Chi Chi found herself in an uncomfortable predicament, isolated and devoid of conversation. The infectious sounds of Luca laughing with more significant guests filled the air, amplifying her sense of loneliness. Everyone seemed to be coupled up. Luca and Sophia. Luca’s friend and that goddess he came with. She felt incredibly single without a plus one of her own. However, merely observing others revel in their enjoyment was not Chi Chi’s modus operandi. Determined, she surveyed the vibrant patio, seeking solace in the sight of familiar faces or another lonely heart. Eventually, her gaze settled upon Maira.
“Hi,” she said and sat next to her. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Chi Chi. Are you here for the bride or the groom?”
Maira smiled politely.
“Maira. I guess both, kinda? Luca is a good friend. He asked me to be the flower pal. But my sister is Sophia’s sim of honor.”
“Ohhh, I see…”
Chi Chi eyed her curiously, wondering what their story was. It wasn’t every day she ran into a man and a woman who were just friends. Her own friendship with Luca had no romantic history to speak of, but it also wasn’t completely platonic. Maira kept looking over shoulder like she was trying to keep in step with the conversation happening behind her. In her eyes, Chi Chi noticed a flicker of a little something. Luca and his friends were blissfully unaware of her presence behind them, and Maira had FOMO. But after closer inspection, Chi Chi saw it wasn’t inclusion she sought, but Luca.
“Uh oh,” Chi Chi said. “I know that look. Did you two…you know…”
Maira’s eyes widened in horror and embarrassment.
“What? No! Of course not! He’s like my best friend!”
“But you wanted to,” Chi Chi said, waggling her eyebrows.
“I…” Maira sighed. “Maybe?”
Chi Chi scooted closer, crossing her legs and leaning in.
“Spill!”
“There’s nothing to tell! Nothing happened.”
“Oh, come on! You’re sad! I can see it all over your face. And you were so fake back there! What’s wrong?”
Maira sighed and relented.
“To be clear, I’m happy for Luca. I encouraged him to go after her because I didn’t want him waiting around for me when it was clear he wanted something I wasn’t ready for.”
Chi Chi gasped.
“So you did date!”
“I mean, we hung out a lot, but-“
“Honey, that’s called dating.”
“But it was friendly! We never kissed or talked about getting together or anything.”
“Still dating! You had feelings for each other, right?”
“Ugh! Fine! We dated. But like I said, it was platonic. But…there was a moment when I thought things might change. I wasn’t ready, anyway. And then he told me about Sophia. Things happened so fast!”
“Tell me about it! One minute I’m reminding him he owed me a date, and the next minute he’s telling me he moved in with someone!”
“Right? I’m glad he’s happy. I guess a tiny part of me was hoping he’d still be around when I’m ready.”
“But what if you’re never ready?”
“That’s why I told him to go after her. I don’t know when I’ll be ready or if I ever will. But after dating all those losers in high school, it was so refreshing to be with a guy who really cared about me, you know? Even if it was just as friends.”
“Maybe you’ll find someone like him. When you’re ready.”
“Maybe. I hope so.”
