Lily started to cry then. And even though we couldn't see them, I knew that my mother was rubbing Lily's back in wide circles, the same way she did mine when I was upset.
I wished I could do that for Richard. I knew it would make him feel better, but I couldn't. Instead, I reached over and grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. He didn't look at me, but he didn't let go either. This was the moment when we became true, real friends.
Then my mother said in her most serious, most deadpan voice, "Your boobs really are pretty goddamn amazing."
Lily burst out into laughter that sounded like a seal barking, and then she was laughing and crying at the same time. Everything was going to be okay. If my mother was cussing, if Lily was laughing, it would all be fine.
I let go of Richard's hand an
