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I reached the gym floor before Hannah and Anastasia arrived, taking a few minutes to compose myself, setting up my Garmin training watch, and sliding a sports bottle into a holder on one of the training bikes.
My best friend looked worse for wear when she trailed herself and an over-stuffed kit bag into the spinning room. She nodded and smiled weakly, acknowledging me with a sense of sadness I couldn’t ignore.
“Where’s Anastasia?”
“She won’t be joining this morning, Amy. Anastasia cried most of the night. We stayed in the living room, and I comforted her.”
“She knows about Katerina’s affair, then?”
“With your father? Yes. But that wasn’t all.”
“What else was said?”
“It all got very emotionally traumatic, with revelations crippling Anastasia. They didn’t argue at all, but there was no stopping their truths from coming out once it started.”
“And they did it in front of you?”
“Both wanted me there for Anastasia. They’re getting a divorce as soon as possible. I’m feeling angry because this situation has existed for a decade for her mother and father, so they are ready to move on.”
“How was she?”
“Anastasia took the whole thing badly. She had no idea her parents had a marriage of convenience and secret lovers.”
“Ahh, so Artyom has a lover as well?”
“He had no idea about your father. Artyom believed Katerina had a few lovers.”
“Fuck! They haven’t dealt with this whole thing very well.”
“They decided last night was the right time to come clean and share everything with their daughter. I think they did it too quickly and selfishly. It was fucking brutal, Amy.”
“Is she resting?”
“Yes.”
Hannah dropped her bag and slumped, crying. I stepped in and hugged my friend, who was hurting badly. She bowed her head on my shoulder and nestled like a baby might, holding my hands.
“I love her so much, Amy.”