fifty-five
Willow
Mom keeps going on and on about what a nice man Noah is and how lucky I am and am I sure I’m doing everything I can to make him happy?
Her constant yapping would have gotten on my nerves in the past, but now I get it. She’s worried about me. She thinks I’m going to do something to ruin it all and lose everything. This is her way of showing me her love.
“Do you think he’ll like it?” she asks of the knit scarf she bought for his birthday. “It’s just to show I care and sort of… to say I’m sorry.”
I place my hand on her lap, my eyes on the road. “Mom, it’s fine. He’ll love it. And you two are good. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll leave it at Lilyvale. You’ll give it to him, right?”
“Of course I will,” I say as I pull in from the back alley and park next to her car.
“Do you want some apple cider before going home?”
“Home?” she asks, suddenly looking a little lost. “No, but I’d love to walk to the store with you.”
I’m impressed by Mom’s stamina. “Let’s go!”
As we turn onto Elm Street, the crowd in front of the store worries me. “What’s going on?” There are even more people than yesterday, when the new window displays were up. Could it be because of last night’s meeting? Did they come to show support?
“Oh, they’re probably just looking at your beautiful windows. Wonderful friends you have there.”
“No, they’re not looking at the windows. They’re… they’re looking at us!” Self-consciously, I look down at me, then Mom. “What’s going on?”
Right then Noah detaches himself from the crowd, walking toward me with a huge grin. “Close your eyes,” he says, covering my eyes with his hand as he takes me in his embrace and walks me closer to the crowd.
Murmurs die down.
“What seems like a long time ago,” he says loud enough for everyone to hear, “a woman whose wonder I was about to discover told me a lot of things about love and life and entering the Callaway family. I’ve memorized them all.” He takes his hands from before my eyes, and I meet the expectant gazes of all my friends, and the entire town assembled behind them. “One of the things she said seemed… whimsical.” Scattered laughter sounds through the silent street. “She said,” and he points to the top of the store, where a flannel sheet is spread across the whole length of the building, “that the store should have a name.”
Beck and Griff are each holding a corner of the flannel, looking at us with huge grins.
He named the store?Finally.I jump with excitement, wondering what Noah came up with, even if a part of me wishes I’d been part of this conversation.
He glances at me with a dreamy smile. “Specifically, she said the store should have my wife’s name.”
I gasp as he continues, “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…”
The flannel drops, “…Willow’s Whimsy!”
My hands fly to my mouth, my heart pounding in my ribcage. The sign is a beautiful bottle green, with the name in gold cursive brushstrokes. Looking closer, I even notice a paintbrush dangling from the last letter, with a… a young girl holding the brush as if she had just finished painting the name!
I jump into Noah’s arms, laughing loud with more happiness than I’ve ever known. As he twirls me around, I get lost in his eyes, then focus on the people of Emerald Creek—our family and friends—clapping for us.
“I need you up there, now,” Noah says, taking my hand and walking through the crowd to the entrance of the store.
A red and black plaid ribbon closes the entrance. Cass hands me giant scissors. “You’re opening the new store, Willow!” she tells me with a huge smile.
“Pause and look at me!” Alex cries out, her phone in her hand.
Noah, Griff, Beck, and Lane are lined up right in front of me, with Mom and Ms. Angela by Noah’s side. Tears prickle my eyes, and my lip trembles as I take in the immense honor they’re bestowing on me.
But I’m not going to pretend I don’t want this or that I don’t deserve it. The store feels right for me. Lilyvale feels right for me.
I found my home and my home found me.
