Alice and Catherine grew up together as best friends, became roommates in college, and dated for several years.

Alice used to be in love with Catherine, but fell out of love once she became disgusted with Catherine's lack of ambition. She wishes so badly that she could fall back in love, because it would make it easier to manage the urge to fix and control Catherine's life. She doesn't want to get back together, but she does still care about Catherine.

Catherine has always been in love with Alice. But for their entire relationship, she desperately wishes that she could force herself to fall out of love. She breaks up with Alice once they graduated college because she resents how smothered and small Alice made her feel and she’s too afraid of how being with a woman will complicate her life. She tells herself that it was because she thought Alice deserved someone better. Catherine stays living in their hometown.

Alice goes to graduate school in a different city to get away and starts a fling with Mike, a guy in her program. She tries to control his life, the same as she did to Catherine. Eventually, he discovers that Alice had dated a woman and becomes physically abusive. Alice's younger brother, John, agrees to help her get out of the situation and keep it a secret between themselves. Alice moves cities again after graduation to be sure not to get employed in the same field as Mike.

Years pass. Alice and Catherine are in their 30s and don't text anymore. Catherine never really used social media, so Alice only hears occasional updates via family. She dated around a lot in her 20s, but nothing ever stuck, and now she just works. She finds out that Catherine has gotten married only because John happened to be driving by the church at the time of the reception.

Months later, Catherine calls Alice on the phone to tell her that she's pregnant and wants to know if Alice will come home for the baby shower. She misses her friendship with Alice and thinks that she needs to resolve their history in order to become a good enough person for her baby.