Class Reunion by Linda Hill Page B

you came back.”
    Jen blushed, embarrassed. “I’m glad you’re here too.” She was quiet for a moment. “What made you decide to come back?”
    “Interesting question. Why do you ask?”
    Jen glanced over to the softball field. “I don’t know. I just imagine that everyone has one reason or another. Mostly I think to see how their lives stack up against everyone else’s.”
    “What about you? What’s your reason?”
    “I asked you first.”
    “Fair enough.” Heather sighed, choosing her words carefully. “To exorcise some old ghosts.” Her eyes lifted shyly. “I’m not sure how well you remember me back in school. Most of the kids teased me quite a bit.”
    Jennifer felt herself wincing. “I remember.”
    Heather nodded and lifted a hand, sliding her fingers over the top of her head and shaking back long blond hair. “I think I came back to face some things that I wasn’t able to face when I was a kid. I wanted to see if people had changed. If they would treat me differently.”
    “And they have.”
    Heather nodded again. “But I’m not sure if they’re treating me differently because we’re older, or if it’s just because I’m not an ugly duckling anymore. In either case, I wanted to show up just to say fuck you without actually saying the words.”
    Jennifer laughed.
    Heather shrugged. “Closure. That’s what I’m looking for.” She looked back at Jen and tipped her head. “What about you?”
    “Closure is a good word.” Jen grew uncomfortable, not knowing what, or how much, to say. She glanced over at the ball field again, unable to meet Heather’s steady gaze. “The past haunts me sometimes. I think I was hoping to finally put it all behind me.” Her eyes touched Heather’s briefly. She grew embarrassed, wanting to say more, to better explain. Heather watched her steadily, silently urging her to continue. “I’m still trying to let it all go,” Jen finally sighed.
    A reassuring smile crinkled Heather’s eyes. “That sounds familiar,” she said softly. “I’m discovering that letting go isn’t as easy as I’d hoped.”
    “Ha. You too?” Jen’s voice held a note of bitterŹness.
    Heather pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs as her chin rested on one knee. “The question is,” she began, her voice almost teasing, “do you want to let go?”
    Jennifer sobered, her eyes finding Sheila’s features as she sat in the stands, calling out encouragement to her husband. Images from that very morning floated to her mind. Fool. Fool. Fool. She shook her head as if to toss the memory aside. Heather was watching her, a serious frown pulling at the corner of her lips.
    “It’s gotten a bit more complicated,” she began slowly. “But yes, I really do,” she finished with cerŹtainty.
    “Then I hope you can.”
    A chorus of cheers rose from the ball field, and their attention was drawn to the game as Bobby rounded second base and headed for third. Sheila was on her feet, calling out to her husband along with the other spectators. Bobby stepped on third base and then on to home plate before the ball even reached the infield.
    As Jennifer watched the scene, she knew without looking that Sheila’s eyes were on her again. When she allowed herself to look toward the stands, Sheila’s smug expression greeted her. Heather took it all in, her eyes floating back and forth between the two women.
    “Sheila.” Heather spoke the name aloud, and Jen found her attention swinging back to the woman beside her.
    “Excuse me?”
    “She’s who you want to let go of.” Her face colored lightly as she stared back at Jen’s slack jaw. “I suppose it’s none of my business. But I’m right, aren’t I?”
    Jen stared at Heather incredulously before her face broke out in a grin. She began laughing at herself. The laughter continued until the pounding in her head reminded her of the headache that had only just begun to pass. Wincing, she gathered herself and leaned back