Paxon stood just across the table, his hands in his pockets, blond strands of hair poking out from underneath his beanie.His grey eyes caught the pale light and seemed clear and focused as he stared at me.
“Hey,” I managed, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be.
“Hey,” he said, glancing at the bracelets, the donation jar, the cards.“You, uh, helping out?”
“Yeah.”I left it at that.
“That’s really good.”He picked up one of the folded cards, turning it over in his hand.His thumb brushed the edge where a brushstroke had bled into the paper.“These are beautiful.”
“I’ll make sure the kids know.”
Paxon hesitated, his jaw tensing before he set the card down.
I wanted to say something else.I wasn’t sure what exactly, I just felt like I needed to.But before I could find my voice, someone called his name from a distance.
He hesitated again, and then said, “See you around, Cadence.”
And just like that, he was gone.
The sound of laughter from a nearby table filled the space he left behind.I busied myself with straightening the donation cards again, pretending the motion could settle the storm building inside of me.
That was when Micah appeared before me with a camera around his neck and a bottle of water in his hand.
“You good?”he asked quietly.
I tried to smile, but even I could tell it was wavering.“Yeah, just busy.”
He leaned on the table, eyes flicking toward the crowd where Paxon had vanished.“That’s not busy.That’s being haunted by a bad pimple that refuses to pop.”
I let out a startled laugh, trying to remove that weird imagery from my head.
Micah’s tone gentled.“Don’t let Paxon break you, Cadence.You’re strong, even if you don’t think you are.I know though.”
The simple sincere way he said that cut through the ache.
“Thanks,” I said.
He smiled faintly.“Any time.Now, do you want me to take a photo to share far and wide?You’re giving off strong ‘local angel doing good work’ energy.”
I groaned, laughing.“Only if you promise not to tag me.”
“No promises.”He raised his camera, capturing the moment before I could protest.He glanced down at his camera and nodded to himself.“Lillian will be proud of this one.”
I laughed as I straightened the last stack of cards.Micah dug through his pocket and then tucked a few loose bills into the donation jar.
“Thanks,” I said as my fingers brushed one of the messages.It was a painted flower with the wordsYou are enoughwritten in gold ink.
“Come on,” Micah said, slinging his camera back around his neck.“Let’s go find something with sugar before you start brooding again.”
I rolled my eyes, but after getting a thumbs up from Mara, followed.Micah had a good point.I couldn’t keep brooding.I needed to figure out how to move forward and keep doing it, no matter the outcome.
