The air at Casa A Pezzi smelled of impending drama almost as soon as all the guests had taken their seats at the table. Virginia, smiling, and Alfred, with his relaxed demeanor (Ted's parents), presided, unknowingly, over an imminent disaster.
Ted, sitting next to Robin, had his back so straight it seemed like there were pins in the back of the chair forcing him to stay that upright. Robin was uncomfortable with the food and, apparently, with not being good enough to have Ted's children.
"Robin, dear," said Virginia, passing the butter with an elegance that seemed like a diplomatic gesture. "Ted told us you're a journalist, so modern. My niece Stacy loves to write too, though they're grocery lists, but they are words…"
Robin forced a smile. "Fascinating."
Beside her, Marshall was a ghost in a pressed shirt. He had changed so much these past months, having lost weight, which was slightly noticeable in the looseness of clothes that used to fit him perfectly. His eyes no longer had that charming, childlike vibrancy; instead, they were duller, fixed in those moments on the plate of eggs he had to eat, not starting a conversation with anyone.
"And Lily, Marshall?" asked Virginia with the delicacy of a construction worker tearing down the walls of a house. "Ted told us you were… taking separate paths." She paused for a moment, thinking how to finish the topic without being awkward. "What a shame," she added.
Marshall blinked, emerging from his thoughts. "Yes, a shame."
"But these things happen," Virginia continued, as if commenting on a change of TV channel. "Time heals all wounds, they say. And that other girl, the sensible one? Ally?"
"Alyx," Ted corrected automatically. "She said she'd come."
At that precise moment, as if the universe had a perverse sense of humor, the restaurant door opened and a woman walked in who was not Alyx.
It was Lily.
And it wasn't the Lily Marshall remembered from recent months—not the one who had first left with confidence and without looking back, not the remorseful one with swollen eyes and constant apologies, nor the defiant one who had come for their TV show DVDs in the apartment.
This Lily was wearing a dress. And not just any dress. It was a tight-fitting, short, red dress with a neckline that left nothing to the imagination. Her hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders, and she wore a light touch of red lipstick. She walked toward their table with confidence, her high heels making a sound that seemed like a constant Morse code echo, as if saying—Look at me, I'm here.
Barney, who had been explaining to Ted's parents his supposed charity work and tutoring of young people, was left speechless.
"Wow," he murmured with genuine surprise and appraisal of the exposed attributes. "Miss Aldrin returns to the battlefield, and not alone—she's brought the heavy artillery."
Marshall felt the air escape his lungs. Of course, he had seen her dozens of times like this, beautiful with or without clothes, but this time was different. This time it wasn't a normal provocation; it was a direct, well-planned, and executed attack wrapped in a beautiful red dress. He felt that familiar desire in his body, an emotion well known but diluted with the fresh anger of the entire breakup, plus this attack.
"Lily, dear," said Virginia without blinking at the dress, resolutely ignoring it so as not to have to go into details about it. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Hello, everyone," said Lily, her voice a little louder than normal. She went around greeting first the elder Mosbys, then Ted, Robin, and Barney, and finally Marshall, looking him straight in the eyes, knowing full well he hadn't taken his eyes off her since she arrived. "Hello, brother," she said, feigning calm and reminding him of what he had called their relationship that morning.
"Sister," he managed to say and added with a hoarse voice. "You… look good."
"Thank you," she replied, sitting down gently in the chair Ted offered her, right next to Marshall. He caught the scent of a new perfume Lily was wearing. He knew it was new; she had never worn it around him, which sent his thoughts spiraling about all the changes she had made since their breakup—her habits, the love they shared—so much had changed with Lily's departure.
The meal continued, but now with Lily, who was absorbed by Virginia and her questions about San Francisco, her new apartment, all of which Lily answered with a rehearsed fluency and calm, meticulously prepared stories followed by funny anecdotes about finding herself that only made Marshall want to metaphorically throw in the towel and leave.
Ted desperately tried to keep the conversation in safe territory, asking his parents about the neighbors, the garden, anything but the green elephant in the room.
Robin watched with the analytical gaze of a journalist, taking mental notes of the disaster and praying she wouldn't have to speak with that kind of judge that Virginia was. And Barney, of course, enjoyed every second, though he occasionally interrupted to glorify himself in front of Ted's parents and make a good impression.
