Melissa froze for a second , and then her eyes lit up . She clinked her glass against mine , tears still shimmering . " To new beginnings . And may everything go your way . " I smiled from the bottom of my heart . While we were eating , a waiter showed up with three fancy - looking dishes . Melissa blinked . " I didn't order these . Must be a mix - up ? " The waiter smiled , " Compliments of Mr. Holcomb . Your bill's taken care of ." Melissa's head snapped to me . " Jared sent these ? " I took a bite . " Not bad . Let's eat - no sense wasting good food ." Melissa laughed awkwardly . " One of these probably costs more than my entire meal ." I didn't expect Jared to send over dishes . Maybe he felt guilty and was trying to make up for things with cash ? That was just like him - seeming thoughtful , but cold at his core , a total train wreck . Halfway through , Melissa still looked confused by my calm . She leaned in , her voice serious . " Yvonne was so cozy with that woman . If I didn't know better , I'd think she's her kid . Doesn't that make you mad ? " I wasn't surprised she would ask this . She'd watched me hover over Yvonne like a helicopter parent , terrified the kid might get a paper cut . Back then , I barely had enough breast milk . I'd call lactation experts every day , let them prod and poke until my skin was raw , and still nothing . I had cried through that whole first month , holding Yvonne , feeling like I was failing her . Melissa used to say Yvonne was my entire world . She thought having my " precious little girl " stolen by another woman would be like a knife to the heart . I took a sip of wine and shook my head . " Maybe once . Not anymore . She's six - old enough to understand right and wrong . Kids aren't puppets I can control forever . Someday she'll find her own path . If she's happier with someone else , I can let her go . " Melissa stared at me , looking stunned . She let out a soft sigh . " Wow , Victoria . You're totally different now . If it weren't for your face , I'd swear you were a completely different person ." I chuckled quietly . " Growing up can catch you off guard sometimes . Melissa , we've known each other since high school , stuck together through college , and now we're living in the same city . I'm still me - I just let some things go . " Melissa nodded . " Good . You're my friend , and that's not gonna change , ever ." After dinner , Melissa tried to pay , but the waiter told her Jared had already covered the bill . She looked at me and shrugged . " I was supposed to treat you , but your husband beat me to it . Next time , it's on me - promise . " I smiled and nodded . " Deal . " Since we'd both had a few drinks , driving was out of the question . Melissa stood at the edge of the sidewalk , trying to flag down a cab . Just then , a black Land Rover pulled up . Warner rolled down the window and said , " Mrs. Holcomb , Mr. Holcomb sent me to take you home . " 1/2 Melissa scoffed , " Mr. Holcomb is really thoughtful , huh ? " I stayed quiet , opened the door for Melissa to get in first , then slid in after her . During the ride , I closed my eyes to rest . Jared's mixed signals were confusing as hell . If he was gonna cheat , he should just ghost me . But no - he took Tracy to dinner and then turned around and played Mr. Thoughtful for me . How shameless .