Resolving to put those thoughts aside at least until later, I drove downtown, finding parking in one of the downtown lots. We had a bit of a walk to Juan In A Million, but it wasn’t too far.
Grabbing a hold of Nellie’s hand, I lead the way through the walkway between two buildings. A mural had been painted along the side of the one building, which housed the art gallery. The mural depicted a historic Hartwood Creek with witchy vibes, encompassing the folklore of the town.
“The downtown core is so cute,” Nellie remarked with a smile, taking it all in. “It reminds me of Guelph, a little.”
“How so?”
“It’s got the historic vibes, but it’s cozier,” she lifted her shoulder in a shrug, the movement lifting our hands.
“I guess that’s true, but I’ll have to take your word for it. I’ve never actually been to Guelph.”
“Really? Where’s the furthest you’ve been?”
“Probably Ottawa, for a hockey game,” I answered. “Haven’t had much of an excuse to travel.”
“Did you go to college?” Nellie asked, looking at me.
“Yeah, I took Business and Management at Springwood College, and I have a degree in accounting.”
“I guess I figured you didn’t have any formal training, since it seemed like you’ve always had a guaranteed job in the industry,” Nellie said, going for a teasing tone.
“I did have a guaranteed job,” I nodded, not denying it. “It was important to my grandparents that the resort stayed in our family, but they made sure we understood that we needed to know what we were doing ahead of inheriting. If we hadn’t shown that we were determined and responsible, I don’t think it would have passed down to us. Grandpa used to say that we were responsible for continuing the legacy in an honourable way, since we provide jobs to the locals. All of us—Damien, myself, and Easton—had to go to college. Damien took Hotel and Resort Management, and Easton has a diploma in Tourism.”
“That makes sense,” Nellie nodded. “It must be nice, to have inherited such a legacy.”
“Sure, it is. But it’s not all fun and games. We have a lot to live up to. My grandparents were a cornerstone around here, giving back whenever and wherever they could to help Hartwood Creek to continue to grow while retaining its small-town charm.”
“Are they…” Nellie stopped herself, as if reconsidering asking that question.
“They passed away about five years ago, almost one after the other,” I replied. I still missed them both, but I was thankful they’d lived until their late eighties and had gotten to meet Aria and Rowan before they passed away. I was also relieved that neither one had to live long without the other, since my grandparents had always been so in love and had done everything together.
“I’m sorry,” Nellie sent me a sympathetic look, and I squeezed her hand in response.
Death was hard, especially when you loved someone, no matter how old that someone was.
“I’ll miss my grandparents for the rest of my life, but I’ll always cherish the memories I have with them. I was blessed to get so many years with them.”
“You are lucky,” Nellie said softly, glancing at me. “I never knew my grandparents.”
“No?”
“Nope. I have no childhood memories of them coming over for Christmases, or to birthday parties. My parents were older when they had me, and their parents had already passed away.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” My heart ached for Nellie.
We reached the doors to Juan In A Million, and I held it open for Nellie to walk in. The delicious scent of Mexican and Spanish cuisine wafted over to us, immediately making my mouth water.
Juan In A Million was decorated to embrace Mexican culture, with bright, vibrant colours and bold murals.
There was a glowing sign that read feed me tacos and tell me I’m pretty, and the focal point of the establishment was a beautiful floral dahlia mural of Frida Kahlo painted onto the far wall.
“Woah,” Nellie said, taking in the restaurant with wide eyes. “This place is amazing!”
“Wait until you try the food,” I whispered in her ear as the hostess approached us.
“Hello! Welcome to Juan In A Million!” the hostess, Lucia Lopez, said with a big, welcoming grin.
She led us to a booth near the front windows and took our drink order as we slipped out of our coats and sat down on the bright yellow booth seats.