"So, Lily," said Barney, leaning forward with a sly smile. "This new style… is it part of finding yourself? Because let me tell you, the 'yourself' you found has excellent taste in fashion." He said while looking her over again, though this time more at her chest, which was what was visible above the table.
Lily smiled with a tense expression. "I just thought it was time for a change, Barney," she said, though somewhat uncomfortable since she didn't like exposing herself so much for others to see, especially Barney.
"A radical change," murmured Marshall, unable to contain himself. "From kindergarten teacher to music video star," he added cynically.
The silence was deafening, as they weren't used to these new comments from Marshall. Lily paled slightly but recovered quickly.
"We all need to grow, Marshall," she said, staring him down. "Some of us get stuck. Others move forward."
Before Marshall could reply, the door opened again. This time, it was Alyx.
The Alyx who entered wasn't wearing a dress. She wore impeccable black jeans, worn but elegant leather boots, a gray cotton long-sleeved t-shirt, and a dark leather jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a low, messy bun, with a few rebellious strands escaping. She wore no visible makeup except perhaps a touch of gloss on her lips; she seemed to have come directly from a place where appearance was the least of her concerns.
But there was something about her—the confidence in her posture or the calm in her steps—that made Lily's red dress pale in comparison, that made it seem almost like a desperate attempt. Alyx radiated a disquieting serenity, a peace that wasn't happiness but resolution.
"Good morning," she said, her voice clear and effortless. She greeted the Mosbys with genuine but distant respect and nodded to Ted, Robin, and Barney. Her gaze passed over Lily and her dress without flinching, as if seeing through the fabric, skin, and bones to the trembling woman underneath. Finally, it settled on Marshall. "Marshall."
It was the same greeting Lily had given him, though she had used his name, which took away that electric charge of provocation. It was a simple acknowledgment of his existence. And somehow, that hurt more.
"Alyx," he said clumsily, not knowing what else to add. "Thanks for coming."
"Ted insisted," she said, too much with Robin to be able to ignore them any longer, she thought to herself with a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes. She sat down next to Robin, on the opposite side of the table, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the Marshall-Lily earthquake epicenter.
The brunch resumed, but now the dynamic had completely changed. With Alyx present, she barely spoke unless asked something directly. She ate small bites of her salad and took sips of her water while observing everything.
She observed how Lily leaned toward Marshall to pass him the salt, how her hand deliberately brushed his, and how she exposed her cleavage directly in Marshall's line of sight. She also observed how Marshall stiffened at those movements and clenched his jaw.
Virginia sensed the general discomfort without fully recognizing its source and tried to return to safe ground by including Alyx in the conversation.
"And you, Alyx, dear? Are you still with that interesting job in finance? And your new apartment? It must be exciting to start over."
"The job is going well," Alyx replied in a neutral tone. "The apartment is… quiet. Good for concentrating."
"Oh, yes! Of course, concentration is key," said Virginia. "And what do you do to… relax? Yoga? Ted says he's seen you very active lately."
Marshall held his breath. He had also noticed, in the weeks before she left, the occasional bruises and the strange tiredness in her eyes, though Alyx always said it was from cleaning or a minor bump at the gym. But they were so recurrent that he began to worry, and when he was about to investigate what it was, she decided to leave.
Alyx looked at Virginia, then slowly lowered her gaze to her own arm, where, under her sleeves, she knew she had a larger bruise from her hand-to-hand combat practice a few days ago.
"Something like that," Alyx said, adjusting her sleeve so it wouldn't show. "The gym, you know… activities for stress."
Lily saw all of this, especially how Alyx adjusted her sleeves as if hiding something, which worried her. And Marshall, who was also attentive to her movements, seeing the same thing, felt a wave of concern that erased what he felt with Lily beside him.
Robin was the only one at the table who knew what was being hidden and how she had likely gotten it. Still, she didn't know how to broach the topic with the group or with Alyx.
The conversation drifted to safer topics with Ted's efforts and Barney's absurd comments about his charitable life. Marshall and Lily couldn't stop looking at Alyx—her serene, silent profile, added to the way she gently traced the rim of her water glass with her fingertips. But even more, how they missed her laugh, the security she gave them by being near, the anchor that held them steady when they felt adrift.
When they finally finished and got up to leave, Lily said her goodbyes and left, pensive. Marshall wanted to talk to Alyx, but she disappeared quickly after a brief goodbye and promises to the elder Mosbys to have lunch with them tomorrow.
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