First stop: my childhood home and my Pine Valley friends.
Knox had told me about them during the drive. Mika was my friend, worked as a barista and supervisor here at the café. She had purple streaked hair, though apparently she changed the color regularly, multiple piercings, and took no shit from anyone. Secretly a romantic, he’d said with a knowing smile. She was the one renting my old apartment above the café now.
Vivi was my other friend, the baker. Sunshine personified, Knox had called her. A disaster lesbian who made the best cupcakes in three counties. Apparently I was obsessed with them.
I reached the top of the stairs and stopped in front of a door, suddenly nervous. These were supposedly my best friends. People who knew me better than almost anyone. What if they looked at me and saw that I wasn’t the person they remembered? What if I disappointed them?
“I’ll be waiting for you in the café,” Knox said softly. “Take as long as you want.”
I turned to look at him, this man who had been nothing but patient and supportive since I woke up. He was giving me space. Letting me do this on my own, without hovering. I appreciated it more than I could say.
“Okay.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead, lingering for just a moment before pulling back. Then he turned and headed back down the stairs.
I watched him go until he disappeared from view. Then I took a deep breath and knocked.
The door flew open almost immediately.
“LINA!”
Two women burst out, squealing at a pitch that probably only dogs could fully appreciate, and threw themselves at me. Armswrapped around me from both sides and I found myself in the center of the most enthusiastic group hug I’d ever experienced.
“Oh my god, you’re here!”
“We were so worried!”
“You’re awake and you’re okay and you’re HERE!”
I stood there, overwhelmed and a little squished, while they squeezed me and jumped up and down and made noises that weren’t quite words. Finally they pulled back, and I got my first real look at them.
The woman on my left had to be Mika. Her hair was currently a vibrant teal color, cropped short on one side and longer on the other, with multiple piercings in her ears, nose, and one in her eyebrow. She was wearing all black and had an energy that screamed “I will punch you if you annoy me.” But her eyes were soft and wet with tears as she looked at me.
The woman on my right was definitely Vivi. She radiated warmth and sunshine, with long hair, a kind face, and a bright yellow sundress covered in flour stains. She was bouncing on her heels, her hands clasped in front of her chest, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Come in, come in!” Vivi grabbed my hand and pulled me through the doorway. “We’ve been waiting forever!”
The apartment was small but cozy. Mismatched furniture that somehow worked together, books absolutely everywhere, plants in the windows, and the faint smell of baked goods wafting fromthe kitchen. I walked through slowly, curious which things were mine and which were Mika’s taste.
“I changed a few things since I moved in,” Mika said, following my gaze. “The couch used to be against the other wall, but the natural light is better over here. And I added the plants. You always said you wanted plants but couldn’t keep them alive, so I figured someone should give it a shot.”
I walked slowly through the space, running my fingers along book spines, studying photographs on the walls, trying to find any spark of familiarity.
“Are you okay?” I asked suddenly, turning to Mika. “Knox told me you were injured. Defending the shop.”
Mika waved a hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Just a scratch.”
“He said you were stabbed.”
“Okay, it was a big scratch.” She shrugged, but I could see the way she shifted her weight, the slight stiffness in her movement. “But I’m fine now. Really. The doctors patched me up and I’m back to my bitchy self.”
My eyes filled with tears. I didn’t even know why. I didn’t remember this woman, didn’t remember our friendship, didn’t remember anything about her. But the thought of her being hurt, being injured because of my shop, because of me...
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I whispered.
Mika’s tough exterior cracked. Her own eyes welled up and she pulled me into another hug, gentler this time.
“Damn it,” she muttered into my hair. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry today.”
