Chapter Two

​

The drive home felt shorter than usual, probably because Dani’s mind was so preoccupied. Taking a peek in the rearview mirror, it was still obvious that she had been crying — her eyes were glassed over and a little puffy. She gave herself a minute to relax before turning off the car and stepping out onto the driveway.

​

As she unlocked her front door, she was greeted by a flood of rainbow streamers. The crepe paper sat haphazardly over the cardboard boxes that currently filled the living room area. In all of her panicking, she had forgotten that she and Haley had planned a “Last Week on Wyndham Street” party to celebrate their last few days living on campus. 

​

Ever since the two had been matched up as roommates their freshman year, Dani and Haley had become inseparable. They’d continued to live together in the dorms and eventually apartments off-campus, and when Dani had gotten hired to write for U of M’s paper, she had convinced Haley to apply for a staff photographer position. Much of the social events they attended together throughout their four years of college were as official journalists (save for the occasional block party), but Dani wouldn’t have it any other way. She always had someone by her side to capture the best moments. 

​

“Haley?” Dani called out, but there was no answer. The house was silent, which usually meant that Haley was upstairs in her room with Kai, her partner. They must have come over to help her decorate, because the streamers looked more like their handiwork than hers. Haley was a lot like Dani, especially when it came to anything artistic — things had to be precise.

​

Dani dropped her backpack onto the arm of the couch, next to a stack of boxes with her name sharpied on them. On the nearby coffee table sat a piece of polka-dotted cardstock that she immediately recognized as Haley’s handiwork. Along with photography, she was a wizard with lettering, and her go-to craft for any kind of celebration was to make people posters. Birthdays, holidays, a good grade on an exam, you name it — you’d wake up that morning and find a sign taped to the outside of your door. Dani picked up this one and read, “Dani got a job!!!” in bold, flowy cursive. She winced. The nausea she felt earlier in Kirsten’s office was beginning to resurface as it occurred to her that not only did she not have the stable job she was expecting, but that meant she definitely wouldn’t be able to afford living with Haley in Ann Arbor for another year. It felt like the worst timing in the world, in part because they had several apartment viewings scheduled in the next few days.

​

“Haley?” she tried calling out again. Still no response. 

​

Just then, she heard a faint shriek and laughter coming from outside. She ran to the sliding door that led out to the tiny backyard and found Haley with her arms wrapped around Kai. Fairy lights were strung all around the wooden fence, along with what looked like Polaroids — photography was Haley’s other specialty. The setup gave their backyard a whimsical feel, but seemed unnecessary for the night’s party given it would just be the three of them. At least, Dani hoped it would just be the three of them — she really wasn’t in the mood for anything bigger.

​

Haley and Kai noticed her in the doorway then. Both of them were smiling ear to ear, and Haley started waving aggressively. Dani waved back and plastered a half-hearted smile on her face. They probably thought that she had come home ready to celebrate her new job. She wasn’t looking forward to breaking that news. 

​

Then it hit her that Kai was getting up off the ground. And Haley wasn’t just waving hello, but trying to show her what was on her finger.

​

Dani’s heart sank even further as she realized that she had just walked in on a proposal.