Lola stared at her aunt, mouth open. “Did she just pass out?”
“She only had two glasses of wine.” Jared had his hands on her shoulders, keeping her upright. Lola laughed at the look on his face. It was a mix between incredibility and disgruntlement.
Jared’s lips twitched as their eyes met. “Should probably take her home.”
“Good idea. I just need Sebastian to open my gift and then we can go.”
“We’ll be in the car.”
Jack rushed over as Jared hefted Blair’s slack form into his arms. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s fine. Just drunk,” Jared said dryly and maneuvered his way through the dispersing crowd.
He turned to Lola. “How did that happen?”
“He said she had two glasses of wine.”
“Two? Two?”
Lola shrugged. She didn’t understand it either. “I have to get Sebastian to open my present quick before we go. Coming?”
Jack hung back. “No. You go.”
She frowned. “Why don’t you want to go?”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding.”
“Lola.” Jack gave her a look. “Go. Sebastian said Rachel has big double dating plans so I’ll go find out the details.”
“That sounds like torture.”
He kissed her forehead. “The things I do for you.”
Lola weaved her way through people, stopping to give her goodbyes to Dr. Jones and Derek, who both hugged her tight and invited her over for supper the next week.
Sebastian stood off to the side, watching his family and friends enjoy his party. His hands were shoved into the pockets of khaki pants, a white dress shirt tight against his muscular chest. Sebastian’s hair was slicked back, his features prominent. Shadows hid his eyes from her.
Lola watched him for a moment, emotions tightening her throat. Her childhood friend was a young man now. Bittersweet tenderness swept through her. He would be leaving soon, going to college in Iowa.
True, they had both changed and were different from a year ago, but some things, the most important things, never changed.
He’d always been there for her, even when she didn’t know it, even when she didn’t want him to be. If he hadn’t been there that last night, who knew what Lola would be like at that very moment, where she would be, what she would be.
Sebastian looked up, caught her eye, and grinned.
Lola hurried to him, missing him already. She felt like crying. In fact, she was. Lola grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. Sebastian’s arms went around her, hugging her just as tightly.
“You’re my best friend, Sebastian. Even if I get another best friend someday, you’ll still always be the best best friend.” Lola pulled away, wiped her eyes.
Sebastian swallowed, eyes red. “You too, Lola. Always.”
She laughed through her tears; wishing things didn’t have to change. But that was life; that was the one constant, the one thing that never changed. Things always changed.
“You have to open my present before I go.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going now, Sebastian,” she told him when he didn’t move.
“Oh.” He straightened. “Where is it?”
Lola dashed a hand across her wet eyes and grabbed the present from the table of them, offering it to Sebastian.
Sebastian looked at the gift wrapped in blue paper, holding it in his hands. “Whatever it is, I’ll love it just because it’s from you.”
“I know that. Open it.”
He began to tear at the paper.
“Something you always need, something you never want to lose,” Lola told him.
Sebastian paused, understanding the significance of the gift.
He lifted the lid from the box and reached in, pulling out an 8 X 10 canvas. Colors swirled together, different shades of blues and greens and purples melding, interlocking, becoming one. Four black letters stood out, bold and unable to ignore.
“I made this at a time when I had none, or at least, not much.”
He kept his head down, tracing the four letters with his fingertip. It read: HOPE. Sebastian took a deep breath, wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and gave Lola a sweet smile. “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
Lola patted his back. “I know.” They shared a smile, laughing.
***
Lola sat still as Isabelle braided her hair, trying not to wince when she pulled her hair. She wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t on purpose, so Lola said nothing. She didn’t want to give Isabelle the satisfaction.
They were in the living room of Blair’s house, watching ‘The Golden Girls’ which just happened to be both of their favorite television shows of all time. It was too bad they didn’t get along since they had so much in common.