Lisa’s son, Mike, had a new friend named Sophie, and every day it was all about Sophie. “Sophie this, Sophie that,” he’d say. Curious and hopeful to connect with Sophie’s mom, Lisa finally agreed to meet her. But when she opened the door, her past came flooding back—it was someone she never expected.

Lisa drove slowly as she approached Mike’s school, glancing in the rearview mirror. Mike sat quietly, gazing out the window. The silence between them wasn’t just quiet—it was heavy, weighed down by the pain of losing Mike’s father and their recent move to this unfamiliar town. The streets felt foreign, as did the faces she passed each day.

She had hoped the move would help them heal. But, more than anything, Lisa worried about Mike. He had become quieter and more withdrawn after his father’s passing. Would he be able to make new friends here? Could this new town help him find some normalcy?

“Be brave!” Lisa called as Mike hopped out of the car for school. She smiled, trying to hide her own nerves.

When she picked him up that afternoon, everything seemed brighter. Mike’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Mom, I made a new friend! Her name is Sophie!” he exclaimed, practically bouncing into the car.

Lisa smiled, feeling a rush of relief. Maybe this move would be good for both of them after all. Soon, Sophie became the main topic of their conversations.

One afternoon, after school, Mike came running over with a huge grin, throwing his arms around Lisa. “Guess what, Mom? Sophie invited me to her house tomorrow to play!”

“Did she now?” Lisa asked, amused by his enthusiasm. “Well, I’ll need to speak to Sophie’s mom first to make sure it’s okay.”

“Here!” Mike said, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from his backpack. “Sophie gave me her mom’s number.”

Later that evening, Lisa sat on the couch, phone in hand. She typed in the number and sent a text: “Hi, I’m Lisa, Mike’s mom. He told me Sophie invited him over tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with a reply: “Hi, Lisa! Yes, Sophie told me about it. We’d love to have Mike over!”

Feeling relieved, Lisa replied, “That’s great! Is there anything I should bring with him?”

The response was quick: “Maybe some wine, so the moms don’t get too bored!”

Lisa chuckled at the lighthearted message. Sophie’s mom seemed to have a sense of humor. She typed back, “Sounds good! See you tomorrow.”

As she put her phone down, a small sense of hope settled in. Maybe this would be a chance to make a new friend for herself, too. Mike had mentioned that Sophie’s mom was also raising her daughter alone, and Lisa thought, We might understand each other.

The next day, Lisa and Mike arrived at Sophie’s house. With a bottle of wine in hand, she gave Mike an encouraging smile as he knocked on the door, excitement written all over his face. When the door swung open, Sophie stood there, and the two kids ran off into the house, laughing.

Lisa waited at the door, feeling slightly nervous about meeting Sophie’s mom. A moment later, the door opened wider, and Lisa’s heart dropped. Standing before her was Alice—Alice from high school, her worst enemy.

Alice’s expression hardened the moment she recognized Lisa. “Lisa,” she said through a fake smile.

“Alice,” Lisa replied, her stomach twisting in knots.

Alice looked Lisa up and down, her tone condescending. “Haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

Lisa, trying to maintain her composure, retorted, “And you’re still the queen of too-short skirts, I see.”

The tension was palpable as Alice stepped aside, gesturing for Lisa to enter. They sat awkwardly, pouring themselves some wine, exchanging only stiff, cold words.

Lisa’s mind raced. She couldn’t forget how Alice had treated her back in high school. Alice had been the queen bee—popular, admired, and cruel. Lisa, on the other hand, had been her target. The teasing, the rumors, and the betrayal of prom night when Alice stole Lisa’s date still stung, even after all these years.

The evening passed with little more than forced small talk, and the bitterness between them lingered as they parted ways. Despite Mike and Sophie’s growing friendship, Lisa avoided Alice as much as possible. But one day, she received a call from Mike’s teacher, Miss Terry, asking her to come to the school.

Lisa arrived, her stomach in knots, and was immediately met with Alice sitting in the principal’s office. Lisa’s pulse quickened.

“What’s going on?” she asked, looking from Miss Terry to Alice.

“Please sit down, Lisa,” Miss Terry said calmly.

Once seated, Lisa braced herself. Miss Terry looked at her seriously and said, “Mike has been bullying Sophie.”

Lisa blinked, stunned. “What? That’s impossible. They’re friends.”

Alice, with a dramatic sigh, chimed in, “Sophie has mentioned it to me several times. I tried to handle it privately, but when nothing changed, I had no choice but to involve Miss Terry.”

Frustration bubbled inside Lisa. “Why am I only hearing about this now?” she demanded.

Alice crossed her arms, her tone icy. “Maybe you haven’t been paying enough attention to your son. He’s clearly acting out because you’re not managing things well at home.”

Lisa’s temper flared. “You can say what you want about me, but don’t drag my son into this,” she snapped.

Miss Terry intervened, her tone measured. “Lisa, I know it’s been a hard time for you and Mike since your husband passed. Perhaps it would help if you had some outside support?”

Lisa straightened, her voice firm. “I’m managing just fine, thank you. Mike is even seeing a specialist.” But inside, her frustration grew. Alice was behind this; Lisa was sure of it.

As the conversation continued, Alice smirked, clearly enjoying the turmoil she had caused. When Lisa finally stormed out of the office, she could barely hold back her tears.

Days passed, and the tension between Lisa and Alice remained. Then, one evening, there was a knock at the door. Lisa opened it to find Alice standing there, but her usual arrogance was gone.

“What do you want?” Lisa asked, her voice cold.

Alice looked down, then back at Lisa. “I came to apologize.”

Lisa stared, speechless. Of all the things she expected, this wasn’t it.

“Sophie has been crying nonstop. She misses Mike,” Alice said softly. “She wants to be friends with him again.”

“So, you’re admitting you lied?” Lisa asked, still skeptical.

“Yes,” Alice admitted. “I’ll tell Miss Terry the truth tomorrow.”

“But why did you do it in the first place?” Lisa asked, still confused.

Alice sighed, her voice low. “I was jealous of you. Just like in high school.”

“Jealous? I’ve been raising a child alone after losing my husband,” Lisa said, incredulous.

Alice looked ashamed. “But at least you had someone who loved you. I married Scott—the guy I stole from you at prom. It was a disaster. Two years ago, I finally left him. It’s just been me and Sophie since.”

Lisa, stunned by the confession, raised an eyebrow. “So, I should be thanking you for taking him?”

Alice gave a sad laugh. “You were always better than me, Lisa. You had a good family. I envied that.”

There was a long silence before Alice finally asked, “Can you forgive me?”

Lisa hesitated, then stepped aside, offering a tentative smile. “Come inside. Let’s start with some wine. We have a lot to talk about.”

As the two women sat together, the years of bitterness began to fade. Lisa realized that both of them had been carrying heavy burdens—and that maybe, just maybe, it was time to let them go.

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