But not tonight!
Even though Frances had been up since an absurd hour this morning and had herded and wrangled kids around the island for probably about 12 hours straight, she still managed to find herself energized and bursting with excitement to finally see her best friend again. Frances headed to their favorite hang-out spot, the lighthouse, with a wicker picnic basket filled to the brim with leftovers from the Kids annual program dinner and a couple bottles of champagne.
Frances always felt like she was preparing for a date when she met up with Poppy. Maybe her perpetual crush on her best friend had something to do with it, or Poppy's generally flirty nature which never ceased to confuse Frances, or maybe the fact that they usually met at this isolated and empty abandoned lighthouse with a stunning view of the sunset.
Frances cursed her relentless need to be romantic and over-prepared as she glanced down at the probably unnecessary picnic basket, which came prepared with small cups, cutlery, and plates for the fancy food she'd brought. And champagne? Really??
Frances had no genuine interest in dating Poppy, and she had realized long ago that it would never happen (and wouldn't be successful even in Poppy were interested, she'd calculated / convinced herself), but Poppy still gave her butterflies. Fortunately, she also gave Frances a relieving sense of familiarity, stability, and connection, which had been hard for Frances to come by in her life. They had built a genuine and long-lasting bond quickly as kids, and Frances couldn't ask for a better relationship with her.
Oh gosh, now she was smiling dumbly as she reminisced about their sparse but extravagant adventures over the last five years. Saffron giggled from her perch on Frances' shoulder as she blushed lightly.