Kelly's POV
The park smelled like cut grass and sunscreen, the kind of late-afternoon air that made the city feel softer than it really was.
I spread the blanket out under a wide oak tree, while Hope rummaged through the picnic basket like she was preparing for a small famine instead of a casual hangout.
“You brought three kinds of Chess?” I asked, watching her line them up with exaggerated care.
“Different moods require different textures, Kelly,” she replied without looking up. “Also, have you forgotten that Tessa stress-eats?”
“Oh! That's true. You know it's been a really long time, so…” I said, as I thought about our friend who we met at college on orientation day, and from then on, the three of us had been thick as thieves.
Until Tessa moved to Los Angeles with her college bo
