    She gave a non-committing shrug and said , “As good as possible given the situation.”
    I wanted to pull her into a corner and really connect with her. Find out how she was feeling, and how she had been doing. What the truth was behind that generic smile. I knew what a genuine smile from Nicole looked like, and the mask she was wearing tonight wasn’t it. Most importantly, I wanted to know what I could do to help, but this was neither the time nor place for such a deep conversation.
    When it came time to cut the cake , Nicole was seriously drunk. She slurred and stammered while she thanked everyone for