When I got to the end of "There Must Be Daffodils" with the obligatory happy ending, the epilogue from some years later explained that most of the girls were by then married, except for Ashley's bestie, Camlyn.
That was not done intentionally, and wasn't meant to set up a follow-on novel for Cam which fifty percent now exists, with a working title of "Tulips Die Out Of Water." Time has moved on again, the girls still meet up each Friday, but they have moved from their thirties to their forties, and Cam hates her life and her job.
The opening paragraph sets the scene, please let me know what you think of it as an opener.
"Left behind, still on the shelf, passed my sell-by date, this bloody steam-iron is far too heavy for my skinny arms, and the steam in my face makes me feel even sweatier than the pigging office did today. At least the steam is good for my skin and about the nearest I’ll get to affording a sauna or a spa day. Windows are steaming up though. Excuse the mess. I’d say it’s not always like this, but it is."