I drove us toward the quaint downtown I’d only seen in passing. Surprisingly, the pictures didn’t do it justice. Not only did it feel like we’d stepped into Stars Hollow, but it also felt like the culmination of every small-town Hallmark movie ever created.
Various shops and businesses ran along Main Street, their brick facades and flower boxes at every window only adding to the charm. Vintage-style streetlights lit the way, along with the twinkle lights woven into each tree along the sidewalks.
After I found a parking space, Laurel and I headed in the direction of the festivities, following the crowd.
“Tell me how your first week has been.” I bumped my shoulder into hers. “Have you made any friends?”
“Tons,” she deadpannned. “That’s why I’m on the couch every night scrolling on my phone.”
Laurel’s favorite defense mechanism was sarcasm—something she came by honestly—so I knew this was hard for her. I’d known it would be. I remembered what it was like to be sixteen. Although our circumstances were vastly different, the core story was still true. She was trying to figure out who she wanted to be in the world, and friends were a big part of that journey. I hated that I’d had to sever the bonds she’d been developing, but it was unavoidable.
“Okay…well, are there any boyfriends or girlfriends on the horizon?”
“Pretty hard to do when this entire school is less than half the size of my old class.”
I blew out a heavy sigh. “Lolo, I get this is difficult, and I’m sorry. But whether you like it or not, we’re here for at least six months. So you can either sulk and be a brat about it the entire time, or you can make the most of it. Maybe make some lifelong friendships and hopefully have a good time while you do it.”
She rolled her eyes, her standard response to absolutely anything I said.
“This isn’t easy for me either, you know. I left good friends, same as you.”
“And don’t forget the boyfriend.”
This time, it was my turn to roll my eyes. “Ex-boyfriend. And I’m not at all sad about leaving Doug behind.”
“You never told me what happened with him.”
Maybe because he’d turned into a controlling creep who’d somehow been tracking—without my permission—not just my location, but hers. Or the fact that one of his colleagues hit on my sixteen-year-old daughter, and he brushed it off like it was no big deal.
But she had enough shit in her life to worry about—this move included—so I didn’t want to pile more on her. Especially when we didn’t have to worry about him anymore.
“My red-flag detector was faulty.”
She hummed in acknowledgment.
“Besides”—I hooked my arm through hers and tugged her into my side—“I kind of like it when it’s just you and me.”
“That’s because you have an abysmal history with men.” Though her words were sharp, she lessened their potency by leaning her head against mine.
“You should be grateful about that. I’m doing all this for you, you know. So you can learn from my mistakes and not have to make them yourself. You’re welcome.”
She snorted, and I knew that was as close to a laugh as I was going to get. “So, what are we supposed to do here? Just wander around?”
“I guess? Quinn said there was a book fair, free personal pizzas with a completed book map, and ice cream. And I guess a few of the local businesses have stands set up.”
“Is this something we have to look forward to by living in a small town? Any excuse for a stupid social event?”
“From what Quinn said, yeah, pretty much.”
“God, please don’t tell me you’re going to make me come to all?—”
“Laurel! Hey!” A cute girl with warm brown skin and black hair done up in space buns waved and made her way over to us.
“Friend or foe?” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.
“Friend, I guess,” Laurel said to me before turning her attention to her friend. “Hey, Cami.”
Cami grinned, seeming genuinely happy to see my daughter. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
