Chapter 4: The Rachel Intervention

"I suspect he has someone else," I said, stroking Milo as I talked to my best friend Rachel on the phone.

I paced around my living room, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear, a half-empty bottle of La Croix sweating on the coffee table. The city lights flickered through the blinds, and for a moment, I felt completely alone despite the purring at my feet.

She snorted, "You two are just online dating and long-distance. Stop overthinking. Break up—it’s better for all four of you."

Her sarcasm was like a slap, but I tried to let it roll off me. Rachel never sugarcoated things, which is probably why we’re still friends after all these years.

I pretended not to get her sarcasm and kept mulling it over. "Maybe his family doesn’t approve of online dating? Or maybe they’re so traditional they want to set him up on a blind date? He did say he likes kids..."

I plopped onto the couch, absently twirling a strand of hair. The idea of some meddling mother-in-law-to-be arranging awkward coffee shop meetups made me want to groan out loud.

She sighed, "Melissa, you need a guy you can actually high-five in real life. My brother’s single, and he’s got this thing for older women with kids—he’s even bribed me to help him impress her."

I could hear her flipping through a magazine, probably sprawled on her couch with a glass of boxed wine.

I glanced at the laundry basket overflowing in the corner and the stack of Amazon boxes by the door. Dating in person felt as exhausting as laundry day, but Rachel always made it sound so simple.

I muttered, "I’ve seen photos..."

I could almost hear her rolling her eyes through the phone. The way she clicked her tongue always made me picture her with her arms crossed, judgmental but still rooting for me.

She shrieked, "You mean those ab pics that look like they’re from Instagram? He doesn’t even show his face! He’s probably just some couch potato in real life!"

Her laugh echoed through my living room, bouncing off the walls like a wake-up call. I winced, a little embarrassed, but also knowing she was probably right.

I fell silent. She sighed again.

Her tone softened, like she was trying to fix a broken thing with a Band-Aid. "It’s not just you. My brother’s also been wrapped around the finger of an older divorced woman with a kid. Every day he searches online for ways to get her kid to accept him. He even tries to bribe me to help him win over our parents."

I couldn’t help but ask, "Really? Didn’t you say your brother is super handsome? Are there no girls after him in real life?"

She groaned, drawing out the word. "Melissa, you need a guy you can actually high-five in real life. My brother’s single, and he’s got this thing for older women with kids—he’s even bribed me to help him impress her."

The thought stung, but her words hit close to home. I pulled a blanket over my lap, Milo crawling into the space between my legs as if he sensed I needed comfort.

My thoughts started to drift. Maybe men these days really do like mature, divorced women?

I caught my reflection in the TV screen—a little older, maybe, but not ready for the dating graveyard just yet. I smirked at the thought: maybe being a cat mom counted as bonus points now.

I looked down at myself—I’m not that young anymore either. Suddenly, I felt a bit childish.

The dim glow from the streetlight softened my face, but the uncertainty inside me felt sharper than ever. I fiddled with the hem of my sweatshirt, lost in thought.

Looking at my online boyfriend’s new profile picture—two kids playing together—I felt a wave of unease.

It was just a stock photo, but my mind raced. Was he trying to send a message? Or was I just overthinking again, reading into pixels and emojis like they were love letters?

I shook my head, cutting off my friend’s endless complaints. "Wait, did you just say your brother is dating a mature woman?"

Rachel groaned, stretching out the word like she was tired of her own story. "Mature? More like overripe, honestly. How about I introduce him to you? Maybe you’ll both snap out of it and I’ll finally get some peace."

Her voice was teasing, but I could tell she meant it. The idea made me laugh—a real, honest laugh that surprised even me.

Sigh. All victims of online dating, and he’s my best friend’s brother. Looks like I really have to do this favor.

I glanced at Milo, who blinked back with his big green eyes. Maybe real life wasn’t so bad, after all. At least in person, you knew who was holding the other end of the leash—or the cat carrier.

"Does he have abs?"

Rachel groaned, but I could hear the smile in her voice. For a split second, I imagined myself at the gym, lifting weights, sweating it out with some Adonis. Then I burst out laughing—yeah, right, like that’s happening.

"...Yeah."

"Can he flex them?"

Another sigh. "...Yes."

"See you tomorrow!"

I hung up, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to unplug and give real life another shot. As I drifted off, both cats pressed close, I wondered—maybe tomorrow I’d finally meet someone who’s actually real.