【by Alexis Osowiecki】
Katy stepped outside, lured by the scent of sugar and the tickle of the autumn air – air so
crisp you could take a bite of it. Just yesterday it had felt like mid-July, when her and Bea were
sitting on the front porch, mapping out their road trip under the dim light of the stars.
In the distance, a lonely dog barked. Down the road, Katy could hear the sounds of tires
crunching the gravel, and she knew Bea was close.
Katy perked up as the front end of the red Honda pulled up to her house. She ran to the
driveway, arms already open. The second Bea stepped out of the door, Katy was pulling her in,
her cinnamon perfume wafting up to Katy’s nose.
That was when she saw Phil.
“Hey, Katy,” Phil called out with a smile. He threw his arm around Bea’s neck, pulling
her in close. “Pumpkin told me she was coming to visit you, so I thought I would swing by.” It
took all of Katy’s energy not to gag.
“Hey, Bea,” Katy began, turning away from Phil. “I was thinking we could go to the mall
tonight, pick out some new clothes before our trip.”
Bea and Phil exchanged a quick glance, before Bea finally spoke up: “I forgot to tell
you… I can’t go out tonight. Phil and I have dinner plans.” There was a long, awkward silence,
before she added: “But we can stay until five o’clock!”
Katy did her best to smile at Bea, not bothering to put in so much effort when she looked
at Phil.
That evening, Katy, Phil, and Bea spent the hours catching each other up on their lives. It
hadn’t occurred to Katy until that very moment how much she had missed out on since Bea had
moved in with Phil. She had a dog now? Got a promotion at work? Suddenly, she liked to
garden? Katy used to know everything about her. Now, she felt like she knew nothing.
Just as the hand on the clock was beginning to move toward five, Katy and Phil began to
make their way to the door.
“Time for Pumpkin and me to head out,” Phil said. “See you later, Katy.”
She let the door slam shut behind them.
A few weeks later, Katy was cleaning dishes when she heard her phone ring. When she
picked it up, she smiled hearing Bea’s voice on the other line.
“Hey, Katy,” she began.
“Hey Bea. I’ve been meaning to call. I wanted to get a couple of items before our trip.”
“Actually,” Bea said. “That was why I wanted to call. I don’t think I can go anymore.”
Katy dropped the plate that was in her hand, sending it shattering across the floor. For a
while, she said nothing. This trip was something they had been planning for years. Their crosscountry journey together had been a dream they’d planned out long ago, in crayons on paper
mats at restaurants.
“Why?” she finally croaked.
The second she heard Phil’s name, she hung up and put the phone back on the receiver.
A few days later, Katy awoke to a knock on her door. When she opened it, she was
surprised to find Phil standing there alone.
“Hey,” he called out, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Hi,” she repeated politely. “What’re you doing here all alone?”
“Actually,” he said. “I was hoping to find Bea. She said she was going to swing by here
this morning, and I figured I’d tag along. Is she here?”
Katy shook her head, slowly. “No, I’m sorry, I haven’t seen her yet.” An awkward
silence hung between them, before she said, “Phil, I’m sorry things have been so weird between
us. Bea’s always been my best friend, and it’s been hard for me to see her spending so much time
with you, especially when I’m not there too.”
Phil sighed, and a light smile crossed his face. “No, I get it. I know how close you two
are. I’m sorry if I ever overstepped.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Katy said. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you come in? I just
made some pie.”
Phil walked into the door frame, catching a whiff of cinnamon as he did so. He walked to
the table, where a white ceramic plate sat under a cotton cloth. Pulling back the sheet, he
revealed a golden-brown pie.
“Thanks,” he said, cutting a slice. “I’m so glad we’re finally connecting.” He paused,
before asking, “What flavor is this?”
“It’s pumpkin.”