I guess no one stays friends for more than thirty years without broken hearts along the way.

You look great," he said. It made her smile, even if it was a lie. "I'm as big as a house." He laughed. "I like houses. In fact, I'm thinking about architecture as a career.

Caro: "Bite me." Ruby: "I gave that up in kindergarten.

That was the one thing she knew now. Some chances came and went, and if you missed them, you could spend the rest of your life standing alone, waiting for an opportunity that had already passed you by.

She had been ready to love this man from the moment she first saw him. In all these years, that had never changed. They'd hurt each other, let each other down, and yet, here they were after everything, together. She needed him now, needed him to remind her that she was live, that she wasn't alone, that she hadn't lost everything.

A daughter without her mother is a woman broken. It is a loss that turns to arthritis and settles deep into her bones.

Their friendship was more important than any relationship. Guys would come and go; girlfriends were forever.