I stared at my phone for what seemed like forever. I knew I had to be the one to call her or, we'd never see eye to eye. We not only lost touch, but we also hurt each other to the point where neither one of us cared about the other. Yet...

"This is Heidi," came her voice.

She had not changed her number. Hearing her voice for the first time in two years was surreal. She sounded the same. 

"Hello?" she said again.

My brain was at a pause. I did not know why I'd called her in the first place especially after how we'd left things off. What was I supposed to say to her?

"If you have nothing to say, have yourself a lovely day."

"Heidi, it's Kathleen," I replied instantly.

"Oh...how are-uh-I'm sorry about..."

"Why now?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"I-uh-I honestly doesn't know," she said. "I want-"

"Well, it was bold of you to leave the gifts on my desk," I interrupted her, an edge to my voice.

"How else was I supposed to get your attention?" she said. She hadn't thought that through...

"My attention?" I shot back. "You return right after Todd gets into an accident and your excuse is that 'You want my attention' ?"

"Kathleen, that's not what I meant," she said quickly. 

"Then what are you trying to say?" I asked back. "Because now, you have my attention!"

"Could you please just...?" she said.

"Just what?" 

"I am sorry Todd died. I am sorry I wasn't there for you when you got married. I am sorry I walked out of your apartment two years ago and never contacted you. I am sorry I said all those horrible things. I am so sorry I was a self-centered, cowardly friend. All I can say is that I'm sorry. Could we please, please move on?" She blurted out. 

"I don't know if I can," I said, finally calm.

"Could we try? Over tea sometime..." She pressed on, her pleading voice sipping through the phone. "You're not the only one who was hurt, Kathleen."

"Maybe," I replied. She did have a point. I changed my number right after she walked out on me, blocked her on all my social media, giving her not a single chance to reach out to me.

"I can work with that."