Delaney and I had met in high school. We had survived difficult teachers, terrible haircuts, college applications, failed relationships, and the sort of embarrassing experiences that become funny only after several years have passed.
When my mother underwent surgery, Delaney stayed with me at the hospital until morning.
When she lost her first job after college, I helped her prepare applications and drove her to interviews.
We had celebrated birthdays together, shared Christmas dinners, and promised that no man would ever come between us.
I believed those promises meant something.
Then she started dating Caleb.
At first, I was happy for her.
They met at a friend’s barbecue. Delaney liked his quiet confidence, and Caleb admired how ambitious she was.
For a while, they seemed happy.
Then the arguments began.
Delaney wanted him to move to Philadelphia, find a higher-paying job, and start planning a more expensive future.
Caleb wanted to stay in Lancaster. He liked his work, his neighborhood, and the possibility of eventually buying a small house.
