My heart might just beat right out of my chest.Overwhelmed, I give Matthew’s hand a squeeze before reluctantly letting go.
“I, uh, should get back to work.”
Lou just smiles.“You do that, my dear.”
I meet Matthew’s gaze one last time.He gives me a soft smile that holds all the love and security in the world.I respond with a grateful nod before turning toward my office.I don’t have to look back to know that their affectionate gazes are following me, a warm, protective blanket I can wrap myself in for the rest of the day.
Passing Helen as she expertly steams milk, I catch her eye and give her a questioning look.“Are you good out here for a bit?”
She rolls her eyes with theatrical affection.“Porfa,mija, I’ve got this.Go do your thing.”
I give her a thankful smile and continue to my office.Closing the door behind me, I lean against it for a second, a happy sigh leaving my lungs.Shaking off my dreamy haze, I settle into my desk chair and wake my computer.
For the next hour, I lose myself in the comforting rhythm of running my business: replying to suppliers, checking inventory spreadsheets, planning the schedule for the next two weeks.The focus is a balm.A reminder of the purpose I’ve found here at Maddy’s Place.
Finally, with my inbox tamed, I stand up, arching my back in a much-needed stretch.My gaze lands on two thick piles of paper on the corner of my desk.
The signed petitions.
My fingers trace the top sheet.A testament.A chorus of support from the community that has become my home.
With a newfound sense of resolve, I pick up both stacks.They feel heavy, weighted with the hope and trust of hundreds of people.I carefully square up the edges, tapping them against the desktop until they are perfectly aligned before combining them into a single, formidable stack.
This is no ordinary pile of paper.
It’s my army.
A two-rap knock sounds on the door.
“Come in.”
The office door pushes open, and Matthew steps inside, closing it softly behind him.He has a warm expression on his face, no doubt from his conversation with Lou.His eyes find mine, and he smiles, but then his gaze drops, landing on the sizable stack of papers beneath my hands.
He leans a shoulder against the doorframe, his arms crossed.The lightness in his expression shifts to one of deep respect.“Are those all signed petitions?”
“Every last one,” I reply, giving the stack a decisive pat.“There has to be a way to use them against Bancroft.”
A thoughtful silence fills the room.Matthew watches me, his gaze analytical, weighing a decision.
Finally, he pushes off the doorframe and takes a step closer.“I’m meeting with Harold tomorrow morning.It’s about another business matter entirely, but I was thinking… you should come with me.”
“What?”My head snaps up, my heart seizing in my chest.“But won’t that get you in trouble?”
He tilts his head, a you-know-better look in his eyes.“Let’s just say Harold needs me more than I need him.”
This is it.
The opening.
The one clear shot I never dreamed I’d get.
“This way he’ll hear it directly from me.He’ll see the person whose dream he’s trying to crush for money he doesn’t even need.”I look right at Matthew, the words rushing out in a wave of hopeful excitement.“He’d never agree to a meeting otherwise.But if you bring me in with you…” My shoulders rise in a slow shrug.“It’s worth a shot.”
For a long moment, Matthew just studies my face.A universe of pride, affection and unwavering belief shines in his eyes.
A breathtaking smile spreads across his lips.“I was hoping you’d agree.”
“Agree?!”The relief is so potent it almost makes my knees weak.“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you.”
