588. Chapter 588

They’ve never had Game Night without Kara.

She couldn’t have Sisters’ Night without Kara, and that was bad enough.

But she figured… she figured if they had a night together, all of them – their family – Kara would come.

Especially if they called it Pizza Night, instead of just a regular Thursday.

She figured – she really did – that if they had the night anyway, and invited Kara, her sister’s stomach would overpower her grief. That she’d come. Even if she said no at first.

It didn’t work.

It didn’t work, and Alex almost broke.

And even Jessy the Delivery Guy knew something was wrong.

“Hey Alex,” he grins when she opens the door, but his face falls when hers does.

Because she’d thought – she’d hoped – that maybe it was Kara.

“Hey, Jessy,” she tries to smile, reaching out for the heaping boxes of pizza while also slipping him a massive tip. And he appreciates her attempt at smiling, he does. But her utter failure at it makes his own smile fade.

Her hears her fiancee, their friends, inside, laughing at something Winn said.

But there’s a voice he doesn’t hear.

“Your sister okay? She hasn’t ordered in a while, and she’s not – she’s not here tonight, huh?”

Alex sighs, and melts backwards as she feels a pair of warm hands slipping around her waist and reaching for the pizza boxes.

“Hey Maggie,” Jessy grins again, and his smile broadens at the way Alex blushes when Maggie presses a kiss to her neck.

“How’s the boyfriend, Jessy?” Maggie asks, and it’s Jessy’s turn to blush.

“You told her?” he asks Alex, though he’s clearly not actually displeased.

“I mean, she’s gonna be my wife, so yeah, I told her. And I wasn’t exactly under the impression it was a secret, you bouncing in here announcing it to all of us when he finally asked you out,” Alex smirks, and Jessy’s blush increases.

“Yeah, yeah,” he murmurs. “But really, Alex. Is Kara okay?”

Alex freezes and Maggie’s hands run up and down her waistline supportively.

Neither of them tell him that Kara’s been ordering from a different pizza joint because she doesn’t want to see anyone she knows.

Doesn’t want anyone smiling at her, when she doesn’t deserve it.

Or, when she thinks she doesn’t, anyway.

“She will be, Jessy,” Maggie fills in softly when Alex clearly can’t find the words. Alex turns her head to kiss Maggie a thank you.

Jessy nods like he knows, and somehow, Alex suspects he does.

“Well, if any of you need anything, aside from pizza, just let me know, okay?”

“You got it,” Maggie supplies when Alex again can’t speak, and they both sigh as the door closes, as Maggie presses a soft kiss to the back of Alex’s shoulder.

“You two gonna stand there all night with all that pizza?” Winn wants to know, and Alex is grateful for the distraction, for the levity.

She pulls out her phone as Maggie kisses her once more and takes the boxes over to a ravenous-looking Winn.

No messages from Kara.

No anything from Kara.

She dials.

No answer.

No surprise.

“Hey sis, I just… I know I left you messages about it, but I just… the pizza just got here, so I thought maybe you’d want to know. The window’s always open for you. I… no pressure, okay? But feel free to pop by. Everyone’s here, and everyone… everyone misses you. But no pressure, okay? I… I love you, Kara. Okay. Bye.”

James squeezes her hand as she sinks into the couch next to him and she leans into his shoulder for a long, long moment.

They’re all silent for a long, long moment.

“Papa Bear says she’ll come around when she’s ready,” Winn says softly, and Maggie kisses Alex’s free hand.

“She will,” she assures, and Alex smiles softly, gratefully.

“Hopefully before the pizza gets cold,” she prays to a god she doesn’t think she believes in.

Kara doesn’t show.

Again.

Alex’s heart breaks.

Again.

Her friends – her family – is there for her.

Again.

And always.