I set my breakfast on my desk next to my computer monitor and plopped down in my dad’s old office chair. I breathed in the scent of the chair without thinking. It was an old habit I couldn’t break, even though the chair doesn’t smell like him anymore.

I stared at a picture of me and Rod, hugging and laughing together, that was on my desktop, and I smiled. I clicked on my email program and checked my messages. A whole bunch of fwds from Eliza, and a couple of returned emails from Dale and Vee. No new emails from Chrissy. I sighed.

I signed onto Instant Messenger, waiting for my buddy list to load. I didn’t pay attention to the other names. Chrissy was online. I clicked on her name, and hoped for the best. It was now or never.